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 Good Gravy - Now I've Got Cucumber Beetles!
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jun 28 2013 :  6:27:15 PM  Show Profile
Okay girls - what to do? Now I've got cucumber beetles! I've never had them before. I've spent the past few mornings and evenings after rain squishing them off of my squash and cucumbers... What should I do to combat them organically? I swear.. between them and the squash bugs, I'm going to lose my mind!

Thanks so much - I really appreciate your help!

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!

darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl

7597 Posts

darlene
Loleta California
USA
7597 Posts

Posted - Jun 28 2013 :  7:05:40 PM  Show Profile
I am sorry You have bugs on your cucumbers and plants. If I learn anything for getting rid of them I will pass it on to you.
Take care Nini.
hugs
darlene

I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer

Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.

I trust in you Jesus...
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jun 28 2013 :  9:14:05 PM  Show Profile
Thanks, Darlene. I'm just hoping that the things that I'm doing to stave off the squash bugs will also repel them as well! I guess on some level I should feel complimented that they love being in my garden, but the damage these bugs do have such potential for devastation. :( I hope our farmgirl sisters have some good ideas for me! Hugs - Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!

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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl

7597 Posts

darlene
Loleta California
USA
7597 Posts

Posted - Jun 29 2013 :  2:31:24 PM  Show Profile
So do I.

I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer

Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.

I trust in you Jesus...
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl

1044 Posts

Paula
Holt Missouri
USA
1044 Posts

Posted - Jun 30 2013 :  08:25:46 AM  Show Profile
Your garden woes sound like ours from last year. It is just so difficult to grow our own food when the pests are so determined to take over! I know that when the pests come in, it means that something is off balance, but I have not figured out how to bring it all back into balance without chemicals. Besides, I think the chemicals throw the balance off further anyway. I need to study up more on biodynamic farming and permaculture. There must be some keys there.

Paula

Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.

"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jun 30 2013 :  10:10:10 AM  Show Profile
Paula - I've been reading a lot about these subjects lately, and have been implementing quite a few of their techniques, although not all, and they do seem to be working! I'm almost afraid to say it because I just know the moment I start feeling a bit more confident about it, I'll get slammed! LOL! BUT, having said that, I'm finding that this year I do not have nearly as many bugs as last year. I honestly believe that companion planting with different herbs and flowers (as well as vegetable and fruit plants that complement each other's needs) are truly helping. I'm seeing more bees this year (although not nearly as many as I have seen in years past), and I actually have started to see a few ladybugs moving in, which I have rarely seen in the past, if ever. The book "Great Garden Companions" by Sally Jean Cunningham has become my gardening Bible this year - it has provided so much information, so many techniques and such wisdom, I can't say enough good about it. I also just started reading "Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture" by Toby Hemenway. I haven't gotten far into the book, but I do like what I'm reading. I also would like to read Sepp Holzer's book on Permaculture before the summer's end. I think it makes a lot of sense to create an ecosystem in our gardens similar to that which we find in nature - nature seems to do pretty well on her own! :) What I have found is that Ms. Cunningham is right: Good bugs are coming in and the bad bugs are at bay. The herbs and flowers I have planted are definitely encouraging the beneficials, and I am noticing that the bad bugs, although still there, are fewer than in prior years. And you'd think they would be damaging to the garden, but in all honesty, the birds are really helping, too. With my morning and evening examination and squishing of bugs, they seem to be dying down and seem much more manageable than they were in the past. Ms. Cunningham says that the plants do ward off the bad bugs to some extent, but even moreso they are confused when they go into the garden expecting yummy vegetable plants, but find poisonous or offensive plants instead. Further, some of the plants are toxic to them. I can't help but wonder, though, how much of this "success" I'm having is from the cooler weather and torrential rains we have been experiencing vs. all the interplanted flowers and herbs. I will say, however, that I am not finding nearly as many insect eggs as last year. The good bugs are either eating the eggs or parasitizing the bad bugs and killing them before they can reproduce - at least, that's the theory. I am not liking finding all these evil creepy crawlies on my plants, but it's not anywhere as bad as last year. Ms. Cunningham's book really has helped me identify what I am seeing as well as alert me as to where to look for problems and how to address them when I find them! I'm praying - PRAYING - that it's just that this new companion planting system is really doing the job it's supposed to do. It seems to be, that's for sure! :) At the very least, the garden looks pretty - I've got lovely flowers and herbs interspersed with healthy vegetable plants. It's alive and humming, cheerfully colorful, and enveloped in the music of happy birds. It's a feast for the senses! :)

