Do away with bugs the natural way.
In this day and age of environmental awareness, many of us are looking for more environmentally friendly approaches to pest control, rather than resorting to the use of broad spectrum insecticides, which are as toxic to beneficial insects as they are pest species. One of the alternatives is diatomaceous earth.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) was first sold as a natural pesticide back in 1960. Its advantage over other forms of pest control is that it is an entirely natural, easy-to-use product. It has no impact on the environment and is harmless to most higher life forms. Furthermore, as DE is a natural substance, insects cannot build up resistance to it.
Definition
Despite its name, DE is not a soil but a naturally occurring rock comprising of the fossilised remains of single-celled, algae-like plants called diatoms. Diatoms still exist today and are one of the most common forms of phytoplankton found in water, but those from which DE is manufactured existed millions of years ago. As the great lakes dried up, the skeletons of these diatoms (which consist of 33% silicon, 19% calcium, 5% sodium, 3% magnesium, 2% iron, plus other trace elements) left behind deposits called diatomite. When we mine this the product is a chalk-like product.
How does it work?
Denne historien er fra November 2017-utgaven av The Gardener.
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Denne historien er fra November 2017-utgaven av The Gardener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.
