Help with vege patch
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22125
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Topic: Help with vege patch
Posted By: cuppatea
Subject: Help with vege patch
Date Posted: 01 November 2008 at 12:46pm
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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Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 01 November 2008 at 12:55pm
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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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 01 November 2008 at 12:58pm
try emailing to mailto:getgrowing@nzgardener.co.nz -
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 01 November 2008 at 1:23pm
Oh thank you very much, I'm quite enjoying growing my little veges.
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Posted By: Konagirl
Date Posted: 01 November 2008 at 1:48pm
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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Posted By: cealz
Date Posted: 01 November 2008 at 6:38pm
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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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 02 November 2008 at 8:10am
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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Posted By: Bizzy
Date 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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Posted By: Glow
Date 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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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 02 November 2008 at 1:29pm
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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Posted By: Hopes
Date 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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