6 replies to this topic

[Hysssss-teria]

Companion planting can be the most effective tool in the organic gardener’s arsenal for fighting pests of all sorts. There are so many plants that we can use for this. I would appreciate everybody else chiming in to add your own companion planting successes.

Here’s the scoop on Painted Daisies and other chrysanthemums -- which all contain natural pyrethrin.

This is an rewritten excerpt from one of my articles, but I would encourage you to read the referenced and resourced materials given at the end for some excellent information on the common sense of companion planting.

Chrysanthemums are effective against root nematodes (the bad ones), aphids, caterpillars, grasshoppers, thrips, coffee bugs, moths and flea beetles. They even repel Japanese beetles.

Pyrethrin is an extract of Pyrethrum chrysanthemums. All mums contain this substance, but the highest concentration level is found in Chrysanthemum coccineum, or PAINTED DAISIES. Natural pyrethrin is used widely to manufacture permethrin, or parathyroid, insecticides, and isn’t toxic in and of itself to you or your pets.

However, other ingredients added to form these commercial compounds are. So use the real thing in its purest form -- plant a daisy. Combine the natural beauty of painted daisies and other chrysanthemums with purpose. Plant these lovelies to repel many insects, which can’t tolerate their natural insecticidal properties. When it comes to bugs, this beauty is a beast.

Choose chrysanthemum varieties appropriately hardy for your region and planting area. Situate them according to individual care requirements. Don’t expect most mums to thrive in shady or soggy spots.

Cut chrysanthemums in full bloom, dry the flowers and grind to a powder. Spot treat individual plants with the homemade insecticide. Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark spot.

Or, as an alternative, make a strong "tea" of the powder and spray it directly on the insects. Remember that pyrethrum is not residual. But it is toxic to soft-bodied insects, and to some cold-blooded vertebrates, on contact. The dust is nontoxic to you, your livestock, or your pets, however ... and can even be used as a safe flea powder.

REFERENCES

Mother Earth News: Safe Homegrown Pesticides
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1980-03-01/Safe-Homegrown-Pesticides.aspx

Madland: Companion Planting
http://www.madlandweb.com/2008gc/articles%20to%20post/COMPANION%20PLANTING.pdf

Living With Bugs: Pyrethrum Insecticide
http://www.livingwithbugs.com/permethrin_pyrethrum.html

　
RESOURCES

Plant Biology: Pyrethrum -- How to Grow Painted Daisy
http://www.plant-biology.com/Pyrethrum-Painted-Daisy.php

Garden Organic: Make Your Own Pyrethrum Dust
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/pdfs/international_programme/TNP4-pyrethrum.pdf

Garden of Eaden: Make Your Own Organic Pyrethrum
http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-your-own-organic-pyrethrum.html

[mariaandrea]

This is awesome! I've heard of companion planting and vaguely remember something about mums and tomatoes and that's it. And some people think you don't get pest problems with container gardening, but you do, even if it's less than traditional gardening. Even on a 3rd floor balcony I've gotten aphids and other things. I will definitely be delving into your links. Thank you!

[Jlcarrol]

Wow, am I glad to find this post. Last year and the year before that I fought Japanese beetles like crazy. It was the worst thing ever. I spent more time trying to get them to stay off my garden then ever before. I do not know why they were so bad. I have been dreading them again this year. I was hoping that they would not be so bad, but I think I am going to read up on these sites and see what more I can come up with. I am not looking forward to them at all. I tried everything I could come up with. Nothing seemed to work even a little bit. I asked tons of people and everyone was having the same problem I was. I am going to see what I can find and maybe have some good advice for some of my gardening friends. Thank you, you may have just saved my garden and my sanity.

[steph84]

This is amazing! I just started growing my own chives and basil and tiny bugs tarted popping up everywhere inside of my house. I kept them indoors and had to move them outdoors because I didn't know how to get rid of them. Thanks for the tip! Time to buy some Daisies!

[Hysssss-teria]

 mariaandrea, on 26 March 2012 - 11:55 AM, said:

This is awesome! I've heard of companion planting and vaguely remember something about mums and tomatoes and that's it. And some people think you don't get pest problems with container gardening, but you do, even if it's less than traditional gardening. Even on a 3rd floor balcony I've gotten aphids and other things. I will definitely be delving into your links. Thank you!

MariaAndrea, my last veggie garden was containerized, also. You can make yellow sticky traps and poke them into your pots for aphids. You can also set a pot of nasturtiums in the area as far from your garden as possible to lure aphids away from your veggies. Nasties are aphid favorites, and those bugs are drawn like a magnet to the beautiful, edible plants.

Companion planting goes even further than chrysanthemums, folks, and you can learn a lot from those links.

While even this doesn’t run the gamut -- there are tons of herbs for you to check out -- here’s the way I did it. I didn’t have a single bug in my outdoor container garden all season. I employed marigolds, scallions and nasturtiums -- all of which, by the way, are edible.

I used plastic dishwashing tubs 13”x15”x8” and drilled a bunch of dime-sized holes in the bottom and near the bottom of each side. Lined the bottoms with a layer of small rocks to help with drainage. Filled to 1 inch from the top with soil mix.

Chrysanthemums aren’t in season in the spring here, so I bought up a bunch of very cheap marigolds. Folks, these little gems are as powerful as chrysanthemums and daisies. They don’t have pyrethrum, but most bugs find them stinky and hate them. I situated one in the center of each planting tub, then planted my seedlings around the marigold in the tub.

Then I planted individual containers of single marigolds. I used the bottoms of empty 2-liter bottles to make these pots. I placed these single potted marigolds between the tubs throughout my little garden.

I bought a flat of sprouted scallions and poked one into every empty square inch in every single tub, pot and container that I was growing. Most bugs hate plants in the onion and garlic families.

I bought one huge hanging basket of nasturtiums. There were six plants in the basket, so I separated them into individual pots. I located them near the perimeter of the garden to attract aphids away from the veggies.

[Hysssss-teria]

 steph84, on 26 March 2012 - 07:48 PM, said:

This is amazing! I just started growing my own chives and basil and tiny bugs tarted popping up everywhere inside of my house. I kept them indoors and had to move them outdoors because I didn't know how to get rid of them. Thanks for the tip! Time to buy some Daisies!

Steph84, that sounds like soil gnats -- I hate those little beasties!

Here’s a simple control measure for them.
http://www.altenergy...t-control-tips/

[dconklin]

Cool, I will have to plant these down by my vegetables.  I had a problem the fall before last when my mums were about to be done for the season.  I had these little tiny black bugs all over the mums.  They looked like black dots until I went to trim down my mum for the winter and they all started moving! I didn't see them last fall and it was the only time I had seen them.  I have my mum in a planter on my deck, not in the garden.