They say that spring brings the smell of summer because; apart from other things the risk of the temperature dropping has disappeared. It is the start of April and May when we have to check that the watering systems are working depending on the weather forecast and the increase of weeds and pests.
To start with, this April we should have finished planting corn, spinach, courgettes, cucumbers, sunflowers, peppers and tomatoes, Also other vegetables and summer fruits such as pumpkin, watermelon, melon and runner beans.
On the other hand if we had planted garlic, artichokes, cabbage and broad beans we should now be ready to pick them. How lovely to enjoy the first of our home grown vegetables of the year.
The bad news is at this time of year in our allotment and gardens are the pests. The most common of these is the aphid; it is a small black insect which sucks the sap from the tender shoots, especially the beans and peas. As always prevention is better then cure and having aromatic flowers planted close by, helps repel these pests, as we explained in one of our previous blogs. The best plant against the se aphids is thyme, but also basil, sage, garlic or mint.
If it is not enough with these methods, we advise ecological remedies to eliminate the aphid, such as the fermented extract of half a kilo of ivy leaves in five litres of water. Another solution is to make an infusion of Melissa (Lemon balm 25 grams to half a litre of water), or peppermint ( 50 grams for half a litre of water. Allow to cool and then spray directly on the plant.
