At Least 10 Uses For Wood Ash 1 - Dust Baths - place cold ashes where your birds can get to them, the dust baths will control bugs 2 - Ring Around the Rosie - spread a low ring around individual plants are gardens to deter slugs/snails 3 - Mix into your Compost - in the north, this is the perfect thing! 4 - Lawn Fertilizer - Wood ash contains 10-25% calcium, 1-4% magnesium, 5-15% potassium and 1-3% phosphorus. 5 - Cleaning Agent - mix with water to form a paste and use on the glass in your wood stove or fireplace. 6 - Great Fertlizer for Tomatoes and other nightshade veggies 7 - Sprinkle on Slippery Walks - it takes very little! 8 - GREAT Ice Melt! 9 - Algae Deterrent. 10 - Odor Control - Put in t-shirt material to insert in stored shoes. 11 - Make Lye - takes some work and old timers only use hickory ash, but it can be done.
Top 10 Most Dangerous Plants in the World 1. Most likely to eat a rat Giant Pitcher Plant: Nepenthes attenboroughii Discovered more than 5000 feet above sea level on Mount Victoria in the Philippines, the giant, carnivorous pitcher plant secretes a nectar-like substance to lure unsuspecting prey into a pool of enzymes and acid. 2. Castor Bean Plant: Ricinus communis Castor-bean plants can be purchased at just about any garden center, despite containing the deadly poison ricin. 3. Western Water Hemlock: Cicuta douglasii Deemed the most "violently toxic plant that grows in North America" by the USDA, the water hemlock contains the toxin cicutoxin, which wreaks havoc on the central nervous system, causing grand mal seizures--which include loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions--and eventually death, if ingested. 4. White snakeroot: Eupatorium rugosum Drinking milk from a cow that decided to chow down on white snakeroot could lead to deadly milk sickness, as was the case with Abraham Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks. 5. 6.
Using Milk As A Natural, Homemade Pesticide Spraying your plants with milk won't drive bugs away from your garden, but the dairy product can be used to culture Bacillus thuriugiensis Berliner, a well-known bacterial pesticide sold under such brand names as Dipel, Thuricide and Biotrol. The agent is quite effective in controlling — among a number of insect problems — infestations of loopers, which are those pesky little worms (they're actually moth larvae) that attack broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other members of the cole family. Once eaten, the bacteria paralyze the larvae's intestinal tracts and bring about their death in two to four days.Before you spray your garden with thuringiensis, though, be aware that this bacterial-warfare weapon is fatal to the caterpillars of all Lepidoptera (an order of insects that includes many lovely, and relatively harmless, moths and butterflies) . . . so please don't employ the remedy in cases where simply handpicking the loopers off your plants will do the job. Using Milk as a Pesticide
82 Sustainable Gardening Tips - Organic Gardening Most gardeners have sustainability on their minds. After all, growing your own food is a huge step toward leading a sustainable lifestyle. Organic, chemical-free methods are inherently more sustainable — for human health, wildlife, the soil and the water supply — than non-organic techniques. But sustainable gardening goes beyond just using organic methods. From water and energy conservation to waste reduction and smart seed-sourcing, there are infinite ways we can make our practices more sustainable. To find out what’s going on in sustainable gardens across the United States and Canada, we surveyed the thousands of members of MOTHER’s Garden Advisory Group. Reusing and Recycling Materials in the Garden 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Saving Water and Conserving Energy 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Zero-Waste Gardening 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Integrating Livestock in Your Gardening 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Sustainable Gardening Tools, Supplies and Amendments 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.
