Poison-Free Plant Protection
It's a shame to work hard in your garden all summer, only to have it eaten by bugs and other pests.
On Thursday's The Early Show, gardening guru Charlie Dimmock has tips for warding off these pests before they destroy your plants.
Ants: They are more of an irritation in a garden than an actual pest - they don't damage plants in any way. They dig holes and produce fine oil that you can see on the surface of your garden. You could kill them off with boiling water or use a strong insecticide but it's easier to just sweep the soil away.
Woodlice: These are also called pillbugs, because they roll up like little pills. People think they do harm in the garden. They don't - they only eat dead foliage and wood. Ignore them.
Ground beetles: They move very fast and prey on other insects like aphids, greenflies and blackflies. They are good for your garden, and one reason it's a good idea not to use too many insecticides.
Slugs and snails: These are gardeners' greatest bane, especially on hostas. They live in the soil and come out at night when it is moist, and go back into the soil when the sun rises again. Slug pellets are not recommended - they also poison dogs, cats, and things that eat slugs and snails, like frogs and birds. Better are beer traps: small containers filled with beer which attract slugs. Slugs are attracted to the sugar in the beer. Low-alcohol beer contains more sugar than other beers. You can also use coffee if you choose, just be sure to add sugar.
If slugs are attacking a hosta that you have in a container, cover the dirt in the pot with gravel. Slugs don't like crawling across the sharp rocks. Or, go to your local garden shop and buy copper tape. The tape will give slugs a small shock and thus repel them. It also looks very attractive.
Rabbits: Rabbit-proof fencing is one option, but in order to be effective, the fence must be 3 feet high and extend 18 inches into the ground. Garden stores also sell chemicals intended to ward off rabbits. The chemicals work but wash away in the rain, so you have to constantly re-apply. The best defense is to plant flowers that rabbits don't like. This includes anything that's sharp, spiny or poisonous. If you don't want to confine yourself to these plants, plant a ring of them around plants that rabbits do like.