Thursday 15 June 2017

Raspberry Fallgold (Autumn Fruiting).

Ever-bearing.
Primocane varieties produce flowers and fruit on stems grown in the same year.
Most Autumn fruiting varieties are primocanes producing fruit in their first year of growth.

The 'Fall Gold' is a self-fertilizing, double cropping raspberry bush.
The first crop arrives in August and the second in October.
After the first harvest, cut the stems back to ground level.
After winter, prune only the dry part of the stems (those which bore fruit in the autumn).
It is from these stems that the first crop will arrive the following summer.
'Fall Gold 'raspberries are firm, medium sized, scented and very tasty.
You can train your raspberry bush along a fence or against a pergola.

A rare, exciting self-fertile gold raspberry with the same delicious sweet taste of red varieties, and with the ability to produce two crops each season.
After a late summer to fall harvest, a second crop arrives the following spring on the same canes.

Each cane produces for two years, a late crop from the first year’s new green growth and an early crop the following year from the same cane, now woody.
Even if you cut ever-bearing raspberries to the ground in winter or spring, you will still get one crop of berries in late summer from new growth.
Ever-Bearing Raspberries:
TWO CROP option: For two small crops, one in July and one in September, remove the weakest, thinnest canes with dead flowering or fruiting bracts.
ONE CROP option: For one large late summer crop, remove all canes, and the crop will come entirely from the new summer’s growth and produce berries in September through October.


Another advantage of autumn-fruiting raspberries is that they don't need supporting and you just hack the lot down in February.
Autumn Bliss aren't necessarily the tastiest of raspbs, but I started picking on June 22nd this year and they'll go on until November, weather permitting.

Sunday 11 June 2017

Natural Pesticides.

Alcohol Spray:
This spray really is great for houseplants. This especially works on mealy bugs.
1/2 cup of alcohol
2-3 tablespoons of dry laundry soap
1 quart of warm water
Mix all ingredients and spray immediately.
This solution must be made fresh for each use

Ammonia Spray:
Mix one-part household ammonia with seven parts water.

Basic Sprays:
Basic Pepper Spray - Blend 1/2 cup of hot peppers with 2 cups of water.
Strain and spray.
Basic Soap Spray - Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap with 1 gallon of water and spray.

Bug Juice:
1/2 cup of specific species
Mash 1/2 cup of bugs then add two cups of water and strain.
Mix 1/4 cup of this "bug juice" with 2 cups of water and a few drops of soap and spray.
*Beware: Do NOT use flies, ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes in this solution!
These insects carry many communicable human diseases!

Garlic Spray:
This spray is effective against aphids, cabbage loopers, grasshoppers, June bugs, leafhoppers, mites, squash bugs, slugs and whiteflies.
3 oz. minced garlic
1 oz. mineral oil
1 tsp. fish emulsion
16 oz. water
1 Tbsp. castile soap
Combine garlic and oil.
Let soak for 24 hours; strain.
Next, mix fish emulsion with water and castile soap.
Slowly combine the garlic mixture with the fish emulsion mixture.
Keep in a sealed glass container.
This mixture will keep for several months.
To use, mix 2 Tbsp. garlic oil mixture to 1 pint water and spray.

Horseradish Repellant:
This spray is effective on aphids, blister beetles, caterpillars, Colorado beetles, whiteflies and soft-bodied insects.
3 quarts boiling water
2 cups cayenne peppers
1 inch piece horseradish root, chopped
2 cups packed scented geranium leaves, any type, optional
Combine ingredients and let set for 1 hour, cool, strain, and spray.
Note: this can be made without the scented geranium leaves if you don't have them to spare.

Lime Spray:
This spray is effective on cucumber beetles, mites and general purpose.
1 ounce of hydrated lime
32 ounces of water
1 teaspoon of castile soap
Mix hydrated lime with water.
Add soap to act as a sticking agent and insecticide.
This creates an effective spray agains many insects, especially spidermites.
Use up to twice a week.
Note: Lime can cause serious harm to plants if you use too much, so always spray a test plant first and watch it for a few days, to
check for any adverse effects on plants.

