Archive for January, 2009
Should your butterfly garden include bees?
I think of my butterfly garden as a place for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. But wasps attack caterpillars, especially paperwasps, yellowjackets and hornets. So you will want to place the host plants where caterpillars are likely to hatch and feed away from the area bees and wasps will be feeding.
While bees do not attack caterpillars like their cousins the wasps, the air movement of bees wings nearby triggers sensor hairs on the caterpillars. The caterpillars then sense a predator nearby and freeze, or drop off the plant.
On the opposite side, if you wish to keep caterpillars away from your peppers and other vegetables, plant them close to the flowering plants in your yard that attract bees. My Mexican heather is covered with bees about 9 months out of the year. Consider a border of heather or some other plant loved by bees about your vegetable garden to discourage caterpillars from hanging out.
It has recently come to my attention that Imidacloprid is extremely toxic to honey bees. If you must use pesticides in your garden be sure to read up on this one first.
More information
Hey Caterpillar, Buzz off
Jim Conrad’s Naturalist Newsletter, Wasp caterpillar butcher time
Wasps
Ancient virus gave wasps power over caterpillars
Competitive gardening
While I’d heard of this or that giant vegetable winning awards at fairs I’d never really paid a whole lot of attention. But while I wasn’t watching giant vegetable growing has become a serious competitive sport. I expect much of that has to do with the internet allowing far flung devotes to connect.
If you are looking to connect with other giant vegetable growers you might start with Giant vegetables at the Garden Web Forum
Growing giant vegetables is much like growing giant flowers.
1) Start with a good variety, heirloom is best.
2) Remove all other fruits or flowers so all the plants energy into the one you want to grow supersized.
3) Fertilize regularly
4) Water regularly
5) And a bit of luck is need.
Lebanon farmer grows super sized spud
Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers Organization
Seed man offers giant vegetable seeds
Giant Vegetables ( directions for growing from Redwood Barn Nursery )
Fairly Big Gourd: He’s an expert on growing prize winning gourds
Hurricanes bring snow to Houston
The Houston weather blog had an interesting story after our December snowfall. Every time a hurricane has landed in Houston, snow has followed in December. While we’ve occasionally had snow with out a hurricane, we haven’t had a hurricane with out snow.
Snow more than a trace amount in Houston ( 20″ Feb. 1895; .1″ Jan. 1912; .2″ Jan. 1918; .8″ Jan. 1926; 2.5″ Dec. 1929; .8″ Mar. 1932; 3″ Jan. 1940; 2.6″ Jan 1949; 4.4″ Feb. 1960; 2.0″ Jan. 1973; 1.4″ Feb. 1973; 1.4″ (again) Feb. 1973; .4″; Jan. 1978; 1.4″ Feb. 1980; 1.0″ Jan. 1985; .3″ Feb. 1985; 1.7″ Dec. 1989, .1″ Feb. 1994; )
Tea hibiscus aka Roselle aka Red Sorrel ( Hibiscus sabdariffa )
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- tea-hibiscus-bud Oct 08
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- tea-hibiscus-bud Oct 08
Tea hibiscus can reach 7′ tall with a similar spread. The leaves will reach about 6″ across as they age. The red stems are striking as are the deep red buds.
Mulch well and water well. This plant does not like to be dry.
Does best in full sun.
The flowers should appear any time now, it is a fall blooming plant and they will be yellow. Each flower only lasts one day.
Often used as a hedge plant.
The red flower buds are used in cooking for teas, in salads, jams, sauces, soups and just about everything else.
* This is an annual, which I had not known or I wouldn’t have grabbed it. But it will make a nice filler in the butterfly garden until I can get that re-established. Seeds should be planted two months before first frost. This plant is not frost hardy.
Native of Africa according to some sources, India according to other sources.
This was popular plant in warm US areas while people still canned. The fruits were canned each fall. As home canning fell off, and because it is an annual, it fell out of favor over time. If you are looking to establish a pre-1950s garden consider adding this plant.
Problems:
Susceptible to root knot nematodes.
