Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
by CK May is the month of flowers not just in the Philippines but also here in Calgary. A lot of my neighbors have done their spring cleaning and unfortunately I cannot cope up with them. I remember that during this time of the year my husband, Hank gets busier day by day. He takes care [...]
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Solutions To Some Most Common Gardening Problems

This is the season where hoards of pests gorage themselves on your beautful perennials , just before hunkering down for the winter. The most common pests being aphids and white flies. Some plants naturely resist them, plants like Hollyhocks and Golden glow and afew others seem to be a free lunch to them. If only afew aphids or white flies exsist they can be dealth with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol and dabbed on the pesky pests and watch them vanish. Another method is gather 1 pound rhubarb leaves and boil in 4 cups of water for half hour. Strian out all the pulp, mix in 2 teaspoons of liquid dishwashing soap and pour this into a spray bottle, shake before using and then blast those pest away. Just a word of warning, Ruhbarb leaves are highly poisonous DO NOT SPRAY ON EDIBLE PLANTS.

Its almost time to dig up the galdiola bulbs and dhalia roots. Shake off all dirt, let dry in the sun for few hours, then dust with medicated baby powder. Put them into a panty hose, hang in a cool dry dark place to store for the winter.

If hunger slugs are a problem set out beer traps, use sour cream containers, cut several 1/2 inch holes midway up the side, add 1/2 inch of beer into the container, snap on the lid and place where your slug infestation is. Slugs can’t resist the smell of beer, they crawl in to the container and drown. Replace the beer every few days. If your working in your garden and you see slugs spray them with white vingar, this will kill them on the spot. Powdered chalk spread around your plants will also keep them at bay.

If mice are a problem, traps will work or hang bars of Irish spring soap in nylon stockings around the occupied area.

I have problems with rabbits using my rock garden as a salad bar. So I dig bottle caps into the soil, level with the top edge, fill caps with blood meal. Place these caps around where the rabbits most frequent like lupins. If it rains it wont wash away the blood meal.

Ants are always a nusience in the garden . Chalk or talcum powder will stop them in there tracks. Just sprinkle the powder around your plants. If you have a ant hill in a place where there are no plants just wait for a warm sunny day, the queen will be laying eggs just below the surface. Do not disturb the hill, pour boiling water over the ant hill. Might take afew applications but it should knock out the queen and the hill for good.

Insects often prefer plants that are stressed and weak. Many problems can be avoided by keeping the area clean and plants spaced for air to circulate. I immediately dispose of any diseased or insect infected plants.

Happy gardening

H. W. Kriaski

Solutions To Some Most Common Gardening Problems

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