Natural Pesticides

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Fouad, Jun 17, 2009.

  1. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    I went the way of Fukuoka & Hazelip and stopped using them all together. When a human starts attempting to control insects there is always damage to the soil in one way or another.

    What is needed is biodiversity so that insects can't land and attack in any one area and destroy a crop. Think anti-monoculture on a small scale.
     
  2. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Same here. I see "pests" as telling me my soil is not improved sufficiently or my choice of plants is lacking somehow or there is otherwise not enough diversity. I don't use anything meant to kill in my garden. I garden for more life. :)
     
  3. Sezmo

    Sezmo Junior Member

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    Interplanting and planting heaps of onions, garlic, spring onions etc around the other plants has made a huge difference to the bug problems I have. We can often see literal clouds of cabbage white butterflies coming out of the east of town and descending into gardens, I'm guessing it's when the market gardeners by the river plough or spray their fallow fields...

    In terms of possums, I've heard of success with dingo scats and/or urine scattered around. I am guessing that if you could get tastier devil scats they would have a similar effect: the possums smell predator and won't enter the area which has been marked as predator territory. Wildlife parks and zoos might be able to provide a sample for you. :)
     
  4. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    The villain is the 28 spotted or leaf eating ladybird. They're easy to identify. Adults are up to 1cm long, a light orange colour and they have 28 spots. Both adults and larvae feed on a range of plants - cabbage, potato and bean family are preferred foods. The larvae are easy to recognise because they are yellowish creamy colour, with a frizzy outline and they feed on the undersides of the leaves.

    The best way to control leaf eating ladybirds is to handpick them from plants. Smaller outbreaks of powdery mildew on plants like pumpkins will be controlled by the fungus eating ladybird. For larger outbreaks spray plants with one part fresh milk to five parts water and repeat this weekly. The benefit of using milk and water is that it will control fungus without harming any of the useful ladybirds. Another tip for controlling the leaf eating ladybird is to control a weed called blackberry nightshade. It's a favourite food plant and quite often infestations start on the weed before they move into the garden. Just pull it out and then you won't have so many problems with precious vegetables.
    https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1920251.htm

    https://forums.permaculture.org.au/showthread.php?4587-Lady-Bugs-or-Beetles&

    https://forums.permaculture.org.au/showthread.php?5220-Lady-beetles&highlight=28+spotted
     
  5. Dzionik

    Dzionik Junior Member

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    There are situations where spraying is the only way to save a plant from a serious invasion. Wormwood tea can help, but much higher concentrations of thujone are obtained from thuja spp.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thujone
     
  6. purplepear

    purplepear Junior Member

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    This is never true in my estimation. Insect attack is just an indication of another problem. Look closely at your soil for problems especially too much nitrogen or waterlogging. Nightshades as a sacrificial plant are effective.
    check out this from a couple of years ago https://www.photoblog.com/purplepear/2011/01/06/bugs-and-toxic-plants.html
     
  7. Dzionik

    Dzionik Junior Member

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    Early in the spring when there is not much in the garden, cabbage seedlings are eaten for several days, before developed. I agree that the reason is of some soil or environmental, but is not easy to determine what really is. Or the only reason is the transplant stress that can not be avoid.
    I use Chinese cabbage as sacrificial plant but its not enough.
     

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