Video - Starting Your Spring Garden

If you've got spring fever, this short video might give you inspiration to get your garden started, even if it's not quite warm enough outside to get out there yet. The timely video will show you how to get a head start on the garden season, by starting some seeds indoors, using an easy and affordable garden kit. This one's great for getting your kids involved too! (See below for some resources like the ones shown in the video - at prices ranging from dirt-cheap to the premium model.)

Check it out, and get inspired!

Starting Your Spring Garden
Early Show contributor and gardening expert Ahmed Hassan spoke to Harry Smith about starting an outdoor garden for the spring indoors including using an indoor garden kit and lightweight potting soil.


Indoor Garden Starting Kits, from Basic to Super-Deluxe:
    

Spring CSA Update

Well, I've got about a month left in my Winter veggie CSA, so just thought I'd post an update. Although I am mightily tired of turnips right now, it has definitely been my best winter ever, food-wise, and I don't think I'll ever return to grocery store vegetables (other than while in between CSAs - a just-right span of about 6 weeks). Having fresh salads, greens, and other yummy organic locally grown food all winter was often the only bright spot in each long, cold, wintery week. It felt like it just gave a little taste of spring in each reusable bag.... (Below is a picture of my share from a month or so ago. It's a bit hard to see through the bags, but contents included kale, turnips, carrots, shitake mushrooms, spinach, salad mix, and sunflower sprouts. Not bad for February in Ohio!)

Winter CSA contents.

I am definitely looking forward to the variety of summer, however! As awesome as fresh salad greens are, I am really excited for green beans, tomatoes, corn, and all the other summer fare. Don't get me wrong, they do have a nice variety (and decent quantity) during the winter, but shitake mushrooms, spinach, and turnips can eventually get a little repetitive. Luckily lately we've been blessed with some different types of greens (kale, Swiss chard, collards, etc.), and I think there are some other fun things coming soon as well. But it's nice to know that summer is on its way!

In the meantime, if you're like me, in need of some new recipes for your CSA goodies, be sure to check out our Cooking From Scratch blog for recipes I post that frequently include CSA ingredients. (I just posted one yesterday for a Shitake Mushroom & Spinach Pizza that was amazing!)

Picking the Right Gardening Tools

If you’re thinking about taking your gardening seriously and growing a lot of your own food this year, then you will want to get the right garden tools to help you in this. You might be tempted to go out to the store and just buy the nearest things you see, but you’ll be much happier and more productive in your gardening if you put some thought into the styles and types of tools you’re buying. There are styles designed just for gardening, and you’ll be better off buying those.

Image via WikipediaYou can find most of the tools you will need at your local gardening or home improvement store. Usually the employees will be happy to assist you in finding the ideal tools. If you go to a shop that specializes in gardening, you can usually get some advice in addition to service. Gardening store employees are usually an untapped wealth of wisdom, and they can be a great resource.

If you are having a hard time finding the right tool or if you want to save some money, you might try looking online for the supplies you need. You’ll have to pay the shipping costs and wait an extra week or two, but often if you buy more than one tool, the total savings will be worth it. (You should always buy from a reputable seller, though, and search around beforehand for anything negative that people had to say about their buying experience. Amazon.com has some good deals, and you can find buyer feedback for most of their sellers.)

Image via WikipediaAs far as basic digging tools go, you might already have all you’ll need. There are several types that you should get though, for different specific tasks. A round point shovel is good for digging holes for plants. A spade is necessary for all the more intricate work. Some people say a garden fork is not a necessity, but I've found it is one of my most-used tools - I don't think I'd even have a garden right now without one! I guess it depends on whether you are digging your garden yourself, or creating a raised bed using store-bought soil. If you are digging in existing soil, you will definitely want a digging fork, especially if the area has not been gardened in for a while (or ever). Having these different varieties of digging tools can help you to minimize the work you have to do. For example, if you try digging a big hole with a little spade then you’ll end up rather tired. The same goes if you are attempting to do more detailed work with a big clumsy shovel.

