"VX" wrote in message
s.com...

Any explanations of how the organic thing can be made to work in such a
situation would be very helpful. It MUST be possible without me exhausting
myself in the process. Any suggestions one way or the other would be
helpful.

The more leaf litter and other stuff you leaving around undisturbed
over winter - or all of the time for that matter, the more insects
you'll attract to your garden. Indeed the more wildlife in general.
The birds pick at dead seedheads and pips over winter and use the
material for nests etc. Boxes are more for people who insist on having
a tidy garden all the time. Again if your soil has the right fertility
nettles will become easily established and wil require no maintainence
once established, except cuttting back every summer, maybe for use in
compost and as nettle tea.

You have a choice really. If you succeed in killing off all
the aphids with chemicals you will have no predators ladybirds
lacewings, hoverflies and birds visting your garden at all.
And so you will be solely dependant on chemicals. Its also
necessary to know what you're supposed to be spraying as ladybird
and lacewing larvae look nothing like the adults while hoverfies most
resemble wasps.

Whereas if you leave the insects and birds to just get on with the
job, they will eventually establish a balance.


michael adams

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VX (remove alcohol for email)