Wanted Homemade Garden Remedies

GardenForums.com a friendly and growing community of gardeners. We feature a Garden Discussion Forum and Garden Photo Gallery. It's a fun and friendly place to talk with other gardeners, ask questions, share you knowledge, view and post photos and more! Whether you're a master gardener, or brand new to the hobby, you'll find something of interest here.



YumYum

New Member
If your like me and spend alot of time around the fire the ash and chars are great for keeping slugs away.
 

Jade

New Member
Juicy Fruit gum is supposed to be good at getting rid of the moles and voles too. They eat it and it gums up their insides. I tried it and it seemed to do the trick.
 

PRH

Well-Known Member
Chipmunks always get on my craplist every year and even though they are cute as Christmas, they are 1 worthless critter that could ever turn someting into trash very,very quickly! ( ex.wiring,yards,plants,had 1 use my tractor seat as a bathroom < --- yes,you read that correctly! :eek: and the list can go on and on )
Feel for ya tonya ( looks like some critters are on your craplist too ) - They will all have there day where they will look at us and run away never to return again,ever! :D Stay strong!
 
Last edited:

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
We have plenty of squirrels, both ground squirrels and tree squirrels, but no chipmunks here. They are cute little beggars, but I know they can be destructive.
 

tonya

New Member
mint&ants

Mint oil is great to control ants. I have mint planted right in the lawn along with pennyroyal bot help keep fleas off my fur kids! You can boil mint to express oil pour the boiled water in a spray bottle and spray around doors and windows to keep ants out.

thank you so much cg...i have not heard of the mint...i did read about pennyroyal only week before last and bought some seed..black ants are crazy bad here..i've never seen fire ants but there have been reports that they are here in the area...those little black ants bite too!!!i was setting terro out for them around the veggie garden until i read an article about birds getting into it..i had not thought of that:(i try my best not to use any type of pesticide but i do use terro when those guys come in the house..i have been told that borax clothes detergent sprinkled around the area they use to come in the house works too..i guess that makes since because i think borax is the active ingredient in terro..thanx for the great hint!!
 

tonya

New Member
critters

Chipmunks always get on my craplist every year and even though they are cute as Christmas, they are 1 worthless critter that could ever turn someting into trash very,very quickly! ( ex.wiring,yards,plants,had 1 use my tractor seat as a bathroom < --- yes,you read that correctly! :eek: and the list can go on and on )
Feel for ya tonya ( looks like some critters are on your craplist too ) - They will all have there day where they will look at us and run away never to return again,ever! :D Stay strong!

sorry prh...i know you don't want to know how hard i'm giggling right now..the tractor seat as a loo???i don't think i would even recognize chipmunk poo...my m-i-l is in northern virginia (fredericksburg) and she has told of seeing a chipmunk...i don't recall anyone speaking of them around here..we have fairly benign craplist critters...the squirrels, racoons and possums...i don't intend to get up close and personal with any of those beasties...more cases of rabies in suburbia every year...i wonder if i have to chew the juicy fruit first or if i can just unwrap it and throw it down the hole???not a fan of juicy fruit, prefer double mint...:)
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I won't use this as it is a chemical but hanging Irish Spring soap in chunks from stockings will keep deer from the garden.
 

YumYum

New Member
Carefull with those '' cute '' chipmunks...They are vicious!!! My brother and I were out in the woods when we were kids and came across one siting in the Y of a tree. We thought it was dead and for some reason my brother wanted to pick it up...bad idea. Before he could let go it had latched on to him and did a circle around his hand biting him about 10 times. I laughed so hard.

But I posted a couple ideas I heard for the moles in another thread so I will move it here too.

I have two suggestions for the mole problem. First you have to find the active tunnel. If you can see them above the ground then it is much easier, just step on a spot on the tunnels and mark them as you go. If it is active they will fix it within 48hrs and this is the path they are using atm. If tunnels are not above ground then find the exit holes or mounds and take a sturdy, thin stick or a piece of pvc pipe and poke around it till you find the tunnel.

Once you have found the active tunnel you have two options.

1) Get some large jars or old coffee tins and dig out a spot just big enough for them to sit in the ground level with bottom of the tunnel. Then cover it up with anything you can to keep any light out. If you have chosen the right tunnel you should have the critter in the bottom of the jar in no time.

2) Is more like the game you used to play at any arcade...stomp the mole!! For this you make little flags with coat hangers or w/e you have at your disposal. Place all throughout the tunnels making sure not to put them too deep so as the mole cant push it out of the way. Get a shovel, a buckett, a radio, and a glass of tea/beer and wait for one of the flags to be moved around. When it does whack the ground as hard as you can with shovel right on top of him...this will not kill him...Dig up the tunnel as fast as you can and if it takes more then 30 seconds to find him go ahead and whack the ground again keeping him stunned..Once you have found him you have to options...life or death!!! Stick him with your shovel or scoop him into the buckett. This is how my grandfather did it and claims it is how the whack a mole game was invinted...IDK.

Either way your gonna want some grass patch seed to repair the lawn and damage the critter has caused. You could just get some mole traps too, they are not that expensive and if the tunnels are shallow they work good
 

YumYum

New Member
Here is another I just thought of while playing in the dirt today. Not sure if they have these up north, but in the south we have these insects called ''AntLions'' or '' Myrmeleon'' aka the doodlebug.
http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/images/antlion.jpg

Now they are very easy to find by the cone shaped depression in the sand or soil, I know they are ugly but they are harmless. Just take a spoon or even just your fingers and scoop out the center of the cone about an inch or so down and place them in a jar.

They are called Ant Lions because their main source of food at the larva state consists mainly of ants although they are able to take down bigger prey like lady bugs. When they mature they grow wings and feed on nectar and pollen so they will halp you with your pollenation as well. They will not harm any plants in any way and act like little round the clock sentry units when placed in the garden and if you put a border up they wont be able to leave until they have matured. I am in no short supply of them here in Florida and I know they are also everywhere in Georgia. Depending on you soil you may have to place a layer of sand on top...not hard to find here either.

Plus they are fun to feed if you bored =). Here are a couple videos.
VS. Spider---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luuzVCOKw40
VS. Ant---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWkfAyfBDHE
 
Last edited:

KallieLashay

New Member
I boil a gallong of water and put in about 3 or 4 garlic cloves and let it sit at least 24 hours. Put it in a spray bottle and spray on the leaves avoiding the fruit/vegetable. Works great! Bugs hate the garlic smell :) I can literally see them flying away as I spray this mixture. It is ALL I use for ALL of my plants!
 

KallieLashay

New Member
Also you can sprinkle cornmeal over ant piles. Ants eat the cornmeal and it literally blows up their stomach and they become nonexistent! If they build again just keep putting enough cornmeal to cover the pile and soon the ones who survive will get the hint!

Here in GA we have these freakin fire ants that dig so far in the ground that the ant piles are bright red from the clay.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have had a few pest problems, but not many in the vegetables. However, in the fruit trees I have to follow a spray schedule if I intend to have any usable fruit. That includes a dormant spray after all the leaves have fallen and three applications of pesticide ten to fourteen days apart after the blossoms have fallen from the trees.
 


Gardenforums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Top