You Grow Girlâ„¢

Leftover Milk: You might be shocked to know that regular milk is an incredible fungus and virus fighter in the garden. Some plants such as tomatoes and roses are notorious for contracting nasty diseases that can kill the plant or limit fruit and flower production. Start adding a tablespoon of powdered milk to the soil around your plants early in the season BEFORE problems happen. Or make a spray that can be applied to infected leaves using leftover or spoiled milk diluted with water.

Transplant Container Cutworm Collar: Toilet rolls are traditionally used as a cutworm collar since they are readily available and will biodegrade into the soil on their own. However, I was once caught at my community garden with a tray of tomato transplants and no toilet rolls. Since our soil has a history of cutworm problems I did not want to leave my plants unprotected for even a moment. Rather than go all the way home, I cut the ends off the plastic containers my transplants came in and placed them around the stems of each seedling. It was the perfect solution since I never know what to do with all those leftover containers that pile up over the years!
Plastic will not degrade so you may need to cut the collars off once the plants are established and all risk of cutworm damage is past.

Cutworm Collar: Are your tomato transplants being chewed in half near the roots by an unknown assailant? You've probably got cutworms; the larvae stage of a moth that inhabit the soil surface feeding on fresh, succulent stems. One method of controlling this hungry worm is a simple barrier device made of scrap materials. Cut a toilet paper roll tube in half and place it around the stem of your seedling when you plant. Press the tube into the soil halfway. The paper tube will act as a barrier between your plant's delicate stem and the jaws of the cutworm.

Fungal Disease Remedy: Use regular powdered cinnamon to combat bacterial or fungal infections such as powdery mildew on house plants. Lightly dust the powder onto the infected area. The area must be damp so that the cinnamon will stick. Too much can be damaging so be careful to sprinkle lightly and do not pour it on in clumps.

Slug Control: Fill up a plastic margarine or yoghurt container with beer and partially bury it in the soil (with the top of the container level with the soil) near a plant that is being eaten by slugs. The slugs will be attracted to the beer where they will fall into the container and drown.

Spread crushed egg shells around the base of plants to protect them from slugs and snails. To protect stemed plants such as tomatoes: cut the top and bottom off of a plastic pop bottle. Place this cylinder around your young tomato plants being sure to bury it slightly into the soil. This will act as a barrier between your plant and slugs.

It does double duty as a cloche, providing shelter, warmth and retaining moisture.

Stop Tomato Blossom End Rot: If your tomatoes are rotting from the bottom before you can harvest them they may not be getting enough calcium. Calcium deficiency is either caused by under watering your tomato plants (allowing the soil to dry out for short periods of time) or by a calcium deficiency in the soil. To give your soil a calcium boost make a tea from crushed eggshells and pour it on the soil around the plant. To maintain moisture around tomato plants, water regularly and use a soda bottle drip irrigation system.

Bug Prevention: To prevent bugs on your mustard greens / collard greens, spray diluted (not too much though) dishwashing liquid on the leaves. This will prevent bugs eating the leaves. When ready to pick, just wash, cook & eat.
Tip provided by Diane Sexton

Chamomile Tea: Chamomile tea is an excellent cure against damping off and fungal diseases. Make a tea and use it to water your plants or spray infected foliage.

Trap Fruit Flies and Gnats: You can make a trap for gnats and fruit flies using a bit of cider vinegar mixed in a wide-mouthed jar of water. Place the jar near a bowl of fruit or an infested plant and the insects will be lured into the jar where they will drown.

Fight Aphids With Citrus Spray: Everyone knows that citrus oil deters insects. It is also an effective method of killing aphids. Brew up some tea using the peel of any type of citrus fruit. Once it is cool pour it into a spray bottle and use it to spray plants infested with aphids. The citrus burns the soft bodies of the aphids but doesn't harm your plant.

Garlic Water: Soak cloves of garlic in a large container of water. The longer the cloves soak, the better. Watering your plants with the garlic infused water will repel pests from them.

Garlic in the Garden: Planting garlic in among your other plants will discourage pests. They don’t like the smell.

Martin Bird House: Providing nesting boxes for this bird will reduce the pest population of your garden: these pests are a source of food well-liked by the Martin.

Crop Rotation: Plant your favourite veggies or flowers in a different part of the garden each year. It’s good for the soil, and in the long run it helps to prevent disease and avoid exhausting soil nutrients.

Dispersing plants that provide a beneficial service to other plants throughout your garden is a natural way to prevent problems before they start.

Plant Lady Bug Attractors: Some plants such as Queen-Anne's Lace and daisies attract populations of beneficial insects such as lady bugs, that love to dine on aphids (a harmful garden pest). Planting these lady bug attracting plants will help to keep lady bug populations up in your garden and aphid populations down. Your plants will be better for it and you will avoid plant loss and extra work.

Repellant Plants: Some plants will actually repel the insects or diseases that plague other plants in your garden. Marigolds are known for their insect repelling properties as well as Citronella, chrysanthemums, onions and chives.

Short Root Plants and Long Root Plants: Plants with long roots (such as tap roots) will actually bring beneficial minerals up from deep soil levels that short rooted plants would be unable to extract for themselves. Plants with long, far reaching roots will also loosen up and aerate compacted soil. Grow long root plants next to short root plants to provide a helping hand.

Plant Quick Germinating Plants Next to Slow Germinating Plants: Plant radish seeds along with the seeds of root crops like carrots. Radish seeds germinate very fast and prevent the soil from `crusting over’, making germination easier for the other seeds.