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+--- Thread: Are you totaly organic (/showthread.php?tid=712)
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RE: Are you totaly organic - Can the Man - 16-12-2020
I’m going to grow the marigolds in the poly tunnel next year, all the solutions I tried this year failed, soapy water spray, different bug sprays.....
RE: Are you totaly organic - Spec - 16-12-2020
Can I used about two dozen marigold plants in my tomato bed and had the cleanest plants, bug wise, that I have had for a long time,, but marigolds might attract slugs, though any I had were easily controlled, I simply put some bits of light plywood on the bed and checked below them regularly
RE: Are you totaly organic - JJB - 16-12-2020
I mix and match. If I have a problem then I try organic solutions if I have the means but occasionally resort to chemicals. I don't actually know whether my tom feed is organic but I suspect not. Use BFB primarily as dressing on the patch and barriers against carrot fly and cabbage caterpillars. The days of regularly spray fruit trees are long gone. Although I'm wondering how to prevent pea moth this coming season if barriers prevent pollination. I expect I'll find out
RE: Are you totaly organic - Bren - 16-12-2020
I'd like to be organic but its not going to happen, so instead I do my best by :-
Feeding with BFB, comfrey and nettles,
Spraying with a garlic and Encover mix.
Planting marigolds, and spring onions amongst my beds and GH.
The only Commercial feed I use is for my Toms along comfrey. because that seems to give me the best results.
RE: Are you totaly organic - Vinny - 16-12-2020
Its something to strive for. I do my bit .
RE: Are you totaly organic - Veggie - 16-12-2020
Two years ago, my GH tomatoes were covered in whitefly, it was like walking into a snowstorm..............and there were tagetes/French marigolds growing in there.
This year, no sign of whitefly in the GHs. I blame the weather!
I've learned to live with "pests" - everything has a place and a job to do - whether its whitefly, slugs, snails etc. I don't grow in beds and rows to the exclusion of other plants but prefer to mix them up in happy confusion. Polyculture. If I constantly have a problem with growing a certain thing, and I can't live with the damage, I stop growing it and grow something else.
I don't spray and the only feed I use is chicken manure pellets in the planting hole (when I remember) and some liquid seaweed fertiliser/maybe some Tomorite for the tomatoes.
I water the GHs with fish pond water, where possible, if not with rainwater.
I buy bags of compost for the GH plants but they're whatever is cheap locally, not necessarily "organic".
TBH, I think the word "organic" is being slapped on too many things and I'm dubious about some manufacturers' claims.
RE: Are you totaly organic - Spec - 16-12-2020
Possibley you are right Veggie and some bother from pests is weather related, this year was the warmest spring for many year, but it did turn cold and wet before I started harvesting my tomatoes, also I cropped them 2 months longer than normal without any sign of whitefly and I could smell the marigolds up until I pulled them out last week
As for feeds I am fortunate in the fact I can make my own seaweed feed which I use along with a comfrey feed, and like Bren I steep garlic in water then add eco washing up liquid when spraying my cabbage against slug/snail damage I don't know if it would work against the butterfly as I cover my beds with enviromesh