We certainly have aroused the attention of our readers, with a few of our articles, on natural remedies, harmless formulas and medicinal properties of plants. It seems there are thousand of people, who are shying away from chemicals, toxins and drugs and opting for natural alternatives, instead. Some readers have contacted us with their natural remedies and tricks to combat pests in the garden. Dulcie Bradley, from South Africa, wrote in and gave us a whole page, of natural remedies and old housewives’ tips. Thank you Dulcie.

Old wives’ tales are passed on from generation, to generation, as words of wisdom, for the young. They serve as a guide, but also as a warning, to those who are willing to listen. The nature of these tales, is in storytelling tradition and as such, have evolved differently, in different regions. In those days, there were many home remedies, but the problem with these, are that it’s difficult to distinguish between the wise old wives’ tales and the silly old wives’ tales.

Some swear by them and others disregard them as rubbish, but old wives’ tales and natural remedies are as old as gardening itself. So take them with a pinch of salt and see how many you have heard of before and how many more are new.

Garden

a. To get rid of weeds in the garden, throw boiling water on their roots and leaves.
b. To deter pests from your roses, spread grass cuttings at the base of the plant, but not touching the stems.
c. Cloves of garlic next to roses will keep aphids away.
d. Collect dead slugs, worms and other insects in a bottle and fill with water. Let the insects decompose, strain and spray the smelly solution on plants as an insecticide.
e. A lot of people swear by sowing seeds by the phases of the moon. As the moon has such a strong influence on the ocean, they say it must also influence the earth and soil.
f. Play music, sing, or talk to your plants. Apparently this encourages growth and they say it is the reason why household indoor plants do so much better than their outdoor counterparts.
g. Spreading wood ashes (fire soot) around plants, encourages flowering and fruiting.
h. The signs of the zodiac are meaningful for gardening. Believers follow their guides to sow and plant their gardens.
i. Daffodil stems should be knotted, to encourage the next season’s growth.
j. To rid an area of white ants, or termites, mix equal quantities of icing sugar and borax and sprinkle over infected areas.
k. To control snails and slugs, sink a deep tin in the ground. Fill with one part beer and one part sugar water (half litre water to 1 rounded dessert spoon sugar). This is said to be lethal to snails, but harmless to pets. This also kills the codling moth.
l. Use Kalkiebos, or Khaki weed to keep moles away.
m. Sprinkle a little Epsom salts around Parsley plants, to strengthen them.
n. A tablespoon of Methylated spirits, with 1 litre of water, sprayed on ferns, will keep worms away.
o. Empty 2L Coke bottles, filled with water and placed on lawns, will stop animals from   
defecating there.
p. When planting tiny seeds, use a salt cellar, for even distribution.
q. Feed Geraniums with crushed egg shells.
r. When repotting plants, use crumpled up sheets of newspaper, in place of stones. This assists drainage, as the paper is absorbant. The paper will eventually degrade to compost. Then  replace.
s. With carrots, apply 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in a watering can. Water only once like this. It makes for healthier and sweeter carrots and keeps pests at bay.
t. Egg shells, dried in a warmer drawer, crushed and sprinkled around flowers, or plants, will keep snails and slugs away.
u. To kill nuisance weeds in the lawn, sprinkle with salt.
v. To make liquid manure, collect all animal faeces. Take a wheelbarrow full of manure, place in large drum, fill with water and allow to stand for 24 hours. Transfer to watering can and apply to garden. The sediment at the bottom, can be spread on the veggie garden.
w. For treatment of black spot, green fly and black flies, take 125 grams of cigarette ends (or 250  grams if filter tips) and boil them, in 5 litres of water, in an old pot, for half an hour. Strain and dilute with 4 parts of water, to 1 part brew. Add 30 grams of grated soap, or soap powder, to make the solution sticky. Spray on foliage. Also can be placed in a saucer, for common household flies.

Household

a. Take water, that you washed the cat in and sprinkle over area, to keep mice away.
b. A mixture of Sulphur and Molasses, when taken in early spring, provides thickening of the blood, when naturally thinned in the winter.
c. To eliminate small ants in the home, sprinkle baby powder on the trail.
d. To rid an area of fleas, sprinkle baby powder all over the carpet. Leave for 12 hours and vacuum up.
e. A sprig of fresh mint, chopped up and placed in a bowl of water, will keep mosquitoes away.
f. Vanilla essence, sprinkled on a piece of cotton wool and placed in cupboards, will chase 
cockroaches away.
g. Put a Bayleaf in the containers of your flour, rice, beans, oats, mealie meal and cereal, to keep weevils away.

Well, I hope that helps you. There is no harm in trying.

I will close off with an old Chinese proverb.

If you want to be happy for an hour - get drunk.
If you want to be happy for three days - get married.
If you want to be happy for eight days - kill your pig and eat it.
If you want to be happy for ever - make a garden.

If you are one of those who dislike chemicals and prefer natural remedies in your garden and if you love the country living, then get this book “Home And Garden, Country and Rural Life”. It covers garden topics, as well as wildlife, nature and other pastimes. If you are interested in being eco friendly and protecting the environment and if you are sick of the rat race and dream of relaxing in the rural country environment, then you should read this book on the good life. Titled Home And Garden - Country And Rural Life, it will show you how to best enjoy your garden, the birds and bees, how to raise chickens and goats and even how to bake your own bread. Change your lifestyle, by reading this book. Take a look here http://dersalsites.com/hag/  

Sally Robson is an up and coming, South African internet marketer, with a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet. She and her husband Derek, have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. She also has a passion for gardening.

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For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally’s website at http://www.dersalsites.com/gardening/
and her blog at http://dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips

For more on internet marketing, South African business, list building, law of attraction and rugby, visit Derek’s blog at: http://dersalsites.com/southafricanbusiness/

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