You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. — Margaret Thatcher
For the past five days, I was in an online workshop for creative writing, so I had to keep up with the garden chores.
I had only about 30 minutes before sundown to visit the orchard, but I made sure to make most of the time. Luckily, it has been raining and the soil was workable, I was able to fill the new raised-bed with enough soil to begin planting.
I'm expecting it to be sunny again soon,so I decided to plant more cucumbers instead of other crops. Right now, the new cucumbers has sprouted already. On the first raised-bed, the cucumbers are beginning to grow fruits and is expecting to harvest in about a week or so.
I have learned a lot about companion crops and I'm making sure that more marigolds will be blooming in the coming months.
As soon as the crops began thriving, the pests soon found their new home in the garden. There were caterpillars that devour so much in a day and there were tiny, orange beetles that suck and bore holes on the leaves.
Like most ventures, there is always an uncertainty in gardening, but that's where the fun is, you learn a lot through the process.
It was painful to see the damages, so fighting it before it got worst was the top of my priority. I searched online for alternative pesticides and found really simple solutions. It is great when you know that you are going to feed your family or community with crops that are safe to eat.
The Garlic recipe below will not kill the caterpillars, but will make not munch on yhe leaves of the crops.
Garlic Insect Repellent
- 1 pc chili (small), chopped (Optional)
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp liquid soap
- 1-2L water
Steps: Mixed chili, garlic, and water. Steep overnight. Strain and add liquid soap before sprayong over affected leaves or plants.
To tackle the other bugs, you will only need a few existing items in your kitchen. The biopesticide will dry-out the exo-skeleton of the insects until they are dehydrated. This can be used as an acaricide (kills aphids), insecticide, and fungicide.
Baking Soda Biopesticide
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp liquid soap
- 1-2L water
Steps: Mix all ingredients and spray on at-risk crops. Best used every morning.
Use the recipes only on severe cases. When still manageable, you can catch and pinch to kill the bugs instead.
As of the moment, the concoctions seem to be working, but this might be on case-to-case basis. How about you, have you used these on your garden, how did it go?
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About Me
@oniemaniego is a software developer, but outside work, he experiments in the kitchen, writes poetry and fiction, paints his heart out, or toils under the hot sun.
 | Onie Maniego / Loy Bukid was born in Leyte, PH. He grew up in a rural area with a close-knit community and a simple lifestyle, he is often visiting his father's orchards during summer and weekends, which has a great impact on his works. |
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