Hearing Health House

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Back to Nature

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Are you an insect magnet?  Enjoy the outdoors again by planting these natural insect and pest repelling herbs:  Basil (flies, mosquitos), lavender (moths, fleas, flies, mosquitos), lemongrass, lemon thyme, lemon balm, rosemary and mint (mosquitos), bay leaves (flies), chives (aphids, flies, beetles), dill (aphids, spider mites), fennel (aphids, slugs, snails), oregano and thyme (many pests), parsley (beetles).  Ornamental flowers that repel:  Alliums (insects, slugs), chrysanthemums (roaches, ticks, fleas), nasturtiums (aphids, beetles), marigolds (aphids, mosquitos, rabbits), petunias (aphids, beetles, squash bugs), geraniums (leafhoppers), narcissus (moles), four o’clocks (Japanese beetle), and pansies (mosquitos).

 

Protect plants from aphids with non-toxic insect tea.  Bruise 2 large handfuls of basil leaves and stems and add them to a 1-gallon jar of water. Set jar in the sun for 4-8 hours. Strain with cheesecloth or pantyhose; add several drops of liquid soap, mix. Spray plants with this natural repellent to fend off aphids, leafhoppers, grubs, squash bugs, mites, cucumber beetles, and cabbage loopers.

 

Annoying ants?                                        Sprinkle uncooked grits on and around ant mounts. Ants take the little white morsels home to share. When the ants eat grits and drink water, the grits swell and the ants die. Or, just grind up an orange (citrus fruit contains oils that are a natural pesticide), peel and all, in a blender, add water and blend, and pour it on the anthill. The oils can kill ants, as well as prevent ant infestations. Place a bar of Irish Spring beside your kitchen sink to help keep ants out of the kitchen.

 

The grass is always greener?  First, leave at least 2” when you mow. Mulch, instead of bagging – free fertilizer. If you leave at least 2” of grass, you shouldn’t have to thatch. Water very early when evaporation is lowest.

 

Roses love bananas.                               Old banana peels work great for growing fabulous flowers and yummy vegetables.  Roses especially love them. Save the peels until they’re crisp and crumbly. Then cut them into small pieces and bury them a few inches into the soil around plants. 

 

Add calcium to your garden plants with eggshells.  Rinse shells and allow them to dry. When you have a dozen or so, you’ll have a good amount to work with. Pulverize the shells. You can add some to the hole before you plant, or sprinkle them around the base of your plants.

 

Plants grow fast with molasses.  Mix 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses in a gallon of water. Using molasses in gardens has the additional benefit of fighting off pests. Molasses increases the overall vitality of plants, so pests are less likely to attack your garden. Use a molasses and water mixture every two weeks, in addition to your molasses fertilizer, for best results.

 

Slug it out with slugs!  Slugs love beer even more than your tomato plants.                                                                Just bury a plastic container near your plants and fill it about half full with beer. The slugs are attracted to the yeasty smell, fall into the beer and drown.

 

Attract birds.                              Plant berries and elderberry, mulberry, chokeberry, and serviceberry shrubs to attract bluebirds, cardinals, robins, jays, thrushes, orioles, woodpeckers, and many more. For nesting, birds love dryer lint, hair from a brush or dog brush, scraps of yarn. Put these treasures in a mesh bag, like an onion sack, and hang from a shrub or tree branch.