Aphids

This is what happens when you plant lettuces out of their natural habitat!

Unfortunately I could not get a picture of the herding ants - they retreated as soon as I moved the lettuce leafs. This is a fascinating story where ants herd aphids onto a leaf and then secrete chemicals that subdue the aphids and inhibit wing growth. The aphids eat the leaf and the ants eat the aphid's secretions that are a rich food. The aphids benefit as the ants fight off lady bugs and other predators.

My own response was to collect tomato leaves (suckers) and chop finely, soak in water overnight and then spray on the aphids. Will it work?

Technical "Problems"

The week before last I had to re-install the laptop software (thank you Vista). In the process I lost the Access database I used to maintain the plantings and export the html for the blog.

Got it all recreated and did 2 (yes two!) complete inventories to reconcile. Still a couple of containers where we will have to let things grow to see what they are.

The new grid shows replanting.

Also revised the pricing to reflect some recent purchases, mainly soil.

Not all is lost

The nutrient problem only seriously affected some pumpkin and minor impact on the beans. This zuchini is doing very well and we have had adequate salad greens for a couple of weeks now.

Nutrient Dificiency

Some of the beans and pumpkin have pale leaves and slow growth. I thought we had a problem with too much rain. Then I realised these two pumpkins were started together and one was transplanted. Looks like a nutrient deficiency. Looked it up on the web and seems like nitrogen and just about everything else is missing.

I've started a treatment of Wegener's fertilizer. Now wait and see?

The soil (triple mix or black earth plus animal fertilizer) was bought from a variety of sources. Should have kept a record. Next year its leaf vegetables in the bean pots.

Public Enemy #1

Lots of these delightful creatures on the lettuce. Started pulling them off -major yucky - then a friend of my son came up and got them drunk on beer. He cut bottoms off small plastic bottles to make shallow (about 3/4") dishes that were placed around the garden and filled with beer. Every one of those is now full of dead slugs, at least 6 in each. Time to clean out and refill.

Dreadful waste of beer. Hope they like Coors Light and don't get into my Boddington!

Raining Again...

Here it is July 7th and it is 16 C (62 F). We have had rain 2 days out of 3 in the past 3 weeks!!!! So here is a quick pictorial update:

Tomatoes comminag along well, some in flower.

Zuchini starting some flowers

Beans are a bit pale so I suspect too much water.

Rhubarb and Potatoes looking great

I'm quite concerned about the pumpkin and squash whish are growing slowly and have very pale leaves. I suspect too much rain and have been dumping water from the resevoir in the containers. Good job we drilled drainage holes.

Here's hoping for a hot sunny week! Checked the forecast and rain every day except Wednesday.

First up was a radish followed by rhubarb and lettuce. There were 5 adults so we sliced the radish paper thin and had a couple of slices each. Surprise - what flavour. Tasted like the radishes we got at home in England in the 50's. Cleared the sinuses.

Beginning the think there is truth in the heritage seed thing. Just finished reading "In defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. Highly recommend.