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BigBecka
Animal defender
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Jun 9, 2007 7:17 pm Post subject: Organic Gardening / How to dissuade garden pests... |
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Although I went vegan for health reasons, there have been two unforseen side-effects:
1) I decided to grow some of my own organic veggies, because I'm sick of buying over-priced vegetables from the supermarket.
2) I seem to have developed a reluctance to kill animals 
Unfortunately, Snails are eating my tomato plants!  I was going to poison them but I just couldn't... One of them poked it's head out of it's shell, and waved it's little antennae... It looked so cute... And I spent this morning reading Ghandi quotes in a t-shirt shop 
Anyway, I would be worried about the plants absorbing some of the poison, and it contaminating my tomatoes 
People have suggested putting down salt, or setting beer traps, but this would still kill the snails.  I'm almost curious to see how they get on 
There was a gardener on the radio (Gardeners' Question Time) who was promoting organic gardening, years before it became popular. He would enter gardens in the Chelsea Flower Show, but refused to use pestcides or artificial fertilizers. The other gardeners would criticise him, for having greenfly all over his roses, etc. But by the time the competition started, some bird or bug would have eaten the pests, and his garden would be in a beautiful natural balance. 
Maybe I need to plant something that will attract snail-eating birds? Do certain garden layouts, or mixes of plants, promote natural balance? |
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Sergio
Vegan Talk Veteran
Joined: 24 May 2001
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Jun 10, 2007 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| I'm interested in the same topic, I currently can't find cherries without worms in them (I mean sweet cherries) Is there a organic way of getting rid of those worms? |
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BigBecka
Animal defender
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Jun 13, 2007 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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Hmm, we (my family) used to pick wild blackberries and sloes when I was little... We would put them in a big bowl of salted water, and leave them to soak. This draws any worms or bugs out of the fruit, and also kills any bacteria or fungus. Then you just rinse them and eat (or bake a massive blackberry pudding...  )
Do you have your own cherry tree?  I'm not sure how to prevent the worms eating the cherries... I've been reading a little about Companion Planting (plants that attract bugs away from your vegetables), but the recommendations are only for certain vegetables.
I did read somewhere that you can attract birds into your garden by providing some water, even if it's just a small bowl for them to drink. Then the birds should eat the bugs. But birds sometimes eat soft fruit too... |
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WarChild
Passionated Vegan Talker
Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Posts: 193
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| Posted: Jun 14, 2007 7:16 am Post subject: |
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| BigBecka wrote: |
| Then the birds should eat the bugs. But birds sometimes eat soft fruit too... |
So one might also need a bird of prey, one which hunts for those birds which eat fruits.
Here we go.
"Watchbird" by Robert Sheckley |
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ChrisCrossCMP
Advanced Vegan Talker
Joined: 17 Jan 2007
Posts: 61
Location: New York
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| Posted: Jun 17, 2007 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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I've been wondering how to naturally rid of bugs.
And pesky birds eating all of our strawberries....
And BigBecka, its sweet that you won't kill the snails
I can just imagine that snail popping its head out of its shell...
Hehe...thats me:
_________________
Peace & Love.
-Lauren |
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BigBecka
Animal defender
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Jun 22, 2007 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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Birds and strawberries are (fairly) easy... you can put nets up over the stawberries My Dad uses them: they work fairly well, though you might occasionally get a persistant bird...
Sadly, they do not stop local teenagers: they are the main pest threatening my Dad's allotment  They stole all his plums last year
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| its sweet that you won't kill the snails |
Aw, thanks Lauren One of the snails has grown to a mighty size, and the other one appears to have gone off somewhere else... It's been raining bucket-loads (traditional Glastonbury weekend...) so the garden is now knee-high and full of interesting bugs Probably ought to mow the lawn before my landlady sees... My tomato plants are looking quite sorry: they are being attacked by white fly now But the parsley and chives are thriving: the chives have huge purple flowers
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| "Watchbird" by Robert Sheckley |
How have I never heard of this author?!?! I downloaded "Bad Medicine" from Project Gutenberg - it has been making me smile during a bad week  |
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WarChild
Passionated Vegan Talker
Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Posts: 193
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| Posted: Jun 25, 2007 7:00 am Post subject: |
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| BigBecka wrote: |
| I downloaded "Bad Medicine" from Project Gutenberg |
I don't recall this one, but Sheckley is kinda notorious for his [reasoned!] sarcasm. |
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Sergio
Vegan Talk Veteran
Joined: 24 May 2001
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Jun 27, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| BigBecka wrote: |
Hmm, we (my family) used to pick wild blackberries and sloes when I was little... We would put them in a big bowl of salted water, and leave them to soak. This draws any worms or bugs out of the fruit, and also kills any bacteria or fungus. Then you just rinse them and eat (or bake a massive blackberry pudding... )
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But wasn't those berries salted after rinsing in salted water?
