'Pillars Part 2!

Last week, I gave you some good advice on natural caterpillar control. Well, I'm back with more help to keep your 'maters and other plants safe.

from wikimedia.org

Lemons!

• Take a few lemon peels (hopefully after you've juiced them for some lemoneade!), cut them into chunks and process them in a food processor or blender.
• Pour boiling water over the minced lemons and process until liquefied. 
• Let the mixture sit overnight.
• Strain the liquid to remove any solid pieces.
• Using a handheld sprayer (filled with the mixture and some added water), spray your plants from top to bottom.

Caterpillars hate citrus just as much as dogs and cats. You can also do this with oranges, limes, and grapefruits!

from mhmcintyre.us

Garlic!

• Mix 1/2 cup of peeled and finely chopped garlic with 2 cups of water in a bowl. 
• Let it sit for at least an hour.
• Strain out the solids and pour into a handheld sprayer.
• Apply to plants from top to bottom.

This mixture is extra gentle and can be used on even seedlings. However, because it's gentle, it needs to be applied weekly and especially after any rain.

from photo-dictionary.com

Horseradish!

• 2 cups of finely chopped dried cayenne peppers (or 1.5 cups fresh)
• 2 tablespoons of pure horseradish (This means it doesn't have mustard, mayonnaise, or anything else! All you want is horseradish)
• 3 quarts (12 cups) of water

• Boil the water
• Add the ingredients  and let it simmer for about 1 hour
• Cool to room temperature
• Strain out the solids
• Apply with a handheld sprayer from top to bottom.

This concoction is strong and should not be used near seedlings. It is death to not only caterpillars but also beetles, aphids, and whiteflies.

That's it for today! Keep checking in for more gardening tips, tricks, and advice!

Now's a Good Time to Have Some Manure!

It's time to fertilize all of your citrus plants. This includes everything from kumquats and loquats to lemons and limes. Citrus tress should be fertilized three times a year: before and after blooming then once more in the fall to maintain the nutrients they need to give you the fruit you love.

Citrus tress prefer low levels of phosphorus, so you need to check the packaging before you go dumping some chemical fertilizers on the roots. Fertilizer labels are always in order of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and then Potassium in the product information. So look for something with a 5-2-6 or similar formula.

from lowes.com

This bag is "7-1-2". So it's high in Nitrogen, but low in Phosphorus and Potassium. If you use this, you may want to beef up the Potassium with a second fertilizer. 

from sarasotafruitandnutsociety.org

Loquats!

from wikimedia.org

Lemon!