[Sca-cooks] Nicotine in the Garden (OT and OOP)

[Chris Stanifer]

--- LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 5/19/01 3:54:12 PM Eastern
> Daylight Time,
> jugglethis at yahoo.com writes:
>
> << Surely there is not a bug left alive. >>
>
> And that is the gist of the entire problem with
> chemical pesticides. They
> kill EVERYTHING! Good bugs and bad ones. <sigh> :-(
>
> Ras

Well, like I said in my post, the mantis' are still
alive and kicking.  Unfortunately, though, I don't see
any more ladybird beetles or lacewings, and I have
discovered several dead spiders, as well :(  I'm not
sure how long the mantis' will hang around without any
tasty bugs to feed on, though.

It is unfortunate that I had to resort to chemical
means in order to rid my garden of those pesky
inchworms.  Had I been in this house a season or two
longer, I may have had time to prepare the soil
properly, and introduce the proper conditions for a
balanced ecosystem.  There is still time, though, and
organic steps are being taken even as I type this.  I
have ordered a fair number of wildflower seeds, and
once they begin to get established next year, there
will be plenty of places for bugs, good and bad, to
take up residence.  This year, however, ecological
controls were not really an option for me.  I was
battling against the residue of the previous owners,
and several months of garden neglect.

To keep this on a period/food related topic, however,
I would like to ask the list if anyone has actually
had any success with planting garlic (or other
herbs/food crops) amongst flowers in order to control
pest populations.  I have heard growing garlic in rose
beds will keep aphids in check, and growing hot
peppers (not period, but food related) amongst
perrenial flowers works as well.  Likewise, has anyone
a reference for period uses of 'green manure'
(specifically, which crops were grown for this purpose
in period, if any)?

Balthazar the Bug-Killah!


=====
Let the people hate, as long as they also fear.

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