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Do you have your own cherry tree?
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No, but my grandmother has and earlier ones are without worms, but late ones are almost all with worms.
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I'm not sure how to prevent the worms eating the cherries... I've been reading a little about Companion Planting (plants that attract bugs away from your vegetables), but the recommendations are only for certain vegetables.
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I also was looking for solution, but so far I only found chemical means, which I'm trying to avoid.
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I did read somewhere that you can attract birds into your garden by providing some water, even if it's just a small bowl for them to drink. Then the birds should eat the bugs. But birds sometimes eat soft fruit too... |
There are birds in the garden, we even have a starling-house build, but it doesn't help much, may be those birds eat different kind of insects. |
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BigBecka
Animal defender
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Jul 1, 2007 10:05 am Post subject: |
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| Sergio wrote: |
But wasn't those berries salted after rinsing in salted water?
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Ah, yes: sorry, I should be clearer! You soak in salted water, then rinse the berries (very thoroughly) with clean water.
| Sergio wrote: |
No, but my grandmother has and earlier ones are without worms, but late ones are almost all with worms.
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Maybe you could pick the berries early, and ripen them on a windowsill? I don't know if that would work... 
| Sergio wrote: |
There are birds in the garden, we even have a starling-house build, but it doesn't help much, may be those birds eat different kind of insects. |
I find this funny - Starlings are a pest over here! Mind you, I heard that they are now rarer I guess there are less trees? We have a bird table, but the little birds prefer to nest in the roof, away from crows - maybe I should be concerned, but it's only a rented house, and I think they're sweet They're not eating many bugs either...
Ah, I spoke to my father about the cherries (he's a keen gardener). He doesn't know about cherries, but there is a similar problem with plums being attacked by worms. The remedy is to grease the trunk of the tree in spring (?!?!?!) This is because the bugs that lay eggs in the fruit cannot fly, and crawl up the trunk of the tree |
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Sergio
Vegan Talk Veteran
Joined: 24 May 2001
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Jul 17, 2007 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| BigBecka wrote: |
[skip]
| Sergio wrote: |
No, but my grandmother has and earlier ones are without worms, but late ones are almost all with worms.
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Maybe you could pick the berries early, and ripen them on a windowsill? I don't know if that would work...
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They will not have the same taste. Fruits ripen on trees are always better than fruits ripen on shelves.
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| Sergio wrote: |
There are birds in the garden, we even have a starling-house build, but it doesn't help much, may be those birds eat different kind of insects. |
I find this funny - Starlings are a pest over here! Mind you, I heard that they are now rarer I guess there are less trees? We have a bird table, but the little birds prefer to nest in the roof, away from crows - maybe I should be concerned, but it's only a rented house, and I think they're sweet They're not eating many bugs either...
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By the way, what sort of cherries you grow there, sour or sweet?( we have here 2 different words for these cherries)
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Ah, I spoke to my father about the cherries (he's a keen gardener). He doesn't know about cherries, but there is a similar problem with plums being attacked by worms. The remedy is to grease the trunk of the tree in spring (?!?!?!) This is because the bugs that lay eggs in the fruit cannot fly, and crawl up the trunk of the tree |
In the spring we lime trees for the same reason, but it doesn't always help, even with plums. |
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BigBecka
Animal defender
Joined: 02 Dec 2006
Posts: 414
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| Posted: Jul 20, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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| By the way, what sort of cherries you grow there, sour or sweet?( we have here 2 different words for these cherries) |
There aren't any cherry trees here The south-west is quite rugged and wet. Apples and pears are grown in the more sheltered bits - lots of cider and perry! - and there are elderberries and blackberries growing wild everywhere. Then there's the marijuana farms in more remote areas... When I lived in the north-east of England, the council planted cherry trees all around the housing estates. (The east of the country is better for growing most plants). They blossomed each year, and looked very pretty, but there were never any cherries worth eating. They might grow in other parts of the country... we have a pretty varied climate here 
Anyway, we tend to refer to "black" cherries and "red" cherries. I think the "black" ones (dark red) are the sweeter ones When I was little, fresh cherries were always expensive: I only ever ate them in cakes (glace cherries in Christmas cake and on Bakewell Tarts, and black cherries on Black Forest Gateau  ). Well, they're still £2 for a small bag... Nowadays the supermarkets sell them by species: Morello cherries from Turkey and Acerolas seem popular.
Which reminds me, it's time to start baking my Christmas Cake...
I talk about food way too much... You're so lucky to live somewhere you can grow fresh food easily! I was talking to some Italian guys today: they were saying it made them feel ill to eat fried / starchy food all the time like the British |
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