[mumofstig]

Calandula does a pretty good job for both I find as it attracts back fly like mad, but ther smell confuses carrot fly in the same way as tagetes. Also it attracts hover flies, which has got to be a good thing

But you don't get black fly or carrot fly on tomatoes 

[sunshineband]

No but they seem to keep white fly away from toms jts the same. Should have said that -- another dim moment there 

[Stripey_cat]

I've found tagetes is best for repelling nasties, and calendula for attracting hoverflies and pollinators, but that may be the cultivars. 

You can make a really nice "hand-cream" with calendula which is especially good if your skin gets chapped, or lots of little scratches.  You need some sort of oil or fat that your skin reacts well to - kitchen oils, clean animal fat (properly rendered, not just dripping!), or fancy cosmetic oils/fats.  Warm up solid fats until them melt, then cram in lots of chopped petals.  You can add other herbs too (sage is meant to be mildly antiseptic, and is one I've tried).  Let it steep for a while somewhere warm, then strain if you can be bothered.  Keep in fridge, probably.  The only drawback is that it can give your skin (especially any callouses) a slightly orange, jaundiced look.  You could almost certainly use a proper hand-cream recipe with added calendula, but that's too much refinement for me!

[sunshineband]

Lanolin worsk quite well if you can bear the slightly sheepish smell

[mumofstig]

but be careful lanolin encourages hair growth :blink:

[sunshineband]

What on your hands?  Maybe I could put some on my OHs head to test the theory 

[paintedlady]

do a skin test first with lanolin - some people are apparently allergic to it 

[Greengirl]

Tagates are meant to repel whitefly in the greenhouse. They do attract lots of hoverflies too which should help reduce aphids & their pungent smell helps to disguise the smell of carrots from carrot fly - supposedly!

[mumofstig]

so hands up...anyone gonna try carrots in the g/h with their tomatoes and marigolds ? :blink:

[Limey153]

I notice on that TV series on BBC called "Grow your own drugs", he used marigolds to make an Acne Cream, looks like that flower has no end of uses!

[sunshineband]

so hands up...anyone gonna try carrots in the g/h with their tomatoes and marigolds ? :blink:

 

[MOLUSC]

A few years back a young lad who worked at the same place as me was told by a customer that isf he placed marigolds all around his tomatoe plants that they would not be troubled by pests.
 A week or so later he announced that "not only did the marigold trick not work,but his wife was  p****d off that she had to buy a new pair of gloves to do the washing up "
He apparently chopped the "marigolds" into little pieces and scattered them around his tomato plants!
Gods honest truth.
his excuse was "well what you have got to remember is im not very green fingered"

[sunshineband]

  silly boy (Mind you I can't talk) 

[Stripey_cat]

do a skin test first with lanolin - some people are apparently allergic to it 

That'd be me (at least in commercial preparations - I can handle sheep or raw wool fine). 

Seriously, always test new cosmetics on a small patch somewhere before you plaster them all over your face or damaged skin elsewhere.  Sensitive skin can give you *really* nasty chemical-burn type reactions, and will sometimes pop up unexpectedly if you're a bit stressed for other reasons.

[sunshineband]

do a skin test first with lanolin - some people are apparently allergic to it 

That'd be me (at least in commercial preparations - I can handle sheep or raw wool fine). 

Seriously, always test new cosmetics on a small patch somewhere before you plaster them all over your face or damaged skin elsewhere.  Sensitive skin can give you *really* nasty chemical-burn type reactions, and will sometimes pop up unexpectedly if you're a bit stressed for other reasons.

Sensible advice. I prefer to stick to using an infusion of calendula as it is water based. The lanolin handcream we made did have afunny sheepy smell and although it was certainly great for dry or chapped hands, as you said in an earlier port, StripeyCat, it does give an orangy tinge to callouses