Hi all,

We live in MO, near the town of Mansfield. I have always loved to garden, but have never encountered bugs like I do here!

I am convicted not to use any form of chemical pesticides. I am searching out proven "home" remedies to control bugs ...specifically on potatoes, squash and the cabbage family.

I am trying a mix of dawn original dishsoap, and have tried cayenne pepper by the bottle full, but it doesn't control whatever is still eating my potatoe plants.

Any help any of you have is welcome!

Blessings,
Tamar

Greetings Sister,

We have had good results with potatoes by planting them on top of tilled soil and then covering them with straw or leaves. We plant them 6” to 8” apart in all directions so that when they come up the leaves touch and form a canopy that holds in the moisture. For some reason, “No Bugs”. As the plants grow, keep adding more mulch or the sun will get through and turn the taters green. Do this early because at some point it gets impossible to add mulch because the leaves grow together at the top.

Worked for us.

Tuck

The only thing that has worked for us is to pick the bugs off. I know it's a lot of work, but we never use pesticides and we always have a very nice, abundant garden. We also rotate where we plant stuff, never planting (for example) potatoes where we had potatoes the year before.

Also, look for the eggs on the leaves. They are usually on the underside of potato, bean and tomato plants, little clusters of bright yellow or orange eggs so they're easy to find. If you can get the buggies before they even hatch, all the better!

We mulch a lot too.

BTW, is anyone else being hit with drought conditions? We're in WV, and although it's not a drought yet, we have sheep and goats, and boy, so we need rain for the pastures! Keep us in your prayers. I've heard it's even worse in Ohio, north of us.

Nancy B.

Picking off the squash bugs, and using heavy duty trellising for the squash type plants have helped for me, keeping the plants off of the ground makes it easier to spray the undersides of the leaves with insecticidal soap, or just a blast of water.

We also use 'Tanglefoot' spray on yellow plastic dixie cups on stakes throughout the garden, the yellow attracts all sorts of insects.

I try not to use insecticides much at all, but sometimes I cave in and use it if the crop is in danger and it is a long time before harvest. I would much rather see the praying mantis, ladybugs, spiders, assassin bugs, lizards, frogs and other predators doing the job!



[This message has been edited by czygyny (edited 06-26-2007).]

Shalom Nancy B,

My name is Donnie, I live in Mansfield, MO. I bought 10 acres close to Sojourners...I moved here from Huntington, WV...I was born and raised there...I was a bit curious as to which part of WV you are from.


Shalom and Blessings in Yahushua
Ariyah




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Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of YHWH is within you. Luk 17:21

We are near Buckhannon, about 45 minutes from Clarksburg. We moved here from California about 9 years ago. How do you like MO.?

Nancy B.

Hi Tuck

How deep would you say the tilled soil is? My potatoes themselves are delicious, and though the greens on top look horrid and are being eaten, as soon as the weather clears I'll go and gather them all. Yah's desire we'll have a cellar ready that I can store them in.

I had an idea for those who love gardening. Some time ago I wrote and asked bro Eliyah about a barter board...but this forum seems to work too...
What would any of you feel about a seed exchange? Last year our watermelons and cantelope were just incredible. Our daughter went to a forum and swapped seeds with those interested and we had some awesome new seeds that we are growing this year.
A brother I met on paltalk sent me tomato seeds, and wow they grow awesome! This year we are going to dry as much seed as we can for next year, and thought if we had a bunch extra we sure wouldn't mind helping others..and if others did the same as beleivers we could exchange ...of course remembering we cannot send certain seeds to certain states because of bylaws. But we can study those out so as not to violate those laws too

Thanks to all for your replies, and I'm still searching for that home remedy to get rid of bugs that are NOT needed in the garden. I am putting our turkeys in the garden, and they are having a wonderful time eating bugs and not touching the plants!

Blessings to all,
With gratitude to YHWH for earth and water and sun and seed, it surely is good!!

Tamar

Tamar - do you have ducks? I heard they do wonders in the garden too.

One thing I did use one year...I made a tea out of tobacco (believe it or not, I had gotten some old pipe tobacco from a dumpster when we were looking for boxes for Ebay) and we sprayed that on some very badly infested plants. Now, I wouldn't spray it on sometihng that grows above the ground, like lettuce...anything I was going to eat directly, but it did work OK for potatoes.

Another idea I read about that can be thought of next year...the idea is to plant a ring around the garden, so to speak, of plants (weeds especially) that the bad bugs like. Some people really "swear" by this, as the bugs are more attracted to the stuff they aren't going to eat (weeds, lure plants, etc) so they leave the plants you're going to consume alone. I know we have this one weed, that the bugs loved MORE than the potato plants...I may not pull those weeds next year, and see if the bugs will be more attracted to them.

Another thing...(boy, all these things are coming back to me!) And this works really well for us, not only in saving the garden, but saving the chickens and eggs...We have different areas, especially at the edges of our living area, that we put scraps, compost, leftovers, etc. Animals that will bother your plants (possums, raccoons especially) will gladly take an easy meal over one they have to dig for, pick, or kill. If you keep a few goodies for the wildlife away from your garden area, they'll leave your garden and chickens alone.

