I was just wondering, Did you use organic seed or starters when you planted your plants? I never thought about doing that. I do use organic soil and no chemicals on anything. I did get some good reply's below. I want to check into the food grade DE before I use it for bugs.
What are some safe pesticides and weed killers to use around Sulcata tortoises?
- Thread starter Dawn K
- Start date
I was just wondering, Did you use organic seed or starters when you planted your plants? I never thought about doing that. I do use organic soil and no chemicals on anything. I did get some good reply's below. I want to check into the food grade DE before I use it for bugs.
I fully understand. I just didn't think about the seed or seedling it self. I definitely will now. The last thing I want is a sick baby. I was just stating that I didn't do it because just before i posted my question I read that it was something you should do if the plants weren't organic. I just wanted you to know I did not do organic plants because I didn't care.It was because of my ignorance of the plant it self. The soil and everything else I use is organic. Thanks for the heads up.
Food grade - I cannot emphasize that enough - food grade DE is edible! You can use it to get rid of parasites even in human tummy's. Big bags are available at the feed store for livestock. Fancy ones for a lot more money, at the health food stores. You are right, it needs to be used in edges, or judiciously, to do less harm to good bugs, because it will dehydrate them also. I sprinkle some food grade DE on my tortoises' salads once a week as a preventative measure against parasites.
Here is a good informative link: http://www.wolfcreekranch.net/diatomaceous_earth_50_lbs_.html
FujiBaird
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2014
- Messages
- 95
Another handy way to use DE (food grade!) is to mix it in a spray bottle with some water. I'm having a bit of a problem with green peach aphids in my enclosure. They live on the underside of a lot of my leafy greens... I wouldn't care except they seem to stunt the growth of the plants they're on. I lightly mist the underside of the leaves with the DE/water spray and let it dry, which leaves a fine residue of DE on the affected parts. It's pretty darn hard to sprinkle DE on the underside of leaves otherwise! It's significantly cut back on the bugs.
It's significantly cut back on the bugs.
As far as dealing with weeds, I would recommend your hands or a more natural remedy, such as boiling water, or salt water. As for pests, I recommend checking out companion planting and attracting beneficial insects. There are a lot of plants that, when planted in close proximity to each other, work together for wonderful results! For example, back when I kept roses (before the dog and kids trampled and then mowed them) I always planted onions, chives and marigold around them because they naturally repel some of the more common rose pests.
Now, with my indoor gardening, I have had some issues with fungus gnats and whiteflies. For the fungus gnats I use an occasional spritz of a very dilute vinegar water solution to keep the soil fungus at bay and for the white flies I did two initial treatments of the dish soap / water / vegetable oil treatment and then switched to an old fashioned sticky trap hung over the hibiscus (the plant most bothered by them) and make sure to mist the plants (plain water) at least once a day to dislodge the insects and get them flying right up to the trap (smart they are not) And I also found a welcome addition of soil centipedes in my indoor gardens. Those leggy little buggers are thriving on the eggs of the above mentioned pests and the plants are thanking us for that!
In short, if you won't put it on your food, don't put it on theirs.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html
http://www.planetnatural.com/beneficial-insects-101/
Now, with my indoor gardening, I have had some issues with fungus gnats and whiteflies. For the fungus gnats I use an occasional spritz of a very dilute vinegar water solution to keep the soil fungus at bay and for the white flies I did two initial treatments of the dish soap / water / vegetable oil treatment and then switched to an old fashioned sticky trap hung over the hibiscus (the plant most bothered by them) and make sure to mist the plants (plain water) at least once a day to dislodge the insects and get them flying right up to the trap (smart they are not) And I also found a welcome addition of soil centipedes in my indoor gardens. Those leggy little buggers are thriving on the eggs of the above mentioned pests and the plants are thanking us for that!
In short, if you won't put it on your food, don't put it on theirs.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html
http://www.planetnatural.com/beneficial-insects-101/
Do Not Use Demetrius earth for pool, its Toxic. Only food grade. I'm saying this again because I read you have the pool kind. Good luck with your project. I grow everything organic
You put centipedes and dish soap on your food? EWE!
KIDDING!!!
Seriously though. Where do you get the centipedes? I recall seeing them around in the past, but not anytime recently. Is there a specific type that is deadly to enclosure insects, but leaves the tortoises alone?
Actually, I have no idea where they came from. I am guessing they got into the plants that I kept outdoor last summer and subsequently brought into the house, but I suppose it could have been from a bag soil over the winter. Either way, I saw one, got a little creeped out but quickly recognized that it wasn't a typical house centipede (those things kinda freak me out) so I did my research and realized that they are soil centipedes and they are pretty awesome! They are predators, but they only prey on tiny larvae in the soil and don't (and can't) bite humans or other larger critters. I just hope when the plants go outside for the summer they stay in the trays in plants!
I know there are sites that sell beneficial insects to gardeners, but I don't know if any sell the centipedes.
http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/soil-centipedes
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Most insects hate garlic and most animals so go to the food store and get two heads of garlic , plant some cloves and take the skins off some of the cloves in the blender put a cup of water and the cleaned cloves and blend it up good and spray it on the plants . And In a week wash them off and give them to the torts !
Have you done this Grandpa? I wouldn't mind a little garlic flavor in my tortoises greens. How well does it work? Does it also drive away the beneficial insects? The lacewings are in full force at my place right now. Haven't seen any mantids yet.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Yes I have planted garlic in with radishes and carrots to deter rabbits , that's why I say buy them at a food store and if your afraid of bees moving away plant marigolds . And that's why I said rinse them off in a week cause no food ( bugs ) good bugs will move to where there is food !
I've thought about planting marigolds in my garden to keep bugs out. I wasn't sure if it actually worked.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
What do you mean " work " they will add color , smell great , and bring in the bees . I plant the Marigolds every year for all the above !
I meant does it keep bugs away. You actually think they smell good? I think they absolutely reek. But if they keep bugs away from my garden that's good. Bees are fine.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Marigolds smell a lot better then garlic !
No way, garlic smells much better. Especially when you're cooking with it
Similar threads
