This garden pest, the Spotted Cucumber Beetle, has been seen at Westbury Community Garden beginning in May. We also may see the smaller Striped Cucumber Beetle and Green Banded Cucumber Beetle. All three of these have small black heads. They are evasive and hard to catch/kill, as they fly off quickly. Their eggs are yellow, oval and […]
Archive | Gardening
Leaf-Footed Stink Bugs
If you still have tomatoes on your vines, they are likely being stung by the leaf footed stink bug, which makes them feel hard, have yellow tint, and taste terrible. I’m taking out my tomato plants today.
Squash Vine Borers
Have you seen this moth flitting around your squash plants? Look closely. It is has a greenish black top wing and transparent, black-veined bottom wing and is often confused with a wasp. It buzzes when it flies. Unlike most moths, it flies in the daytime. The Squash Vine Borer, Melitta curcurbitae, is a serious pest of vine […]
Figs!
It’s July and fig trees are bearing lots of delicious figs. The yellow figs are Banana fig, and are ripe when they slightly change color to a deeper yellow, and when you touch the fig and it is tender, it is ready to pick. If you don’t pick it right away, it will ferment and be […]
Garlic-Pepper-Onion Bug Spray
This safe and effective spray the can be made at home. It makes the vegetables or leaves tasty nasty to the bugs so they stop munching. You must wash your veggies before eating them if you use this stuff! It will taste nasty to you, too! I have made a large batch of the concentrate. […]
Inspiration From Our Gardeners
I like to talk to other gardeners. I find it very helpful, interesting and educational. One tip I learned from Bert (E13) was about pine needles. I told Bert I rake up my pine needles then dump them on my azaleas and fertilize. The results have been amazing. Bert told me there was a better […]
Harlequin Bugs
The first week of May, 2014, many gardeners reported seeing this bug on broccoli that had bolted and other plants in the brassica family. This pest is Murgantia histrionica, also known as the Harlequin Bug or Cabbage Bug. Harlequin bugs come because there are plants that are past their prime. They especially like all the brassica […]
Support For Plants
Some plants must be supported to be at maximum production. These plants are tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, long beans, pole beans, bitter melon, Malabar spinach. Tools: The garden’s two handled fence post driver is in the small shed. (See photo.) Trellises are for cucumbers, long beans, pole beans, bitter melon, Malabar spinach. Trellises can be […]
2014 Spring Seed Set
The set may be purchased for $10. It includes 18 vegetable/herb/flower varieties. Edamame will be arriving later. Arugula — Sylvetta Basil — Genovese Beans — Carson Yellow Bush Bean and Jade Bush Bean Cucumber – Armenian and Suyo Long Edamame — Midori Giant (not yet available) Eggplant — Kermit Green and Orient Express Flowers — […]
Planting Seeds
How deep to plant seeds Plant seeds 3 times the width of the seed. If it is a very little seed like carrot or lettuce, plant it very close to the surface and water often until the seed germinates. These seeds need light to germinate, so plant them just under the surface of the soil. […]