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Gardening - Safe Pest Control Tips

Pest control must be done with utmost consideration to safety; safety in terms of the plants, animals and humans. This holds especially true for those with vegetable and organic gardens.

 

The main purpose of growing vegetables organically will be defeated if they become tainted with pest control chemicals.

 

Here are a few long-term maintenance tips to make pest control less damaging and more environmentally friendly.

 

1. Use the physical pest control process.

 

This may be accomplished through picking grubs off by hand, creating barriers and traps and plugging holes. Snails can be found hiding in damp places under rocks and towrds the base of those plants with straplike foliage.

 

2. Apply biological pest control.

 

Encourage predatory insects such as green lacewings and dragonflies to feed on aphids and other pests that attack your plants. You can do this by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden. Dragonflies especially will hover around water. Bacterial insecticides such as B. thuringiensis could also be used against caterpillars.

 

3. Only as a last resort should we turn to chemical pest control.

 

Organic pest control methods can be successful and the ingredients for many of the recipes can be found in the kitchen cupboards. If chemical sprays are really necessary, try and find the least-toxic. These include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, dehydrating dusts, etc.

 

4. Consider the use of safer pest control substitutes.

 

Recipes for alternative pest control include the following:

 

Against Green Aphids and Mites - Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and a cup of vegetable oil. Dilute a teaspoon of this solution in a cup of water and spray on aphids and mites.

 

Against Cockroaches - Dusts of boric acid can be applied to cracks or entry points of these insects. Bay leaves on pantry shelves could also help in warding off these critters.

 

Make sure that the chemicals you use are made specifically for the insects you are targeting.

 

About the Author: Article provided by stmadeveloper

 

 

 

Garden Definitions and Factiods

 

Daffodils Flower



Daffodils, the flowers symbolising friendship, are one of the most popular flowers exclusively due to their unmatched beauty. Daffodils belong to the genus Narcissus. Daffodil flowers have a trumpet-shaped structure set against a star-shaped background. Often the trumpet is in a contrasting color from the background. The name Daffodils includes the cluster-flowered yellow Jonquils and the White Narcissi , as well as the include as the more common trumpet shaped flowers (right), members of the genus Narcissus.


Daffodils are constantly recurring flowers. Where climate is moderate, Daffodils flourish among the first spring buds. Daffodils often bloom in clusters. Botanists list at least 50 species of Daffodils, as well as many natural hybrids. Daffodils are native mainly to the Mediterranean region, in particular to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Northern Africa and the Middle East. In addition to the species, the Daffodil Data Bank lists over 13,000 hybrids. Generally Daffodils are yellow, but some of them also grow in yellow-and-white, yellow-and-orange, white-and-orange, pink, and lime-green.

 

All Daffodils have a corona in the center that looks like a trumpet, and a ring of petals all around. The natural Daffodil is golden yellow color all over, while the trumpet may often appear in a contrasting color. The paper-white Daffodils could be planted in gardens that are outdoor. But they could grow in indoor gardens during Christmas.


 

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