A rake is an absolute necessity for many gardeners. You most likely already have one, but I’m guessing it’s a lawn rake and not a garden rake. There is definitely a difference, and if you try to use a lawn rake in a garden then you will not be happy with the results. Same if you buy a grading or a contractor’s rake. You’ll want to look for a bowhead rake. I’ve found these are the best for gardening purposes. They will provide you the maximum control and accuracy, so you don’t accidentally tear up your precious plants.

As far as hoes go, I don’t believe any gardener should have less than 3. There are so many useful varieties on the market that I have a hard time recommending just one, and that’s why I’ll tell you all the ones I usually use. The one I use the most is the onion hoe, which is very lightweight and ideal for small cultivations and weeding. The Warren hoe is a larger model, with a pointed end. If you need to make a hole or dig out a pesky weed, this is the one for you. There are several other varieties, but I recommend starting with the ones I mentioned. As you progress in your gardening savvy, you will find the need for more types.

Most people believe that gardening just consists of a simple spade. But there are many, many tools with many more variations that you will use in your gardening career. Usually you can start with just a few different tools, but you’ll always find that you can use more varieties for special situations. It’s just a matter of recognizing when one tool could be more efficient than another.

(For some more info and recommendations on gardening tools, be sure to visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html and sign up for the free weekly sustainable gardening newsletter.)

A Few Good Garden Tools to Check Out:
        

Vegetable Gardening Tips

As you are getting your garden in shape for spring planting, you may want to keep these helpful tips in mind.

Image via WikipediaWith the costs of living rising all the time, it may be possible to save money and increase your family's health at the same time by growing vegetables in your backyard.

It's a good idea to choose your favorite vegetables to grow and plan beds for early, middle of the season and late varieties. Planning ahead in this manner can ensure that you will have yummy veggies in your garden all season.

Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, some need 8. Some quick growers like lettuce and radish can be grown between the rows of plants that take longer to mature, like beet or corn, thus making full use of the area available. (This is especially helpful when working with limited garden space.)

Throughout dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more of water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

Image via WikipediaDuring the growing season watch for insect pests. If you discover a bug problem early it will be much easier, but be careful to not use pesticides once the vegetable are close to being picked unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Organic gardening is the most healthy and environment-friendly option. Once you have reaped your crop, put the vegetable waste into your compost pile so that it can be recycled for next spring.

It is also important to protect your vegetable garden from wild animals looking for a tasty treat. Make sure your garden is surrounded by a fence that will keep out dogs, rabbits, and other animals. The harm done by wandering animals during one season can equal the cost of a fence. A fence also can serve as a frame for peas, beans, tomatoes, and other crops that need support. Protection is needed in order for your vegetable garden to yield a bountiful harvest.

Proper planning ahead of time can ensure that you have a bountiful harvest from your vegetable garden this year.

How Do You Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden?

Well, it's officially spring!  Which also means it is the commencement of my yearly battle with squirrels. This year's battle has been particularly vicious already. Since we are still over a month away from last frost here, I haven't done a ton of outside gardening yet, except for preparing the bed where I want to plant potatoes, by transplanting a few herbs and lettuces that wintered over, and planting some onion sets yesterday evening.

Image via WikipediaThe squirrels had only recently started digging, and I wasn't too concerned since not too much has been planted yet. This week that all changed.... One beautiful little cilantro plant has now been dug up entirely, not once, not twice, but THREE times in the past 4 days! And I mean all the way - roots bare as can be, torn out and thrown to the side of the bed. It survived the first two times okay, since I caught it early and replanted it. The third time (today) the poor thing looked so sad I wanted to cry....  And there were about 10 holes in the bed where I planted the onion sets, but I'm not actually sure if they got any of them or not.  Anyway, I think I would literally strangle the thing with my bare hands if I could just catch one!