Another thing I'm learning about is the permaculture aspect of gardening: Natural mulch and healthy ground cover. Good weeds. Bad weeds. What to leave, what to pull... I'm learning what the different plants do to benefit the soil, and which plants deprive others of essential nutrients. I've had an amazing crop of clover pop up this year without even planting it, and it seems to be doing wonders for the garden. If it has been getting out of control, I just pull it up and use it as mulch around the plants. I've also been using dill as mulch this year, as well as mint, which is something I've been doing for a while now. What I like most about this is that the dill repels bad bugs, so when I see a plant is in trouble, I kill whatever I can find and then weave the smelly dill around the base of the plant. It really does seem to be working! Amazing! And one really cool thing I've found is that compost is not just a soil-preparation before you plant your garden: it's a wonderful, wonderful fertilizer as the garden grows! Nobody ever told me that before! I have been dumping compost at the base of my squash, melons and cucumbers every week and a half or so, and the results are amazing! I can't say for sure, but I think it also is helping keep the squash bugs and beetles at bay! I have yet to try burying dead material such as logs or small trees underneath my garden beds, but I think it's such a great concept!

I really do recommend you get the first two books if you can. They're wonderful. I haven't completely "tackled" the bug problem, of course, but I do see some of the principles in the books at work, and they are truly making a huge difference!

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!


Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 01 2013 09:58:32 AM
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl

2875 Posts

Lisa
Georgetown OH
2875 Posts

Posted - Jun 30 2013 :  10:22:50 AM  Show Profile
Nini, you need to watch the video from the link that my friend Linda (wooliespinner) posted. You will LOVE it. It makes so much sense & he ties it into several Bible verses too. It is a long video, but VERY compelling.
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=63625
& the proof is in the pudding. This man's garden is gorgeous!!





"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R.
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl

7597 Posts

darlene
Loleta California
USA
7597 Posts

Posted - Jun 30 2013 :  2:27:12 PM  Show Profile
Hi Nini
It sounds like you are working on the problem,,but I am not surprised. I was thinking your garden sounds pretty, can you post a picture of it? :D
hugs
darlene

I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer

Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.

I trust in you Jesus...
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jun 30 2013 :  4:12:58 PM  Show Profile
Oh my gosh, Lisa! I totally missed that post! Thank you SOO much for sharing it! We're going to have dinner soon, but I will definitely watch the video tomorrow - I have the afternoon to myself! I can't wait to see it!!! YAY!

Darlene - these are pics from about a week and one-half to one week ago. It's even more filled in now since the rain, and much more impressive looking with more flowers and much larger, healthier-looking plants. Unfortunately, my camera battery is dead, so I'll have to post new ones once it's charged, okay? At least these will give you an idea of how it looks:













I realize it kind of looks overgrown, but the point is not to be perfect and pretty - think of it more as a community, working together to make life wonderfully harmonious! :)

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!


Edited by - Ninibini on Jun 30 2013 4:14:08 PM
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laurentany
True Blue Farmgirl

3259 Posts

Laurie
Patchogue NY
USA
3259 Posts

Posted - Jun 30 2013 :  5:14:26 PM  Show Profile
Nini-
Your garden is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I really like the look- where everything is not "prefect" rather more natural looking. That is the way I let me flower beds go this year and its more to my liking!
Hugs,

~Laurie
"Little Hen House on the Island"
Farmgirl Sister#1403

View my New Blog:
http://simplesuburbanpleasures.blogspot.com

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.
~Robert Louis Stevenson
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jul 01 2013 :  09:40:30 AM  Show Profile
LOL! Thanks, Laurie! Truthfully, the pictures don't do it justice, but I sure do love it! It's the prettiest, happiest garden I've ever cultivated! To me, it just speaks "love." I'm thrilled!

Here are a few pics from last night. After five or so days of rain, it has just burgeoned! And we've got at least a week of straight rain more to go!

























I'm sorry there are so many pics - it was hard to choose! Notice even our dear old girl loves the garden... And what's that? Oh! My dear old punkin' peaking out from the vines! LOL! (He is SUCH a ham!!!)

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!


Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 01 2013 09:46:24 AM
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl

1403 Posts

Betty
Pasco WA
USA
1403 Posts

Posted - Jul 01 2013 :  09:55:28 AM  Show Profile
I've been fighting off snails since I planted. They don't seem to bother the tomatoes. However, I seem to have a VF wilt problem. No way to get rid of it except time. Has something to do with the ground temp and air temp that spurs the fungus to grow. I've pulled up two healthy beefsteak tomatoes so far. I just hope it doesn't creep down the row.