Nancy b.

I love the idea of a seed exchange. That's a good way to keep heirloom seeds alive! I'm sure you already know, you have to use plants that are heirloom seeds, as most hybrids won't grow the same plant from their seeds...wierd, I know, but it was actually engineered that way to force people to continue buying seeds each year!

One company we love, that doesn't do this, is "Seeds of Change." They sell only organic seeds, and MOSTLY heirloom types whose seeds are true to their parent plant.

I would especially like some heirloom apple, plum, pear, peach, apricot seeds. I know it takes forever to grow trees from seed, but the cost of fruit trees is outrageous!

Nancy B.

If I could send some water to any of you that needs water for your place I would gladly do it.
I live about 90 miles south of Dallas, Tx. and we have had the blessings of the rain for over a week here. I ask Father Yahweh for rain and He doubled it to me. What a blessing. Some people complain about the rain and that its causing flooding all over the Dallas Tx. area, but to me its a wonderful blessing. It washes all the bugs out of the garden, so I have no bug problem at all. Plus the vegies are growing to unbelievable sizes. I have squash coming out of my garden as long as my arm. And very tender too.
I gave some to the lady at the butane place where we fill our tanks, and she told me she's never seen such big squash, and so good to eat.
My tomatoes are as big a saucers,
Now if I could just figure out what's eating my ducks and turkey's I would really be doing good. Raccoons, I know how they kill, but what ever is eating them, is carrying them off and it has to be something big, cause my ducks and turkeys are big. And guess what the dog is doing during all this??? sleeping.
I have told the dog several times,"change is coming"
So now I need a good critter dog. Any ideas ?

Yah's_Lamb,

I have found that cattle dogs (Queenslands, Australian Cattle Dogs, Border Collies, etc) are the most alert and fearless when it comes to keeping animals away.

A raccoon can drag an animal quite aways, but perhaps you have a fox, bobcat or coyote dining on your livestock if they are being carried off a long way.

Thankfully, our property is double fenced so only the occasional raccoon and skunk get in. Skunky just meanders through and doesn't harm much except snagging the occasional hen's egg. The coons haven't been back since their comrade fell to my rottweiler.

[This message has been edited by czygyny (edited 06-28-2007).]

This morning I found fresh tracks of 3 slash marks in the wet dirt that was about 2-3 inches long and another duck missing.
Whatever this critter is, came out in the daylight (after 9am) and took the duck away. I have been locking the ducks up at night in wire cages that's impossible for anything to get to them. So now whatever it is, is coming out in the daytime.
And the unbelievable thing about it is, the tracks I found was 20 feet away from where the dog was.
Thanks for the advise on the dogs. I have the new advertisement paper and I am looking to find one of these dogs you mentioned, before I end up with no animals.

Another dog to think about is a Great Pyrenees. That's what we have, and we have't lost a chicken in a long, long time. The only thing is...they stay up almost all night and patrol...back and forth, and LOTS of barking. So if you have neighbors that may complain, it might not work out.

Also, be careful about knowing the difference between herding dogs and guard dogs. Herding dogs have a very strong instinct to chase things, which actually stems from their very strong instinct to hunt. The thing is, if they are trained properly, they circle the animals, keep them together (as if they were circling to kill) but they have enough training and control not to attack. If they are not trained properly, they will definately attack your animals.

A livestock guard dog, does NOT have that strong hunting instinct, they instead have a very strong instinct to protect their "pack". Their pack may be a human family, a family of sheep, a family of chickens...But whoever their "family" is, they will protect.

We had foxes really bad, and before we got our Pyrenees we lost about a dozen Rhode Island Red hens. If the duck/goose/chicken is completely gone, I'd say there's a good chance it's a fox, as they take their prey home. Wild dogs and mountain lions/bobcats will do the same.

Often, Possums and Raccoons will just bite the head off the animal and eat it, and maybe eat it's innerds ) But you'll find pieces of the animal around.

Nancy B.

I just wanted to add a thanks for adding this thread! It sure has been interesting! I could talk my head off when it comes to gardening/animals/farming! LOL!

Nancy B.

I must agree with Nancy B about the troubles with the herders vs. the breeds like the Great Pyrenees, etc. I have only had the Queenslands and Australian Cattle dogs, but they were trained not to hunt/chase the animals unless prompted by me. They are quite a bit smaller than those big 'shepherd' breeds, which might be a factor for you.

I had chickens disappear out of my barn while the fences were being rebuilt, and many of the bodies just disappeared. The only thing I could imagine getting up in the high rafters were 'coons, but I don't know. I took to leaving a light and a radio on all night to deter whatever was doing the deed, and it worked.

I could talk and talk about gardening and animals forever, too. I have sheep, koi, goldfish, dogs, cats, even had a snow goose for awhile that had been attacked by a bald eagle right over my property! If given my own way, I would spend every minute 'playing' in my gardens!

That is why I liken myself to 'Gardening in Babylon'.