So what do you all do to deal with squirrels in the garden? I would love to hear some ideas! I've tried spreading human hair (from a friend who worked in a barber shop - don't get worried that I'm into some weird hair fetish!) :-)  in the area, as I heard from someone that that worked. I've tried cayenne pepper (which seemed to help keep things from EATING plants, but not so much with the digging), fencing (somehow they always get in anyway), and of course, the most effective method so far - chasing them with a stick! Which, though rewarding in itself, only works if I'm home, and happen to see them while they are there (squirrels don't seem to have much of a memory for danger unfortunately).

This video I found suggests cinnamon as well - maybe I should try that? The other two ideas I just read about are peppermint oil (soaked cottonballs), and castor oil - both of which I have yet to try. (If either of them works for me I will post and let you know!)

Has anyone found anything else that really works?

Garden Maintenance : How to Repel Squirrels
To repel squirrels from digging up flower bulbs, sprinkle cinnamon, cayenne pepper or red chili pepper around the base of trees and around flower beds, as they do not enjoy the smell and the strong spices burn their feet. Keep squirrels at a distance...

The Dirty Paybacks: Advantages of Composting

Composting  may literally be viewed as a dirty job. Depending on the type of composting process that you attempt, you may find yourself immersed in dirt and other external elements that other people normally wouldn't want to get involved with....

Image via WikipediaHowever, the dirt has its own paybacks, and here are just some of the advantages of composting that you may want to tell your friends about if you are to convince them that composting is worth their time as well as yours. 

1. It agrees with nature.

The very first advantage of composting is that it agrees with nature. It is all-natural and you will not have to clash with the forces of nature to be able to do it. In fact, you are actually contributing to the natural scheme of things if you are constantly taking care of your compost pile.

2. It helps the people involved to be more meticulous and mindful.

Composting requires rigorous monitoring. The ratio of Carbon to Nitrogen, the temperature of the compost materials, and also the activity in the compost as it develops need to be closely monitored to ensure that it will not go passive and yield less than its maximum potential. Being able to take good care of your compost not only helps nature but it also helps you become more mindful of your surroundings and the workings of the earth and nature.

Image via Wikipedia3. It allows you to make good use of organic materials which would have otherwise been counted as trash.

Composting lessens the garbage in your home. Since what you would otherwise put in your garbage bag may now be placed in the compost pit, it will also help you in your garbage management. On a larger scale, there will be less need for dumping site spaces and less probability for landslides on mounds of garbage being added to on a frequent basis.

4. It's flexible: you can add or subtract materials as you go along.

The flexibility of composting materials lies in the fact that most of the materials are readily available anywhere. You can add or subtract materials at any time you please and in any conceivable quantity just as long as it doesn't interfere with the ratios you are maintaining for your compost.

5. There are numerous resources and support groups online and offline.

Support groups are readily available for composting enthusiasts on a global scale. Especially with the emergence of global warming issues, the need for environmental solutions is on the forefront. A good way to expand one's network and establish ties that last with other like-minded individuals is to participate in related groups and engage in activities that are universal. Composting is one such activity.

Image via Wikipedia6. For farmers, it brings in higher revenue.

Farmers can be more profitable if they yield better crops from better soil. Better soil can be obtained by having healthy compost to fertilize their land. This can actually increase their profits and keep the sources of the profits healthy and thriving for all seasons, which contributes to the health and prosperity of your local community.

7. It costs virtually nothing.

Aside from the manual labor and the gathering of materials readily available  virtually anywhere, composting costs nothing - God does all the work! The actual costs are inconsequential compared to the returns that composting can bring the people and the planet.

Overall, composting accelerates positive and holistic processes which are beneficial for plants, animals and humans.

