Our Greener Life

Have you been wanting to use a more natural type of pest control in your garden? You can make your own natural garden sprays to control pests, and the ingredients are not expensive. In fact, you probably have a lot of these items already in your home or growing in your garden. Here are some recipes for repelling the pests from your yard and garden.

Note – some of the recipes call for liquid soap. This refers to vegetable-based soap such as castile or oil soap (such as is used for cleaning wood and floors). Using dish or laundry detergent can harm plants.

1. Hot Chili Pepper Spray

This is reputed to kill caterpillars. In a blender, whiz 2 cups of fresh chili peppers or 1 cup dried with 2 cups of water until it is liquefied. Use this spray right away, and keep it out of your eyes.

2. Hot Chili Pepper and Wormwood Spray

This is a spray that can help repel larger pests such as opossums and rabbits, in addition to snails and slugs. It kills white flies and aphids (be sure to spray under the leaves for aphids). Begin as with the chili spray above, but add one cup of chopped wormwood herb before blending (you may need some additional water to blend it into a liquid). Then, add 5 cups of water, boil, and steep for an hour. Strain before spraying. Keep this spray from contacting your eyes and skin.

3. Garlic Sprays

There are multiple garlic-based sprays that repel or kill a variety of pests. Garlic is said to be especially effective against ants, cabbage worms, and caterpillars, but it works as a repellent for a wide variety of pests.

* Basic garlic spray: Steep 4 raw garlic cloves in a quart of water for about 3 days. Then liquefy the mixture in a blender.

* Garlic soap spray: Steep 4 cloves of garlic as above, then add 2 tablespoons of liquid soap before blending.

* Garlic hot pepper spray: Add 3-4 chili peppers to the mixture before blending.

* Garlic, hot pepper, and onion spray: Try this concentrated spray for red spider mites or aphids. Chop a head of garlic and a medium onion (no need to peel first). Add chopped garlic and onion to 5-6 cups of water and stir in a tablespoon of cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

When the mixture has cooled, let it sit in a glass jar for a month to six weeks. Then, strain and add 1 tablespoon of this formula (plus an optional tablespoon of liquid soap) to 1 quart of water to make a spray. Keep this out of your eyes and off your skin.

* Garlic oil spray: To kill aphids, onion flies, and mosquitoes, chop the bulbs of 3 to 4 heads of garlic. Steep in 2 tablespoons of mineral oil for about 24 hours. Then mix 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion with 2 cups of water and stir until dissolved. Add the fish emulsion mixture to the garlic and mineral oil. Strain and store in a glass container (not metal). This is also concentrated, so use 1 tablespoon per 1 1/4 cups of water.

4. Basic Soap Spray

Gently (so that it doesn’t foam) mix 1 tablespoon of liquid vegetable soap with 1 quart of water. This spray is especially effective on squash bugs and is a great way to protect your squash and cucumber plants.

The idea of using living materials for a roof is not a new one. Applying it to modern buildings, however, is relatively new. How is the ancient art of a living roof compatible with modern building methods? And why would anyone choose a living roof for his or her home?

The Living Roof – What Is It?

A living roof, also known as a green roof, can be constructed on an existing roof or incorporated into a new structure. It can be used on commercial or private buildings. A corrugated, aluminum sheet is placed on the roof, followed by a waterproof membrane. Some builders will then apply a sheet of foam and another waterproof membrane. Drains are incorporated into the design.

Over all of the weatherproofing layers, about 4 inches of soil is placed and various greenery is planted. Many green roof builders like to focus on native plants for their rooftop “garden.”

So what are the main advantages and disadvantages of having a living roof? Read on to find out.

Advantages of a Living Roof

* Less Reflective Heat – The sunlight and heat that are reflected off of urban buildings’ roofs can greatly increase the temperature within a city. Green roofs eliminate the reflective factor, absorbing and utilizing the sun’s light.

* Insulation – Earth is a good insulator, and having four or more inches of it on your roof will keep your building cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

* Protection – The soil and plants on a living roof protect the roof structure beneath from the elements, thus preventing the wear and tear (and the subsequent leaks) that can result from exposure to the weather.

