If you're a gardener, by this time in the summer you're probably hitting some pest or illness issues of one variety or another. So far this summer I've dealt with aphids, yellowing leaves on the tomatoes, and Japanese beetles - and dealt with each one with various things I had on hand, no chemicals needed.
Zucchini Aphids
Here's the thing about aphids: there's a bunch of different kinds. I've had them visit my tomatoes in past years, and they've had no real impact. But earlier this year I had little black aphids all over my zucchini, and while they aren't nearly as damaging as the dreaded squash vine borer, it was clear that the sheer volume of them was having an impact. After a little research I came up with the following cocktail, doused the plant with it -- and haven't seem one since!
Here's the thing about aphids: there's a bunch of different kinds. I've had them visit my tomatoes in past years, and they've had no real impact. But earlier this year I had little black aphids all over my zucchini, and while they aren't nearly as damaging as the dreaded squash vine borer, it was clear that the sheer volume of them was having an impact. After a little research I came up with the following cocktail, doused the plant with it -- and haven't seem one since!
**Note for all of these addititives, as well as most fertilizers and/or pesticides, DIY or otherwise: they can easily scorch plants. Your best bet is to apply them at a cool time of day, either early in the morning or after sunset so the sun won't cause damage.
Zucchini Aphid Eradicator Spray (needs a catchier name, no?)
The basic ingredients are fresh herbs (lavender, mint, and/or rosemary), dish soap (ideally organic and/or natural), and water, plus a spray bottle.
Take clippings of the herbs and add to a jar or other closed container full of water. I used all three herbs and old jelly jars, and did one jar for each herb since they were small. Place in a sunny spot, preferably outdoors, and let steep for at least a day. Strain and pour water into a spray bottle, and add a couple squirts of dish soap. To keep this organic you'll want to use organic soap here. I used Seventh Generation - which isn't organic, but is natural and plant-based. You make your choices - this is just the one I like. It also happens to be lavender and mint fragranced itself, so added to the infusion of scent in the spray. When you've added all your ingredients, give the bottle a couple shakes....and then go douse your plant! I sprayed all over my zucchini - leaves, blossoms, anywhere I saw black dots and anywhere I thought they might go (important: hit the underside of the leaves too!), and within 36 hours, I was aphid-free.
Yellow Tomato Leaves
Have you noticed that your tomato plant has some yellowing leaved scattered around, specifically on the non-fruit-bearing branches? (This assumes, of course, that your plants are well-watered and not just dry) This is not a crisis, but better to tend to it either way. It's just your plant telling you it needs some mineral or another. Often that mineral is calcium, which is very easy to fix. Save your eggshells as you cook this week, and wash them thoroughly. Crush them as finely as you can (I've heard about people putting them in the food processor and then trying to make a paste but that's a little excessive), and sprinkle them around the base of each plant. Water thoroughly. Remove all existing yellow leaves, and you should see little if any new yellow leaf development. (Bonus! While doing a little research I learned this is also recommended for blossom end rot, so perhaps I'll kill two birds with one stone...)
Japanese Beetles
And finally: the Japanese beetle. Those little things sure can chow down. We discovered a crop of them on my mother's basil plant, but I've also seen them on pea and bean plants. They also seem to arrive in flocks. You'll know you have them because either you'll see a ton of them suddenly, or else you'll suddenly see that your leaves have gone skeletal overnight, like in the picture above. While the interwebs suggest that they can only be dealt with by a) planting repellant plants ahead of time like onion and garlic or b) plucking them each off by hand and dropping them in soapy water (!) - which seems unpleasant and inefficient. Mom and I put our heads together, which is to say we Googled, and decided to try an experiment. Mom grabbed a container of onion powder from her pantry, and after jostling the plants (the beetles are slow and stupid, so a bounce had them scattering quickly), she gave the plants a light mist for adhesion and then coated them with the powder. It's been a few days, and they don't seem to have returned. It's early yet so these are only short term results, but they are the type of bug that has scouts. So if it's the scouts that are deterred, then you may have conquered the problem - but keep an eye out just in case. If they reappear on my mother's plant I'll recommend a variation on the aphid spray above, with onion and/or garlic instead of herbs. Dish soap is remarkably effective as a deterrent.
And finally: the Japanese beetle. Those little things sure can chow down. We discovered a crop of them on my mother's basil plant, but I've also seen them on pea and bean plants. They also seem to arrive in flocks. You'll know you have them because either you'll see a ton of them suddenly, or else you'll suddenly see that your leaves have gone skeletal overnight, like in the picture above. While the interwebs suggest that they can only be dealt with by a) planting repellant plants ahead of time like onion and garlic or b) plucking them each off by hand and dropping them in soapy water (!) - which seems unpleasant and inefficient. Mom and I put our heads together, which is to say we Googled, and decided to try an experiment. Mom grabbed a container of onion powder from her pantry, and after jostling the plants (the beetles are slow and stupid, so a bounce had them scattering quickly), she gave the plants a light mist for adhesion and then coated them with the powder. It's been a few days, and they don't seem to have returned. It's early yet so these are only short term results, but they are the type of bug that has scouts. So if it's the scouts that are deterred, then you may have conquered the problem - but keep an eye out just in case. If they reappear on my mother's plant I'll recommend a variation on the aphid spray above, with onion and/or garlic instead of herbs. Dish soap is remarkably effective as a deterrent.
What other pests and issues have you had this season?
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