Making Your Uwn Compost Bin

With spring just around the corner, it is already time to start thinking compost! The sooner you get your compost going, the faster you will have great compost to add to your garden. Even if it isn't quite warm enough to get some good composting action under way just yet, you can at least begin preparing for the season. If you intend to make your own compost pile, it would be nice to make an enclosure or compost bin for your convenience and general neatness. There are a number of compost bins commercially available in various garden stores (see below for some examples). You can buy one if you have the money, or you can make your own compost bin fairly easily. It’s really not that difficult and the materials you need are not that hard to find.

Image via WikipediaSome commercially available compost bins have their own systems or devices for turning over the compost. Some have harvesting trays or mechanisms for easier collection. But those things are just add-ons and are made for added convenience for the consumer. You really don’t need such stuff. All you really need is a basic enclosure to keep the compost materials from being scattered around the area (and hopefully keep the animals out).

Possibly the only limitations you have in making your compost bin is the amount of imagination and ingenuity you have. Fortunately, you can look in your storage room or garage and look for suitable materials and most likely you will find some quite suitable ones. They can be made from heavy plastics or wood or tin. Like I said, it’s just a matter of how you handle the “paints” to create a “masterpiece”.

One of my suggestions would be using a wire mesh, a couple of wood planks or even pipes. The idea would be like creating a simple wired fence around your compost pile with the pieces of wooden plans or pipes as support. You can tie the wire mesh to the pipes or planks to make it more secure. The shape is up to you. You can make it round, square, rectangular or even triangle shaped.

Just keep in mind that you will need to have easy access to the compost pile to turn it over at least once each week. You can create a doorway in the wire mesh or you can make your enclosure in such a way that you can easily lift and put back the whole enclosure.

Image via WikipediaAlso, if you have some left over wooden slats from an old fence or wooden planks from an old shed, I’m sure you can assemble a quite sturdy compost bin in your backyard. Just make sure to let the air in by allowing spaces between the wooden boards. This will keep the air flowing inside the compost pile and make decomposition quicker. If you have enough loose boards lying around, you can create a dresser-type compost bin complete with a door with hinges for easy access to the compost pile.

You can even fashion one from a garbage can. Look for an old discarded can where you can afford to experiment without being scolded by your wife or your mother later on. What you need to do is punch a few holes in your garbage can to allow the air to circulate through the composting materials. Then just put your composting materials inside the can. Before you cover it, wet the materials inside until they appear damp.

You can turn over or roll it around to let the materials mix while always keeping the compost pile damp. In a few months, you should be able to get satisfactory results from all your effort.

You see, making your own compost bin is very easy. You just need to consider the following fundamentals: air should flow inside the bin, you should have quick access to the compost pile or the ability to easily turn and mix the contents, and you should be able to wet the pile when needed.

Some Commercially Available Compost Bins:
    

Spring Is Near! Meditating on the Spiritual Side of Gardening

Today we were blessed with brilliant sunshine, strong winds, and temperatures in the 50's, and already my heart is celebrating garden season! Realistically I know that here in Central Ohio we are still a good 6 weeks from any in-depth planting and such, but hey, a girl can dream....  I celebrated by starting some in-door seedlings, cleaning out some old dead stems and such from the garden area, checking my compost, and spending much time mulling over what I will plant, and where.

These practical considerations aside, however, I was reminded today of the more spiritual side of gardening. I know we don't talk much about spirituality here, but regardless of your belief system (I am a Christian), one has got to admit that part of the reason we love to garden is that it ties us into a greater whole - the cycle of life, contributing to the life and health of the planet, and such. Sustainable gardening is one way to bring us into a closer connection with the life of the planet we live on - something that many of us in modern life are really missing out on.

Image by easegill via FlickrThink about it - most of us live in a warm house built of various materials that separate us from the outside world, we drive to work (rather than having our feet meet the earth), work in an enclosed office space with sealed windows and no connection to the outdoors, and come home to sit in front of the TV and watch fictional stories about other people whom we have never met.

