Cheap tricks that help keep pests out of your garden
SEATTLE -- April showers might bring May flowers, but they also bring slugs and white flies and potato bugs.
For penny-pinching pest control, we paid a visit to Marianne Binetti, a Northwest gardening expert.
"I really think there's a kitchen cupboard recipe for any problem you can throw at me, so tell me a problem," she said.
OK, how about slugs?
"That's the number one problem in the Northwest, and here's the easy answer: newspaper," said Binetti. "Crumple it up and leave it in your garden overnight."
The paper will catch earwigs, sow bugs and slugs.
Binetti says you can also capture culprits with clay pots.
"Then after a couple nights, lift this (clay pot) up and look who you captured," she said.
How about keeping bugs off of roses? There are plenty of pricey products to do the trick, but Binetti saves money by making her own aphid killer. Her recipe: a drop of Ivory soap in warm water.
"Leave those dead aphids on your rose plant," she said. "The dead and dying aphids emit sounds that keep other aphids from coming to your roses."
To prevent black spots and mildew on roses, spray the leaves with a mixture of warm water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
"Creates an environment where the fungus can't grow," said Binetti.
To fend off white flies, Binetti wraps an old can with yellow paper.
"Cover that with a plastic baggie, stake in the garden and smear with Vaseline," she said.
The bugs dive-bomb the yellow paper.
"You're catching only the guilty because the lady bugs and bees aren't going to get stuck in Vaseline," Binetti said.
Binetti says you should tolerate a little pest damage. She says those bugs attract birds and other insects hat make for a happier garden.
One last tip: to keep cats out of your garden, sprinkle a little crushed red pepper.
For penny-pinching pest control, we paid a visit to Marianne Binetti, a Northwest gardening expert.
"I really think there's a kitchen cupboard recipe for any problem you can throw at me, so tell me a problem," she said.
OK, how about slugs?
"That's the number one problem in the Northwest, and here's the easy answer: newspaper," said Binetti. "Crumple it up and leave it in your garden overnight."
The paper will catch earwigs, sow bugs and slugs.
Binetti says you can also capture culprits with clay pots.
"Then after a couple nights, lift this (clay pot) up and look who you captured," she said.
How about keeping bugs off of roses? There are plenty of pricey products to do the trick, but Binetti saves money by making her own aphid killer. Her recipe: a drop of Ivory soap in warm water.
"Leave those dead aphids on your rose plant," she said. "The dead and dying aphids emit sounds that keep other aphids from coming to your roses."
To prevent black spots and mildew on roses, spray the leaves with a mixture of warm water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
"Creates an environment where the fungus can't grow," said Binetti.
To fend off white flies, Binetti wraps an old can with yellow paper.
"Cover that with a plastic baggie, stake in the garden and smear with Vaseline," she said.
The bugs dive-bomb the yellow paper.
"You're catching only the guilty because the lady bugs and bees aren't going to get stuck in Vaseline," Binetti said.
Binetti says you should tolerate a little pest damage. She says those bugs attract birds and other insects hat make for a happier garden.
One last tip: to keep cats out of your garden, sprinkle a little crushed red pepper.