gardening for beginers, how can i protect my new veg patch from the bugs, in a safe way as i have young kids?
With my little boy we have just dug and composted an area in the garden for veg/fruit. I wanted to do this to show them how to grow things for themselves when they are older. Problem is i havnt a clue really, i have put a mesh fence around it to stop the dog or cats toileting. What can i do about creepy crawlies.
We have lettuce and carrot seeds, i have 4 strawberry plants and 2 tom plants on my kitchen window. They are getting a bit big now should they go in the garden. How do i protect everything in a organic/ safe way ie no chemicals pellets etc. Thanks for any help.
May 26th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
The best way to gaurd against slugs and snails is to put a saucer of beer near the base of the plants.
They LOVE beer and drown.
May 26th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
You really can’t. After you become an avid gardener with a little experience you will learn to live with them. A good majority of the bugs are beneficial and you need them in your garden. As for the destructive bugs, most of them don’t do enough harm to ruin your crop. Every now and then you might get an infestation and you will need to accept your losses because I think it’s better not to use pesticides on a veggie garden.
Now is a good time to put your tomato plants in the ground. Little bothers them with exception of the cut worm. You can protect your tomato with a collar made out of a plastic plant container. Just cut the bottom half off and put it over your tomato and push it about an inch into the soil.
As for the lettuce and strawberries, my only suggestion is to watch out for slugs. I don’t know were you are but where I am is way to hot for lettus now. However, when I grow lettus not much bothers it and as far as my strawberries, I have worse trouble with bunnies.
Good Luck
May 26th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Bugs and creepy crawlies are part of the garden. Your kids will enjoy discovering them. If however you don’t want to lose ALL your little plants then wait until they are quite big so that the beasties don’t bite through them with one chomp.
I am going to try planting out a couple of courgette plants soon. To protect them I have collected plastic lemonade bottles. Cut off the top and the bottom and stick them in the soil around the newly planted veggies. Check regularly for adventurous slugs and snails though – they can climb well but not very fast!
May 26th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
beer pot for the slugs, broken egg shells or orange peel for the cats, plant marigolds to stop the whitefly, and nasturnums (both of which can be used in salads ) as well, regular hoeing will defeat most weeds . A lot of bugs are actually quite good for the garden. If you tie a bundle of reeds or bamboo canes together you can make a home for ladybirds which are great for eating greenfly. There are a lot of natural methods you can use but you will never eradicate all the bugs and as I have said some are very good for the garden.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Forget the beer for the snails and slugs. If you want something that is natural, that will help your soil, as well as get rid of the slugs and snails. Use brewed coffee once a month or put your coffee grounds around the base of the plant- then water. Slugs and snails hate caffeine. They will turn around once they get a taste of the soil.
The coffee grounds also makes great fertilizer.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Once your garden has started, add some “good” garden bugs to prey upon the pests.
These can be ordered by catalog, over the internet or some nurseries carry them.
I order from these guys; http://www.gardensalive.com
They’ve been great and have a large selection of products that are non-toxic and lots of the good bugs to sell.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
DE, or diatomatious earth(sp?) is great! It keeps the bugs away, but not the worms..Does not harm them at all.. Just sprinkle…Call your feed centers and someone should have it. It’s way too expensive to order online and have to pay for shipping.
Also, not the stuff for pools…Food grade..different stuff!
May 26th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
For some bugs plant some herbs and also Marigold in between your veggies.
What I have done I put a shallow dish out there with beer in it suppose to keep bugs away.
Also purchase some garlic gloves in the local grocery. Than seperate them and plug them and spread them out. I done that too whereever I have plants even if they are in containers.
May 26th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Encourage the beneficial animals into your garden.
By discouraging cats and leaving some hedges unkept robins, blackbirds and thrushes will nest, these eat slugs and snails.
Leave a pile of logs, this will attract slow worms which eat slugs.
Establish a pond, byut no fish, frogs will eat slugs.
Have fun