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Gardening is an inexact science and surrounded
by centuries of tradition, folklore, myth and superstition. Hidden amongst it is
some age old wisdom and also some age old cobblers.
Boots
and banana skins
 As these rot down they release lots of valuable nutrients
into the soil.
 Bananas
are supposed to be one of the nearest to "perfect foods" in that they supply lots
of all we need in the right quantities, so the skins are probably good too. Bury
them near roses and other established shrubs.
Leather boots and shoes are also supposed
to be good buried near trees (take the soles off first if they're man-made). This
would make sense in that leather is essentially animal protein (tanned skin) and
as such is high in nitrogen. Should make a good long-term fertiliser.
 Problems
with mice (equally as effective with other small rodents)
Supposedly originating in ancient
Greece, farmers would write letters to the mice offering alternative accommodation.
Try writing a polite letter and placing it in the offending
rodents' current abode.
Deterring rabbits
 A liberal planting of fox gloves around a vegetable garden is
meant to guarantee a rabbit-free area (maybe its all the foxes that come around
to try the gloves on). They also have an aversion to onions, so a vegetable plot
with lots of them around will deter rabbits also.
Alternatively you go down the sacrificial plant route and plant
some dill in your borders to protect the vulnerable young shoots of many perennials.
The idea is that the rabbits ignore the less tasty offerings and go straight for
their favourite food. Not sure what happens when they go off to fetch their mates
though.
While on the subject of onions;
 Rub wasp stings with raw onions to cure them. – Culpepper’s
Complete Herbal and English Physician 1653.
Onions were thought to absorb and destroy impurities
because in the plague of 1666 and cholera outbreak of 1849, onion sellers were thought
to be immune to infection. More recently onions and garlic have been shown to have
antibiotic properties.
Deterring aphids (worth a go, but nothing
guaranteed!)
Companion planting
- Plant garlic cloves (just one or two) among rose bushes.
An infusion of garlic crushed into water
- Many herbs, such as hyssop, sage, dill, lavender and thyme
discourage aphids if planted near to susceptible plants.
- Nasturtiums prevent woolly aphids infesting apple trees if
planted at the base (probably more so if encouraged to grow up the tree). If
you have all of the nasturtiums eaten by cabbage white caterpillars, just think
of the butterflies you're helping to grow.
Natural chemicals
- Rhubarb soap - shred a couple of pounds of rhubarb leaves
into a couple of pints of water and boil for half an hour (don't use your best
pan, these leaves contain oxalic acid and whereas it might be ok, I wouldn't
risk the cooks wrath!). Strain the liquid, mix in two ounces of soap dissolved
in another pint of water. Spray only healthy plants as prevention and affected
plants to help get rid of infestations.
- Nettle manure - Steep stinging nettles (as many as you can)
in a bucket of water for about 5 days. Dilute this 1 + 5 with water and spray
on plants as a preventative.
More on
aphids
Horsetail tea.
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a pernicious weed which spreads by underground
stems that go very deep and form horizontal rhizome systems. This makes it particularly
difficult to control particularly on heavy soils where trying to pull it up just
breaks off the stems leaving a piece in the soil to carry on. If you have a horsetail
problem, there's a bright side to it because an infusion of the weed makes a good
fungicide for control of mildew on strawberries and other crops, and checks rust
on celery and celeriac.
Collect the horsetail, foliage, stems, rhizomes and all, and for each 28g (1oz)
pour on 1.1 Litres (2pt) hot, not boiling, water, and allow to stand for twenty-four
hours. Strain off the 'tea' and use undiluted.
 Slugs
and Snails (well almost anything's worth a go)
 An old remedy to deter snails and slugs is to collect as many as possible, morning
and evening. Tip them into a bucket of boiling water and let it stand for a few
days until the smell becomes fearsome, then strain off the liquid and use it to
sprinkle round vulnerable plants, such as the young growth of delphiniums, lettuce
and so on - but not on them. The remains of the slugs and snails can also be scattered.
More on slugs
and snails
Problems with moles
Give them a good dose of castor oil.
Moles are carnivores that make themselves at home in lawns rich in grubs and insects.
When their food is seasoned with castor oil, they will go elsewhere for meals. (Wouldn't
you?) Mix up a spray of 3 parts castor oil to 1 part dish detergent; use 4 tablespoons
of this concoction in a gallon of water, and soak the tunnels and the entrances.
Check your soil for the presence of pests; if you have a lot of moles, you probably
have an oversupply of grubs and bugs.
More
on moles
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