How do I keep birds,squirrels and insects from..

[butterfly77]

eating my garden any household remedies.

[beac]

1. Garlic spray.

See my posts in this thread for more info:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x12993

You can also use barrier cloth (also discussed in that thread.)


Good luck! :hi:

[butterfly77]

2. I am a new gardner too.

I have been getting a lot of rain too. I was about to use some stuff from bayer but I want something natural. The tips of one of my tomato plants is brown and I want to stop it. I am planting broccoli,okra,onions,cucumbers,peppers,cilantro,and basil..

[beac]

3. Google is the new gardener's friend. I literally could not have done without it last year.

And , of course, all the fine green thumbs here at DU.

I bookmarked HUNDREDS of sites and then my laptop crashed at the beginning of the month, taking all my careful research with it. So, I'm starting the process over again.

Here's a link for identifying tomato problems that found really helpful: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/tomatoproblemsolver/

Sounds like you picked a nice mix of things to grow.

You may want to do successive plantings of cilantro b/c it has a tendency to bolt when it gets hot. I planted my first round on 4/15 and it's just starting to fill out (honestly, it was a little too early for it, but I wanted to see if the seed I saved from last year's plants was viable. It was!) and another on 5/1 that's just starting to come up. If you have a few pots of it in different stages, you can probably have enough to cook w/ all summer. Also, in pots it can be moved to a partially shaded spot in high summer to delay bolting. Do let some bolt at the end of the season (not that you could stop them, LOL) and save the seeds for next year. Free cilantro for life!

Some good seed-saving info here: http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/24355.aspx

[butterfly77]

4. I have a large pot

can I plant other spices in it too. What foods can I put cilantro in?

[hippywife]

5. Besides the obvious red salsa

you can use it in tomatillo avocado salsa (my fav!), Thai cooking such as peanut sauce, I use it in a marinade for salmon fillets, and the dish I can eat all summer - corn, avocado, black beans, tomatoes, green onion and lime juice. :9

Welcome to gardening. Once you have the bug it's addicting. Wishing you luck with your first garden.

:hi:

[butterfly77]

8. Thanks..

I hope I have a green thumb.

[hippywife]

11. Please don't get discouraged

if it isn't a fabulous harvest your first time out. It might be, but there are always going to be some things that fail. Even for the most experienced organic farmers at our Farmer's Market every year is a learning experience, and they will tell you that right up front.

This is either our fourth or fifth year, and each year we learn new things and the harvest gets better each and every time. The first year for us was an abysmal failure, but we're pretty lazy and don't like to weed when it's extremely hot under the blazing OK sun.

The key is to find a method that fits your lifestyle and personal energy resources.

Don't give up hope...ever! :hug:

[butterfly77]

12. Do you think...

cayenne pepper will hurt my plant or interfere with the growing process if I put it on the dirt and plants to stop squirrels..

[beac]

6. Cilantro has a long "tap root" so it needs a deepish pot, BUT

if you use my method of harvesting "baby" cilantro it will do fine in a smaller pot.

If you want to plant a mixed herb pot,this site has some good advice:
http://herb-gardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/planting_a_container_herb_garden (scroll down about half way to "Large Container")

16,644 cilantro recipes here: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?foodido=1020,1343,1344,1345,1347,1348,5902,10629,10665,11604,11605,11731,11756,12419,13754&title=cilantro ;)

I make a kind faux quesadilla by lightly toasting (just warming, really) a spinach tortilla, topping it with sharp cheddar/black beans/fresh corn, nuking it for two minutes and then finishing with slices of avocado and a few sprigs of cilantro and a few dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce. Fold and eat. Bliss.

[butterfly77]

7. Ummmmm...

that recipe sounds damn good..thanks for the links.

[beac]

9. I may have to cheat w/some store-bought cilantro. Not sure I can wait a few more weeks for one!

BTW, what zone are you in?

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

I'm in 6b or 7a, depending on who you ask.

[butterfly77]

10. Zone 7

[conscious evolution]

13. growing onions,garlic

and leaks will help keep a lot of critters away.
Sunflowers give squirrels an alternate food source
Also,marigolds and lavender help keep many insects at bay.
Lady bugs are your friends.Fire ants,believe it or not have a useful purpose.They like to munch on aphids.

google beneficial insect gardens