Lose the chemicalsCreate a wildlife-friendly gardenBy: David Mizejewski
Online Rating: (7.5/10)
The idea is to provide a healthy, nontoxic landscape that offers food, water, shelter, and places to raise young for a diversity of wildlife. Not just beneficial insects, but birds, bats, frogs and lizards all feed on insect pests and will keep their numbers in check. Rather than using broad-spectrum pesticides or herbicides, I recommend using these organic methods to control weeds and garden pests. They include:
• hand pulling weeds • hand picking pests and squishing them or dropping them in a bucket of soapy water • spraying pests off plants with hose • using insecticidal soaps (which are nontoxic) • using physical barriers - copper stripping to block slugs, diatomaceous earth • using boiling water to scorch weeds • using vinegar to kill weeds
JaneLocation: loveland, COMember
Member Rating: (9/10)
I have used all of these and they DO work! So good to know they are safe for me my family, dog and all of God's creatures that come to my garden!
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virgo27298Location: liberty, NCLife Member
Sounds like the best way to go about keeping out pests and weeds
trace2012Location: mount vernon, ILMember
Member Rating: (10/10)
I use all these methods, they may require a little more work but well worth not harming benificial wildlife and insects.
Mary EthelLocation: purvis, MSLife Member
How do I find out the name of roses that were planted 30+ years ago? One rose is a climbing rose, has yellow buds and is cream colored when in full bloom. My father found it in the woods by a creek bank when he was around 19 yrs old which would now be around 75 years ago. Really beautiful! Thank You, Carolyn, Purvis,MS
jdukedogLocation: madison, NYMember
Member Rating: (1/10)
any nontoxic idea's on how to keep groundhogs away from the garden?
lkilgoreLocation: greeley, COMember
I heard that herb mixtures ( powdered ) will keep the bugs away from cabbage plants . Why not make a slurry from those old jars of out dated herbs you have in your cabinet, be sure to add hot pepper flakes.. blend then with lots of water and pour them on the ground around the plants?
dgeeseyLocation: south river, NJMember
I have tried all but the vinegar, but I will be trying that for sure South River, NJ
315pLocation: renville, MNMember
just talking w/fiancee about the seemingly very abscent honey bee and not using chemicals. I feel this is why there are no bees around. Insecticides. Reminds me of what happened to the Bald Eagle. Great to see this article. Thank You
hreissLocation: brooklyn, NYLife Member
Member Rating: (6/10)
I hand pull all my weeds (plenty of them!), but NOT poison ivy. I admit that I use Round-Up on that particular pest.
sherylljLocation: greeneville, TNLife Member
Member Rating: (5/10)
Does anyone have any safe way to rid gardens of the infamous Japanese Beetle? They are ruining my rose bushes, hibiscus, hollyhocks and vegetable garden this year. The only way I have found to kill them is Sevin dust which is not environmentally friendly. I have finally been able to create a haven for birds, butterflies, and frogs and really don't want to use insectides.
Housing for friendly toads
When I have a clay flowerpot that has a small piece of the side broke off, instead of throwing it out, I turn it upside down and place it in the garden. It makes a little toad house, and toads eat many insects in the garden. This way I can recycle and encourage garden friends at the same time.
Mae Byers White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
