gardening, companion insects and plants

	Calendula and Johnny-jump-ups as companions to Swiss chard. The calendula petals and leaves are edible. Johnny-jump-up flowers are edible. Swiss chard is hardy and nourishing...Three companions that need little care.

Source for beneficial insects: Bug Charm PO Box, Souderton, PA 18964 tel 800 848 3043

Fennel, calendula, garlic, green onions, French marigolds, heartease should be interspersed around your garden they ward off several insect pests including aphids. Grow annual flowers among carrots to put off carrot fly. YARROW MAY SPEED GROWTH OF MANY PLANTS WITH SECONDARY METABOLITES IT RELEASES INTO SOIL. Rotation of food crops helps prevent pests by periodically changing the location of your food crop.

There are numerous beneficial insects. The best way to attract them is to have ample plant variety and a a large garden, a large biosphere for them to thrive in. It is probably ineffective buying and releasing insects unless you have a large garden. Smaller gardens get little help from beneficial insects because they cannot provide enough range or forage.

My personal feeling is that you need to have a spacious garden and good habitat to attract beneficial insects. Purchasing insects is often a waste of money. Try the following...To attract beneficial insects, first you have to have a broad variety of plants. Keep dust down. Dust robs insects of moisture and keeps them away. Provide water for insects. Place attractive ceramic insect watering dishes around garden with stones in them for the insects to land safely on.

Eugenol, a plant extract, can be purchased at drug stores. Make a Japanese beetle trap by attaching a sponge with a few drops of eugenol in it to a plastic bag. Make certain the bag is on a post or elevated two or three feet above the ground. Eugenol will attract the Japanese beetles to the bag. Put a few more drops of eugenol in the bottom of the bag. taper the neck of the bag so once the beetles fall in it is difficult for them to get out. For an example of how this bag should look go to your garden center and see their Japanese beetle traps.

Plenty of small flowers provide beneficial insects with food between predatory meals. Small and large nectar rich flowers...Culinary herbs are a good choice. Plant broad variety of flowers. Such as herbs (all) wild mustard, lambs quarters, nettle, catnip, coneflowers, yarrow, goldenrod, spearmint, fennel, rosemary, lavender, marigolds, etc.

Burdock offers nutritious hairs and moisture clinging to hairs for beneficial insects.

TIP: Regular tilling and garden neatness is not conducive to beneficial insect habitat. Small gardens may not provide enough prey. Grape growers have discovered that by letting weeds grow under their grapes beneficial insects have habitat and harmful insects have alternative food to the grapes.

TIP: Keep plenty of straw or other mulch on ground to give ground traveling insects plenty of habitat and cover. Mulch does not encourage slugs, ground beetles love the mulch and slugs are their favorite food. Ground mulch provides a night time habitat for pest eating snakes and insect eating salamanders and toads.

You may buy beneficial insects, or over time a garden with the right stuff will attract them.

Most effective insects are parasites or predators. For a full list call Bug Charm. There is a parasite or predator for just about every harmful insect. There are hundreds of beneficial insects.

Remember it is a good idea remove or burn old mulch from your garden at the end of the year. And put in new in late Fall or early Spring. This removes harmful insect eggs and larvae.

Recycle milk containers, etc. for starting plantings.
A small hot house protects early spring plantings.

Achillea millefolium (yarrow) May improve content and quality of essential oils of culinary herbs.

Allium sativum (garlic) and Allium tuberosum (garlic chives). I like to press garlic cloves into the ground throughout the garden. Garlic chives are purported to improve the taste of carrots, tomatoes and grapes. May be beneficial to roses.

Artemisia dracunculus sativa (French Tarragon). May be planted among tomatoes, potatoes and ground cherry.

HORSERADISH IS A GOOD COMPANION PLANT WITH POTATOES WARDING OFF POTATO BEETLES.

Salvia spp. (sage). Especially golden sage may repel cabbage moths and other pests.

Viola spp. (violets) are used worldwide as ornamental, beneficial companion plants here and there in the garden.

Discussion: Coffee, tobacco and yucca can be added to water. Make a tobacco tea and see how it works.

Try buttermilk (soured milk) and flour mixture to spray on aphids, to suffocate them.

Crushed orange peels may be effective against several insect pests. Spread on garden floor.

Also, elderberry leaf extract (cyanic acid) infused into water and sprayed kills many insects.

Soak Thuja spp. and Juniperus spp. (Michigan cedar and juniper) and use water as spray.

Sprays made with herb extracts of nasturtiums, rue, catnip, chives, tansy, feverfew and peppers worth a try and many claim they work.

Tomato family (potato leaves, tomato leaves, egg plant, bitter sweet nightshade, horse nettle may be soaked and used as insect spray.

Liquid seaweed inhibits the growth of insects. It is also an excellent fertilizer. Soak seaweed in tub, then soak area to be treated, such as around tomatoes.

To remove aphids try flour mixed with paste and diluted with water. Spray on aphids.

Daisies, anise, dill fennel, angelica, yarrow, asters, and other tall plants provide nesting and roosting sites for beneficial insects and their eggs.

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