| ORGANIC GARDENING WITH THE GOLDEN SOLDIER |
| GOLDEN GARDEN SOLDIER
by Billie A Williams © 2006 When the leaves on the trees turn their backs to the West, a storm is on the horizon, a call for rain as my grandfather used to say. That is only one of the things I learned by being at my grandfather’s elbow every summer when he planted their huge vegetable garden. Sprightly and beautiful marigolds, the stinky kind, not the new odorless highbred are the soldiers of the modern day garden. They do double duty with their beauty and ability to repel unwanted pests. They also are beneficial to your soil. Tagetes – Marigold, the annuals are hearty and the mainstay of the early summer to late-fall garden. The colors can range from the palest near white yellow, to mahogany red, some are bio-colored. They may be single or double blooms from 1 to 6 inches wide and 6 to 36 inches tall. They have finely cut leaves that are attractive before they bloom. Marigolds may have a strong odor and these are the ones you want to look for if you are thinking to use them to repel unwanted garden and lawn pests. They make excellent bedding plants but also can be grown in pots – combine them with geraniums at your entranceways in decorative pots, on balconies or other outdoor areas to keep flies, mosquitoes and other pests away. It’s easy to raise marigolds by sowing the seed directly into the garden 2 -3 weeks before the last frost date. For best results (though I usually don’t worry about planting marigold seeds properly) hold the white tuft of each seed and place the long dark section into the ground at an angle. Indoors, seeds sown in flats germinate within 2 weeks at about 70 degrees F. Move them outdoors after all danger of frost is passed. Thin or plant 8” or more apart depending on mature size. Marigolds thrive in full sun, except in southern and southwestern places where they benefit from afternoon shade to prolong the blooms. Avoid over watering as the flowers hold water in their petals and may snap the brittle stems when filled with water. Little or no fertilizer is needed for them. Marigolds are the golden soldiers, the gardener’s defense against unwanted pests without harming them or the environment. To repel mosquitoes, plant them in and around your outdoor living areas. Surround your garden with them to keep deer and rabbits out and mosquitoes away so you can work in the garden undisturbed by the biters. Here is a natural bug repellent made with marigolds for your garden ½ cup marigolds (the whole plants with blooms) ½ cup geraniums (the whole Plants with blooms) ½ cup garlic bulbs 10 gallons of warm water Chop the marigolds, geraniums, and garlic very finely and mash them until the are liquid. Mix them with the water and sprinkle them over and around your vegetable garden. As a cover crop, Mexican Marigolds (Tagetes Minuta) can be used to fight weeds like bindweed, ground elder, and couch grass. They grow 5 feet or more tall and you must be sure to mow them off before they go to seed. They also fight soil nematodes, the parasitic worms that harm your plants as do your regular marigolds. Other Marigolds that can be used as cover crops are the African marigold (T. erecta) and the French marigold (T. Patula) Other bug chasers are asters, nasturtiums (be sure to plant these with your beans) and mums. =================================================================== More ant control Ant Control # 1 Ant Control # 2 4 -5 TBLS Cornmeal 1 Cup Sugar 3 TBLS bacon grease 1 TBLS boric acid powder 3 TBLS baking powder 3 Cups Water 3 Pkgs dry yeast Mix cornmeal and bacon grease Add sugar to 3 cups water bring to a boil Into a paste, then add baking powder add boric acid and place mix in small jar lids And yeast. Dab gooey mix on insides set in the middle of ant trails or near ant hills Of jar lids and set near ant hills. Store any leftovers in secure containers and keep out of reach of children or pets. (Jerry Baker, America’s Master Gardener Great Green book of Garden Secrets) ==================================================== About the Author Billie A Williams is an award-winning author and freelance writer. In addition to an array of other projects she is the owner of the Word_Mage group and their monthly ezine for writers. She is also author of a series of How To Write – for Mystery Writers. Her most recent mystery suspense novel “Bed and Breakfast Murders,” released January 2006 from Wings ePress, Inc. Visit Billie’s website at www.billiewilliams.com. |