I would go for the "shock and awe" approach
.... doubt 2 plants would help much
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| Biological Warfare !!!!! http://byfarming.backyardmagazines.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=320 |
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| Author: | pathfinder_05 [ Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:37 am ] |
| Post subject: | Biological Warfare !!!!! |
Howdy gang, Does anyone know the effective range of a Marigold against the little green aphid type pests? I'm about to deploy a two plant biological warfare team - it will be an overt mission due to their striking orange and yellow flowers. My garden is 3m x 9m. Will the 2 plant crack special ops team be enough or should I go for the 'shock and awe' approach and insert a full platoon of Marigolds? All help will be greatly appreciated and handled in the strictest confidence. This topic will self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ...................................... |
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| Author: | Tristrin [ Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
I would go for the "shock and awe" approach .... doubt 2 plants would help much
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| Author: | earthbound [ Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
hahhaha...... I'm a bit down on some of the natural remedies... Planting onion family around other plants I was told would keep away aphids, our chives have been wiped out at the shop by masses of aphids.... |
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| Author: | gnash [ Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
I would think you would need more than two....I'm all for biological remedies but they never appear to work as well as pesticides. My theory is if you want x amount of produce plant twice as much 
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| Author: | pathfinder_05 [ Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
The Problem Attachment: problem.JPG [ 59.35 KiB | Viewed 18837 times ] Up close! (a damn fine photo I must say!) Attachment: bug.jpg [ 214.9 KiB | Viewed 18837 times ] The solution! (please don't say these aren't marigolds!) Attachment: solution.JPG [ 97.06 KiB | Viewed 18837 times ] ......................................................... I had to add these because I just know how you all love photos - especially my well taken ones that are potentially award winning. |
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| Author: | Axl [ Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
I think I read somewhere that it was something like a sq metre or so of companion plants for each produce plant. So if you had one row of Food plants you would need about 50cm of Marigolds on each side of the row to have any effect. Of course I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure 1 or 2 plants won't cut it 
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| Author: | Simo [ Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:46 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
Not sure about marigolds (and I believe what you have pictured are marigolds) but I noticed that the cabbages I had planted amongst masses of rocket had no aphids, catapillars or insect damage of any kind untill I ripped the rocket up, then it was open season. May have just been a coincidence  but worth a try as rocket tastes better than marigold.
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| Author: | earthbound [ Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
They are petunias......... Only joking.. |
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| Author: | Snags [ Sat Jan 15, 2011 4:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
I have marigolds everywhere it seems to work Collect the seeds and you will have millions for next year. They don't work on grass hoppers though. I am falling in love with my Cane toads though ,I had heaps of them running through my veggie patch eating bugs. Kookies ate a few toads and they seem ok(slapped them for ages before they ate them), don't think the snakes and goannas would be happy after eating one though. |
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| Author: | Faye [ Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
Mmmm, I hadn't heard of marigolds being effective against aphids. Marigolds are said to repel nematodes. And they are pretty marigolds after all. Have you named them. I personally would deploy ladybirds! |
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| Author: | Simo [ Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
After I ripped up all my rocket this year my Kale (collard greens) got absolutely hammered by cabbage moth (butterfly) catapillars and aphids, by the time I saw them the damage was extensive so I thought I would leave the plagued plants in as a sacrifical plant so the catapillars and aphids would hopefully leave the rest of the garden alone. This was a risk as they could have just moved on to the other plants as the numbers increased. A few weeks later nature provided a solution to my infestation, the bad bugs had attracted a huge number of lady bugs to eat the aphids and tiny little black wasps of which I delighted in watching fly from catapillar to catapillar carfully depositing a wasp egg into each of their fat little kale digesting guts to hatch at a later date .The garden ecosystem in now in balance and the lady bugs have hung around so they are still doing their job  I love permaculture  nature has an answer for each problem
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| Author: | earthbound [ Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
Good to hear Simo.... Yeah, so often we think we are the smart ones with the answers.... Only when you realize that you don't have the answer do you actually have the answer... 
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| Author: | pathfinder_05 [ Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
Yes, Simo ..... nice one! Unfortunately my small garden is so well wrapped up in sun screening that the normal flow of bugs and natural life just doesn't happen - I'm even having to pollinate everything myself. Also living in a city there are less bugs as well - except the ones munching away right now. |
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| Author: | big worm [ Mon Jan 31, 2011 3:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Biological Warfare !!!!! |
many years ago i had a old timer tell me that the marigold thing worked well, he had them bordering his entire garden. one other trick is to make little pests think that your veggies are something they don't like. in the past i have ground up very hot dried peppers then put a couple of spoons of them into a small spray bottle filled with warm water, and few drops of dish dertergent to help it stick. this is effective but rain or watering the leaves washes it off, and pepper mix can hurt your eyes or other parts so be careful.{don't scratch yer bum} i have also ground fresh capsium leaves with some effect. have you ever noticed that bugs don't eat peppers? well american bugs anyways, ya'll got some strange stuff down under. |
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