Deleted
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Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2011 18:10:00 GMT -5
To control pest insects, work to attract parasitic and predatory insects to your garden. Certain types of plants attract valuable insects. Native plants are your best bet, however, there are many other plants which can be helpful, such as fennel, dill, sweet allysum. This is a fascinating article on the subject: www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2004-08-01/Protect-your-Garden-with-Beneficial-Bugs.aspxNote that you cannot use pesticides when you are working with natural pest control. Chemical pesticides, herbal pesticides and soapy water will kill both beneficial and pest insects.
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littleminnie
Pro Member
Gardening should be fun.
Posts: 264
Joined: February 2011
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Post by littleminnie on May 31, 2011 19:19:14 GMT -5
Agreed. The natural pesticides still are broad spectrum. I use Bt which only kills caterpillars. I also plant lots of companions in the garden and let some get flowers and I have a lot of natural predators- even skinks! I just saw Mr Skink today.
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Post by stratcat on May 31, 2011 21:54:03 GMT -5
Queen Anne's Lace. I don't mind letting some Wild Carrots grow in my yard for beneficial insects. Around five year's ago I got away with a 5'9" (1.75m) plant in my backyard.
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Deleted
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Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2011 8:19:00 GMT -5
There was one year I had no problems with squash bugs. It may have been because I let a native Spectacle Pod wildflower volunteer in the garden. The Spectacle Pod became huge, much larger than it grows in the wild, because it was getting watered every day with the rest of the stuff in the garden. The flowers on Spectacle Pod looks a lot like the flowers on allysum.
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