Friday, April 30, 2010

Guess Who...Else

Yep, it's not just the nice guys in the garden. Lots of aphids, thrips, mites, and other pesky things all over. So I had to go for the spray - but not just any spray.

My trigger choice is FlowerPharm, which works great as a general pesticide/fungicide. It's completely organic and you can find the stuff locally at Southwest Gardener in downtown Phoenix.

At the end of March I sprayed my tomatoes a couple of days, waited a week, then hit 'em again. Now I don't see anymore of those little black aphids, and no damage was done to the tomato plants.
I also sprayed my bok choi, kale, and tulips, which were all pretty thick with bugs. The ladybugs were doing their thing too, but I was a bit anxious to see some results so I can harvest and eat my veggies. The ladybugs managed unscathed as well (as I'm noticing quite a few larvae babies at work).

But all those critters on my edibles were the least of my worries:
(DUHN-DUHN-DUUUUUN!)

(scorpius soon-to-be-deadius)
Yes, the worst of all garden pests have begun to make their presence known now that it's warming up. So I called my friendly neigborhood pest control service - Ladybug for my seasonal treatment. They use an all organic product that is very safe for pets and lizards alike, but does a number on the scorpions.


However, I still like to do my part in the garage and other inconspicuous cracks and crevis using DE (diatomaceous earth - be sure to use garden grade not pool grade). It's a powder-like product that is all organic, which damages scorpions from the underside causing death within about 24hours. Just a little added security when I'm not out with my blacklight and big stick.


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