I have always been what most would call a "lazy gardener." I love shopping for plants, playing with color and texture to form little vignettes, etc., but when it comes to the nitty gritty stuff, I do just enough to get by. Over time I've figured out
just which perennials require the least amount of fussing, pruning, and deadheading. I've also learned not to leave any exposed soil in my beds, cuz really people, that's just like invitin' weeds to a party! Me and gardening? We get along just fine thisaway.
Growing food though, that's a whole different ball o' wax. I've never been too good at handling pests and disease - horticultural or otherwise. So, I've managed to grow a few salad's-worth of lettuces, some herbs, and even a sprig or two of asparagus, but usually run into a brick wall whenever I try my hand at the nightshade and brassica families. Like I said. I don't do pests and disease.
I'd like to change all that, but I'm gonna need some help. With most things I've accomplished in the past, the more I learned, the easier it got. In fact, the further I got into gardening, the more I realized that there's really no such thing as a brown or black thumb. It all boils down to lack of information. Sooooo, I'm hoping you guys can supply me with enough information to get me over my first hurdle in the Fiesta Garden.
You see, when I left for Houston this weekend, the broccoli, chard and cabbage were all looking mighty fine. Two days later, I came back to find a bed full of Swiss cheese! Upon inspection, I found three tee-niny little bright green wormy things, which I promptly removed and squished. Now, here are the things that've got me stymied:
GREENS & BRASSICAS: What's Worth Getting in a Bundle Over, and What Isn't?
- Could those three little boogers have done all that damage, or did I miss a whole bunch more?
- How big a problem is holey leaves? I mean, is it gonna kill me if I eat a chard leaf with a couple of holes in it? Will it keep the broccoli or cabbage from forming heads?
- Can I just keep picking off whatever critters I find, or do I need to rush out and buy some Bt or Insecticidal Soap?
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6 comments:
Well, am no "expert"--and pretty darn lazy myself, but I'd keep an eye out for more of them. I've had decent luck with garlic spray to reduce critters. (You can buy it ready-made or look for a recipe online.) As for the holes, I'd eat around them. And, yes, your plants should still produce.
Oh, and I've never tried cabbage and broccoli in spring/summer. (In fall/winter, I leave them be and it all seems to work like magic) Am eager to see how this goes for you!
Can you eat chard and other greens with holes in the leaves--absolutely! You're doing exactly the right thing: checking the leaves, picking off the caterpillars and squashing them. In terms of how to keep food plants healthy and growing, what works best for me is to create a whole garden community that will attract the critters that eat your pests too. So I make sure to have loads of native plants around in my non-food garden, because the natives provide the food, housing, and attractants for the birds and insects (and the garter snakes and others) that eat caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other garden pests. In other words, create good wildlife habitat, and you'll have a healthier food garden. A garden is a community, whether we realize it or not. The more natives you use in your community, the healthier it is overall, because the natives build the healthy relationships with pollinators and pest-eaters your garden needs. (Oops--got carried away and went on too long. Sorry!)
Yum! Swiss cheese sounds good, too.
I haven't had any luck growing that, tho.
:-)
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