The 4th of July is for Tomatoes
Last year my 1st homegrown tomato came off the vine on the 3rd of July. This year the deer pruned my tomatoes so severely that there are no 4th of July tomatoes. There are two very tiny green tomatoes on 1 vine. Fortunately Michael Swol felt sorry for me and brought me an extremely ripe and very tiny cherry tomato from one of his plants. It was, of course, anticlimactic as my friend Stephanie has been blessing me with homegrown tomatoes for a week.
At least the cucumbers and squash are doing well. Even the new cucumbers that were planted early last week have come up. The Hydroponics store on Monroe Rd. in Charlotte has BT. This is supposed to murder pickle worms. Michael and I each bought a very tiny bottle for $16. I sprayed mine yesterday (the 4th of July). I hope it will give me independence from pickle worms and other caterpillars.
BT (Bacillus Thuringienses) is a disease that kills insects in the larval stage. Supposedly they take a bite or two, get sick and fall off the plant and die. I hope it ruins their whole day.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Showing posts with label pickleworms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pickleworms. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, August 4, 2008
Pickle-Worms
Pickle-Worms
We are leaving the realm of science fiction; but we are sticking with the cucurbits. The last couple of blogs have referred to the little worms eating the cucurbits. Winter Swol did some internet research and found out they were called “pickle-worms”. They eat squash and other cucurbits as well. Soak the vegetable in water and they come out for air. Then you can murder them and put them in the compost. The part of the vegetable they haven’t munched on is still good to eat.
I can just hear the ooo’s. Would you rather share your plate with a pickle worm, or expose your garden, yourself and your family to carcinogenic chemicals? I realize many people will choose the latter. Everyone draws the line somewhere. I spray myself with Deit before working in the yard. I make a conscious decision that the diseases and discomfort caused by the mosquitoes is worse than the risks posed by the chemical. I even used a pyrethrum spray on the harlequin bugs. It didn’t work. I accelerated to Sevin Dust. That seems to work; but has to be reapplied after each rain. My broccoli plants look like lace and I don’t really want to eat the broccoli. I will probably pull them up. The bugs, the environment and me all lose. I wouldn’t really mind if they would just eat a little bit. They are so greedy.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
We are leaving the realm of science fiction; but we are sticking with the cucurbits. The last couple of blogs have referred to the little worms eating the cucurbits. Winter Swol did some internet research and found out they were called “pickle-worms”. They eat squash and other cucurbits as well. Soak the vegetable in water and they come out for air. Then you can murder them and put them in the compost. The part of the vegetable they haven’t munched on is still good to eat.
I can just hear the ooo’s. Would you rather share your plate with a pickle worm, or expose your garden, yourself and your family to carcinogenic chemicals? I realize many people will choose the latter. Everyone draws the line somewhere. I spray myself with Deit before working in the yard. I make a conscious decision that the diseases and discomfort caused by the mosquitoes is worse than the risks posed by the chemical. I even used a pyrethrum spray on the harlequin bugs. It didn’t work. I accelerated to Sevin Dust. That seems to work; but has to be reapplied after each rain. My broccoli plants look like lace and I don’t really want to eat the broccoli. I will probably pull them up. The bugs, the environment and me all lose. I wouldn’t really mind if they would just eat a little bit. They are so greedy.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
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