May 06, 2019
I only have four snapdragons coming up. They are usually everywhere. I think I was over zealous with the weed eater. The multiple fine scratches on my eye protection goggles causes a blurred view of the small sprouts, and they got whacked. I also found four ladybug larvae on an artichoke plant. It's nice to know my garden provides them a place to pupate..
A healthy garden should be an assist to your local insect population because they provide an innumerable amount of support to plants. We don't know the vast interaction between plants and insects but we are pretty sure that interfering in it can be detrimental to our health. We have an inkling of understanding that the interruption of a species can bode ill for mankind and cause a ripple effect in the ecosystem. Imagine if we lost the microbes that consume the crude oil seeping up out of the cracks in the Gulf of Mexico. In time our oceans would be polluted..
May 07, 2019
Two of my cantaloupe plants turned pale green and wilted. I sprayed them with Serenade and am hoping for the best. It's a great organic product for fungus and mildew problems that let's you not have to identify the culprit, just spray it on and wait. Root rot problems can sometimes be the result of neematode or millapede damage, but I soak the ground around the affected plant to kill the root rot fungus..
I've got lots of seeds left, and plenty of room, so I'll plant another mound. There are way more seeds in a package of cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew than the average gardener can use in a year, so i always plant two seeds per hole, and thin to one. When I run out of hills I'll plant in rows, because the soil is usually warmed up and dried by then and the advantage of high ground is lessened..
May 08, 2019
I've always marveled this time of year at how the blackbirds chase the crows, dive bombing them and pecking at their back. They are so much smaller that it seems like they are risking their lives. I assumed they were trying to keep the crows from stealing their eggs, but yesterday I saw them attacking a heron. The heron was just standing in the pond, waiting for a perch to swim by, and minding its own business, when it was forced to fly away by the incessant nagging of the blackbirds. I've seen heron swallow perch as big as a blackbird so the blackbirds speed is keeping them from harm's way..
Apparently the heron was a threat by it's proximity to their nest, not by any particular behavior. These are the same blackbirds that I welcome every year to chase away the sparrows in the garden that eat leafy greens. The turkey vultures return first, followed by the blackbirds, and then the doves. A new year begins..
