June Gardening In The Low Desert 2000

Start planning now for your fall garden but don't buy seeds that have been out on a rack in hot sun. I save my seeds from season to season by storing them in zip bags in the fridge with packets of powdered milk or silica gel to help keep the moisture out. Since my garden is small, a slightly reduced germination rate from using old seeds is not a problem. Donate seeds that you will not use to school projects or community gardens. This is the time of year that we are most likely to have to deal with plant pests and diseases here in the low desert, so here are some home remedies that may help.

General Purpose Plant Spray Mix ½ tablespoon of baking soda with 1 Tablespoon of insecticidal soap, 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 1 cup water. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar last so the mixture doesn't bubble over. Pour the mixture into a backpack or pump sprayer and add 1 gallon of water. Shake to combine the ingredients. Spray plants weekly to control insects as well as disease. Make sure the spray covers the tops and bottoms of the leaves. It's best to spray in the evenings or early mornings when the air is calm and the sun isn't so strong.

This seems to be a pretty "universal" spray for just about everything. To water in a 2 gallon sprayer add: 2 tsp. baby shampoo 3 tsp. Listerine (store brand is fine) 1 tsp. ammonia Shake it up good and spray away. It's best to start spraying before any real problems show up. Once a week seems to be a good preventative. The baby shampoo is for smaller, sucking insects like aphids and the bigger bugs don't seem to like it much either, the Listerine is for rusts, blights, fungi, and things like black spot, and the ammonia adds some foliar nitrogen and also repels some bugs. If you have one of those sprayers that attach directly to your garden hose, just use 2 parts baby shampoo, 3 parts Listerine, and 1 part ammonia. It's kind of like giving your plants a good washing and is safe for veggies and flowers both.

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