Thanks for joining, and for the update, @iexplore.
Before I forget: the slug problem.
Last year I had hundreds of them in my garden, but managed to save most of my veggies.
All it took was garlic.
I planted garlic cloves everywhere in between my veggies (except for the cabbages, because it’s a bad companion plant for cabbage). I know you should plant garlic in the fall, but I just planted it all season long.
Also, I sprayed all my plants with a garlic spray every two weeks (you can find the recipe on my @organicgardener blog: https://steemit.com/freedomfirst/@organicgardener/garlic-the-best-remedy-against-garden-pests-garlic-recipe-included)
The cooked cloves from the recipe, I also throw in between my veggies.
Slugs hate everything with a strong smell. Planting some rosemary or lavender strategically in your garden can also help to keep away the little bastards.
I often add 10 to 15 drops of patchouli essential oil to the spray bottle. Slugs hate that smell too. I use the same spray but with peppermint oil to fight aphids.
Your garden is looking good. Just like you, I’m growing only things that are edible (except for the bees/butterflies flower mix). You’re going to be so happy with the calendula. It’s not also a valuable medicinal plant, it also looks good on your plate (or in herbal butter), and it keeps away aphids from your other plants (it attracts them, so be sure to wash them carefully before you use them), it attracts other, useful insects, desinfects your soil and has many more benefits. I think it’s one of the most useful plants in the garden...
The lettuce is looking delicious. I’ve made the same mistake as last year and sowed too many kinds of lettuce at the same time. I know how so much we will never be able to eat it all. Will probably try to make soup out of it, although I always feel like making soup is a bit of a waste... :0)
Btw, the garlic spray can also help you to prevent pests (maybe cure them if it is not too late)
Thanks for this great garden update
Thank you for this! I haven't thought about garlic and I should have because that's what I did last year with carrot root flies. I will try this! The spray looks easy enough too! I try to avoid sprays on my lettuces...have you sprayed this on leafy greens and if so when eating do you taste any of the garlic?
I love having an abundance! I like to share with the neighbors!
I'm super excited for the calendula! I will watch out for the aphids thanks for the heads up!
I must admit I never tried eating the lettuce one or two days after spraying it, but I assume you wash most of it off. I haven’t had any garlic taste on my lettuce so far (or maybe I did and didn’t notice, because I’m very fond of garlic, I eat it with everything, lol)
I just discovered I forgot to mention a very useful ingredient in the recipe: neem oil.
I always add it to the mix, because it’s a very powerful insecticide, kills bacterias and can prevent and treat a lot of pests and fungus on plants . You might to try it on your pepper plants.
It’s 100% organic, and does not harm any beneficial insects, nor the enviroment. As an organic gardener, you can’t live without neem oil.
No, that’s not right.., you can, but it does solve a lot of problems.
Just Google ‘neem oil gardening’ and you’ll find loads of useful info.
I love neem!! That is always my first go to! But I only use that with water and a drop of soap. I will add that to it! Thanks!