Our connection to the natural world for most of us (and I'm including myself) is for the most part non-existent.  We no longer have to work the land - to dig into the earth, feed it, water it, nourish it, maintain it in order to feed ourselves and our families. We no longer rely on a close-knit community to help each other grow and produce the goods we use (we get them shipped on trucks from thousands of miles away, grown and produced people we never meet or talk to). We watch the weather forecast for signs of what to wear, or what the morning commute will be like - we don't check the outside conditions for optimal growing and planting. We may open the windows on our way to work, or think what a beautiful day it is, as we head to the shopping mall, or lie beside a concrete swimming pool. And while all these luxuries and freedoms may be a blessing in some ways, in other ways, we have let them cut us off from the world that God made for us to live in and be stewards over.

I think gardening gives us a way to tap into this - to find that missing connection in some way. What do you think?

Video - Planting a Fruit Tree

Here is a quick video on the most important considerations to think about when planting a fruit tree. Tips for location, soil consideration, choosing a good tree, digging your hole, planting depth, mulching, and more are covered here. This will definitely be a helpful resource for you if you are planting your first tree.

How To Plant A Fruit Tree
Dave Wilson Nursery goes over the finer points of planting a fruit tree.

What to Look for When Buying a Fruit Tree

Although the process of growing and caring for a tree is generally challenging and even difficult at times, sometimes one of the hardest parts is choosing which kind you want. You have to choose between the many sizes, fruits, and other attributes. The different sizes include: dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard. Your choice can affect everything about your growing experience, including the amount of work you have to put in and the amount of rewards (fruit) you will obtain.

Image by vigilant20 via FlickrDwarf trees are ideal if you only have a limited amount of open space in your yard. They take up as little as only an eight-foot diameter plot of land. Although dwarf fruit trees are smaller than the others, their fruit is just the same size and the shortness makes them easier to prune and harvest. Dwarf fruit trees aren’t known for living quite as long as larger fruit trees. They begin to bear fruit after three to five years, so if you are going to buy a dwarf fruit tree from a nursery you should always check and see how old it is.

Semi-dwarf trees are medium sized, and when they are full grown they take up a fifteen-foot diameter. A semi-dwarf fruit tree's height can range from as low as ten feet to as high as sixteen feet. To keep them from getting too large you should prune them at least once a year. Occasionally semi-dwarf fruit trees take a season off and produce little or no fruit, but usually they produce hundreds of fruits every year. Many people enjoy having semi dwarf fruit trees because they produce more fruit than a dwarf tree, and they are generally easier to harvest and maintain than a standard fruit tree.

Standard sized fruit trees take up much more area than the smaller tree varieties, and they are also harder to keep manageable and to harvest all of the fruit. If you do not prune them at least once a year they can grow as large as thirty feet. If you are just looking for a good tree to provide you with plenty of delicious fruit and to keep your yard shady, a standard sized tree would be the perfect tree for you. Standard sized fruit trees take a very long time to reach their full height, but they usually begin to bear fruit after only three to five years.

Image via WikipediaThe best variety of fruit tree to buy would be one that carries fruit and does well in your area, because a local fruit tree takes less work and grows the best. It is also more sustainable, as it requires less care and inputs. Although fruit trees bearing other, more exotic kinds of fruit may seem more exciting, they usually won't grow as well in your area. That’s not to say it’s impossible. You can definitely try to grow a more exotic tree, but it will take much more commitment and time.

Another factor involved in deciding on a type of tree is what kind of soil you have, because some trees do better in damp soil while others are better suited for drier soil. If it rains often in your area you would do well to plant a plum tree. But if you do not get very much rain you would do better to plant a pear tree or an apple tree. Before choosing which type of fruit tree you would like, consult your local nursery or gardening guru to find out which trees would do well in your area.

Other things that you should look for while looking for a fruit tree at the nursery are things like how sturdy it is, if all of the branches are evened out, how straight the tree stands, the condition of the roots that support the tree, the length of the stem, and the height of the fruit from the ground. Making a careful and deliberate decision can mean the difference between having a great supply of delicious home-grown fruit on your kitchen counter, and having the stunted fruit from your lopsided tree being eaten by animals all day long.

