Please note the following reaserch of internet data; 1: A very popular pest control product is neem oil. Neem oil is extracted by pressing the seeds of the Indian neem tree. The resulting oil concentrate can be purchased at quality garden stores. Neem is generally applied in a spray to the entire plant. Don��t forget to spray the underside of leaves, because many insects will hide there. The dilution rate for mixing the neem oil is one to two teaspoons per quart of water. To help the oil and water mix, try adding a couple drops of hand soap; make sure the soap is not antibacterial. When the sprayed neem oil comes in contact with the garden pests, the active ingredient, azadirachtin, confuses the insect��s growth hormones. On young garden insects or eggs this contact will cause the insect to never reach sexual maturity, meaning that no offspring will be produced. Neem oil is effective against spidermites, aphids, scales, fungus gnats and even harms beneficial insects. Neem can also effectively remove powdery mildew and rust. HOWEVER; Neem oil should not be used on edible plants and are going to be consumed. Neem oil is a SYSTEMIC PESTICIDE and will be ABSORBED DIRECTLY INTO the plant that it is being used on (you may also only just place it in the surrounding soil and it WILL absorb it). If one does intend to use neem oil on a plant that is edible, it is best to make sure that none of the neem oil comes into direct contact the with fruits or vegetables (Best Practice). 2: Reported effects of neem oil on humans are summarised. Two cases were described where oral administration to young children resulted in acute toxic effects. The oil, even in small amounts (5ml)was reported to cause toxic encephalopathy. Features were vomiting, drowsiness, tachypnoea, and recurrent generalised seizures. Laboratory tests showed that the oil causes leukocytosis and metabolic acidosis (Lai et al., 1990). Sinniah et al. (1982) reported the case of a child, who died after administration of the oil as treatment for a cough. Autopsy findings revealed changes in the liver and kidneys consistent with Reye��s syndrome but unlike those described in acute aflatoxicosis. As aflatoxins have been identified in oil samples, the toxic action of the oil may have been due to the synergistic effects of aflatoxins and other toxic components in the oil. In indigenous medicine in India, the oil is considered to have a contraceptive activity 3: It should NOT be given internally to the weak, very young or the old and must be avoided by any pregnant women, or women trying to become pregnant. High continuous intake could cause liver problems. Neem seed oil CAN (as its been reported), when taken internally, produce a toxic effect in humans, and side effects include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, acidosis, encephalopathy, etc amongst other things. The toxic effects might be due to the presence of aflatoxin and other toxic compounds present in Neem oil. Neem oil shows toxicity to fish like tilapia and carp, and oral administration of the oil in rats and rabbits (at 14 ml/kg and 24ml/kg respectively) produced a severe hypoglycaemic effect and possibly targets the central nervous system and lungs. Taking Neem oil internally is not recommended and taking internal doses as small as 5 ml has killed infants �V I would recommend to err on the side of safety. Neem capsules containing the aqueous extract are also sold �V but it is an extract from the leaves, and is not the oil itself. If you do your research beyond the blue i think there is more to the story. Personally try these Red Pepper, Garlic and Onion Spray Chop an unpeeled onion and a head of garlic. Simmer the onion and garlic with 15 ml (1 tbsp) cayenne pepper in about 1.5 litres (2 �� pints) water for 20 minutes. Cool the mixture, pour into a jar, seal, stand for six weeks and strain into bottles. To use, mix 15 ml (1 tbsp) of this mixture with 750 ml (1�� pints) water. Add a little soap solution. Use as a general pest spray as well as for caterpillars. Note: Do not allow this to come into contact with eyes or skin. You can find these and more at www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/Insect.html other organic sites also state use of edible oil to be mixed in to these "like" ingredients.

