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Everyones tips for diseases/aphids/mildew/diseases etc..

gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019
in Problem solving

Hi everyone thought it might be good to start a thread about all our top tips to keeping our plants and veg aphid and disease etc free.. the non chemical way

i will start off with some of my grandads old tips i found written down in one of my gardening books he gave me.. found it last week.. when looking through.

Blackspot/Mildew

mix washing soda (sodium carbonate) with water.. weak mix and spray over plants.. leaves a non toxic residue to stop it.

spidermites

1/2 cup of buttermilk, 4 cups wheat flour mixed well and add to 5 gallons of water... this destroys them and their eggs.

Aphids/blackfly

as we all know washing liquid with water is good one

For keeping your plants disease free.

a mix of one part skimmed milk with nine parts water is good against most of them.. it is particularly good for your tomatoes.

So please add your tips and advice on keeping the bugs off and the plants healthy. i look forward in reading them all and learning new ways.image

 

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  • gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019

    i have just found another one..

    Hot peppers and garlic crushed and mixed with water.. then seived.. makes a very potent spray that stops mose bugs in their tracks.. giving them dose of heartburn!image loved my grandad bless him

  • gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019

    sorry do not know why some of my words are underlined.. and adds come up.. didnt do it honestly sirimage

  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    With my new greenhouse, I am terrified of getting red spider mite, so I spray the interior with water a lot and pour water on the floor as I have heard that they don't like humidity. GardeningF, how do you apply the above mix against spider mites?

  • gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019

    @artjak.. sorry didnt add that bit.. my grandad used to put it in a heavy (not mist) sprayer and spray round the green house.. making sure it got into all nooks and crannies and corners.. if you have shelving maybe take them out and wash them down with it also to make sure all eggs have been sprayed..

    if plants were badly effected he would clean the leaves and stems by hand with a cloth which had been soaked in the mixture.. nowadays i think kitchen would be just as good.. and he would (if i remmeber rightly) spray the green house twice a week.

    he said it was good way of keeping them out.. and he always grew for shows etc.. and he never liked using chemicals at all in the garden.. must be where i have taken my stance from on that also.. as he taught me what i know today..

  • patty3patty3 Posts: 129

    Hi G F

    Your grandad had the right idea,

    but we have so many poisons today, one for every creature in the garden!

    no wonder we have so few birds, all their food is poisoned!!

                     I dont use them, but i only grow flowers.

     

     

  • everoseveros Posts: 55

    I keep an eye on my rose buds & if I notice any aphids, I just rub them off with my fingers!

  • joulesjoules Posts: 12

    I just use a spray bottle of water, checking plants daily, has worked for me. Saying that, I have a container/balcony garden. I have had black fly on my dhalias but,

    no longer, buds and flowers still looking stunningimage

  • gardeningfanticgardeningfantic Posts: 1,019

    keeping the greenhouse dmap is fine for red spider mites..  but he dampness then brings in other problems..

    plants can be effected by any problems regardless of where or how you grow them.. some are effected by hot weather then wet weather.. scabious for instance.. this causes the mildew..

    i have never had rust in my garden as i do the skimmed milk watering system for my plants.. so keeps it at bay.

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