Betty in Pasco
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl

1311 Posts

Linda
Manchester Ohio
1311 Posts

Posted - Jul 01 2013 :  10:23:02 AM  Show Profile
Nini your gardens are so beautiful. I think they are perfect and wonderful and wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe the darn pest that ar trying to mess things up for you.
I just came in from my garden and harvested 15 zuchini and 3 little yellow tomatoes and I already ate one. Its the first for the year.
I am fighting the pest too and also the tomato blight. I have been spraying for it but its not looking good. We are getting too much rain and its making it worse.I hope your garden produces a ton for you. I just love the pictures they sure are super duper nice. This winter we will all be looking back at our gardens wishing for spring again. Take care.

Linda

Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats

Edited by - wooliespinner on Jul 01 2013 10:24:12 AM
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jul 02 2013 :  03:31:38 AM  Show Profile
Thank you, Linda! You are so lucky! I haven't been able to pick anything yet, except for lettuces and radishes. Oh! And fresh celery yesterday for potato salad - there's nothing like it! Yum! I've got a lot of blossoms and a few babies out there, though, so I am definitely counting the days!

I'm so sorry you girls are having problems with pests... and wilt... and and blight! Ewww... wilt and blight... That's horrible! What do you do for that? Is there anything you can do for wilt, Betty? I had read somewhere last winter that to control the ground temp around tomatoes, it's very important to keep them mulched, and that straw really works best. I don't know if that will help, of course, but I thought I should mention it just in case you didn't know. How do you handle the blight, Linda? Are the tomato plants salvageable? That would break my heart!

What are you girls using for spray? Last year I did spray an organic (pyrethrum?) spray on the plants that had the leafhoppers and squash bugs. Thing is, it ended up killing all the good bugs - or they stayed away, that's for sure - and then I was afraid to spray again. Plus, it was shortly thereafter that I had female problems and a huge ovarian cyst. Not sure if there was a connection, but man it sure was an unnerving coincidence if not! Anyhow, after that, the squash bugs came in DROVES and it was a losing battle no matter what I tried. This year, that flour/cornmeal/hot cayenne pepper mix around the base of my plants really seemed to help. I usually just sprinkle flour in the soil around my cole crops, and that works fine. After last year, though, it seemed I needed something a little more potent for the squash bugs and cucumber beetles. I still haven't ordered the diatomaceous earth... I read somewhere that it is truly ineffective unless used on dry plants and soil. We've had such heavy rains, I probably wouldn't even be able to use it when it arrived. Have any of you ever used it? It sounds miraculous! I know it's supposed to be safe for humans, but I'm very concerned about breathing it in after it's spread...

Betty, just plain flour sprinkled around the base of the plants should work on the snails, too. Have you ever tried it? I am shocked at how well it works for me!

Yesterday, I found a couple of cucumber beetles in one of my melon flowers - I just popped the flower off the vine and squished the daylights out of them. I was also concerned because my watermelon plants have been slow coming. But I know that they require more sun than they do rain, and boy they have been getting inundated. Anyhow, I looked closely at the plants and found little black beetle-like things in the dirt at the base! I am not sure at all what they are, but they look kind of like bigger flea beetles. I squished the heck out of those, too. Once the weather clears up and we've got a few dry days, I'm going to put some more of that flour mix down around the base of all the plants. It's just so hard right now because with all the rain, if I'm not careful, the flour mix will become a yucky mass that looks like pancake batter... and if I'm not super careful, it will become moldy. So, for now, I'm just out there picking and squishing. LOL! Reminds me of Hee Haw - "Pickin' and Grinnin'," although I'm anything but grinnin' when I'm out there pickin,' and there's no good banjo music playing to lift my spirits, either! LOL!

Keep me posted, girls - and please share your solutions. We may live miles apart, but we're in this together!

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!


Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 02 2013 03:35:27 AM
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl

1311 Posts

Linda
Manchester Ohio
1311 Posts

Posted - Jul 02 2013 :  09:08:48 AM  Show Profile
Nini I am using a solution from Gardens Alive called soap shield thats suppose to help with wilt, blight and other stuff.
I don't think its doing much good tho. I spray all my plants which takes awhile and pull off the bad leaves which is a ton...they are going to be naked plants soon. Then after I get that all done it rains again. Everyday its rain,rain,rain......well I am suppose to spray after it rains. Well that would be twice a day darnit. This is gettin expensive to say the least and I am tired of spraying. With all this rain it has made the tomato problems worse than ever. I don't see a day in the forcast yet for no rain. This has been going on what seems like forever. I feel like I live in the rain forest. I wish I could send some of this rain to the people who really need it.

