Question
what do you use to keep spiders out of the house. I am also starting an organic garden and could use any advice. thanks Jan Pine

Answer
Hi Jan;
It's either the rosemary or lavender. I suspect it is a little of both.
Rosemary keeps cockroaches out, and it is supposed to also repel fleas and some other insects.
Lavender at the doorway keeps houseflies from coming in, and since I started using both about the same time, I don't know which is responsibile for also getting rid of the spiders, and silverfish., and earwigs.
I had a lot of spiders before I started using organics and just relying on the herns to keep away insects.
I used sprays till hades froze over, and just barley kept then down some. Since I started using just the herbs, I don't have ANY bugs.
I use cedar bark mulch outside to keep down ttermites.
We found termites when we bought the house, after we got settled in, of course, and we called Terminex.
Since then I have used just the cedar bark mulch, and no more termites.
They showed up once in a stump of a tree we cut down. I painted some cedar oil on it, and about an hour later, my husband cut the top of the trunk off, about a foot down, and there were no more there. We could seee the tunnels where they had been. The tree was at the back fence, where I had not been using the cader vbark.
I sprinkle cedar bark mulch all over the yard, to keep fleas and ticks out as well. I have dogs.
When cedar breaks down into compost, it adds a lot of nutrients to the soil. You just win all around using it.
Pine bark mulch is just no good. It blows around badly where the hardwood and cedar bark mulches don't, but the hardwood mulch breaks down in one year, and the cedar bark doesn't compost for two years, so it is much better to till in to loosen clay soil.
I am looking into lava sand more. I have ben reading the book written by Howard Garrett, and he comes out very strong for lava sand. He says he would prefer it in powder, and some producers of lava sand and gravel are starting to put the dust from the washing of it on the market.
Lava sand is very rich in nutrients.
Where volcanoes erupt, the land where the lava flows onto really is fertile and grows a veritable eden .
Also alfalfa meal.
You will have to get that at a feed store.
You can just broadcast it over the whole yard, or you can also make a tea with it for your indoor and outdoor plants.
The make the tea, you put 1 cup alfalfa meal in 5 gallons of water, soak overnight, and use it to feed indoor or outdoor plants. It feeds. This would replace MiracloGro if you use that. You can use it as a folier spray, and or water into the soil.
It is supposed to fertilize, and for blooming plants, it is supposed to incerase the bloom size and number.
I am getting a lot I didn't know before about organics from this book. Howard is Texas' top organic expert.
I jut bought oe of his book s on organic gardening so I will be adding what I learn from him in my answers to all who write.
So you might want to just review my rewcent answers every few days.
And of course, any questions you may have, feel free to write me.
Charlotte