Gardening Tips

Having recently experienced an outbreak of powder mildew in my garden, I tested a couple of organic approaches to remedy the problem that was taking down my jasmine. For two weeks I sprayed every five days with a milk and water solution. Although this did knock back the issue when I switched to a mixture of baking soda and water, the issue was fully resolved after just two heavy sprays. 

Recipe: 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda + 1 litre of water

Painting rocks to look like strawberries or tomatoes will stop birds from stealing your crop as they get an unexpected experience when they try to eat the rock and then associate that location and plant as non edible. 

A great way to get rid of aphids, white fly and even ermine months (although this usually isn't necessary as the plant will usually recover), is to use a combination of olive oil, dish soap and water. Spray every 3 - 5 days until that pests are removed. I find this works much better than Neem oil or a cayenne paper and onion spray. Note, plants with waxy leaves should not be sprayed with soap spray. Avoid chillis, sweet peas, basil, ferns, portulaca, gardenia, cherry, and plum trees. If in doubt, check the internet.

Recipe: 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of dish soap + 1 litre of water

I'm always taking photos of planting designs that inspire me, to help inspire my garden designs. I also use the iNaturalist App to help me identify or confirm plants and insects that I am unsure about. Contributors all over the world confirm or redirect AI results and it is also used by scientists to collect data to support international surveys like the moth report.