03 March 2008
Oh dear. I had to get brutal with my herbs today. I bought a couple of basil plants, oregano, and flat-leaf parsley in January, all from the same store. The basil is currently infested with aphids, and the oregano and parsley (which I put in the same pot) have spider mites. No coincidence, I think, considering I've never had a pest problem before with house plants.
The basil got a heavy spray down in the sink today, which did a tiny amount of good, but I think I'll have to reluctantly look for some spray to take care of its problem. I repotted the other two plants (separately) and cut off all the damage. The new growth seems unaffected at the moment, so fingers crossed, everybody.
It's hard to see what's going on there (I just like the light), but suffice to say that it used to be a very big plant, and now it's a teeny tiny plant. The good thing about parsley, in my experience, is that it grows like crazy, and all the old growth seems to die off on its own, anyway. I've really come to rely on having my own basil and parsley growing at home, so let's hope the little guy pulls through.
Hey, guess what I'm currently excited about! It's not the big checks I had to write to pay my health insurance bill or my GP (you would think the one would do away with the need to pay the other, but you would be wrong). No, it's the money I'll save by having just ordered two cases of Almond Breeze from Trader Joe's!
I always have fun shopping at TJ's, but it's not very convenient, and they never have everything I need -- so I rarely go. They DO, however, have the cheapest Almond Breeze I've ever seen ($1.99 a carton vs $2.69 at the co-op or $3.50+ from the regular supermarket). I go through two or three cartons a week (I am powered by the goodness of almonds, clearly), so we're talking almost twenty whole dollars saved each month.
Which almost makes up for the rise in health insurance prices. But not really. But kind of!
there are environmentally safe sprays out there if you're concerned about using those buy sprays. or you can make your own by using a small amount of soapy water. check it out- its way better than that nasty smelly stuff
posted by connie at March 4, 2008 02:12 AM
i echo what connie said-- Smith and Hawken carries a garlic-oil spray for aphids and other pests that is totally organic and non-toxic (and works!). How it would affect the taste of your herbs is another thing, but likely you'd wash them before using them anyway!
posted by Nancy at March 4, 2008 05:42 PM