Welcome to the BC Gardening Center. Here we provide links and information on gardening, so you may naturally produce herbs and foods yourself. Perhaps it is the most natural way to live. Here at BC we have our own garden growing right in our own backyard. We would love to share the do's and don'ts of gardening as well as share some gardening resources with you!
West Virginia University Extension Service- Growing Herbs in Your Home Garden
This is an informative website for growing herbs. It gives a history of herbs and definitions as well as cultural tips.
We put together a couple of recipes and tips and we found so you may be able to move toward a more natural solution in your gardening.
Azaleas Mix: Occasionally water plants with a mixture of two tablespoons White Vinegar to one quart water. Azaleas love acidic soil.
Kill Unwanted Grass: Pour White Vinegar in crevices and between bricks.
Homemade Pesticide For Snails and Slugs: Diatomaceous earth is a powder-like dust made of tiny marine organisms called diatoms. It is effective on soft-bodied insects as well as snails and slugs. Just spread it on top of the soil and it works by cutting and irritating these soft organisms yet is harmless to other organisms. You can also put out shallow dishes of beer to trap snails and slugs.
To Keep Bugs Away From Houseplants: This is the safest natural pesticide for any home gardner and is effective on a variety of bugs and insects. Mix 3 tablespoons of liquid detergent into a gallon of water. Use in a sprayer bottle for houseplants. You may also place a cotton ball soaked in hot sauce in the container with your plant to repel unwanted pests. Another helpful alternative you may want to try is the following recipe:
Mix ingredients in a blender. Pour into a spray bottle and apply solution to plants. This solution also works for outdoor plants.
Cabbageworms and Spider Mites Mix: Garden pests like cabbageworms and spider mites do not particularly like salt. The following recipe can be handy for these pests.
Mix together ingredients and place into a spray bottle.
To Control Garden Pests: It may seem disgusting, but it is a good way to recycle dead bugs. Dead bugs give off a chemical warning to stay away. Once you have the dead bugs, crush them up and mix with water. Then strain until the contents will flow smoothlyout of the spray. It ismportant that this mixture is used outside only.
Spearmint Hot Pepper Horseradish Spray: Another outside spray alternative for pests is a mixture of Spearmint, Hot Pepper, Onions and Horseradish. Pests naturally are detered by onion and mint families.
Mix the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Then strain the solution. Add a half-gallon of water and the detergent. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store the mixture for a few days in a cool place.
Natural Pesticide for Aphids and Whiteflies: Mix a few drops of dishwashing detergent with water and spray on plants leaves. This is extremely effective in controlling many soft-bodied insects such as aphids and whiteflies.
Homemade Pesticide For Roses: In your blender make a solution of leaves from a tomato plant 4 pints of water and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Strain the mix and spray on roses as a natural pesticide. Keep any unused spray refrigerated.
Natural pesticides will always be the safer alternative for your pets and your family.