Pacifism in Pest Control
(Page 3 of 7)
Plants which are said to be mutually beneficial are carrots
and peas; celery with beans or leeks; onions and beans;
radishes and Lettuce; tomatoes and parsley; turnips and
peas.
RELATED CONTENT
NATURAL SPRAYS AND DUSTS
Just as the marigold next door works to keep beetles out of
the beans, so may a marigold spray be used for the same
results. Any plant or flower which is considered a general
or specific deterrent in companion can be liquified and
made into a protective spray. To do this, grind whole
plants to a pulp, dissolve in two to three times as much
water, strain off the liquid . . . and stand by the pumps!
It is thought that injurious insects are attracted to fruit
trees by an odor which eminates from the fruit-bearers
themselves. A formula I have found successful in deterring
tree pests is one which I learned while attending an annual
convention of the Michigan Organic Gardeners. It consists
of 2 gallons of kerosene—plus one bar of hard soap
such as Fels Naptha—mixed in 100 gallons of water. I
shave a bar of Fels Naptha soap with a paring knife and
dump the shavings in a quart bottle. After filling the
bottle with water, I shake it until the soap flakes are
liquified.
Since I use a slide type spray gun and a bucket of solution
instead of a 100-gallon barrel, my modified formula is
approximately 1-1/4 ounces of kerosene and one ounce of
liquid soap to a gallon of water. I spray before bloom,
after petal fall, and every two or three weeks later. With
peaches I stop spraying when the green fruit is the size of
large olives. Some organic gardeners prefer to use corn oil
emulsions, salt water or linseed oil sprays to protect
their fruit trees.
A 3% solution of miscible oil available at any garden store
is another relatively safe but potent weapon. A dormant
spray of this oil (in late winter or early spring when the
temperature is above freezing but before any buds have
opened) is effective against many chewing and sucking
insects such as aphids, red spiders, thrips, mealybugs,
white flies, pear psylla and scale. Dormant oil spraying
also covers the eggs of other insects and prevents them
from hatching.
When spraying dormant oils, cover one tree at a time rather
than working down a row and spraying only one side of each
tree. The theory here is that with one complete spray the
surplus will run off evenly, whereas row spraying creates a
double cover on portions of the dried side.
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