Oil Spray:
This spray works well on Aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and thrips.
1 Tbsp. liquid dish soap
1 cup vegetable oil (peanut, canola, safflower, corn, soybean, or sunflower)
Mix oil and soap.
To use mixture, add 1-2 tsp. of the oil and soap mixture to one cup water, and apply to plants.

Orange Peel Spray:
This spray works well on soft bodied pests such as aphids, fungus gnats, mealy bugs and as an ant repellant.
2 cups boiling water
Peelings of on orange
A few drops castile soap
Pour boiling water over orange peels.
Allow to set for 24 hours.
Strain into a glass jar.
Add soap and spray.

Peppermint Soap Spray:
Gnats sometimes swarm on plants, usually indoor varieties.
Try this natural solution, but if the problem persists change the soil in the container.
To 1 quart of boiling water add:
1/2 Tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap
Now fill a spray bottle with the mixture.
While the mixture is still hot, spray it on the plant, soil and gnats!

Red Hot Pepper Spray:
This spray works well on many different types of pests.
2 handfuls fresh red cayenne peppers
1/2 gallon water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Dash of liquid soap
Combine ingredients, and let soak for 2 days.
Apply to plants.

Pepper-Garlic Spray:
This will repel many insects including whiteflies, apids, spidermites and caterpillars.
1 teaspoon of hot pepper or tobasco sauce
4 cloves of garlic
Quart of water
Combine one teaspoon of hot pepper or tobasco sauce, 4 cloves of garlic and a quart of water. Blend well in a blender and strain,
with cheesecloth or nylon mesh before placing in your sprayer.

Salt Spray:
This solution is used for cabbageworms and spider mites.
2 tablespoons of salt
1 gallon of water
Mix and spray.

Soap Spray:
This solution is used for aphids, mealy bugs, mites, scales, and
thrips.
3 Tbsp. liquid soap
1 gallon water
Mix ingredients and spray on plants weekly.
Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores
have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soaps.

Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray:
This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list!
1/2 cup of red peppers (hot)
water (read below)
1/2 cup of fresh spearmint
1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves)
2 tablespoons of liquid detergent
1/2 cup green onion tops
Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything.
Strain the solution.
After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also.
To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water.
You can use this to spray almost any plant safely.
Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.

Tobacco or Nicotine Spray:
This mixture is great for combating many different types of bugs; especially caterpillars, aphids, and many types of worms.
1 cup of tobacco
1 gallon of water
3 tablespoons of liquid dish soap
Mix tobacco and water in container.
Allow mixture to set for approximately 24 hours, then check the color.
It should be the color of weak tea.
If it is too light, allow to sit longer, if it is too dark, dilute with more water.
Add the liquid soap to the mixture, and spray on plants.

Warning: Don't use this solution on peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family.
Tobacco chemicals can kill these types of plants!

- DIY Natural Insecticides | Permaculture magazine:

- Get Rid of Pests with Garlic | Permaculture magazine:

How to Make Rhubarb Spray Pesticide.

How to Make Rhubarb Spray Pesticide - gardenswag:

'via Blog this'

Saturday 10 June 2017

Plant Doctor

- Plant Doctor: "Garlic spray "
Garlic Spray

Garlic spray is generally an effective repellent and will kill some soft-bodied insects. Spray regularly for maximum effect.

Ingredients
3 large cloves of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon of liquid soap
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 litre of water

Method
Combine the garlic and vegetable oil and leave overnight to soak.
Strain the mixture and add to the water and the liquid soap.
Spray regularly.
'via Blog this'

Monday 5 June 2017

Sunday 4 June 2017

I’m 35 and I love gardening. Deal with it.

I’m 35 and I love gardening. Deal with it | Life and style | The Guardian:
"Gardening is many things: beautiful, meditative, healthy, exciting, rewarding and creative.
However, I often feel as if gardening is not particularly popular among my peers.
It seems to come down to one thing: age.
I’m 35 years old and I’m passionate about gardening.
Unfortunately, whenever I bring up gardening in a social situation – at the pub or in a room of colleagues, for example – there can be a few wry smiles.
I sometimes begin to feel as if I’ve admitted to some unusual obsession, like collecting my own toenail clippings or keeping a pet rock.
At Christmas, a family member slapped me on the back and informed anyone listening that I was “a sixty year old trapped in the body of a thirty-five year old”."
'via Blog this'