I sprayed piola spray last year which I got from Gardens Alive but it did the same thing it killed the good bugs too and I don't like that. And to be honest I think the bad bugs survived! I think all this rain has made the bugs extra bad this year. I'm with you tho Nini I am smushing there brains out too. I am not letting them have my squash this year without a fight.
You go girl!!! Hopefully you will be getting squash soon.

Linda

Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats

Edited by - wooliespinner on Jul 02 2013 09:11:12 AM
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl

1044 Posts

Paula
Holt Missouri
USA
1044 Posts

Posted - Jul 03 2013 :  07:26:39 AM  Show Profile
Hi Nini,
Thank you for the reading suggestions! I have added them to my Amazon list. I have another book that is a good read and a way to look at gardening through different eyes. It is called "Noah's Garden" by Sara Stein. It is more about "ungardening" as Sara puts it. It is now in limited supply on Amazon, so snatch it up now if you are interested.

Paula

Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.

"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jul 08 2013 :  08:58:34 AM  Show Profile
Linda - You're so right! I felt like the bad bugs survived after spraying, too! I am starting to think, though, that it was more that when the good bugs left, there was very little in my garden to stave off the bad bugs naturally. I just couldn't keep up - and believe me, I tried! So far, I've been very lucky. Every day I've been squishing eggs and killing the few squash bugs and cucumber beetles that I have found. I'm very excited to report that I am also seeing an incredible variety of new beneficial bugs out there that I have never seen before! I am hesitant to trust what I am seeing, though - after last year, I'm going to remain vigilant!!! I am not kidding you, though - this companion planting thing really seems to be working!!!

Paula - I am definitely going to pick up that book! Thank you so much for the recommendation! Can't wait to read it! :)

Stay strong, girls - we can do this! :)

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!


Edited by - Ninibini on Jul 08 2013 09:01:03 AM
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl

1403 Posts

Betty
Pasco WA
USA
1403 Posts

Posted - Jul 08 2013 :  09:13:38 AM  Show Profile
Nini, I'm going to try the flour bit. Those snails, at least some of them, are as big as quarters and larger. I just smash their shells or cut them in half with the cutters. But you can't do that with all of them cuz you gotta catch them first. I haven't sprayed anything on my garden this year. In fact, I didn't even have snails until about three years ago. Don't know where they came from. I will try flour. That seems to be a really good idea. You mentioned mulching--I only have grass clippings and they seem to give the snails a good place to hide during the day.

I will also say that I admire your garden tremendously. Never can get enough photographs. Gives me a lot of ideas. I've only got cosmos (the ones you get in the mail unasked for) and marigolds. The weeds seem to be in better control.

Betty in Pasco

Edited by - Betty J. on Jul 08 2013 09:16:20 AM
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl

7597 Posts

darlene
Loleta California
USA
7597 Posts

Posted - Jul 08 2013 :  9:58:13 PM  Show Profile
Nini,
Your garden is beautiful, so green and lush looking. Thanks for posting the pictures. I love the ones with your puppy and your husband peeking out.
They are good.
Have a wonderful night.
love
darlene

I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer

Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.

I trust in you Jesus...
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jul 09 2013 :  08:22:03 AM  Show Profile
Thank you so much, Betty and Darlene! I'm trying! I'm really trying!!!

Those are some big old snails, Betty! I have no idea where they come from, either. I wonder if beer in a dish would work, too? Cosmos and marigolds are two of the most highly recommended by Ms. Cunningham for the garden - they should work great for you! :)

<shudder> Oh girls... Yesterday, after a day of torrential downpours, my hubby and I went out to the garden. We must've killed about 13 squash bugs and torn pieces of numerous leaves off that had eggs on them. Everything went into soapy water. When we were done, I did, too. SO gross. I don't know why I love gardening so much when I have such a problem with creepy crawlies...

Oh a happier note, I got a bunch of BEAUTIFUL hot banana peppers and stuffed them with cheese and sausage. I got the recipe online. They were fab-u-lous! I've also got a bunch of tomatoes and squash coming in. Some of the squash vines are growing up the arbor, too! SO cool! Yay! Keeping my fingers crossed! :)

I'd love to see pics of your gardens, too!

