Bottles:Definition of bottle (noun)a container, usually made of glass, to hold liquid
How about clay??? Maybe to hold flowers or your attention???
I had full intentions of making either bowls or casseroles today.Yea- I know- these are bottles.
They really are a favorite item and setting aside the issue, the clay just called out to be bottles.
I couldn't fight with destiny, so bottles it is.
Just keeping a eye on the garden- trying to stay one step ahead of the bugs. If I keep an eye out I "think" I can pinch their heads off before they bring their buddies over to munch for lunch!
Flea beetles! is there a good remedy for flea beetles?????
They are feasting on the eggplant. Those buggers are fast!
15 comments:
"Insecticides. For conventional growers, pesticides containing pyrethroids or carbamates (Sevin) are generally effective. On organic farms, rotenone was often used in the past, but it is not ideal because it is has a relatively high mammalian toxicity and its availability has become limited. Other materials often recommended for organic farms include neem or insecticidal soap but recent research indicates that these are not very effective. Other insecticides containing pyrethrins (Pyganic) or kaolin clay (Surround) have worked well in some studies but not others. Good control has consistently been obtained with the organic pesticide containing spinosad (Entrust) but this product is not yet labeled for flea beetle control. Insect repellents containing hot pepper or garlic may also provide some control. If you are an organic grower check with your certifying agent to be sure any material you use is approved for your use."
http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/fleabeetle.html
"Flea Beetle Control: Remove garden trash and plow or roto-till under weeds to reduce overwintering sites. Floating row covers are extremely effective when placed on seedlings and left in place until plants are old enough to tolerate beetle damage. Place yellow sticky traps throughout garden rows every 15 to 30 feet to capture adults. Beneficial nematodes applied to the soil will destroy the larval stage, reducing root feeding and helping to prevent the next generation of adults from emerging. Diatomaceous earth can be dusted over plants to control the number of feeding adults. If pest populations become intolerable, spot treat with botanical insecticides as a last resort."
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/flea-beetle-control.html
Nice clay bottles...Nice blog
Wow your raised bins look great. I like your bottles too, especially the second set with the swirly bulbous part.
I've used Rotenone dusted on both sides of eggplant leaves to control flea beetles on young plants. Once the leaves get larger, healthy plants seem to be able to withstand the beetle damage. Rotenone has both spider and fish killing properties, so should be used judiciously. You can find it online at http://www.arbico-organics.com/ if not available locally. Good luck..
I-we- Mark has been dusting the leaves with Diatomaceous earth- they love this stuff and laugh at us as we are using it. Bring it on they say! I prefer to use nothing and share some with the bugs. I just hate when they take more then their share!
The plants are getting big enough to with stand the nibbling. I go by several times a day and remove and squish. They are not real big and they are quick- so it is a fun game of how quick can I get them before they jump.
But in the garden I have four large and health tomatoes, basil, carrots, squash,cucumbers green beans,eggplant, sage, thyme, and marjoram.
My lettuce/spinach garden is amost done and then there is one with corn and field peas.
Thanks for the commets, bottles are my "take my mind away" item.
As soon as you put the eggplant in. Now will do too. Put a light row cover on top of the plants. Westons may carry it in Asheboro. You can weight it down with rock. Leave room for the eggplant to grow under row cover. Keep row cover on until plant is large and or blooming then take off for pollination. Keep eye on plants. You may need to recover. Like we did last night. This way you don't need to put any dust or stuff on it. This has always worked for us.
nice looking bottles... i'm envious of your garden
Meredith, have you considered getting a garden chicken? I am only partially kidding, but they keep the bugs away from my garden even if they don't free-range anywhere near it. Chickens are great natural pest control, with the lovely side-effect of producing excellent fertilizer! :) Julia
Thanks Samantha it is an option I have thought about but not investigated. The plants are putting on blooms and getting bigger, but this rain really brings the bugs out.
and Julia, I have thought about chickens. I have- just not ready yet.
And the eggs would be great as well!
Wes has been dusting with Rotenone and they look pretty good so far. And Anna's comment above about Spinosad, that has been a very effective ingredient in killing fire ants on organic farms.
J- I'll have to look some of these up. Because we are close to the pond I would like to stay away from Rotenone. We don't want any wash down, but I am going to look up Spinosad.
Meanwhile I am still squishing the flea beetles
He did them early on and so the first leaves are holy but the rest look great and the plants are getting big. We used spinosad as fire ant killer but it was in another product that I can't for the life of me remember, but we finally found it at Big Bloomers in Tramway. I think it may be easier to find now though. We did that a couple years ago and then a firiend sent us some other stuff that worked well too so we didn't get more. Not cheap but works well.
I think the clay was correct in making you form it into bottles. Wonderful shapes. They hold my attention. Your garden looks like it is off to a great start. I don't know about flea beetles, but it looks like you are in a great place for the deer to feast on your garden.
I was wrong on the eggplants. The rotenone he used was old and didn't work so he used neem oil and that is what did the trick.
Believe it or not the deer and rabbits have so much to eat they stay out of the garden--- now that I have said that.......
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