Bugs Taste Less with Garlic and Chili Pepper

That got your attention didn’t it?  Who can deny that garlic (and for most people) chili pepper makes things taste better?  Garden pests, that’s who.  They do not like it.  They have a very limited palate and it only includes non-weed items that are growing in your garden.  So I – and my title – stand corrected.  The bugs taste less because they are EATING less.  And what does this mean to a gal who dislikes organo-phosphates and other nasty chemicals on her food?

It means I can whip up a little garlic-pepper spray and put a damper on the bugs dining pleasure without putting a damper on any humans’ nervous system.  Love that.  Here’s how I make it.

Little Sis like to say Ch-Ch-Ch Chia, so why not G-G-G Garlic?  Kind of pretty, no?

First step.  Decide what spray bottle you intend to use for your spray.  You can make a large batch and refrigerate but it is a bit fragrant, and I don’t know whether it works best fresh or not, but as I know garlic tastes best (or worst if you are a garden-devouring insect) fresh, I usually make a batch at a time that will last me for 1 – 2 weeks depending on how often it rains.

Put a little less water than the amount you want to make in your blender.  I use a 32 oz. container and use 3-5 garlic cloves depending on their size.  I used the lovely trio above as they were generous cloves.  Cut off the bottom and peel off the paper and drop them into the blender.  Check out this action shot…

I call it ‘Falling Garlic.’

After the garlic I dump chili powder in the top – you could use fresh but this is easier.  I probably use between 1 – 2 teaspoons.

Blend it up being careful to have the lid down tight.  You don’t want this stuff in your eyes or spraying all over your kitchen for that matter.  Here comes another action shot…

It gets pretty foamy.  I let it run for maybe 30 seconds and the mixture works just fine.

Then you must strain it a little because tiny pieces of garlic skin can clog up your sprayer.  If you are using a larger heavy duty sprayer you may not have this problem but I broke my last sprayer because I was squeezing the handle very hard to overcome my non-strained G-P spray.  Striving for non-violence towards garden tools of all varieties, I now strain my spray.

I use a fine metal sieve over a funnel straight into the bottle.  I tried a coffee filter but the fluid wouldn’t drain well and then it ripped.

You all now see that you are no longer guests but are family as I made no effort (forgot) to hide the dirty pan on the stove.  Welcome to the family!

After straining there is just a little matter in my strainer.  If I get outside and am having difficulty with the sprayer I will pour the contents into another container, let it sit to settle and then slowly pour back through the strainer.

I recommend that you not leave this in the sun or high heat as it becomes really foul smelling.  Do not be downwind of this as you spray because hot pepper and garlic in the lungs or eyes is not a good thing – but it won’t add anything that is bad to eat to your lovely garden vegetables!

I use this and when it is not enough I supplement with Neem oil, which is also a good fungicide and something called Bull’s Eye Bioinsecticide from Garden’s Alive.  The heavier duty things used once in awhile help, with regular applications of G-P after a rain or when I notice new damage.

Have fun closing the bug dining facility in your garden!

You Say Potato…

So I’ve never grown potatoes before. Why? I don’t know. Truth is I’ve not grown much in the way of root vegetables until the last few years. Sort of a basic mistrust of what may or may not be going on underground. I like to be able to watch the progress of the food as it grows and potatoes, carrots, beets simply don’t allow you to do that. Yeah, yeah I know. I can watch the part above ground. I’m sorry, but it’s just not the same. I’ve tried carrots with limited success and beets, which we like but don’t need a lot of at any given moment (the pink pee is interesting to my daughter about once every few weeks, then loses its power to increase vegetable consumption). But I’ve never tried to grow the mighty spud. Which is silly, really, because I love potatoes. I mean I really love potatoes. Early in our relationship my husband and I figured out that he had grown up in a rice household and I had, as you might have guessed, grew up in a potato household. Over the years, despite our initial misgivings, we have both come to appreciate the other’s position, but I think I have really won the day. Homemade french fries will do that for you. Yeah, it’s a dirty trick, but somebody has to do it.

Where was I? Right, growing potatoes, so I’m happily clicking away on Pinterest and I come across this:

What’s that you say?  THAT is a potato tower.  You heard me right, a potato tower.  Grow potatoes without using up all of your precious garden space.  Okay, so that idea and the fact that I had 2×2 chicken wire that proved too big to keep rabbits out waiting in the shed convinced me to give it a go.  So I asked my sweetie to pound some stakes in (our street has the word slate in the name, so guess what’s just an couple of inches below the surface) and then we made a round with the discarded chicken wire, securing the back bit by stapling it to the fence.  I was determined NOT to buy new materials for this project because while I am optimistic, I am CHEAP and if it doesn’t work I’d hate to have spent a lot of dough.  I then filled it around the edges with leaves, rather than the recommended straw and supplemented with a little spanghum moss that I had from another project since I thought it might help retain a little moisture.  In the center, compost baby.  Inserted my cut up seed potatoes in layers and filled with compost and leaves until we got about to the top.  Here it is:

Will it work?  I have NO idea.  I’m sure I didn’t follow the directions exactly as that’s how I roll.  While it is my belief that all gardening is an act of supreme optimism, the slapdash version that I usually do is strictly for the glass half-full crowd.  If it does, that’s about 25 lbs of delicious potato magic coming our way.  And if my children have their way, a great many of them will be prepared this way:

Awesome Oven Fries Adapted from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

• 1.25 lbs potatoes, peeled (if you must) and cut to 1/2″ fry shapes
• 3/4 to 1t salt
• 1/2t sugar
• 4t oil
• 1t paprika
• 1/4t pepper (I use white to avoid kid detection)

Preheat oven to 450.  Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper (works better).  Combine potatoes, 1/4t salt, sugar and cold water to cover.  Soak 15 minutes, drain &blot dry.  In dry bowl, combine potatoes with oil, paprika and pepper.  Arrange in single layer on baking sheet. Bake, turning as they brown. 35-45 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt.  Voila.  Fan-flipping tastic.  Yes, you should probably make a double batch.

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