Gardens 2020

[DirtDiva]

My plums are just starting to bloom. Last year the squirrels had a feast and the year before, each plum had a tiny white worm in it.

That worm is a fruit maggot laid by a small moth that lays eggs on the emerging leaves, blossoms etc. The eggs hatch and the small worm makes it's way to your fruit. Dormant oil sprayed once or twice while the tree is dormant will help to kill anything overwintering on the bark or around the drip line of the tree. Then I spray every 2 weeks or so with Neem oil or Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis) both approved organic. Bt kills caterpillars and will also help with borers which are a huge problem in TN. Neem will kill caterpillars and has the additional bonus or helping with fungal outbreaks. I spray when bees are at their least active late in the evening. You can also use Pyrethrins which are made from chrysanthemums and is also considered a low toxicity pesticide. Unfortunately it is difficult to grow stone fruit in Tn without some sort of spraying without insect damage of some sort. My fruit trees are one of the only crops I spray.

 

[GaRp58]

You can also use Pyrethrins which are made from chrysanthemums and is also considered a low toxicity pesticide

My mother in law used to take stinging nettles, cut them up, put them in a bucket of water and let it stand for a month or so till the water turned black. She was drawing the histimine out of the plant and then sprayed our grape and apples with it to keep the bugs away...maybe worth a try there. We also use sodium bicarbonate on tomatoes, cover the ground with straw to protect the strawberries against the snails, they can't slither over it so well. Gary

 

[Robinjopo1]

My neighbor makes shine. Dont know about plum. If I harvest any, I'll ask. Mom will probably make preserves though.

 

[DirtDiva]

My mother in law used to take stinging nettles, cut them up, put them in a bucket of water and let it stand for a month or so till the water turned black. She was drawing the histimine out of the plant and then sprayed our grape and apples with it to keep the bugs away...maybe worth a try there. We also use sodium bicarbonate on tomatoes, cover the ground with straw to protect the strawberries against the snails, they can't slither over it so well. Gary

I have never heard of using nettle tea for bugs but have heard of it used as a fertilizer. I have heard of people using rhubarb leaves for a tea for insecticide. You have to be careful with some of those. For instance Rhubarb leaves poison component is oxalic acid. Oxalic acid binds to calcium ions in the body, producing calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate is insoluble, and as such accrues in the kidneys as kidney stones. Not sure I want to chance that on my veggies and fruit. In a pinch though I would have to weigh the risk.

For slugs I have found what works for me are ducks. Khaki Campbell ducks love the slugs in my garden and lay more than chickens with richer eggs. Just takes a few.

On my tomatoes I like to spray diluted milk to control fungal issues, fusarium wilts and mildew issues.

Always like those natural alternatives when they work though.

 

[GaRp58]

We also had ducks in Hungary where I spent 5 months in 2018. Not only did they eat the slugs, the hungry little shits ate all my Weinberg snails. Those are the ones which you can make up with white wine and garlic into a great meal. Gotta starve them for 3 days tho, so they have time to empty their guts out, or else they are too bitter...Didn't have them long enough to get eggs. Had to come back to Germany on my medical court case and pre-retirement procedings...hated that...GP

 

[DirtDiva]

My neighbor makes shine. Dont know about plum. If I harvest any, I'll ask. Mom will probably make preserves though.

Plums make a great wine and they also dehydrate well. Split and remove the pit and dip in boiling water to remove peeling. I dehydrate lots of my fruit.

 

[Brent S]

Hi robin, even with worms in the plums, you can make moonshine with them. It is clean and sterile after distilling. Even if you don't wanna drink it, you can cook or run your car on it...GP

That can get you 20year to life here.... just sayin!

 

[Brent S]

My plums are just starting to bloom. Last year the squirrels had a feast and the year before, each plum had a tiny white worm in it.

If I had it to do over I probably would not have planted the plumbs. They are too sensitive and like you said, the critters like them so much it’s hard to beat them to fruit. My biggest successes have been apples, pears, blueberries and muscadine grapes. Very low maintenance plants and all produce well. I actually cut down all my peach trees as they needed so much chemical to produce I didn’t want to eat the stuff anymore.

 

[Brent S]

We also had ducks in Hungary where I spent 5 months in 2018. Not only did they eat the slugs, the hungry little shits ate all my Weinberg snails. Those are the ones which you can make up with white wine and garlic into a great meal. Gotta starve them for 3 days tho, so they have time to empty their guts out, or else they are too bitter...Didn't have them long enough to get eggs. Had to come back to Germany on my medical court case and pre-retirement procedings...hated that...GP

I’ve tried snails about three times. All I can say is sure, someone was in a survival situation and had to eat the things to survive. I can respect that. But eventually they were rescued and now they can stop eating the nasty beggars! Lol. I love trying exotic things but these things taste like musky, gristly dirt....

 

[Brent S]

I have never heard of using nettle tea for bugs but have heard of it used as a fertilizer. I have heard of people using rhubarb leaves for a tea for insecticide. You have to be careful with some of those. For instance Rhubarb leaves poison component is oxalic acid. Oxalic acid binds to calcium ions in the body, producing calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate is insoluble, and as such accrues in the kidneys as kidney stones. Not sure I want to chance that on my veggies and fruit. In a pinch though I would have to weigh the risk.

