How to Rid Your Houseplants of Pests
August 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Indoor Gardening
So you've done everything right and your dear houseplant still has pests. Don't give in to infestation so easy. Get to know your the enemy and learn your best defenses.
Know Your Bugs
Aphids, also called plant lice, are the cruelest of pests as the suck the juice out of the newest plant growth. They really look like bugs but can be hard to detect as they are usually don't move and blend in with their little green bodies (some are yellow or black). Aphids are extremely destructive, multiple like wildfire and are hell-bent on devouring the plant that feeds them. Find them sucking the stems or on the underside of the leaves. They cause leaves to curl or distort and blooms to fail.
Fungus Gnats are tiny black flies that circle your plants like mini-vultures. Unlike other pests, gnats are easy to spot as they are frequently airborne. They are easy to eliminate because they are attracted to water lovers. If you have been over watering your plants, they will likely have gnats. If you find they have infiltrated the soil, repot your plant with fresh soil and ease off the water.
Mealybugs look like little bits of cotton and prefer the stem of the plant. The female can lay 600 eggs and totally infest your plant overnight. Mealybugs excreted a sticky waste that are a breeding ground for mold. Can it get worse? Yes, mealybug saliva is toxic so while it sucks the life out of your plant, it is poisoning it too. Mealybugs cause leaf yellowing and curling prior to final destruction.
Scale aren't commonly found on houseplants because they prefer trees and shrubs. Should you find little scabs on your plant or see bits of sawdust by the stems, you have found scale.
Spider mites are aptly named. They look like tiny spiders complete with tiny webs but you'll need your magnifying glass to see them. Without, they just look like dots. Mites love the warm conditions found in most homes. You'll find them on the backside of the leaf. Mites pierce the plant leaves and dine on its contents. They make tiny holes in your plant's leaves and cause the leaf to become dry and brittle before it falls off.
Getting Rid of Pests
You can buy all sorts of insecticides, some more harmless than other, to kill off the pests. But there are a couple of ways to keep pests out of your plant's life and more healthy conditions in yours.
- Give your plants a sink dish soap bath or for large plants use a soft cloth or paper towel with some soapy water. A very small amount of mild dish soap will destroy the toughest bug. Avoid soaping the soil but if you do, not a big concern. Dish soap will not harm your plants and they will enjoy a refreshing bath to rid both bugs and accumulated dust. Give a gentle rinsing and repeat in a couple of days if necessary.
- Neem oil, a medicinal vegetable oil native to India, is the safest anti-pest product that any plant will love. Neem oil is an insecticide, a miticide and a fungicide so you'll only need this one product. Mix a little oil in water and spray or wipe over stems and leaves. A cue tip works great for little areas and a little neem oil goes a long ways.
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Enjoy Your Mint Harvest
August 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under Enjoy Your Harvest
If you added mint your garden you need ideas on how to enjoy your harvest. Mint is not a stingy herb; it gives and keep on giving.
If your mint garden has gotten out of control, you can learn how to establish boundaries for this hardy perennial here but if you just want to enjoy, try these 10 tips for using your mint.
And don't forget to check all the mint recipes below. Your favorite recipes awaits!
Ten Great Ways to Use Mint:
- Garnish your dinner plate with a sprig of mint. Looks lovely and freshens yours and your guest breath. Chew like gum.
- Crush a few leave and put a hot bath to simmer like tea. When the water is comfortably warm, soak away to energize and refresh.
- Toss in the pot, a minute or so at the end of cooking, with those vegetables the kids (or you) won't eat like peas and broccoli. Try mint with Brussels sprouts; the contrast between the bitter and the minty is to die for.
- Skip the Pepto. Mint tea or milk is super for tummy aches. Crush the leaves and steep in hot water or milk for several minutes. Remove the leaves and feel better.
- Cut in very thin strips and add to a tossed salad of lettuce, red onions, mandarin orange sections and walnuts.
- To zip blackhead or acne naturally, put a two-to-one ratio of water and mint leaves in a blender, strain and save the pulp for number >>. Mix with a two-to-one ratio of mild facial cleanser and refresh and destroy zits and pimples.
- Take the pulp you saved in number << and mix it with half a container of plain yogurt, which you have previously drained for several hours; just so it isn't runny. Spread it over face and relax for 10-15 minutes. Try not to lick it off.
- Place a smaller leaf in each cube of an ice tray, add water and freeze. Toss a few in a glass of water or your favorite cocktail.
- For a sore throat put a two-to-one ratio of water and mint leaves in a blender, strain, add sea or table salt and gargle.
- Make a mint spread with feta cheese, parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon zest and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with warm Greek breads. Makes you hungry just thinking about it doesn't it.
All Mint Recipes at allrecipes.com
Mint Recipes at epicurean.com
Indian Mint Recipes at indobase.com
How to Grow Hardy Mint
August 27, 2009 by admin
Filed under Growing Tips
If you're new to gardening, give yourself a boost of self confidence by growing mint. Indoors or out, mint is a hardy and prolific perennial and doesn't give up easily even on the brownest thumbed gardener.
In fact, mint may very well take over your entire garden. If you don't tend to it, mint will spread like wild fire. If left to its own, mint will make a super ground cover so plant with that design in mind.
