Tag Archives: garden pests

Garden Attacks: Aphids and Javalina

Not a banner week.  Great reminder that no matter how smart we think we are we really don’t have control.

Waphidsent out to get some beet greens for lunch on Monday. The first leaf I cut had funny black dirt all over it.  Didn’t think much of it; figured it had drug in the dirt when we watered. Moved to the center of the plant and cut another leaf.  Black stuff all over it. I gingerly touched “the dirt” – it was soft and squishy.  YUCK!!

Well, I learned something new this week.  Who know that aphids come in black. My only up close and personal experience with  aphids were the white ones on our roses and hibiscus plants. I also learned that aphids are also called plant lice . . which explains the squirmy crawly feeling I got!

I guess the increase in ants should have given me a clue. But it has been so dry that I just figured they were out looking for water.  Never occurred to me they were setting up their own personal little farm on my beet patch. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on July 12, 2012
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First multi-tomato harvest and garden pests . . .

S6300616The good news is that this week we have actually been harvesting and eating from the garden everyday.  We have had spinach (we are very close to the end of this batch), kale, cabbage leaves, beet greens, radishes,  zucchini, onions and tomatoes!

Tuesday morning there were actually 5 largish and 5 cherry tomatoes! We obviously got a little carried away on the whole watering thing (you can tell my the big cracks) but that seems to be a problem every year. . . takes a little bit to figure out exactly how much to water unless you invest in a moisture meter.  We, of course, wing it! (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on June 14, 2012
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Our Garden — another kind of adventure in feeding ourselves!

Let’s just say we do NOT live in a gardener’s paradise.  We are on granite, desert mountaintop.  Our soil is rocky and dry.  We live close to wild life – rabbits, deer, coyotes and javelina use our side yard as a race way and eat everything in sight.  And then there are small rodents and the birds!

Most gardener’s here either have securely fenced yards or have built raised beds (a big planter and filled it with soil).  Some have both.  They work great but are more or less permanent and expensive to build. David and I moved here last year. At the time we were not sure that we would be staying here permanently, so we leased a house for a year.  Turns out we love it here, but now we need some time to find the place we want to buy. The point of all that is that we are renting and do not want to go to the time and expense of building a big fence or even raised beds. (more…)

by Genene Cote Posted on May 21, 2012
Posted in Cote Home Grown Fare, fresh veggies, garden, tomatoes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment