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cuppatea 
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 Topic: Help with vege patch
Posted: 01 November 2008 at 12:46pm |
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I have some veges growing and they have bugs on. Those little green ones (aphids?). I picked a lettuce yesterday but wasn't sure of the best way of washing it, I just ran it under the cold tap but is there something else I should do before we eat it to make sure there are no bugs or bug residue left.
Also is there anything I can use to get rid of the bugs that are on the rest of the veges. I am hoping for something natural rather than buying a chemical spray from the garden centre.
Ta.
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peanut butter
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Posted: 01 November 2008 at 12:55pm |
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Try a soapy solution...eg 0.5ml of dishwashing liquid or old soap in some water (5L) and spray over . Just the smallest amount to make it soapy. Thats what my organic/biodynamic husband says. I also saw on good morning that you can get a ping pong ball and fill it with something sweet. I cant remember the details but if you look on the tvnz website it should have info....something Astar was doing.
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peanut butter
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Posted: 01 November 2008 at 12:58pm |
try emailing to getgrowing@nzgardener.co.nz and ask to be on their weekly email. you get heaps of cool tips, its free and adictive.
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cuppatea
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Posted: 01 November 2008 at 1:23pm |
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Oh thank you very much, I'm quite enjoying growing my little veges.
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Konagirl
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Posted: 01 November 2008 at 1:48pm |
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It's aphid season - they love all the young, new growth in spring. I love wandering around my garden with gloves on a squishing aphids! Very satisfying.
Another way to kill them is to use rhubarb leaves, which are poisonous. Boil a few up in say a litre of water, then add a little dish washing liquid. Cool and the sieve. Spray onto veggies. If you do this allow about a week before you eat the veggies.
Agree with NZPiper - the NZ gardening email is great. Good luck
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cealz
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Posted: 01 November 2008 at 6:38pm |
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Astar was hanging ping pong balls that had been covered with vaseline and honey and the sweetness of the honey makes aphids go to it and then they stick and cant get off. The other thing she did to get rid of them is mix equal parts of skim milk powder and water and spray the plant. Think if makes them sticky as well.
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lizzle
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Posted: 02 November 2008 at 8:10am |
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Oooh, big article on this in our local paper:
use soapy water used to clean clothes (handwashing) and tiop it over the plants with aphids. - but you MUST use sunlight soap - regular dishwashing liquid doesn't work apparently.
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Bizzy
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Posted: 02 November 2008 at 9:06am |
regular dishwashing liquid always worked for me. i did it on the swan plants even.
also praying mantis eat aphids... so i used to move any i found to the plant i wanted the aphids gone from. 
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Glow
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Posted: 02 November 2008 at 11:35am |
To repel aphids; garlic, corriander, chives, dill etc make great companion plants & tasty additions to your meals
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Mummy of Two Boys
B: 2004
K: 2007
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cuppatea
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Posted: 02 November 2008 at 1:29pm |
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Cool, will try the washing up liquid, Spencer is having his nap so about to go out there now (just getting my ohbaby fix first).
I have some coriander growing out there but I will pick up some of the others next time i'm at the garden centre.
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Hopes
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Posted: 02 November 2008 at 3:17pm |
 Glow wrote:
To repel aphids; garlic, corriander, chives, dill etc make great companion plants & tasty additions to your meals |
Marigolds also make great vege garden companion plants.
I'm not so such about the coriander, though - this year, I've got a coriander and some flowers in a big pot. I've never seen flowers more infested with aphids... and I'd always thought coriander kept them away too. (Maybe they'd just be worse otherwise!)
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Help with vege patch
