Saturday 2 June 2012

Cold Few Days

The weather has been cold and rainy here the last few days but it has done the plants a world of good.  The soft rains have fallen onto dry soil so the gardens have been in desperate need of it.  I have been watering regularly but tap water isn't as good as rain water, especially for the fruit bushes.

My fruit and vegetables have been invaded by ants and I couldn't understand why.  They were hanging out around black spots on the broad beans as well as running up and down the fruit bushes.  Thank goodness for Goggle.....I found out that my bushes and veggies were infested with aphids and that the ants were feeding on them.  What to do.  I don't like to use chemicals, especially as we will be eating the produce, so I decided to use warter with a small amount of detergent.  I mixed it up in my spray bottle and gave the little beggers a good drowning.  Apparently they breath through their bodies, so if they get soaking they drown.  Other recipes include olive oil added to the mixture but I remember my gran pouring the contents of her washing up bowl on her roses.  If it was good enough for her I'm sure it will do the trick.  I need to spray them every other day to get the eggs when they have hatched. 

What methods do you use to see off the aphids?

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