Karen is wondering what can be done to stop the problem of Deformed Rotting Bartlett Pears growing on  her daughter’s beautiful tree.

Here’s what she wrote:

Daughter has a bartlet pear tree that reaped abundant HUGE fruit this year which was, unfortunately, deformed with indentations and balck ‘holes’  . . .don’t know what the problem is and don’t know if spraying for a ‘fungus’ is appropriate. ????  Please enlighten us. Hate to see all this beautiful fruit going to the hornets.”

So here’s the steps I would take to deal with this situation: Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

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Garden slugs and snails  love tender-leaved plants — any plants: vegetables, herbs, or even flowers . . . and to salvage your plants, you might want to use one (or more) of these 15 non-toxic slug-control methods to immediately control or kill these slugs (or snails).

If your plants have no more leaves or your tender stems have disappeared and,  in addition, you see tiny shiny slimy trails on the ground or on the foliage, you have been visited by either slugs or snails– and the sooner you use slug control or slug killer the better. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 8%

Every lawn owner hates the term “White grub in the lawn” for they know that if left untreated, they will end up with no lawn.  But what are grubs? More importantly, what is the natural treatment used to get rid of these grubs? Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 18%

Aphids are very small pear-shaped creatures that appear in great numbers on the rose cane tips in May and early June. Getting rid of aphids, those tiny creatures who love to suck the juice out of growing tips and leaves on your roses or other tender plants and ruin your flower gardening efforts, is a must. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 86%

Aphids are so small yet so difficult to get rid of. However, this natural citrus homemade spray kills the aphids and even deters the ants which colonize the aphids for their honeydew.

When citrus oil extract comes in contact with the body of the aphid, the aphid goes into convulsions and is quickly neutralized. This homemade spray will have the same effect on any soft-bodied insects, and will even keep ants away for a while, but they may come back. However, since this mixture has such a refreshing smell, you’ll probably enjoy using it often. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 100%

There are good natural sprays for fruit trees which you can use even if you don’t yet have a problem with insects or fungi. It’s easier to keep your plants disease-free than to try to cure them once they’re infected, and this is where a program using natural sprays can play a big part in keeping your trees, especially fruit trees, fungi and insect free. As a matter of fact, you might consider a spraying routine and using natural sprays for your fruit trees from early spring right on through the summer months. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 45%

Are there any natural pesticides which are environment friendly?

Yes, there are a select few botanical mixtures which can be considered as the “elite” natural pesticides, for they work well with few drawbacks. These special botanical mixtures do not harm the environment nor do they cause our good bugs any harm.

Whether we like it or not, many natural pesticides are not necessarily kind to the “good bugs”. Such natural pesticides as pyrethrum, rotenone, and sabadilla do not discrimate and do kill pretty well all insects, good or bad, which crawl over the stuff. So wherever possible, one should use one of the following environment-friendly Natural Pesticides

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 23%