Safe termite control for organic garden
sctn
11 years ago
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nelsoncastro
11 years agodigdirt2
11 years agoRelated Discussions
safe to grow vegetables on termite treated veggie bed??
Comments (11)I'm sorry you are in this glitch. Can I assume you have positively identified the insects as termites, as opposed to flying ants? Taking it farther, did you identify exactly what kind of termite you are dealing with? I have lived at various times in the south and southwest and can empathise with the critter situation there compared to where I live now. I also know that it isn't possible or even preferable to automatically call in professional exterminators every time you see a bug. But, I also don't panic when I happen on surprises like finding a raised bed come alive and usually seek documentation from somebody who knows more than I, and then seek the solution with the least toxicity. We had a termite infestation to our house about four years ago and it cost us major $. But, we're talking a garden here not a structure. Please also be aware chemicals used in the household and periphery don't be automatically interchangeable with food crops and vegetable gardens. I have a hunch what you ended up with from the box store. I also have a hunch it has a label on it specifying the circumstances where your soil is again safe for edibles. Did you find out it is loooooooooong term? Is that why you want to replace the soil? ;-) Why don't you just move the raised bed and you'll know better the next time....See MoreLandscape fabric - safe for organic garden?
Comments (37)Re: " It is safe to use fabric as a liner for a vegetable bed? In other words, line the bed with it -- and then fill it up with soil. " I'm not clear on why this would be done. My interpretation of the original question was that the weed barrier was to be used on the sides of the bed, to keep the soil from sifting out through the gaps in the wood. I could see cutting weed barrier and stapling it to the sides of a wooden bed, with a few inches continuing onto the soil so that the soil doesn't sift out where the bed touches the ground, either. It's not how I would build a bed, but it seems reasonable. But if it covered the bottom of a bed, weed barrier would keep the plant roots from reaching down, and it wouldn't reduce weeds to any significant degree, because weed seeds would migrate to the soil above the weed barrier anyway. It might fight off tree roots for a year or two, but I suspect not for much longer. I say ll this as someone who uses weed barrier on top of the soil and plants annual vegetables through it, so I'm not opposed to weed barrier. (I lift it and amend between crops. The holes are at standard spacings that I use for a variety of crops. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be better to just weed, but I've come to accept that I don't weed.)...See MoreWhat's the best organic control for Deer Herds in garden?
Comments (18)Put a single strand electric fence around the garden about 2 1/2 feet high. Bait the fence with peanut butter spread on heavy duty tin foil and attach it to the fence with a clothespin. You won't have to keep the fence on very often if you do this. I've been using this method for over 5 years. Deer enter my gardens in September looking for winter browse and in late winter/early spring when the're really hungry. Then I bait the fence and they're out of there. And they spread the word. Deer are creatures of habit. Your goal is to make them form a habit of avoiding your garden. They associate an experience with a place. In emergency, Deer Off is safe for use on food crops, though not the parts you want to eat. For example, you can spray beans in the bloom, strawberries the same. The spray is good for almost three months except, of course, new growth....See MoreWhat are other organic disease control programs that are reported to
Comments (0)"We've planted Indian hawthorns in our yard to repel Bengal tigers. So far, it's working. The following are two programs that have been used and reported successful by knowledgeable organic gardeners. Sulfur as prevention/control for rose diseases. Plain sulfur (elemental sulfur) is a naturally occurring, safe, and effective control for black spot and powdery mildew. It is also somewhat effective against rose rust and other spot diseases. Spraying sulfur on upper and lower leaf surfaces once a week can provide adequate black spot control even under severe conditions. If black spot is chronic in your area, it is well to begin using sulfur when plants leaf out in spring. Less attention is needed during hot, dry periods in summer. Note: lime-sulfur is a different product that is normally used during the dormant season to reduce the transmission of disease into the following year and to deter some forms of stem canker. To reduce the amount of material used and to improve adhesion, plain sulfur should be applied as spray rather than dust. Safers Fungicide is plain sulfur mixed with a little water and a spreader-sticker. It is convenient but expensive. Much cheaper is the dry wettable sulfur available at garden stores. Note: packages labeled garden sulfur contain a product too coarse to be used as a fungicide. Per gallon, mix 3 TB wettable sulfur with a little water to make a smooth paste. Add to 1 gallon of water and agitate thoroughly. Then add 1 TSP liquid detergent and swirl gently. While spraying, tip and swirl the tank after every two or three bushes sprayed, to prevent settling. If you have trouble with the nozzle clogging, in future try mixing the sulfur paste with a cup of water and pouring it through a large tea strainer into the tank. Precautions: Water the soil thoroughly before using sulfur, as it will burn rose plants that are stressed for moisture. Do not apply in temperatures approaching 90 degrees F. Morning application is best. Once treated, plants, if well watered, can normally stand temperatures later rising to around 100. The symptom of sulfur burn is dull tan patches on broad leaf surfaces exposed to the sun. Sulfur is a mild skin irritant to some people, so wear dishwashing gloves while spraying. Inhaling large amounts of sulfur (or any mineral dust) could damage the lungs. Store sulfur outside of the house, as it is a fire hazard. There is no hazard to ingesting small amounts of sulfur, so it may be used on or near food plants; however, it will burn foliage in the squash-cucumber-melon family of plants. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Rose Flora and Wilt-Pruf The active ingredient in Rose FloraTM is a soil based bacterium, bacillus laterosporus, that is, in fact, a friendly non-toxic organic bacteria which is 100% environmentally safe for humans or pets. treat. No precautions need be taken when mixing or applying this product. It will not burn roots, branches, leaves or blossoms. Nor is it harmful to other flowers, fruits, vegetables or your herb garden. Since Rose FloraTM is a natural organic bacteria it is possible to kill it under perilous conditions. Some chemicals may contain ingredients that will kill off this bacteria. Chlorine is one such chemical, however the normal amount of chlorine found in most city water systems is acceptable. Rose FloraTM is compatible with other fungicides and most pesticides commonly used in the rose industry. It also works by accelerating the photosynthetic process. The millions of nitrogen fixing bacteria release high energy nutrients and supply essential nitrogen for optimum growth. It also rejuvenates and conditions the soil. WILT-PRUFR is a natural pine oil emulsion that is not damaged by freezing, will not solidify in storage and is non-toxic to eyes and skin. It is a natural product derived from the resin of the pine tree which is called a polyterpene polymer or more specifically a beta-pinene polymer which is a film forming short chain polymer component. When this product is sprayed on plant surfaces, the water used to dilute it evaporates leaving a soft, flexible film which degrades one molecular layer at a time when exposed to air and light. The film immediately starts a polymerization into a longer chain, higher weight molecule. However, the entire thickness of the film does not polymerize at the same rate. Only the surface molecular layer is going through rapid polymerization. The molecular layer of the film that is attached and sticking to the leaf is staying a low weight, soft, sticky substance. The film slowly weathers away through this polymerization mode where the top layer fully polymerizes becoming a solid material. It powders away in microscopic flakes which are either washed or blown away, as the rest of the layers go through the same process until the entire film is weathered away. This normally takes about two months under hot, summer conditions and about four months under cold weather conditions. WILT-PRUFR will not interfere with plant growth or materially affect respiration, osmosis, or photosynthesis. Application is recommended every ten days during the growing season with a dormant application in late winter. Mixing ratio is 1 Tps. Rose Flora, 1 TBS brown sugar and ½ cup of Wilt-Pruf per gallon of water....See Moresctn
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