Resources for Growing Fruit Trees:
       

Picking the Ideal Spot for Your Fruit Tree

When growing a fruit tree, choosing the right place to plant it is very important. One thing that you have to consider is its proximity to a building, electric line, side walk, or any other thing that might disrupt its growing. Once you have planted a fruit tree, the chances of digging it up and changing its spot without killing it are very slim. Therefore you must always be sure you know which size fruit tree you have (dwarf, semi dwarf, or standard) and how big it will end up being once it is an adult. Dwarf trees need an area with an eight-foot diameter to grow. Semi-dwarf fruit trees can grow up to fifteen feet wide. Standard fruit trees can grow as wide as thirty feet. To keep the size of your fruit tree(s) at whatever level is best for you, be sure to prune them at least once a year. (See next post for more on choosing the right type of tree for your garden.)

Image via WikipediaAnother thing that you have to consider when planting a fruit tree is whether or not it is getting all of the sunlight it needs to survive. You also have to be sure it doesn't get too much sunlight. If your tree doesn't get just the right amount of sun, it may either grow much more slowly, produce little to no fruit, or even die. Be sure that you do not plant it where the sunlight will be blocked by something. Also be sure that it isn't being constantly hit be the sun at every moment of the day. Either of these can be fatal to the tree, depending on what type of tree you are growing.

An important thing to keep in mind when choosing a spot for your fruit tree is whether your spot will be convenient for watering, harvesting, and pruning. A place that would not be good to plant a fruit tree is too close to your house or your fence. Any of these things could get in the way of you harvesting and pruning. If your tree grows over your fence the fruit could drop into your neighbor's yard, which might seem like a nice thing but would probably offend some people. You should also be sure to plant your tree where it will be easy to water; if you already have a sprinkler system in your yard you could put your tree where the sprinkler could reach it. If you do not have a sprinkler system installed, you should put the tree within reach of your hose. 

Image via WikipediaOne of the most important things of all to keep in mind when planting a fruit tree is whether or not your soil in your yard is suitable for your tree. You have to make sure that is has enough nutrients, it has enough moisture, there is proper water drainage so your tree doesn't drown, and it is the right texture. If your soil doesn't have these traits then your tree won't grow very well or produce good fruit. You can always alter your soil to be more suitable for your tree. One way that you can find out what kind of soil you have is by taking a sample of it and taking it to a lab. It may be expensive, but they can test it for what nutrients it has the most of. You'll have the results back in a couple of days. You can also purchase a home soil test kit. If your soil is low in nutrients, you can go to your local nursery, or any other store with gardening supplies, and get fertilizer according to what your soil is most lacking in.

After you have checked on all of these things, you are finally ready to go choose what kind of fruit tree you want and get ready to plant it. When you are choosing your tree keep in mind the spot you picked, and buy the tree that would do best in that spot. The worst thing that can possibly happen is devoting time and money to growing a tree, only to end up having to remove it because of poor planning.

Video - Starting a Window Sill Herb Garden

Here is a great short video on starting an indoor herb garden that you can grow year-round on your windowsill, or plant inside in the winter and then plant (or move the pots) outside when it gets warm enough. This way you can have fresh herbs for all your favorite recipes, whatever the time of year. Just pick a few of your favorite herbs, and get planting!

Gardening Tips : How to Start a Window Sill Herb Garden
When starting a window sill herb garden, it's important to grow herbs that are going to be used regularly, such as oregano, rosemary and chives. Find out how to start herb gardens by seed with help from a sustainable gardener in this free video on ga...

