Essential Oils and Plants That Repel This & That ** Gardening & Kuntry Living

[Guest guest]

Howdy y'all,

 

Lots of folks asking questions on this. Here is a link from the EPA .. I

don't know if all they claim is true or not .. I do know that Castor Oil and

Cedarwood works as claimed .. particularly Red or Virginia Cedarwood

(Juniperus virginiana) .. though its not really a Cedar. ;-) We are now

trying Lavandin in a closet we keep winter clothes in.

 

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_pla\

nt-oils.htm#summary-table

 

And I know that Catnip works to repel skeeters ..

http://www.av-at.com/catnip.html

 

We are still (daily) planting over a quarter acre of Organic Vegetable

garden this year .. trying more than 40 different vegetables to see what

will and won't do well here. For example, folks tell me celery won't do

well so I am trying it. I HAVE READ that celery repels cabbage moths.

 

I also want to draw as many pollinators as possible .. while at the same

time draw predators that will scarf up critters that make some folks turn to

pesticides .. so I am using some plants that I KNOW will do the job .. and

some that I have read will do the job.

 

I KNOW that Zinnias will draw a type of wasp that likes to chow down on

caterpillars and other plant eaters. I KNOW that Marigolds repel lots of

plant eaters .. we planted both Zinnias and Marigolds amongst our Broccoli

and Brussels Sprouts because lots of critters like to chow down on them.

 

I KNOW that Dill planted near tomatoes will repel tomato hornworns.

 

I KNOW that Garlic, onions, turnips, parsley, mints and radishes will repel

many insect critters .. particularly aphids, spider mites and slugs.

 

I KNOW that keeping your Hummingbird feeders full helps a lot too ..

Hummingbirds go for nectar for energy .. but their main diet is insects.

Our neck of the woods is loaded with Hummingbirds.

 

I KNOW that Purple Martins eat a lotta critters .. plus they are pretty

birds to have around and their voices are not bad either. We have a 12 room

hotel on top of a pole that is fully occupied now by Purple Martins.

 

Folks talk about a shortage of Honey Bees and Bats .. not here in Paris, TN

... Honey Bees are swarming our Honeysuckles, Jasmine and Roses .. there is a

Crimson Clover field near us and its covered with the little critters. Bats

start flying around an hour or so before sunset each day. Plenty of Toads

too .. all over the place they are and our cat does not bother them. Toads

are good critters to have on the grounds.

 

I HAVE READ that pretty much any aromatic plant will repel certain critters

... and that Thyme and Oregano do well. Since I like both we have planted

both .. as well as various types of Basil .. throughout the garden. We

also have many other aromatic plants spread out throughout the garden. We

shall see. ;-)

 

I HAVE READ that healthy plants are not attacked near as often as weak ones

are .. that insects will seek out stressed plants like wolves seek out a

sick or lame critter. So we gotta keep our plants healthy. ;-)

 

Gonna be a good summer this one. I'll be spending a lot less time on the

PC than I even have lately .. orders will be processed but I won't have a

lotta time for chatting. Our patio is now surrounded by 3 types of Jasmine

(J. sambac, J. grandiflorum and J. multiflorum). I'm nuts about Jasmine ..

plan to get a few more types before fall. Also around the patio are 6

types of Lavender .. L. heterophylla .. L. stoechas .. L. angustifolia ..

and L. vera (or L. officinalis) .. Province (L. x intermedia) .. and one

that I THINK is L. dentata. Got lots of Rosemary and too many Rose bushes

around the patio as well as along the entire front of the property. Wasn't

able to get my hands on any Damask (R. damascena) yet but I'll have some

before fall.

 

Making the transition from being a hard charging, big city Night Owl to (the

return) of being a Gud Ol' Kuntry Boy Hill Billy has been easier than

I thought it might be. I admit to sometimes missing shooting the crap

with folks in my favorite pub in Ankara .. but when I am working on my

grounds or sitting on the patio out in Henry County where there is no air or

noise or light pollution .. sniffing odors coming from these aromatic plants

while having a drink or three .. I realize that this is what life is (to me)

really all about. And I am a heckuva lot more comfortable in Bib N' Brace

Overalls than I ever was in Tweed jackets and Silk ties. ;-)

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-) Busy Butch ..

http://www.AV-AT.com<http://www.av-at.com/>

... Who really didn't have time to post this .. but did it anyway. ;-)

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sounds Beautiful! Thanks for the info, always good to know...I wish I

had the time or ability to do what you're doing...I live in Lake Tahoe,

the Sierras make it really hard to grow just about anything... I'm so

jelouse! Wishing you lots of luck, and may you learn many more new

things!!!