Garden Recipes

Tanem's Enterprises

Gardening Recipes

Problem: Earwigs

Solution #1 : Collect containers, such as cottage cheese or yogurt. Punch holes in the top sides of the container and fill with 1 inch soy sauce and 1 tsp salad oil. Snap on the lid and place a rock on the top to prevent raccoons from tipping it over. Toss when full.

Solution #2 : Roll up wet newspapers and place in various spots in the garden. Unroll each morning and dump contents into a bucket of soapy water.

Solution #3 : Use shallow dishes and place a mixture of 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tbs. sugar, ½Tbs dry yeast. Mix well and fill dishes to ½ to 1" deep.

Problem: Deer

Solution #1: Take 2 eggs, 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup of water and 2 tsp. of spreader sticker. (This can be purchased from most nurseries, and is an additive for insect sprays.) Put in a blender until liquefied, and spray on new growth weekly or as needed.

Solution #2 : Purchase "Deer Resistant Planting" by Bob Tanem, for more hints and what to plant that the deer tend to avoid.

Solution #3: Spray foliage weekly with fish emulsion.

Problem: Slugs and Snails

Solution : Use Sluggotm by Monterey Lawn and Garden. This snail bait is animal friendly.

Problem: Ants in the home or landscape

Solution : Mix 3 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar and 4 tsp of boric acid (powder or crystals) Bring to a boil, let cool, and place in small bottle caps. Don’t put where food is present. If you have animals, or children that might ingest product put attractant out of reach or under clay pots lifted by toothpicks.

FYI : Unless ants are a problem with insects on plants (they carry aphid and scale into the branches of plants or trees) or in the house, they can be beneficial creating a barrier against fire ants.

Squirrel Recipe (to deter Squirrels)
Solution : Mix ½ oz. Tabasco sauce, 1 pt water, ½ tsp. dish washing liquid, 1 tsp. chili powder. Spray on stems of new buds and on ground after plantingbulbs.

Problem: Moles

Solution #1: Use a product found on the market that contains castor bean oil. Follow directions, water in very well to get this mixture down to where moles tunnel.

For Gophers: Solution #1: Try the mole deterant. Solution #2: Place dry ice in the tunnels. Call for suppliers in your area. Solution #3: Try human male urine poured down the hole. Solution #4: Try human hair down the hole being careful not to disturb the opening.

Problem: Thrip

Thrip damage can be seen as strips of discoloration on flowers, or silvery leaves on plants like Rhododendron, and English laurel. Look for brown stains on the underside of leaves.

Solution #1 : Purchase blue sticky cards and place every 7 linear feet or square feet throughout infected area. Replace cards when full.

Solution #2 : spray plants with horticultural oil (Sunspray Ultra Fine or Neem Oil) once a week for 3 weeks and watch for any reinfestation. Follow directions on product.

Problem: White Fly

Solution #1: Purchase yellow sticky cards and place in the garden every 7 feet where problem exists. (Whitefly can be detected on the underside of leaves, or when the plant is brushed against, the white fly become airborne.) Using the yellow cards prevents reinfestation.

Solution # 2 : For heavy infestations, spray plant with horticultural oil once a week, until the infestation declines.

Solution #3 : Place 2 lbs of old coffee grounds in one gallon of water. Bring to a boil, cool and run through a coffee filter. Spray on infested plants.

Solution # 4: Plant Sweet alyssum around plants to ward off infestations.

Problem: Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, Rust and Black Spot

Solution #1: Powdery mildew, rust, and black spot. Use three Tbs. horticultural oil per gallon of water; spray weekly as needed. Remove infected leaves.

Solution #2 Powdery mildew and compost tea. (A listener suggested getting an old T-Shirt and tying the compost up in it) Put one pound of compost, worm castings, or seaweed dry extract in one gallon of water. Let stand covered for 48 hours. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth or coffee filter. Use the liquid full strength on infected areas. This is especially effective in the fall on squash and other cucurbits.

Problem: Scale and Ants in Citrus and other Ornamental Shrubs

Solution #1: Use ant recipe to get rid of ants. Spray with horticultural oil once a week for 3 weeks. Feed citrus once a month with citrus food all year long. Add rock powder at least 3 times a year. Or spray with VF-11 once a week to keep plants healthy to fight the infestation. Solution #2: Put Tanglefoottm around tree trunk.

Problem : Raccoons and Skunks in the Lawn

Also worms in apples, fleas in the yard, termites near the house, onion and carrot maggots, thrip and any other insect that goes through a ground cycle.

Solution : Purchase Beneficial Nematodes and follow directions carefully on the label. Apply at night or when area to be treated is in heavy shade. Also when mixing nematodes for spray or application keep out of sunlight.

Problem: Cats in the Wrong Yard

Solution #1: Rose clippings on ground around area where they are leaving messes. Also bird netting spread over the area can deter them.

Solution #2 : Spray vinegar over area where problem exists. Solution #3 : Squirt bottle, water gun or a strong dousing with the hose.

Problem:Dog Messes

Solution #1 : Hot Thai pepper or black pepper sprinkled on their messes or where they lift their legs deters them from using the area again.

Solution #2 : Female dogs on lawns. Use one cup of vinegar per gallon of water on the area, as close to the incident as possible.

Solution # 3: Try the many dog repellants on the market. Many of them do work.

Problem: Budworm

(Detected when you can see holes in the flowers and flower buds of plants like petunias, nicotiana, pelargoniums, and snapdragons.)

Solution #1 : Cover plants with Gro Covertm or plant and seed cover at night when moths are flying. Remove in the morning. Prevents moths from laying eggs in the flowers.

Solution #2 : Use B.T. (Bacillus thuringiensis) Follow directions on the label.

Problem: Roof Rats

(Unexplained bites found on citrus, tomatoes and other fruit) Solution #1: Repel by using bobcat predator scent. Call for supplier, follow directions.

Solution #2 : Consult an exterminator - Set out rat traps.

Problem : Diabrotica Beetle (and possibly Earwigs)

Solution : Sprinkle white flour on plants when leaves are moist in the morning.