Ask Monty’s:
“Do you know of any more natural ways to control garden pests? I’m trying to stay as chemical free as possible, but some of my methods aren’t covering all the bases.”
Renee
Grey Eagle, Minnesota
Renee:
I applaud your approach and environmental dedication. While chemicals can be quick, effective answers to warding off garden pests, sometimes some very easy proactive approaches can be just as effective. Probably the number one garden routine to establish is taking that daily walk in the garden to look for any changes in plant leaves, stalks or flowers. I’ve caught many “new developments” taking place in my garden on several occasions and warded off major damage with that daily check (Tomato worms can strip a plant in the blink of an eye – I swear!) That said, it also might mean thinking like a pest or insect and searching for signs of where they hide under leaves. My mother-in-law, who was a great fisherman, used to say, “If you want to catch fish, you have to think like a fish!” Same advice applies.
Hand picking off pests such as snails and slugs and destroying affected leaves is important in staying ahead of the game. Planting garlic, dill, fennel, carrots and parsley among your plants also encourages beneficial insects such as ladybugs to rid your garden of a variety of pests.
If you’re planting annuals or garden vegetables, rotate where you plant them from year to year, as different plants require different nutrients. Weeding is also very important so you control desirable habitat for those unwanted pests. A couple of natural offenses for pests are insecticidal soap mixed with water or pureed cloves of garlic (2) to a pint of water and use as a spray.
Two last thoughts. First, don’t assume that just because the insect are harming your plants that they are harming your garden. that can be a tough pill to swallow. However, think like nature thinks. These insects prey on the weak plants first. They are easier targets with less native resitance. So destorying yoru plants may be doing you a favor in the long run. The plants that they kill likely would not have produced much fruit and owuld have still taxed the resources like water and nutrients just like they were your best producers. Additionally if you save seeds for next year from this season, the seeds you save, after the insect have moved through, are naturally resistant to that particular pest. Survival of the fittest can go a long way to giviing you years of improved gardening. Finally, along hte same lines, since we know that insect prey ont he weakest plants first, make sure you have as few ‘weak links’ as possible. Water adequately and provide additional nutrients with Monty’s foliar applications. Personally, I treat my plants to an extra dose of Monty’s 8-16-8 or 2-15-15 (depending on the plants growth cycle) once a week.
Ask Monty’s:
“My coneflowers this year looked terrible. They turned brown and looked wilted all the time. I tried watering them regularly and even fertilized them and they still continued to look deformed and the flowers were sparse. What happened? I would rather have had them not come up at all, they were that unsightly.”
Coco
Clyde, Ohio
Coco:
Coneflowers thrive in hot, dry conditions so you may have over watered them in your efforts to revive them. But when you mentioned the plant deformity and sparse looking flower heads I think your plants have succumbed to aster yellows which is a disease caused by phytoplasoma, a plant killing microorganism transmitted by aster leafhoppers which can often occur from over watering. Aster yellows can create the bizarre symptoms you suggest, along with other plant deformities. There’s no cure for aster yellows so my best advice is to dig them up and remove any and all affected plants from your garden and destroy them by burning them or bagging them for the trash. Don’t put them in your compost pile.
Ask Monty’s:
“What’s the difference between a Multiflora Rose and a Virginia Rose? They look the same and their flowers look similar as well.”
Trudi
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Trudi:
The only thing they really have in common is the fact that they are both deciduous shrubs and thrive in similar zones. You must have seen these plants either side by side in size or in a photo because these plants are completely different in nature. Multiflora Roses can grow up to 15 feet tall and are extremely evasive, forming thickets in all kinds of habitat, choking out natural plants and becoming a farmer’s agricultural nightmare. One plant alone can produce up to one million seeds each year!
The plant you really want is the fragrant Virginia Rose. This fast growing shrub gets between four to six feet tall and makes for a good hedge or as an addition to a wildlife garden. The rose hips provide food for wildlife, hosts the Mourning Cloak Caterpillar and even have pretty reddish canes in winter as an added attraction.
