Tags : None

Natural Pesticides. Karenbesant. 14/12/01.
I grow vegetables on 2 small raised plots at the end of my garden. I am interested in being as organic as possible. Can anyone advise re natural pest deterrents? I have heard that to grow marigolds in between rows, for example, helps......does it and what else can help?
All answers gratefully received!

Natural Insect Repellants. Alan Gould. 14/12/01.
Hullo Karen. Yes, you can use various forms of companion planting which will aid plant health generally - and healthy plants are better able to resist pests and diseases than are poorly ones. We usually plant African Marigolds amongst our greenhouse tomatoes for that reason.
If you are seeking to repel aphids by organic means, I can thoroughly recommend nettle or comfrey infusion, especially for food plants where you don't wish to spray them with chemicals. In the growing season, take young nettle or comfrey leaves - or both if you like, fill a container with them, then top up the container with water, rainwater for preference. In about ten days or so the herbage will have bio-degraded and your infusion is ready to use. Apply it onto the leaves of the plant
and when it has done its job of seeing the insects off, it will be ingested through the leaves as a foliar feed. The infusion has a strong 'farmyardy' smell, but that is very short lived after it is used. The same infusion can be used as an organic feed for plants which may be short of nutrients and it will add to their health and vigor.
Just one other thing. Please don't call the preparation a pesticide, it doesn't kill the insects but repels them. By that means we can protect our cropping plants while at the same time allowing natural creatures to live.