I have had my share of problems in trying to build my organic gardens, and, although I know my struggles are specific to living in Florida, you may have some of these same struggles with your plants. Feel free to comment on struggles you have that aren't on my list.
My goal is to find a cure for each of these struggles. Right now, I see a lot of frustrated gardeners. Many quit because it is just too hard or too expensive or time consuming for people to invest in. I will try to resolve that for all of us, as I research, looking for answers to the most common problems I have faced in gardening in my yard(s) or on my balcony, in Central Florida.
1. Fruit Worms - Come out at night and eat leaves off tomato and pepper plants. Have also attacked strawberry plants. Cure: Pick them off with tweezers and kill them. Use BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis) or Diatomaceous Earth.
2. Tomato Plants/Strawberry Plants not thriving - Cure: Put them under direct sunlight. Use a light that will be like sunlight over the plants.
3. Animals destroying garden vegetables - Cure: Use coyote urine. Spray or sprinkle around garden area. Reapply after rain.
Animals like rabbits may be repelled by using blood meal or spraying plants with cayenne pepper water. Epsom salts put into a bottle of water may be sprayed on tomato plants to make them stronger. Crushed egg shells placed around the bottoms of the plants may prevent cutworms from being able to get to the plant.
The stronger and healthier the plant is, the better the resistance it will have to virus and diseases. Some good composts to use are cow manure, horse manure, chicken manure, worm manure, and other organic fertilizers such as kelp, rock dust, greensand, fish emulsion can make a big difference in plants.
Some plants like soil more acidic, like blueberries and strawberries, so they need more acidic soil. Coffee grounds do well to make soil more acidic. Plants like asparagus like it more alkaline, so they may need some garden lime for that.
No comments:
Post a Comment