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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2021 9 By Cindy Ponce de Leon, Resident Reduce pesticides by luring pests away from your plants with another more desirable plant. You can lure flea beetles off your eggplant and broccoli by planting radishes, Chinese cabbage and pak choi a week or so earlier than the broccoli and eggplant. Flea beetles prefer the radishes, Chinese cabbage and pak choi. Use companion plants to mask the scent of your plants from other insects so the plants can't be found. Nasturtiums planted around zucchini reduces the incidence of squash bugs. Basil planted next to tomatoes reduces egg laying of tomato hornworms. Lure the right insects into your garden. Planting certain flowers, such as alyssum around lettuce, attracts beneficial insects that feed on aphids. I also plant alyssum at the base of my rose bushes. To attract predators of the cabbageworm, try planting carrot and mint family flowers, such as dill, cilantro, oregano and sage. These attract parasitic wasps and other beneficial insects. Grow fennel and dill and let them flower. Here are some tips to stop your herbs from bolting: • Cut off flowers as soon as you see the bud develop • Harvest your herbs frequently • Plant herbs in cool weather such as early spring, late summer, or early in the fall • Fertilize herbs regularly with a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer to promote vegetative growth versus flowering All fertilizer labels have three bold numbers. The first number is the amount of nitrogen. Some organic methods of adding nitrogen to the soil include: • Adding composted manure to the soil • Planting borage - look it up, this may just be your new best friend! • Planting nitrogen fixing plants like peas or beans • Adding coffee grounds to the soil Have fun reading the fertilizer labels on products you already own and discovering which ones you can use to keep your herbs from bolting! Healthier Natural Gardening

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