IN THE GARDEN: Native plants database; repelling aphids
Keep reading for what to plant to repel aphids.
Native plants are the most important factor in helping the birds. Only native plants play host to the insects they need. Native plants need little water, except when incredibly young, and do not need pesticides.
So please, whether you have a small city lot or a farm/ranch, make a resolution to do more in the next year, even if it’s just a small start. Visit the Audubon’s native plant database online and enter your ZIP code for a list of about 300 suitable varieties for the region.
SIDE NOTE: We are excited about the Audubon database. Not only will it give you a list of native plants for our area, you can also filter for particular species of birds.
APHID QUESTION
Good morning, gurus Bill and Martelle: Dave and I have three keyhole gardens that have been very happy up until this last planting when the aphids or some other small flying thing took bites out of our lacinato kale and such. Crazy, since no one likes kale, right?
What kind of flower can we plant interspersed through the gardens to discourage bugs? Whatever we plant can’t be invasive or bushy to take up too much space.
We did all the organic home remedies, but the bugs just had a good laugh.
Looking forward to your sage advice — Helen, lazy Master Naturalist.
ANSWER: Helen, to deter laughing aphids from your keyhole gardens, we would suggest planting basil, spearmint, garlic, or onion sets. Clover, mint, dill, fennel, and yarrow attract insects that are predators to aphids. Catnip, garlic, chives, onion, and allium are aphid repellers. Probably don’t want catnip in your keyhole garden, which would be trading one nuisance for another. The mint would be low enough not to hinder the beauty of your garden.
What we would HIGHLY suggest is setting up hummingbird feeders in about a month when the birds arrive. They LOVE aphids and other small flying things. Last year, after the freeze, aphids were chowing down on a large, backyard Ashe tree to the extent that having to cut it down was a possibility. Then, the hummers came, and all of the aphid and small flying pest problems were solved.
MONTHLY DUTIES
1. Put out your onion sets.
2. Lawn care: Spray Medina soil activator and top-dress your lawn with compost.
3. Keep flower beds and garden plots free from trash and debris.
4. Chip your cleared cedar (Ashe juniper) and put it on your soil as mulch instead of burning it.
5. With the arrival of Valentine’s Day, it is time to prune your roses.
6. Last chance to apply corn gluten to your lawns. Do NOT apply corn gluten to your garden or flower gardens.
7. Start tomato and pepper seeds indoors.
8. Plant cool-weather veggies.
9. Plant all hardy perennial herbs (ex: chives, oregano, and thyme).
10. Plant cool-weather annuals or biennials such as dill, fennel, and parsley.
11. Plant potatoes mid-month, between the presidential holidays.
Keep your souls and soles in your garden! Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, “I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener.” John 15:1
“In the Garden” is written by daughter-father gardening team Martelle and Bill Luedecke. If you have gardening questions, contact Martelle at 512-769-3179 or luedeckephotography@gmail.com or Bill at 512-577-1463 or bill@texasland.net.