We are having a sawfly explosion up here.
Flea beetles were bad 2 weeks ago.
The floating covers really help.
I used tomato cages surrounded with plastic chicken wire and topped with floating cover fabric to protect a Saskatoon berry, basil and young cherry tree that had been attacked by critters.
The pepper plant got hit today. Prior to that, the cilantro and the broccoli rabe. I’ve given up on insecticidal soap, which seems to just gently invite the aphids to move on. And switched to Sevin, which kills them.
Not lately. Maybe in March or April, but not obviously more than usual. Maybe more whitefly than I was used to.
Turkish orange eggplant update! I think one is starting to change colors. It’s about the size of a pool ball.
The large green stage, just starting to turn color, is when the Turkish Orange is at its best. Fully orange, I recall the seeds and skin got tough.
Thank you! I will probably harvest it shortly.
This guy/gal freaked me out last night! Looked like he was trying on shoes by the door, walked towards me on two hind feet, if I recall correctly. I don’t know; I was pretty gob smacked. He must of thought I was inviting him in when I was screaming!
Last week there was a mountain lion screaming across the road. So that makes a bear, bats (because the hang just above the front and back doors), mountain lions, and big racoons scaring the bejesus out of me!
All probably looking for water, along with the rest of us.
Looks like he wants to give you some religious literature.
Or perhaps asking for a pancake…
Might be running for office, also. We get a lot of that around election time.
Hmmm. My husband also seems to think I might want to make pancakes when I am screaming.
Raccoons have a high incidence of rabies. They’re mostly nocturnal and should be avoided. Any liquid they come in contact with is potentially dangerous, especially if you have a wound. Supposedly, rabies virus dies upon drying out.
Around here, the big ones can get aggressive. They have a bad habit of tipping trashcans, getting into attics and killing chickens. Trying to grow strawberries here is near impossible due to these thieves. Raccoons are not welcome here, (unless in hat form).
mmm…pancakes! Haven’t made those in years.
Vicariously enjoying everyone’s gorgeous gardens!
I am sorely missing growing something, so I sprouted lemongrass from H-mart and brought back some mint cuttings from a friend’s.
Both were doing great in water indoors, but look tragic now that I’ve put them in soil in a small pot outdoors.
Any suggestions? Is it the transition?
I’ve had mixed results with the water-to-dirt transition. Romaine was a failure. So were scallions. Horseradish was a success. Do not ask me what I’m going to do with horseradish leaves, as I have no idea, but it’s growing really well!
The process of “hardening off” is important when moving plants outdoors. Sunlight has UV and infrared light, and plants need a gradual transition so they don’t get sunburned.
From water-rooting indoors, move plants to pots indoors and let the roots grow more in the new soil. After 2-3 weeks, you can start giving them more sunlight, bit by bit, depending on the weather. Pots (before putting plants in the ground) have the advantage of being movable. From indoors, moving plants outside during cloudy or mild weather is less of a shock. If you see a lot of wilting, move the potted plants into shade for a while. It takes some days, and a little creativity to get the young plants ready for intense sunlight. How one provides temporary shade is the creative part.
Even plants moved outdoors too quickly can often recover, but the top growth is usually damaged and the plant will try to balance the foliage with how much the root system can feed it.
Sigh.
You think I’d remember hardening off after doing it with 100 tomato plants and probably a similar number of assorted others during the pandemic.
Silly me.
Thanks @bogman - I’ll bring them back inside and baby them a bit longer. The temperature was very mild, but it may have been too sunny the first couple of days.
On the bright side, two of the lemongrass stalks seem to be okay, and two of the mint stalks, so if those survive I think they’ll do fine.
Scallions I agree! When I stuck them straight in dirt they were fine, but the transfer wasn’t great.
Maybe I’ll try scallions and/or romaine straight to dirt.
I know! Rockett Racoon in Guardians of the Galaxy!
I put in 2 rows of scallions a couple of weeks ago. See nothing yet. They are wispy and slow to appear in the past so hoping these guys sprout up.
