My Garden Shed Diary
Let Me Know How This Works
This garden tip is one of the strangest I have ever heard, but when I see an infestation and have my camera ready, we will just test it ok.
Ready for this?
Next time you see an “aphid convention” happening on one of your plants, this is what you do. I am serious this is the tip.
1. Grab a couple of the aphids and crush them between your fingers
2. The other aphids are afraid and will fall down off the plant. They are too stupid to climb back up the plants, so it is now aphid free.
Supposedly the dying aphids release pheromones, which is a chemical signal to warn the other aphids to scram.
Fight Cabbage Worms with Cabbage?…..eh?
This tip is for those cabbage worms which I prefer not to eat with my cabbage rolls. Just pick a leaf from the bottom of the developing cabbage head. These are the ones that are usually tough and wormy anyway… and pretty holey.
Place this leaf balanced across the top of your cabbage head . When you come out next morning to the garden, remove this leaf and all the worms which have migrated to the leaf. Discard it and repeat if needed.
Calcium Builds Strong…..Plants
WATER CONSERVATION TIP
When you boil eggs for a meal or snack, don’t throw away the water used. Let it cool and use it to water house plants or any garden plant. The calcium that leaches into the water from the shells is great for your plants.
Then put the shells in your compost pile.
Coffee for Slugs?
I read that we can scatter coffee grounds around the soil where slugs and snails are a problem and since they don’t like caffeine, it will keep them away. You can also pour leftover coffee around the plant too.
This could work on my hostas because I know they like acid soil. Great!
I’ve been saving my leftover morning pot of coffee (if any is actually leftover) and dilute it with half-again of water and pour it over the outdoor plants. I sort of go around in a circle of the plants so everyone gets a little caffeine. I save my water from boiling corn on the cob for the same thing. I will start saving my water from boiling eggs now too. The shells absolutely go into the compost.
I will do that too, with my coffee and tea. Gradually, I should add another acre with coffee grounds as much coffee as I drink!