Indoor Herb Gardening Resources:
    

Sustainable Gardening News

With spring just around the corner, if you're anything like me, you're starting to get really excited about the upcoming garden season. Here are some good recent articles to give you something to think about, and tantalize your gardening "taste buds" in the meantime. Learn about planting heirloom seeds to preserve your environment, and gardening holistically, and also we included a link to a GREAT resource for all sustainable gardeners (you will definitely want to keep that last one on file).

Plant organic heirloom seeds for sustainable gardening | Go Green Zine
Many people don't realize it, but often the seeds and seedlings that they use to plant their garden have a negative impact on the environment, which could be avoided with the use of organic heirloom seeds. This is because of upstream ...
Publish Date: 02/16/2011 17:32
http://www.gogreenzine.com/plant-organic-heirloom-seeds-sustainable-gardening/

Sustainability In Your Own Garden — First Tuesday Blog
To me, when I think of a sustainable garden, I think of it as a system; one that encompasses a variety of elements such as soil, water, permeability, plants and habitat. And when these elements are modified and improved we discover that ...
Publish Date: 02/27/2011 0:13
http://firsttuesdayblog.com/sustainability-in-your-own-garden/

Sustainable Gardening Resources | DarienLibrary.org
An online community of over 20000 people who are interested in achieving higher levels of "food self-reliance" through kitchen gardening and sustainable local food. Q&As are arranged by vegetable/fruit, and the site includes recipes, ...
Publish Date: 02/04/2011 11:59
http://www.darienlibrary.org/2011/02/04/sustainable-gardening-resources

Using Soaps as a Natural Insecticide

Soap sounds harmless enough.  We wash our bodies with it, clean our vehicles with it, wash our dishes with it, and blow bubbles with it.  But if our children drink it, it will make them sick.  Toddlers have innocent, strange ideas of what might be tasty!  Our toddlers aren't the only ones in our society that can become sick from soaps.

Soaps of different sorts are used as insecticides, and can be very helpful for both indoor gardening, when used properly.  A commercially sold soap called Neem oil soap is an oily solution which can work as both a repellent and as a fungicide.  However, it can sometimes interfere with the health of delicate plants, weak plants, new transplants, and drought stressed plants.  The oil draws the sun to the leaf surface and can harm blossoms.  It doesn't work well with plants like the bleeding heart, gardenia, and lantana.  So, be sure to test it on a small area and give it a full day to see if any wilting occurs before you apply it to larger areas.

Some people control wasps by spraying them with a dishwashing liquid solution.  But dishwashing soap solutions can harm some of your plants.  Any detergents that contain ingredients to dissolve grease can hurt the outer protective layers of plants that need these protective layers for survival.  Insecticidal soaps are not your everyday soaps found in the kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom.  You wouldn't want to wash your baby with the same shampoo you use on your dog to control fleas!

There are many different types of soaps that we use in our homes for daily use that can be used to control insects, though.  Controlling and repelling are not necessarily the same as destroying. Soaps also work to kill insects by penetrating the outer covering to cause cell leakage and dehydration. 

Image by scriptingnews via FlickrIf you need to protect your personal plants with your own homemade soap solutions, just make sure you know how to mix them properly and which plants won't tolerate them well.  Also, learn which soaps to use.  Palmolive, Joy, Dawn, Ivory, Dove, Tide, and Murphy's Oil Soap are some that are often used for insect control.

Soaps lose their effectiveness once they're dry.  Homemade recipes don't always have complete instructions. You should research before making them and be leery of buying any from someone else.  Automatic dishwashing detergents are not recommended.  If someone has used the wrong soap, it could harm your plants.  You also don't want to apply during the heat of the day or in sunlight since the use of soaps could burn your plants. You may need to condition hard water to be able to mix it with insecticidal soaps.  You may have to add a de-foaming agent as well.

Soaps are generally safe for ladybugs and predaceous wasps.  These are beneficial insects that help your garden and plants thrive.  Not all types of the same insect are harmful to us.  Predaceous wasps don't sting or bite.  It's important to know which insects to keep and which to remove or destroy.