my new bundles of asparagus roots have arrived…gave them good sprinkle with
seaweed tea and heeled into shade of compost pile. my visit to their new bed
alongside the 20 just planted was daunting. although i had devoted several
different days to alleviate ( you’ll notice not “eliminate”) the bermudagrass
problem. hand weeding and pulling does the trick for a week, then every missed
bit of broken rhizome raises its little green head…spitefully letting me know
its true inevitability!
i must plant the new roots quickly; weather has jumped to early summertime
overnight, which means mid-80’s here in the mid-south @ edge of zone 7 …
i’m committed to organic to the point of plowing down (neglected) green beans
infested with bean beetle larvae, and weak in summer sun. better as dirt.
nothing kills bermuda, so they all say …
you just must spray noxious things on your land.
and so i am trying a non-noxious thing that i was using- spraying my horses for fly/mosquito
repellent- it is a combination of essential oils in a soap-sticker base of dr. bronner’s
peppermint soap. i made it last year after deciding that spraying loved ones with chemicals
was not nice. it has worked for me well enough. another true southern problem, besides
2 more generations of garden pests, is same problem with flies, ticks, fleas and mosquitoes.
i hand sprayed and soaked every bit of bermuda tops in the asparagus bed…carefully avoiding the new little ferns(also on a calm day) here’s hoping it will knock it back, even knock it out.
that may be too much to hope for, i know. we will see. i plan to re-apply after a couple hot
sunny days. will let you know how my super organic bug-spray works as a weedkiller.
as a bug repellent:
for those of you with animals- i have used on myself, livestock, and the dogs, but never a cat
( self-grooming licking). it keeps pesky mosquitoes away…little biting flies too!
here is the basic recipie: just add a bit more soap(maybe 2 Tbsp.) for coating/killing weeds.
in one quart clean spray container, put half bottle of witch hazel- tea tree or lavender if poss.)
add 2 tsp./quart dr bronner peppermint soap, and fill almost up with water. add drops
of pure essential oils ( not just scented, the real thing) you’ll thank me- some can also be
used in your medicine cabinet- will add ** to those. Add to quart mix;
25drops citronella oil
20 drops thyme oil
20 drops tea tree oil** ( for wounds, infections, antifungal too-toenails % )
15 drops lavendar oil**( skin problems, zits, great for healing burns with little scarring)
10 drops peppermint or clove oil
( you dont need peppermint if you have the peppermint soap)
SHAKE WELL before using,every time. it mixes in the oils. spray as needed…
this will NOT hurt bare skin, although if sensitive, you might want to do test spot for allergies.
(if it bothers you, add only half the citronella, thyme, and clove) apply lightly- heavier
on furry friends. it repels bugs, not kills ’em.
For Weedkiller, i added in about a Tbsp. or so extra of dr. bronner’s -it might need a little more-the soap causes the spray to”stick”to leaves and cover their pores. like a herbicide,
keep it from wind-drifting onto other plants. AVOID EYES, both uses!!
So, i will report my weed-killing results, if i have any. it is a most useful bugspray, at any rate.
Give them a try…..beats Off and Round-up any day! good luck j-lea
