Pesticides

Usually in my garden, I try not to use pesticides. There are certain instances when it seems impossible to not use a pesticide, such as when spider mites infest tomatoes, or squash bugs infest the squash. Now that I have honeybees, I'm more aware of how I'm treating garden pests.

My go-to pesticides are typically organic:
Dipel Dust - Bacillus thuringiensis
Diatomaceous Earth

I came across this document indicating which pesticides are harmful to honeybees:
http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/pesticide_certification/Supervisor/protecting_honeybees.pdf

Sevin, which is a pesticide that several people in my family swear by, kills honeybees as well as bad bugs. So when the honeybees come over to pollinate the flowers on your garden plants they are killed for doing their job. 

Sunday I noticed that the Diatomaceous Earth was not phasing the caterpillars on the cabbages. I squished all the caterpillars I could find and then dusted the cabbage with Dipel Dust.

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You scream for ice cream, I scream for Sweet peas!

I ended up moving all the herbs out from the greenhouse. It is way too hot in the greenhouse during the day and I was ending up drenching the pots with water every evening to try to keep up with the leaves sagging.
The tomato plants are looking really good. I was a little scared when I put them in the ground that I might have to look for some at a nursery but they really turned around. There is something munching on the leaves, so I put Garden Dust on them. If that doesn't work, it may be a larger critter and I have a critter repellent to try.


The diatomaceous earth wasn't working at all on the big ants on the artichoke plant, so I put Garden Dust on it, too, as well as the cucurbit seedlings that have pushed through.

And the object of this post: Peas! These are shelling peas, so that's why I haven't picked any yet. The pods aren't filled out. I've been trying to remember to water them every couple days since it's been so hot and dry. I came across a Bacon & Pea Risotto recipe that I'd like to try when I harvest them. Yum. :)

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Garden Report 07.18.2010

I believe my tomato plants have septoria leaf spot. They had this last year as well. Here's a link to the MU Extension office's website, with photos of the disease: http://ppp.missouri.edu/newsletters/meg/archives/v7n7/meg1.htm
I harvested quite a few vegetables yesterday. About 4 banana peppers, nearly a dozen anaheim peppers and about half a dozen cayenne peppers. Also about 2 cups each of yellow pear tomatoes and black cherry tomatoes. One Cour di Bue tomato, three Thessaloniki and 2 amish paste.  Two cucumbers.
The squash also have squash vine borers. I've been very diligent about applying diatomaceous earth, but they still got to them. No squash bugs though, just the borers! Sadly, The Hub's acorn squash may not make it, but I'll keep trying. I sprayed the squash, tomatoes and eggplant with a spray mixture of Garden Dust. I've used this the last several years. It is an organic pesticide and fungicide that can be used up to the day before harvest. There are little black bugs that have attacked the eggplant this year. I dusted them with diatomaceous earth several times but they weren't phased. We'll see if the Garden Dust helps, but the leaves are so holey that I don't know if they'll make it either....

Gardening is an experiment. It's a learning experiment. I know things now to improve my garden next year. The main thing I keep hearing is to stop trying to grow squash because the last four years I've tried to grow it, the squash vine borers have enjoyed more of them than we have. But I'll keep being persistent!

 

My dinner tonight: a Greek salad, about as Greek as it can get, with Thessaloniki tomatoes! And a new beer (new for me at least) from New Belgium Brewing called Skinny Dip. Reminds me of a mix of their Fat Tire and Sunshine Wheat.

These next couple pictures are from last weekend's harvest:

 

Anaheim peppers, yellow pear tomatoes and cayenne peppers

 

I ended up taking these tomatoes to work with me because I had too many to eat.

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This is what's left of yesterday's harvest. The photo is so yellow because my harvest tub is yellow. Those are two Thessaloniki tomatoes and all the cayenne peppers, black cherry tomatoes and yellow pear I harvested yesterday. Also some tomatillos. We ate all the anaheim and banana peppers in fajitas last night.

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Organic pesticides

I spoke to the gentleman at Schaffitzel's and here are his suggestions for bug control:
When planting squash/zukes, sprinkle diatomaceous earth aroudn the plant AND/OR
From the day the squash put on true leaves, apply rotenone/pyrethrin. He prefers the powder form and believes it lasts longer/doesn't need to be aplied as often as the spray.

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