Spring Gardening Share by email. You are always welcome at the Organic Patch!	The Organic Patch looks at pest problems, herb uses, and sustainable living projects. Summer Gardening
Early to mid Spring		Ladybugs will help against aphids but they move to higher ground if it's too warm.Wait to put them out til nights are 45 or above. You can refrigerate them meantime and they will hibernate with a few soaked raisens to munch. Don't accidentally destroy their larvae which eat even more aphids than adult ladybugs. They are black and orange, bumpy, soft-bodied, and flat but about the length of an adult ladybug.
Spring planting is great fun from the digging and compost additions to covering the seeds and seedlings with dirt. Don't forget some soil additions like cottonseed meal, bone meal, green marble sand and soil sulphur.	Has anyone had luck with diatomaceous earth or any natural substance for aphids and/or catepillars? At a state park in Cardiff by the Sea on the coast near San Diego, they were selling it to campers to sprinkle around tents, tables and etc. to keep the ants off.	Possible ant repellent around the outside of the house but not near plants because of high salt content: borax and wood ash or just borax sprinkled along edges. For ant repellent plantings near your door, try spearmint or peppermint.
	HERB FEATURE Cleveland Sage Salvia officinalis Medical uses are quite ancient. Used as an antibacterial tea for colds and other problems, it's also a mouthwash. It heals infected gums and mouth ulcers. It also stops sweating, and helps with female problems. Take 1-2 weeks, then rest for two weeks.	You can plant sage near cabbage to deter cabbage moths. It's supposed to repel a bunch of flying insects, and it smells wonderful when it's growing. The bees seem to enjoy it; the little purple flowers and round pom-pom tufty-like seedheads last a long time. It doesn't mind full sun and prefers well-drained soil. Herbs often survive when the tender vegetables are getting eaten up during the summer.
African Bees	If the queen appears to slow her pace of laying eggs, the workers will raise more queen larvae in bigger cells with enriched honey. When a new queen or queens emerge, the old queen leaves the hive with a swarm of loyal offspring. Meanwhile, new queens vie for dominance until just one queen remains. African strains tend to swarm more often.

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