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!

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mscountrygirl
True Blue Farmgirl

552 Posts

Michelle
Lucedale Mississippi
USA
552 Posts

Posted - Jul 09 2013 :  08:34:09 AM  Show Profile
WOW Nini you got it goin on sister! I haven't hd much time to read all the posts, going thru a transition right now but I am doing the farmgirl thing. My cabbage is being decimated by the little beasty worms! After the rain last night my girls and I took about 2 dozen worms off the cabbage but 2 plants were destroyed. I am going to get the book by Cunningham as soon as possible. And you are right about perfection, its about progress not perfection.
Thank you ALL for sharing your words of wisdom....

It all comes back to the ground!

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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl

1403 Posts

Betty
Pasco WA
USA
1403 Posts

Posted - Jul 09 2013 :  10:58:55 AM  Show Profile
I can't afford beer, and because of medications I take, I don't drink--though there are lots of 100 degree days when a cold beer would taste really good. I abstain and drink plain iced tea. I still want to try the flour, but I forgot when I went outside today. It's just too hot and I'm not out there more than 10 minutes and I am sweating and the sweat is rolling off my brow and onto my eyeglasses.

I wanted to mention something about companion planting. Marigolds are lovely and they grow huge here, but the earwigs also love them. Isn't that interestisng?

Betty in Pasco

Edited by - Betty J. on Jul 09 2013 11:01:52 AM
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mscountrygirl
True Blue Farmgirl

552 Posts

Michelle
Lucedale Mississippi
USA
552 Posts

Posted - Jul 09 2013 :  12:38:43 PM  Show Profile
I found the book Great Gardening Companions on amazon.com for a couple of bucks..but still have to wait to pay day. Anyway it looks like a good one and it is at the top of my wish list.
The Betty J, that is very strange that earwigs enjoy marigolds. I live in Mississippi and the marigolds are marginal here. I should probably try a new type....

It all comes back to the ground!

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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl

1403 Posts

Betty
Pasco WA
USA
1403 Posts

Posted - Jul 09 2013 :  2:05:47 PM  Show Profile
The only reason I say earwigs like marigolds is because I went out one night with flashlight in hand and they were covering my plants, plus the plants were down to twigs.

My sister is complaining about squash bugs and she is planting in containers. They have eaten her zucchini down to nothing.

Betty in Pasco
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl

7577 Posts

Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts

Posted - Jul 10 2013 :  08:20:13 AM  Show Profile
Betty - SO funny you say that about the earwigs! I have noticed quite a few of them out there this summer, unlike any other. That must be why! LOL! That IS interesting! Do they damage anything?

As far as the beer... Our neighbor had a graduation party recently and saved the beer from the bottom of the cans for me...I know it sounds silly, but you'd be amazed at what he collected! Maybe you have a good neighbor who can do that for you, too???

You know what else I've seen this year, but never before? Japanese beetles! And I've found out that they are the culprits for some of the damage to my leaves! Dang! It's always something! Does anyone have a good deterrent for Japanese beetles?

The squash bugs are nasty... I'm so sorry your sister is experiencing them like that. They ruined my garden last year. I hate them with a passion. All I can offer to her is to plant some radishes in with her squash and cucumbers and just leave them there to deter the bugs. Also, she can grow tansy (which I am finding very difficult to find and/or cultivate from seed), nasturtiums and pink - PINK - petunias (they really hate the pink ones apparently). I am also finding that the dill is a wonderful deterrent. And to be honest? I think the nasturtiums are working best - they're almost magical!

I'm so glad you found the book at a great price, Michelle! I just know you will love it! I learned soooo much! And the best part is that her suggestions really work!

Hugs -

Nini




Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!

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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl

1403 Posts

Betty
Pasco WA
USA
1403 Posts

Posted - Jul 10 2013 :  1:20:46 PM  Show Profile
I went out this morning, 90 degrees already, and dug up 10 plants of Yukon Gold potatoes. I gave a couple of pounds to my neighbor and will give more to my son (if he wants them). I still got quite a bit though. I do have tomatoes on my plants and hope they hurry up and ripen. I planted lots of heirloom tomatoes, but haven't the foggiest idea of what they are. It will certainly be a surprise.

Tomorrow I want to go pick some organic blueberries, both for me and my sister. She pitted 8 lbs of tart cherries for me, so that should be a good exchange.

Betty in Pasco
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