Bug Spray Recipe, Tent Caterpillars, Transplant Daffodils

It's never too early to get a head start on bug control. One way to keep bugs safely at bay is to make your own homemade organic pest control recipe. These also make thoughtful gifts for gardeners on your gift list. Our Hot pepper spray is a good general insecticide especially effective against caterpillars. You'll Need: Hot Pepper Spray Concentrate; 1 unpeeled onion; 1 unpeeled head of garlic; 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper; 3 pints water. Gloves. To Make: Use gloves. Chop onion and garlic. Combine all. Simmer 20 minutes. Cool and store in jars in refrigerator for 6 weeks. Strain and store in jars. To Use: Dilute 1 TBSP of concentrate with 1 pint of water. Add a squirt of dish soap to better stick on leaves.

Eastern tent caterpillar nests are commonly found on wild cherry, apple, and crabapple trees but may also be found on hawthorn, maple, cherry, peach, pear and plums. While tent caterpillars can nearly defoliate a tree when numerous, the tree will usually recover and put out a new crop of leaves. Nests can become an eyesore so use a stick to remove the early nests and wipe the area with a natural organic pest spray like hot pepper spray to discourage more nests.

Daffodils are one of the few spring plants deer and most bugs don't like to eat as opposed to the very edible tulip. You can easily move daffodils, even if they've already bloomed (photo). The trick to moving daffodils is to make sure you take a solid ball of soil around roots so you can move the flowers, bulbs and roots. We recommend making the move before a good spring rainfall so the bulbs get a good rain soaking after the move. If you can wait, mark the spot with the bulbs so you can remove them after they've bloomed and the leaves are starting to turn yellow. Then in the fall after replanting, feed with bone meal so the bulbs will store extra energy in the bulbs prior to next spring.

Depends on how soon the ground warms up but one sure sign of spring are yellow blooming Forsythia bushes (photo).