Thoughts and opinions on the life and culture we have and need.
When your final plants have been pulled and it’s time to sweep-up the leaves and dirt, you look forward to the month or two when you won’t be carefully tending to plants in your greenhouse. You tuck a ‘pet plant’ in a corner or two to keep it in a comfortable dormancy and you shut... Continue Reading →
The winterized garden: November, 2019. The rains have come. It was actually a wet September, which for us, is unusual. For the trees and my garden, it was welcomed - besides splitting my tomatoes and abruptly putting an end to the season for some more sensitive crops. October had been relatively nice, and we have... Continue Reading →
No one knows how many whitefly species there are, but most of the ones we are concerned about seem to arrive to North America via Florida, and the bad ones stay. If you’re not a total bug-geek like me and you have chosen to read this article it is likely because you are familiar with... Continue Reading →
Since the popularization of the modern greenhouse in Victorian England, non-chemical, greenhouse pest-control, as we know it, has been practiced. It was before modern chemical pesticides were available, and it was at this same time that Phytoseiulus persimilis (common name: Persimilis) became cosmopolitan and the standard for two spotted spider mite control. Without the sophistication... Continue Reading →
A Sample Veggie Garden Rotation It’s time to take a closer look at what is growing, now that the heavy work is out of the way. I’ll walk you through what I am growing in each bed - in the order through which they will rotate. But first, I’ll discuss the reasons I am rotating... Continue Reading →
Quietly gaining recognition for spider mite control amongst the giants (figuratively-speaking) of the industry like phytoseiulus persimilis, amblyseius andersoni, fallacis and californicus, stethorus punctillum is making itself known to growers thanks to its’ flight, hunger, and suitability for hot crops, low humidity and sticky plants. The “giants” previously listed are all predatory mites. Stethorus is... Continue Reading →
Late July, I’ve slowed down, and I love it. Time to enjoy what has been done and what is being produced. I’m training tomatoes daily, watering profusely, pulling weeds and eating produce directly from the soil. Let me show you what I have on the go: At the back, tall amaranth is just about to... Continue Reading →
Work in the yard has slowed down. Deep rooted weeds grow inches a day in these final days of June, but the months of dry weather has slowed the shallow-rooted villains. Today it’s raining, however. All the weeds I left will force themselves into producing seeds in the next few days. It’s time to bust-out... Continue Reading →
There is a revolution taking place in people’s gardens. The demand for Organic products; mistrust of chemical companies; the longing for a simpler time; near complete chemical resistance in some pests; and an adjusted sense of what constitutes garden productivity have all played a role in the major increase in demand for biological controls... Continue Reading →
How to use good bugs,
