By Shirley D. Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener
Well, thank goodness the rains seem to have quit for a bit. I can’t believe that as a Texan I am actually not wanting more rain. However, this last “rain event” was something else. If you are seeing mildew on your plants then here is a great organic way to get rid of that: (1) dissolve 2 uncoated aspirin tablets (325mg) in 1 quart of water and use this mixture as a foliar spray; or (2) this is good for roses with powdery mildew or black spot – 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 quarts water and 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or Murphy’s Oil Soap. Spray this on the infected plants.
Scientists at Texas A&M estimate that up to 90% of problems with aphids, mites and spittlebug nymphs can be cured with water. Just hit them with a strong blast of water, which dislodges them and breaks off their sucking mouth parts.
Another suggestion for getting rid of aphids is to set a shallow, yellow pan of soapy water near your infested plants and the little pests will drown themselves! For some reason, they are attracted to the color yellow.
One more aphid removal suggestion is to wrap adhesive tape around your fingers with the sticky side out and blot off the aphids that way.
I love my roses but not the bugs that eat them. Here is a hint I found that I want to pass on. Take a long-handled wooden spoon (one you no longer use in the kitchen) and a bucket of soapy water. Go to one of your beautiful roses and start knocking the beetles you find there off into the soapy water using that spoon. Not only does it really feel good to get rid of those critters but this works!
Snakes help control small rodents and many insect pests and 99% of snakes found in yards are harmless. Familiarize yourself with the venomous snakes we have in this area: rattlesnakes, copperheads, an occasional coral snake (remember: “Red and yellow kill a fellow. Red and black friend of Jack.”). That means the coloring on a snake that has the red and yellow touching is a coral snake. If the red and black is touching that is a scarlet king snake. These snakes are very rare in our area but they do occasionally occur. Especially if you are new to Texas or to Somervell County, it is important to know your snakes!
Here is another tip for keeping pests at bay and this concerns spiders. Spiders are actually responsible for 80% of the pest control in our gardens. So, before you get the fly swatter and dispatch that spider stop and reconsider the good it is doing. If it is in my house, then I will capture it and take it outside. Now, there are two spiders that occur here that I am very careful of and that is the black widow and brown recluse. These two are very venomous. Please take time to look both of them up on the Internet and, if you are not already familiar with them, become familiar! Their bite is extremely serious.
Happy gardening!