Wood Ash in the Garden. By Rosie Lerner,Extension Consumer Horticulturist "The chilly winds of winter will likely keep many a wood-burning stove glowing, leaving stove owners with the ashes to dispose of. Many gardening books advise throwing these ashes in the garden. But what affect do these ashes have on the garden?Wood ash does have fertilizer value, the amount varying somewhat with the species of wood being used. Generally, wood ash contains less than 10%potash, 1% phosphate and trace amounts of micro nutrients such as iron,manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Trace amounts of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium also may be present. Wood ashes do not contain nitrogen.The largest component of wood ash (about 25%) is calcium carbonate, a common liming material which increases soil alkalinity. Wood ash has a very fine particle size which causes it to react rapidly and completely in the soil.So although small amounts of nutrients are applied with wood ash, the main effect is that of a liming agent.Increasing the alkalinity of the soil does affect plant nutrition. Nutrients are most readily available to plants when the soil is slightly acidic. As soil alkalinity increases and the pH rises above 7.0, nutrients such as phosphorus,iron, boron, manganese, copper, zinc and potassium become chemically tied to the soil and less available for plant use.Applying small amounts of wood ash to most soils will not adversely affect your garden crops and the ash does help replenish some nutrients. But because wood ash increases soil pH, adding large amounts can do more harm than good. Keep in mind that wood ash which has been exposed to the weather, particularly rainfall, has lost a lot of its potency including nutrients.Specific recommendations for the use of wood ash in the garden are difficult to make because soil composition and reaction varies from garden to garden. Distinctly acidic soils (pH less that 5.5) will likely be improved by wood ash addition. Soils that are slightly acidic (pH 6.0 to 6.5) should not be harmed by the application of 20 pounds per 100 square feet, annually.However, if your soil is neutral or alkaline (pH greater than 7.0), find another way to dispose of the wood ash. If you donÂt know the acidity or alkalinity of your soil, have it tested for pH.Crop tolerance to alkaline soil also should be considered. Some plants such as asparagus and junipers are more tolerant of slightly alkaline conditions than "acid-loving" plants such as potatoes, rhododendrons, and blueberries.Wood ash should never be used on such acid-loving plants" Too much ash can increase pH or accumulate high levels of salts that can be harmful to some plants, so use ashes carefully. Wood ash has a NPK of 0-1-3

I noticed that Rose-tone contains bone meal. Years ago, when I used bone meal for a fertilizer, my dogs wouldn't leave the plants alone. Since then, I try to avoid fertilizers that contain bone meal. My two favorite fertilizers that I use now are Rose Glo by Maestro-Gro and Microlife - neither lists bone meal as an ingredient and both are available locally here. My current dogs do like to eat the Rose Glo (one will eat it straight out of the bag if given a chance) when it is just sprinkled around the plants, but they will leave it alone once I have watered it in. They don't really seem interested in the Microlife. An organic fertilizer that does not contain bone meal might work with your dog, but many other ingredients can also be attractive to dogs. This is just my experience with my dogs, and your dog might have different preferences. Here is a link that might be useful: ingredients in Rose - tone

Kevin, thank you for your post. Gardening is such an obtuse term, meaning anything from having a potted house plant to ornamental landscaping to growing large amounts of food. Knowing the context in which one is speaking is definitely helpful. Much context had definitely been missing from this conversation, and wrong assumptions made. What we (DH mows, and then does whatever heavy-lifting tasks I can't, then says, "that looks nice, honey.") are doing is trying to provide entertainment for myself, something pleasing to look at, sustenance for butterflies, birds, and whatever other native critters might live in "our" yard, grow whatever edibles we feel like that particular year (in no particular order.) I don't feel the need or capability to control nature in many ways except to pull the plants I don't want, and install the ones I do. If pests eat plants, hopefully predators of those pests will show up and prosper on such bounty. I find it interesting, not a problem. If I put chemicals on edibles, I might as well get the ones from the grocery, where it's not necessary to get mosquito bites to get them. If pests destroy an ornamental plant this year, they probably would next year, and I don't want to spend my time or money battling such a thing. That's an instance in which I would not keep trying that plant. Applying chemicals does not sound fun to me, so I wouldn't include it in gardening, which I do for fun, and eschew most of the busy-body things people are *supposed* to do for gardening that I don't think are fun and obviously aren't necessary as my yard/plants prove. So what is growing in my yard is that which can do so within the care I consider fun. Were gardening a necessity for providing my family with food, or my wallet with income, my attitude might be quite different, and I would not have the luxury of sitting back and watching what happens. I do battle canna leaf rollers because the hummingbirds love the flowers, and if I don't keep the caterpillars off of these plants, there would be few, if any flowers for the hummingbirds, defeating the purpose of having this plant. If I put chemicals on the plants to kill the caterpillars, I would be very concerned about the effect it would have on the hummingbirds. A healthy natural ecosystem has predators and pests. If my garden is missing either, something out of whack. Often the case is that the pest is exotic, with no natural predator, in which case a product might be necessary if growing the plant in question is necessary. One of the hardest-working predators in this area is the anole. They go everywhere, on every plant and surface. Poisoning them or their food sources would be tragic. Birds eat many pests from plants, and serving them a toxic meal, or killing their food seems very short-sighted and way too small-picture to me, can't be the right thing for *me* to do. They call it a food chain because all critters are some other...