Organic Pest Control

Here's how to keep your garden thriving.

• Practice good hygiene in orchard and never leave fruit to rot on the ground.

• Bronze orange bug give away their presence by their foul smell. The young pale green nymphs appear in winter, their colour changes through orange to bronze as they grow to adults. They can be serious pests in some areas, causing flower and fruit drop by sucking on the stalks. Hand removal is possible, use a bucket of hot water to knock the bugs into. Wear protective goggles, long sleeves and gloves as the caustic fluid squirted by these bugs is very dangerous and painful, particularly to the eyes.

• The adult spined citrus bug has projecting horns on either side of its head, the young change colour from yellow through orange and finally to green. They attack the fruit, causing shedding of the young fruit and dry patches in mature fruit. Control by hand picking.

• Collar Rot is a soil fungus that attacks the tree trunk at ground level and if left untreated can kill the tree. The first signs of Collar Rot are splitting, oozing bark and yellowing foliage. Cutting the bark back with a sharp knife or chisel until undamaged bark is reached is the main treatment. Avoid wetting the trunk when watering and take steps to improve air circulation and soil drainage.

• Check for the characteristic lumps or galls of Citrus Gall Wasp on lemons and grapefruits on young branches and twigs in late winter. Prune off any affected twigs before August and burn. If there are tiny holes in the gall, then it is too late.

• Scab is a fungal disease that affects young fruit particularly lemons, causing raised light brown corky scabs on the fruit surface. Good hygiene and improving air circulation will help. More information on fungal disease

• Citrus Leaf Miner causes ugly distorted leaves with silvery trails in the leaf tissue, especially in spring and summer. Pest Oil is a non-toxic control, spray when new growth is about 1 cm long and reapply every 2-3 weeks.

• Scale are sap-sucking insects with small, round shells and are often found along the veins of leaves and the stems of plants. They look like small bumps and can be mistaken for part of the plant, as adults do not move. Eggs are laid under the scale shell and immature ‘crawlers’ emerge. Crawlers can be moved around by wind, by ants, or by hitching a ride on a bird’s leg. Scale in large numbers cause leaf yellowing, leaf drop and dieback of twigs and limbs. In very large numbers red scale (pictured) or white louse scale can seriously damage or kill young citrus trees. To control white louse scale, spray with Lime Sulphur in winter, other scale outbreaks can be controlled with Pest Oil, which works by smothering the scale. Some soft scales, including white wax scale and black scale, secrete large amounts of ‘honeydew’, which causes problems by sticking to the lower leaves where it is fed on by a fungus called Black sooty mould. Honeydew also attracts ants, which feed on it. The ants can ‘farm’ the scale, protect them from predators. So the first step is always to control any ants, as without their protection the abundance of natural enemies in an organic garden will usually be able to keep scales under control. Keep ants out of your trees by banding the trunks with horticultural glue. Prune any low branches that are touching the ground and make sure tall stems of grass aren’t providing an alternative route for the ants. Improving the environment for the natural predators of scale is a long-term strategy that will pay off over time. Natural enemies of scale include ladybeetles, lacewings, spiders and tiny parasitoid wasps. Many beneficial insects that feed on garden pests need nectar and pollen for food during part of their lifecycle. Growing a year-round supply of suitable flowers such as Good Bug Mix will maintain beneficial insect populations throughout the year. Small insect-eating birds are also helpful in controlling scale; attract them by providing safe nest sites and a constant supply of water. More information on scale

• Black sooty mould is a fungus that feeds on honeydew. Honeydew is produced by a range of insects including aphid, scale, mealybug and planthopper. Sooty moulds makes a plant look unattractive and interferes with photosynthesis.

• Other pests of citrus include: spider mite; mealybug; aphid; whitefly; fruit fly; snails

Source: http://www.lifestyle.com.au/gardening/organic-pest-control.aspx

Organic Gardening Step By Step Guide

If green is the new black, then organic gardening is the hottest new hobby taking backyards by storm. Once confined to the uber healthy out there, organic gardens are now popping up in communities across Australia, offering locals a place to garden socially and somewhere to get fresh, healthy produce.

Starting an organic garden in your own backyard isn’t hard and you don’t need a lot of space. An organic garden can be as big or small, and as ambitious or low key as you please. It needs to be located in an area that gets at least six hours of sun each day. Avoid areas near large trees as the tree’s roots will interfere with your plants.

The key to success in organic gardening is getting the soil biology right so that it naturally produces nutrients that nourish the plants. Healthy soil is dark in colour and well structured with a range of particle sizes, from small bits of soil to larger chunks. If you can get the soil right, the plants will look after themselves.

Composting is the key to keeping soil biology on track. To start composting you can either buy a compost bin or make one yourself using four pickets placed in a square shape with wire netting wrapped around the outside. Toss old plants, kitchen scraps, straw and shredded newspaper in. You may have to water it a little if you have straw in it as straw is usually quite dry. The compost heap should start with a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 25:1 which is achieved by balancing your green (vegies) and brown (paper) waste at the same ratio.

When you get a load of compost, pop it on the soil and let nature do its business. The best times to do this is during the peak growing seasons of spring and summer and again in autumn.

If you keep your soil in balance, then pests and diseases shouldn’t be a problem. However, if they are, there is a good looking solution. Flowers in your organic garden can keep pests in check by attracting predators to feed on them. The best flowers are nice flat ones such as daisies. They’ll attract wasps and ladybirds to knock off the bugs you don’t want.

When it comes to planting your organic garden, plant what you want to eat – you’ll be more motivated to keep it healthy. And don’t fret if it all becomes a bit too much – there are some organic gardening products out there to help get your garden back on track.

These tips have been provided by Keith Colls, the driving force behind the Canberra Organic Growers Society. He is recognised on the cover of the Canberra White Pages and Yellow Pages by Sensis as an Australian Creating a Better Future.

Source: http://www.lifestyle.com.au/gardening/organic-gardening-step-by-step-guide.aspx