7 Natural Uses For Baking Soda In The Garden Share Baking soda is a vital part of green cleaning and has so many uses in the house, but what about the garden. Here are 7 ways to use it in the garden. 1. Make a Non-Toxic Fungicide Mix 4 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 gallon of water. 2. Powdery mildew is causing major problems with impatiens this year, but also can be a problem for other plants, like lilacs, cucumbers, squash and zinnias. Spray Recipe: 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 gallon of water, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid Mix all the ingredients together and spray plants weekly. 3. Mix in 1 gallon of water, 4 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon biodegradable soap. 4. Pour or sweep baking soda in a thick layer into cracks on a sidewalk or patios. 5. Mix equals parts flour and baking soda and dust plants (cabbage, broccoli, kale) being eaten by cabbage worms. 6. Simply wet the crabgrass, pour a heavy dusting of baking soda on the weed. 7. Source: Plant Care Today
Homemade Bug Spray for Gardens - Homemade Bug Spray Since Spring finally decided to stop being on vacation and show up this year many are finally being able to plant those beautiful and yummy gardens! The only problem is that with this beautiful weather also comes another visitor-little buggies. These of course can be the most annoying and destructive aspect of planting a garden. If you're a first time gardener-they may push you over the edge a bit! Trying to figure out what to spray on your garden to get rid of these pests can also be such a pain. I hope to have a bigger garden someday soon, but because of our HOA we are not allowed to have very much. After doing a bit of research (well, quite a bit of research actually) I found what I think is the best all-natural bug spray for your garden. Homemade Bug Spray For Gardens What You Need: 1 head of garlic1 cup of vegetable oil3 drops of dishwashing soap Directions: Put the garlic through a garlic press. Toss in container with oil. Spray on the entire plant at the FIRST sign of buggies!
Homemade Weed Killer – Make Your Own Weed Killer So we've taken care of the bug problem in our gardens, but what about weeds? They can be just as much of a terror as the little creepy crawlies. No matter if you have a full blown garden or just a patch of grass-weeds can creep in and mess it all up. Here are some tried and trued at-home remedies for homemade weed killer that can help battle these green monsters. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Getting rid of weeds doesn't mean running to the store and purchasing a bunch of chemicals to spray in your yard. Do you have any other ways you've learned to get rid of weeds? Disclaimer: This post may contain a link to an affiliate.
Mulch Type To Use Depends On Plantings, Location By DEAN FOSDICK - The Associated Press Arborist chips, a back to nature mulch in Langley, Wash. Like many other organic materials, the chips help maintain soil moisture, prevent weeds from sprouting and keeps soil temperatures relatively constant around plants. They can rob soil of nitrogen, however, and fertilizer should be added as a supplement. (AP) Compost or mulch? Which one you want depends on your needs. "Compost is used to feed crops; mulch is used to suppress weeds," said Daniel McGrath, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension. Unlike compost, mulch is generally not mixed into the soil, he noted, but is applied 2 to 4 inches deep on top of the soil around a tree or shrub. Mulch has fewer nutrients and is not meant to replace fertilizer, which should be added as a supplement. Which kind of mulch you choose depends on what you're growing and where. "There are different byproducts used across the U.S. based on local supply," Smith said. — Gravel and stones. — Leaves.
Gardening With Vinegar Vinegar Uses and Vinegar Tips: Gardening with VinegarAuthor: Kathryn Bax - Website Owner and Developer of Country Living and Farm Lifestyles Vinegar has many uses and benefits and best of all, it is safe to use, doesn't harm the environment, is freely available and it is cheap! It really is, therefore your eco-friendly organic pesticide, organic insecticide, and organic herbicide. Here you will learn about the uses of vinegar and how you can garden with vinegar and pick up a few vinegar tips along the way. Vinegar Uses: Keep Cats at Bay First of all, for those of you who are plagued by pests and little critters in the garden, fret no more. Vinegar Uses: Problems with Rabbits? Are those rabbits eating your vegetables, particularly your beans and peas? Vinegar Uses: Problems with Ants? Do you have an ant problem? Vinegar Uses: Problems with Snails and Slugs? Gardening with vinegar is an answer to your problems with slugs and snails and vinegar here is your organic pesticide.