Oil your thrips

[LiberalEsto]

Canola oil is wonderful for getting rid of thrips on roses. Mix about a quarter cup of regular canola oil in a gallon-size sprayer, add a drop of dish detergent, and shake to combine everything. Spray on a cloudy day, or in the evening.

My lighter-colored roses had been looking crummy the past few years because thrips were turning the buds and blossoms brown. Last year I gave them a couple of treatments of the canola mixture, and this year the roses are incredible. I've never seen them looking so good.

Yesterday evening, I gave the unopened buds and the undersides of the leaves a once-over with the canola spray. The spray killed a big Eastern Tent Caterpillar that was hiding in one rosebush.

I'm not so sure we should be cooking with canola oil if it's so lethal.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Hey! Thanks for the tip

We garden as close to organically as we can, and a canola spray sounds like it's worth a shot. We don't have much of a thrip problem however. The aphids are vigorous but the soldier bugs work quite effectively to reduce that problem.

[LiberalEsto]

2. You're welcome

The Gardens Alive website (www.gardensalive.com)sells something called Pyola, which combiles pyrethin and canola, if you ever need something stronger. They have a lot of good organic garden supplies.

I use their W.O.W.(WithOut Weeds) as a natural pre-emergent crabgrass preventer. It's simply corn gluten, and it prevents crabgrass and some other lawn weeds from sprouting. It fertilizes the soil too.

This year I also bought a bag of their grass seed. It's very good, and manages to grow even under tough conditions, like the spot where my daughter's boyfriend parks his car partly on the lawn.

One more thing -- try regular, undiluted white vinegar as a weed killer. We had an epidemic of chickweed this spring, and I sprayed it with vinegar, and it all turned brown and died.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Vinegar is my friend

That and boiling water.

[LiberalEsto]

4. Do you think that vinegar

might get rid of Republicans?

[Gormy Cuss]

5. Hmmm....

nope. I think we need Round-up.
Toxic is as toxic does.