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September/October 2006
Ants
Rosemary (Rosmarinus
officinalis)
Slugs and Snails
Sweet Grass
(Hierochloe odorata)
Question:
Ants
How do you get rid of ants in the house?
Answer:
Thanks
for your question. I am referring you
to a section on this web site devoted to environmentally friendly solutions
to various pest problems including ants.
Click here: Environmentally
Friendly Gardening Products. In my booklet entitled Non-toxic
Alternatives For Everyday Cleaning And Gardening Chores there is information, not only about
solutions to pest problems, but many non-toxic alternatives for the home and
garden. Non-toxic Alternatives is
available for purchase as both a hard copy and an e-book. Click here to purchase the hard copy: www.gwenshealinggarden.ca/Books.htm
or here to purchase the E-book: Non-toxic
Alternatives.
Question: Rosemary (Rosmarinus
officinalis)
My question is about rosemary, it is my
latest favorite herb. I bought a couple of plants this spring and put
them in full sun in a new garden. They didn't die, they didn't grow,
they just sat there. So I read a little and decided to move them into
pots, one seems to have grown slightly, I think it is the one I took a tiny
sprig from earlier on, but otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything
happening. They have good colouring, they just don't do much. I
recently added some softened alfalfa pellets to the top of the soil.
Any ideas? Was it just this crazy wet cold spring and too much moving
around? They've been in small terracotta pots for 3-4 weeks now.
Answer:
Thanks for your question about rosemary. On my web site is information
about growing rosemary and includes recipes. I grow my rosemary in
plastic pots rather than terra cotta (although I grow all my other plants in
terra cotta pots). I discovered that the rosemary seems to do better in
plastic.
The only time I transplanted rosemary into a terra cotta
pot, I killed the plant. I think it might be the way the plant retains
water but I haven't been able to find any information other than what is
available on my site. Click on: www.gwenshealinggarden.ca/Herbs.Rosemary.htm I also have an E-book related to growing
herbs. You can go to www.gwenshealinggarden.ca/E-book.Easiest_Herbs.PPP.htm
to see the contents and buy the book.
Question: Slugs and Snails
How do you get rid of slugs in the garden?
Answer:
Thanks for the question. The
following methods are various ways that gardeners use to keep slugs and
snails from decimating their gardens.
Barrier methods.
ุ vermiculite spread
it around the base of the plant. It
is reported to be particularly good for plants that love water. The
vermiculite swells up with water and actually moves which the slugs dislike.
ุ gravel crushed gravel with
very sharp edges keeps the slugs from crossing over wherever the gravel is
placed.
ุ bark dry, coarse bark is
difficult for the slugs to move through.
The downside side is that wet weather can help the slugs travel to
your plants.
Other
barrier products include: sand, wood
shavings, diatomaceous earth, hair, or wood ashes. Place materials around the perimeter of your plants. You will need to replace the materials
after a rain.
Hand
picking and trapping.
ุ hand picking - slugs can be
collected at night with a torch. Traps
can be made and concentrated in areas where
you specifically want them for picking.
Traps can be made from glossy magazines, old boards, old bits of
carpet, old vegetation such as rhubarb leaves, or old plastic paint
trays. These traps will provide a
damp place for them to rest during the day and they can be removed in
daylight.
ุ
beer-trap
method put a jar on its side with a small amount of beer in it. The slugs will crawl into the jar and drown in the
beer. A study conducted at Colorado
State University in 1987, found that Kingsbury
Malt Beverage, Michelob, and Budweiser attracted slugs far better than other
brands.
ุ black plastic bag method
take a black plastic garbage bin liner (bag) and put the bag on the ground between the plants. Place old lettuce leaves in the bag, pour two small cups of
breakfast bran and one cup of beer over the lettuce. Leave the top open
overnight and the slugs should have crawled into the bag and taken shelter in
the bottom of the bag as the sun rises in the morning.
Other
methods
ุ eggshells crushed eggshells
are reported to stop slugs and snails from crossing the shells. They wont travel over the rough surface and
if they do try they will die.
ุ coffee grounds coffee
grounds are reported to stop slugs and snails from infesting your
plants. Spread the used coffee
grounds around the plants.
ุ
baits made from iron
phosphate have been found to decrease slug populations without harming birds,
small pets, or humans. The baits are
sold commercially under the name Es-car-go, Safer's Slug & Snail Bait,
and Sluggo.
ุ trap crops trap crops such beans, cabbage, calendula,
green lettuce, marigolds, comfrey leaves, and zinnias seem to be favoured by slugs
and can be used to divert slugs from your plants.
ุ
copper tape thought to
be one of the most effective barriers, copper tape works either wet or
dry. The slugs or snails receive a toxic
reaction similar to an electric shock and are repelled. The minimum copper barrier needs to be at
least 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Nursery products
are often smaller in size and should be doubled or tripled when installed.
ุ natural predators - ground beetles, frogs, and birds are natural predators of slugs and
snails.
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