* Wildlife – Green roofs provide wildlife habitat, especially if native species are planted. Particularly in urban areas, living roofs can act as an oasis to wildlife.

* Clean air – Plants clean the air, soaking up carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. The air around your structure will be cleaner as a result, and the more living roofs that are planted, the cleaner the air over a wider area.

* Absorption of rainwater – This helps control storm run-off, which can cause problems when it is excessive. It can also be a source of pollution.

Disadvantages of a Living Roof

* Initial expense – Living roofs can be expensive to construct. Some of the cost can be offset, though, in the savings on heating and cooling, or if you grow your own food on the living roof.

* Maintenance – Like a garden, a living roof will need some maintenance. It might need watering during a dry spell, or fertilizer may be necessary. Choosing native plant species will reduce the amount of maintenance.

* Weight – Soil is heavy, and some roof structures cannot support it.

Living roofs are beautiful, green structures that combine the necessities of building with the beauty of a garden.

You don’t have to pour hazardous chemicals onto your yard or garden to kill weeds. Using natural weed killers means the weeds, not you, get poisoned! Here are some ideas of how to rid your yard of weeds without the health risks associated with synthetic weed killers.

1. Salt – Pour about 1/4 teaspoon of table salt at the base of the weed(s). This is enough to kill the weed, but the amount is small enough that water will dilute it sufficiently rather than carrying it to plants you want to keep. This is also effective for gravel driveways. You can sprinkle more copious amounts here, as long as the driveway is not situated so that salty run-off would kill wanted plants.

2. Plastic bags – This is a great way to use (or re-use) black plastic bags. Lay the bags over the weeds and weight them down with rocks, heavy sticks, bricks, etc. After about two weeks, remove the plastic to reveal nearly bare earth.

3. Boiling water – Easy and cheap, pouring boiling water onto weeds is effective. It is so effective, in fact, that you need to be careful not to get the boiling water on any plants you want to keep, including grass.

4. Vinegar – White or cider vinegar can be used directly on weeds, poured over the leaves and into the ground. You can also put it in a spray bottle and add 1/4 teaspoon of essential oil of clove and/or cinnamon per quart. The clove/cinnamon vinegar solution is especially effective against poison ivy.

Whether using vinegar plain or with the oils, you will need to re-apply it every week to ten days for awhile. Vinegar kills only the weed’s aerial parts, and repeated applications are needed to exhaust the weed’s resources so that the root gives out and dies, too.

5. Newspaper – Like the plastic bags mentioned above, newspaper can be laid over weeds and weighted down. Use a full “section” of newspaper so that it is thick. This deprives the weeds of light and air, and the newspaper is biodegradable.

6. Vodka – Vodka works as a weed killer. Mix about 3 tablespoons of it with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray the leaves well with this solution, and the alcohol will dry out the leaves.

7. Borax – This can be found in the laundry section of your local store, and is a kind of salt. Mix 5 teaspoons of borax with 1 quart of water and use as a spray.

8. Manual removal – While this is hard work, simply removing weeds by pulling them out is very effective. You can also use manual removal in combination with some of the above solutions.

If you are dealing with poison ivy, suit up appropriately and cover your hands, eyes, mouth, and nose before attempting removal, and thoroughly launder your clothes afterward. If you have poison ivy growing up a tree, use a sharp saw (such as a bow saw) to cut the hairy stem in half. From the cut upward, the vine will die.

Remember, do not compost weeds or they will find their way back into your garden.

Growing your own vegetables is a very satisfying, eco-friendly, and money-saving venture. So why not try it? Perhaps you are limited in space, or don’t have the tools to break up the ground for a garden, or the sunny spots on your property do not correspond with the best soil. A vegetable box can help remedy these problems and give you fresh produce.

While you can make your planter any size, or even make a series of small ones, if you are going to grow vegetables it will need to be at least 8 inches deep. Here is how to build a basic vegetable planter that is 6′ x 2′.