For slugs I have found what works for me are ducks. Khaki Campbell ducks love the slugs in my garden and lay more than chickens with richer eggs. Just takes a few.

On my tomatoes I like to spray diluted milk to control fungal issues, fusarium wilts and mildew issues.

Always like those natural alternatives when they work though.

I will resort to a light dusting of seven dust in rare circumstances but think avoiding chemicals as much as possible is wise. Like you said, Even natural remedies can have toxic effects, so minimal use of anything is my motto.

 

[GaRp58]

these things taste like musky, gristly dirt...

Like I said, you gotta let them starve for at least 3 days, you must have been eating their musky, gristly dung...GP

 

[Brent S]

Like I said, you gotta let them starve for at least 3 days, you must have been eating their musky, gristly dung...GP

Thanks, that’s even more appetizing! The way things are prepared can make a big difference sometimes. That’s why I gave it a shot three times. Snails were struck out though of my diet... like I said, I’m pretty adventurous with food and new things but if you try something and think it’s gross three times it’s time to move on to other things. Can’t stand oysters either and have had them at least 10 and different ways. My gag reflex kicks in every time. Generally though I’ll eat most things. Haven’t tried a worm just yet but do think I let one in some tequila slide down one drunk night years ago....

 

[GaRp58]

Never had the tequila worm, but earthworms. Ants are easy to eat, stir them up, let them crawl up your finger, lick them off. The little ones are sweet, the big ones make me think of pickles...ate my first rattlesnake at 15 in CA, cactus in AZ, Squirrels in OK, javelina in TX, snails, kangaroo and squid in Germany, oysters in the NorthSea by Denmark. Some things do not interest me but I'm not afraid of that which others eat. (The wet markets in China have changed my mind tho.....) GP

 

[Brent S]

Never had the tequila worm, but earthworms. Ants are easy to eat, stir them up, let them crawl up your finger, lick them off. The little ones are sweet, the big ones make me think of pickles...ate my first rattlesnake at 15 in CA, cactus in AZ, Squirrels in OK, javelina in TX, snails, kangaroo and squid in Germany, oysters in the NorthSea by Denmark. Some things do not interest me but I'm not afraid of that which others eat. (The wet markets in China have changed my mind tho.....) GP

Yeah, bats are off my list too! If it comes down to survival, I guess tastes takes a back seat, but in normal times I like both taste and presentation to be good. Speaking of, with this virus going around I’m really going to miss going out to eat. Along that thought I bet the restaurant owners are going to miss it more than me... I really feel for all the small business owners out there.

 

[DirtDiva]

Thanks, that’s even more appetizing! The way things are prepared can make a big difference sometimes. That’s why I gave it a shot three times. Snails were struck out though of my diet... like I said, I’m pretty adventurous with food and new things but if you try something and think it’s gross three times it’s time to move on to other things. Can’t stand oysters either and have had them at least 10 and different ways. My gag reflex kicks in every time. Generally though I’ll eat most things. Haven’t tried a worm just yet but do think I let one in some tequila slide down one drunk night years ago....

Finally! Someone else who doesn't like oysters. They are on my do not eat list also.

 

[DirtDiva]

Yeah, bats are off my list too! If it comes down to survival, I guess tastes takes a back seat, but in normal times I like both taste and presentation to be good. Speaking of, with this virus going around I’m really going to miss going out to eat. Along that thought I bet the restaurant owners are going to miss it more than me... I really feel for all the small business owners out there.

Not just the small business owners. I had emails in my inbox this morning from Harbor Freight and several other stores including grocery stores and they all pretty well said the same thing. " We are cleaning and disinfecting our stores, we are telling employees not to work sick and our stores are safe to shop." Lots of sales out there too. Harbor Freight especially. First thing that came to mind was liquidating inventory prior to panic and /or recession. That is what I would be doing to go into this thing cash heavy and inventory light.

 

[Brent S]

Finally! Someone else who doesn't like oysters. They are on my do not eat list also.

It’s like swallowing a big salty lugie!

 

[Brent S]

Not just the small business owners. I had emails in my inbox this morning from Harbor Freight and several other stores including grocery stores and they all pretty well said the same thing. " We are cleaning and disinfecting our stores, we are telling employees not to work sick and our stores are safe to shop." Lots of sales out there too. Harbor Freight especially. First thing that came to mind was liquidating inventory prior to panic and /or recession. That is what I would be doing to go into this thing cash heavy and inventory light.

Our electrical business is mostly service, which is good and near recession proof. The bad part is it’s mostly commercial and retail businesses so it puts us in contact with sick people. I’m letting the young healthy guys do the for a while now.

 

[GaRp58]

It’s like swallowing a big salty lugie![/QUOTE
I WOULD NOT KNOW BRENT; DONT KNOW WHAT A BIG SALTY LUGIE TASTES LIKE; NEVER TRIED ONE: ARE THEY ON SALE SOMEWHERE....

 

[Brent S]

Oh, if you’ve eaten a raw oyster then you know exactly what they would taste like! Actually to be fair, the taste isn’t too bad, it’s the texture that makes me gag as they slide down your throat....