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Alternatives to Sevin Dust
Posted on 5/9/25 at 10:33 pm
Posted on 5/9/25 at 10:33 pm
Does anybody have any healthier alternatives to sevin dust? Not using chemicals like sevin dust, glyphosate, etc in the garden sounds great but has anybody actually tried organic/healthier solutions to pest and weed control that actually work?
6
Posted on 5/9/25 at 10:41 pm to weisertiger
I don't use any chemicals but I do use my old man strength to pull weeds. 20% vinegar with salt and dawn soap can knock down weeds but usually doesn't kill them. As for pests, if you have a chemical free garden then you will have all sorts of predators for the pests. The only pest I can't get rid of are squash bugs so I don't plant'squash.
Posted on 5/9/25 at 11:11 pm to Zappas Stache
You pull grass?
Posted on 5/9/25 at 11:38 pm to weisertiger
Yes, Bermuda will creep into my beds and I'll pull it. But if there is too much of it I will hit it with vinegar and that will knock it down..... But not out.
Posted on 5/10/25 at 12:00 am to weisertiger
I never used any chemicals in my garden. It looked like a mess but it was a healthy mess. I would spot spray for bugs with dish soap solution and hand pull weeds which was a pain the arse. Sure I’d lose some produce but I considered it my tithe to nature.
ETA; also had some success with smart companion planting.
ETA; also had some success with smart companion planting.
This post was edited on 5/10/25 at 12:02 am
Posted on 5/10/25 at 7:15 am to weisertiger
Something is eating holes in the leaves of my pepper plants but it doesn’t seem to be killing the plant. Let us know what you find out.
Posted on 5/10/25 at 8:52 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
squash bugs
These the ones that bore a little hole and eat it from the inside out? They are horrible
Posted on 5/10/25 at 8:58 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
The only pest I can't get rid of are squash bugs so I don't plant'squash.
I found last year that if you stake squash and have it grow vertical, you won’t get squash bugs. Damnedest thing. I have no idea why it works but it does.
Posted on 5/10/25 at 9:14 am to bbvdd
quote:
I found last year that if you stake squash and have it grow vertical, you won’t get squash bugs. Damnedest thing. I have no idea why it works but it does.
If we're talking about the vine borers, I've heard of many people having success doing it this way. I, however, must be the exception. I've tried it and still had SVBs and squash bugs.
OP, you could try a Pyrethrin spray or Spinosad. Those are both organic pesticides with a short residual. If you spray early in the morning or late in the evening when the pollinators are not active you will not hurt the pollinators. It is a contact killer with little to no residual effects. I've used them both and they work well. For caterpillars you can use a bacillus thuringiensis (AKA Bt, Thuricide) which targets only feeding caterpillars. It basically tears holes in the caterpillar stomach causing them to stop feeding and eventually go septic and die. It's not a quick kill but the caterpillars usually stop feeding shortly after ingesting it. It works very well.
If you look at the stickied garden thread at the top of the page there are other suggestions listed there.
Posted on 5/10/25 at 9:51 am to weisertiger
I’ve used diatomaceous earth in place of Sevin dust. It’s obviously nowhere near as effective but it does work if you’re persistent, it needs to be re-applied after rain. It works surprisingly well to kill fireant beds too, though it takes several days.
Posted on 5/10/25 at 9:55 am to Zappas Stache
quote:
The only pest I can't get rid of are squash bugs so I don't plant'squash.
Probably the best place to use diatomaceous earth. Prettymuch cake it around the squash stem once it’s large enough and it will stop the borer larvae, while pollinators can still get to the flowers.
Posted on 5/11/25 at 4:29 pm to weisertiger
Organic Spinosad seems to work even better then Sevin for me. I use this one, the bottles make a ton.
dead bug brew
dead bug brew
Posted on 5/11/25 at 8:58 pm to weisertiger
Agrisel Zone Plus 36.8% Permethrin. Permethrin is derived from the Chrysanthanum flower. 2-3 tsp per gallon of water. Spray everything every 7 days.
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