{"id":324,"date":"2010-09-30T17:09:48","date_gmt":"2010-09-30T21:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymontys.com\/wordpress\/?p=324"},"modified":"2010-09-30T17:12:34","modified_gmt":"2010-09-30T21:12:34","slug":"ask-montys-for-93010-roses-coneflowers-and-organic-pest-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wordpress.mymontys.com\/?p=324","title":{"rendered":"Ask Monty’s for 9\/30\/10: Roses, Coneflowers and Organic Pest Control"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask Monty\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know of any more natural ways to control garden pests?\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to stay as chemical free as possible, but some of my methods aren\u2019t covering all the bases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Renee
\nGrey Eagle, Minnesota<\/p>\n

Renee:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I applaud your approach and environmental dedication.\u00a0 While chemicals can be quick, effective answers to warding off garden pests, sometimes some very easy proactive approaches can be just as effective.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I\u2019ve caught many \u201cnew developments\u201d 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 \u2013 I swear!)\u00a0 That said, it also might mean thinking like a pest or insect and searching for signs of where they hide under leaves.\u00a0 My mother-in-law, who was a great fisherman, used to say, \u201cIf you want to catch fish, you have to think like a fish!\u201d\u00a0 Same advice applies.<\/p>\n

Hand picking off pests such as snails and slugs and destroying affected leaves is important in staying ahead of the game.\u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planting annuals or garden vegetables, rotate where you plant them from year to year, as different plants require different nutrients.\u00a0 Weeding is also very important so you control desirable habitat for those unwanted pests.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Two last thoughts.\u00a0 First, don’t assume that just because the insect are harming your plants that they are harming your garden.\u00a0 that can be a tough pill to swallow.\u00a0 However, think like nature thinks.\u00a0 These insects prey on the weak plants first.\u00a0 They are easier targets with less native resitance.\u00a0 So destorying yoru plants may be doing you a favor in the long run.\u00a0 The plants that they kill likely would not\u00a0have produced much fruit and owuld have still taxed the resources like water and nutrients just like they were your best producers.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Water adequately and provide additional nutrients with Monty’s foliar applications.\u00a0Personally, 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.<\/p>\n

Ask Monty\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy coneflowers this year looked terrible.\u00a0 They turned brown and looked wilted all the time.\u00a0 I tried watering them regularly and even fertilized them and they still continued to look deformed and the flowers were sparse.\u00a0 What happened?\u00a0 I would rather have had them not come up at all, they were that unsightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coco
\nClyde, Ohio<\/p>\n

Coco<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Coneflowers thrive in hot, dry conditions so you may have over watered them in your efforts to revive them.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Aster yellows can create the bizarre symptoms you suggest, along with other plant deformities.\u00a0 There\u2019s 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\u2019t put them in your compost pile.<\/p>\n

Ask Monty\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the difference between a Multiflora Rose and a Virginia Rose?\u00a0 They look the same and their flowers look similar as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trudi
\nStillwater, Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Trudi:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The only thing they really have in common is the fact that they are both deciduous shrubs and thrive in similar zones.\u00a0 You must have seen these plants either side by side in size or in a photo because these plants are completely different in nature.\u00a0 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\u2019s agricultural nightmare.\u00a0 One plant alone can produce up to one million seeds each year!<\/p>\n

The plant you really want is the fragrant Virginia Rose.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The rose hips provide food for wildlife, hosts the Mourning Cloak Caterpillar and even have pretty reddish canes in winter as an added attraction.<\/p>\n

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Ask Monty\u2019s: \u201cDo you know of any more natural ways to control garden pests?\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to stay as chemical free as possible, but some of my methods aren\u2019t covering all the bases.\u201d Renee Grey Eagle, Minnesota Renee: I applaud your approach and environmental dedication.\u00a0 While chemicals can be quick, effective answers to warding off […]<\/p>\n

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