Juli Lawrence – Rakish Gardening

July 4th, 2008

Geez, I found two more Japanese beetles having sex, this time on my hibiscus plant. Then I saw two milkweed bugs (which are pretty bugs) doing it too. There’s an orgy going on in my back garden and I don’t like it.

So I smashed them all.

Lots of ladybugs, though, enjoying the oleander aphids I’ve left for them. I don’t mind if ladybugs have sex in my garden, because the more the merrier.

Everything is looking pretty good. I’ve got a number of tomatoes, none ripe yet. And I’ve got tiny cucumbers. I think one Blue Hubbard was invaded by a squash vine borer, so I pulled it up. There are two more growing that look okay, and I gave their stems a squirt of spinosad. That’s kind of like BT but better; but it can kill the bees and ladybugs, so I haven’t used it until now. I’m trying to find my hypodermics I bought so I can inject directly into the vines. I don’t know if that works or not, just made it up. But it sounds like it should if there are any borer worms in there. I’ve misplaced them, along with my twine. I wish I were better organized, but it’s just not my nature. I have to accept that shortcoming.

Got all the tomatoes staked today, plus the goldenrod and tansy. They were so big they had spread out and were falling over. Making shade and in my way, so I tied them up. I’ve got this pounder thing that pounds stakes into the ground. I swear it’s the best tool ever invented.

Here’s what they look like, and all you do is slip the thing (heavy) over the stake or pole, give it a few taps, and it’s in the ground nice and sturdy. I can’t believe I lived without this tool my whole life. Someone gave this to me. Actually, they loaned it and I said if you ever want it back, let me know. Seriously. This person has more tools than he would ever use, so I borrow and then don’t return sometimes. It’s consensual.

The mosquitoes were terrible; they hadn’t been a problem this year, probably because we got our gutters cleaned out. LOL. But I bought this gadget that is a fan and has a scent from a geranium. It’s supposed to give you 400 square feet of no mosquitoes and other flying biting bugs. I hadn’t used it yet because there hadn’t been any skeeters. Now I need to get that out, put the batteries in it and start using it. I hope it works. Paul James said it did, which is why I bought it.

I’ve bought a number of garden things because he recommended them, and I haven’t been sorry.

• Squirrels are still behaving
• Monarchs are emerging
• As summer starts to wind down
• Crop rotation

Tags: pests
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