Some more garden visitors below to become familiar with. One is friend and 3 are enemies!
Hmmm. What are these? Earthworm eggs! You can barely see them with the naked eye. Your BFF in the soil is the earthworm, above ground is the lady bug. Earthworms help with a number of things. They aereate the soil as they move through it, they add fertilizer (worm poop), their presence is an indicator of healthy soil, as they can't survive in unhealthy soil. I always feel bad when I cut one up using a shovel, but if at least 8 segments remain, they will usually recover and re-grow.
SLUGS. Bad, so bad. Typically they love large leafed plants like hosta & also will eat soft fruits like strawberries. They do their work at night, so you won't spot them, but you will see their damage, large ragged holes in leaves. To control them there is bait available, beer traps, DE (diotamaceous earth) and my favorite salt! Here's how: slugs come out about 1/2 hour after dark. Take a flashlight, salt shaker & go slug 'shining.' If you spot them, sprinkle salt on them and they basically melt before your eyes. Some how it's cruel but satisfying all at the same time.
SLUGS. Bad, so bad. Typically they love large leafed plants like hosta & also will eat soft fruits like strawberries. They do their work at night, so you won't spot them, but you will see their damage, large ragged holes in leaves. To control them there is bait available, beer traps, DE (diotamaceous earth) and my favorite salt! Here's how: slugs come out about 1/2 hour after dark. Take a flashlight, salt shaker & go slug 'shining.' If you spot them, sprinkle salt on them and they basically melt before your eyes. Some how it's cruel but satisfying all at the same time.
June bugs, in larvae or adult beetle form are bad. Destroy them if you find them in the soil. June beetles are night feeders in the garden. So plants that looked great last night & chewed in the morning, could be these guys.
Picnic Beetle aka Sap Beetle. These bad guys love eating tomatoes, melons, sweet corn. I have an invention they really gets their numbers down. Take a toss away container, plate/bowl etc. Fill with fruits scraps from home or garden. Place the plate inside a plastic grocery bag, nestle the bag down so the fruit scraps are exposed. Place 'trap' where the trouble is, leave 1 or 2 days, till a group accumulates. They are slow, so grab the bag up, tie the handles, and throw away. It is simple, yet effective. After a few 'scrap traps' you should get them under control. Don't wait till they are really bad to start a control method, always stay on top of the unwanted gardens guests!
No comments:
Post a Comment