What you’ll need:

1. Four pieces of lumber, 6 feet long, 4 inches wide, and 2 inches thick (6-foot long 2×4)
2. Four pieces of lumber, 2 feet long, 4 inches wide, and 2 inches thick (3-foot long 2×4)
3. Four pieces of lumber, 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 4 inches thick (8-inch long 4×4)
4. Galvanized nails or screws, at least 4 inches long
5. Power drill (if using screws)
6. Hammer (if using nails)
7. Shovel or tiller
8. 8 bricks

Directions:
1. Lay two of your long pieces of lumber on the ground (you don’t have to build the box where you will be using it- you can build it on your driveway, patio, garage, etc. and then transport it). Make sure the two pieces of lumber are flush all along their lengths and sides.

2. Using the screws or nails, attach two of the 8-inch 4×4 pieces of lumber to the short ends of the long pieces of lumber, one 8-inch piece per short end.

3. Repeat step 2 with the remaining two 6-foot pieces of lumber and two 8-inch 4×4 pieces.

4. Turn these long pieces on their sides, like two walls. Position them 2 feet apart.

5. Using the nails or screws, attach one of the 2-foot pieces of lumber across the bottom ends of the long boards, nailing/screwing it into the 4×4 pieces.

6. Repeat step 5 with another 2-foot piece of lumber on the other lower end of the long boards.

7. Attach the remaining two 2-foot pieces of lumber to each end of the box, this time on the upper ends of the long boards, flush with the other 2-foot pieces.

Now you should have a long box consisting of two pieces of lumber per side.

8. Using a shovel or tiller, clear the vegetation from a sunny, 6-foot by 3-foot area (unless you don’t mind picking out a lot of weeds that will make their way up through the soil!).

9. Position your planter box over the now-bare earth.

10. Position the bricks along the four corners of the box to stabilize it.

11. Fill box with garden soil and plant your vegetables. Check with local construction companies or builders who may be willing to give you “fill dirt” or topsoil at a good price (or even free if you haul it yourself).

While gardening itself is a “green” activity, there are ways to make it an even more eco-friendly experience. Sometimes, gardening deviates from the natural and enters the realm of the harmful. For example, some gardeners use chemical fertilizers without even realizing it, and weed killers and pesticides can be a part of even the smallest garden. So here are some tips to make your gardening ventures greener.

Compost

Perhaps the simplest and most basic thing you can do to begin the greening of your gardening efforts is to start a compost pile. You can actually make compost indoors under the right conditions – indoor compost bins are available, with or without worms. You can recycle your kitchen scraps into compost by tossing them into your outdoor pile or bin. Once it’s broken down, this compost will serve as a natural fertilizer for your garden.

Natural Pest Control

It is tempting to shoot those pesky bugs with some commercial poison from your local garden center. But before you reach for the synthetic pesticide, consider some natural alternatives.

* Natural pesticides are available commercially and are often found on the same shelves as the synthetic versions, so read labels carefully. Natural pesticides are usually soap-based or made from other natural, biodegradable substances. They usually work mechanically, not chemically.

Insecticidal soaps are usually derived from oils (saponified vegetable oil is the greenest choice). Diatomaceous earth is another example of a natural pesticide. This fine powder is made from fossilized diatoms and works by “drying up” insects, snails and slugs. Neem oil is a natural insect repellent, and is found in certain commercially available, natural pesticides.

* Home-made pesticides are inexpensive and quite effective. You can make your own insecticidal soap using a tablespoon of natural, biodegradable dish soap to one gallon of water. You can also purchase neem oil and use it in your home-made insect sprays.

* Arrange plants for natural insect repellents. For example, basil repels aphids, so plant it near tomatoes. Garlic bulbs planted around tomatoes and fruit trees can repel pests.

Go Native

Native plants have more natural disease and pest resistance, therefore requiring less chemical intervention in the form of fungicides, pesticides, or weed killers.

Eco-friendly Containers

There are pots and planters available that are made from recycled materials, such as rice hulls or scraps of glass. You can also recycle containers that your find around your home by converting them to planters. Consider unusual items such as old cooking pots, teapots, baskets, dish pans, and even milk jugs. Glass containers can be used to make terrariums.

These are just a few tips to help assure that the garden will always be greener on your side of the fence.