Mint can get overly friendly with other plants so you may want to restrict it with a container or hanging basket. Should you want to plant directly in the ground, you can control it by planting in bottomless containers or by digging out the full area you want it to roam and laying out a plastic liner about 18 inches deep. Remember to poke some drain holes in the liner then fill with soil and show your mint you know how to establish boundaries.
Mint is one plant that doesn't start well from seeds so buy starter plants. Then plant as soon as you can first dig in the soil in early spring so that you can enjoy continuous harvests all summer long. Despite their size, set the plants 12-18 inches apart or you'll be pruning all summer long.
Lucky for you, mint is not a sun worshiper so, where other plants fail, mint is going to make that partially shady spot in your garden look fabulous. It's only upkeep besides pruning is to keep the soil nutrient-rich and moist but never soggy.
Growing mint in poor soil and full sun or all shade will keep its growth in check but that's just being cruel to this beautiful herb.
Don't hesitate to pinch off sprigs frequently. This will keep keep the plants bushy and reward you with one of the most tasty and versatile herbs. Mint doesn't just make a great tea, it has healing benefits that have been relied upon for centuries.
Now fast forward two or three months after planting and you'll more mint than you can think how to use. Fear not; here are ten ways to enjoy your bounty. There are hundreds of more ways to use mint. When you find your favorite way, come back and share it.
Fall Tips For Your Garden
August 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Tending the Garden
Winter can be brutal, so take the time in the Fall to prepare for the dark days of winter and ensure a healthy, happy bounty again in the Spring.
It's time to trim and toss in the compost pile, foliage that will not survive the winter. Don't ever waste nature's bounty by tossing the clipping in the trash.
Your lawn mower can make quick mulch of large jobs and hand crushing is just fine for small ones. The clippings will soon break down into carbon and nitrogen rich material to use either as a last pre-winter feeding or a superior mulch for next Spring.
Cut back stems so plants can go fully dormant. This will encourage new growth at the bottom of the plant in the Spring. Start protecting the soil with mulch to discourage weeds, retain warmth and moisture and prevent pest infestation. Depending on your climate, you will start this in either early or late autumn.
Use natural mulches such as leaves, pine needs, straw and bark. They will naturally enrich the soil preparing it for your Spring bloom. If you live in an especially wet climate, to prevent water retention and rot use stones and add non-organic materials such as burlap, plastic, felt and paper.
In extreme cold climates, use up to six inches mulch but avoid covering the plants, which still need light and fresh air. Snow itself is a good insulator and makes for strong, hardy plants but should snow, winds or freezing require additional plant protection lay some evergreen boughs lightly over and around your plants, still allowing for some light and circulation.
Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus
Now it's time to plant your bulbs, daffodils and crocus. Make sure you get them in before the ground freezes, not just for your own sake for the digging but so that these spring surprises have time to root before winter hits.
Most people fertilize their lawn in the summer but fall is the best time for this chore. Like bears, grasses store food for the long winter and, if fertilized in Fall, they will awake in the Spring ready to go. Don't wait until the first freeze through, early Fall is the best time.
Mustn't forget the birds in autumn. In your trimming and tossing process, don't include the plants' seeds. Leave them as a snack for your feathered friends and let them spread the harvest al natural.
Finally, make time for your garden decorations and, especially, your tools. Clean, oil, polish, dry and store as necessary and you will save yourself time and money when spring arrives.
Gargoyles to Protect & Enchant
August 25, 2009 by admin
Filed under Gardening Package Store
Who doesn't love a gargoyle. These little grotesque creatures add character and intrigue to any garden. If your garden is lacking one (or several) of these mystical friends, pick one up today.
Gargoyles stir our imagination. Where did the concept of these strange looking creatures come from and why were they cherished by so many different cultures. Their legend has been lost over time keeping their mystery alive forever. You can find gargoyles all over the world and while each is a product of artist liberty, over the centuries and across the globe, gargoyles remain unmistakingly gargoylic in makeup.
Originally, gargoyles were artistic sculptures that served as waterspouts to project rainfall from roofs. The word gargoyle is derived from the French word for throat: gargouille. It's also where the word gargle originated. Gargoyles were used until the early eighteenth century when their adoring faces were replaced with functional and quite blasé looking downpipes.
The Egyptians used gargoyle water streams for washing their sacred vessels. The Greeks decorated their building with lion faces. East Indians called their gargoyles Yali and made them a welcome addition to their temples.
The creatures have also been discovered keeping watch in Japan, the Czech Republic, France, the U.S., Canada, Italy, England and South American. Their diligent eyes are likely keeping watch throughout the world, if not the universe.
Far from the demonic association that their reputation has fallen victim to over the years, the sole purpose of the gargoyles' villainy looks was meant as protection to its owners from evil spirits. As a testament to their gentle and benevolent nature, gargoyles stand watch as guardians on many churches and cathedrals.
There are just a few caveats for owning a gargoyle:
- Due to their unique personalities and infused mystical spirit you would be wise to let your creature pick you.
- Make eye contact, gargoyles have no fear but to fully protect you, they will need to see through all of yours.
- Listen and through your own throat you will hear the intelligence of your new friend.
- Keep them in areas that need protection, they like to work for a living.
- Not all gargoyles like the great outdoors so if yours is an indoor creature, by all means let his protection be an inside job.
If gargoyles aren't watching over you and your love ones, better get your protector today.
