Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

Hi Dave,

You said this is your second year trying the tachinid fly. Where did you purchase them? Locally or online? I looked into those earlier in the year but I want to make sure I'm purchasing from a reputable source, if online.

Now that people are using natural predators to control pesky pests, I think all of them have come to my home! Pests that is. Not the natural predators - they are certainly welcome in my gardens.

C.T.
Sent from my iPad

On Jul 16, 2013, at 11:54 AM, David Douglas <earthworks2@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Rinda,
>
> Long time no talk to.
>
> My main line of defense for Japanese Beetles is the tachinid fly. There are
> many varieties of tachinid within this family. The primary one that has
> shown up in our vineyard here in the Adirondacks is very small & has a very
> long abdomen.
> They lay their eggs on the thorax of the beetle, it hatches within 24 hours
> and bores into the beetle which immediately drops and burrows into the
> ground and dies within 24 hours.
>
> So what a person need to do before killing the JB is look very closely at
> it and see if there are any little white eggs on it, if so just let it go.
> In the long run what happens is the population of the tachinids really
> multiplies, a very good thing.
> One female can lay up to 100 eggs & there are two
> This is only the second year that I have been doing this and it has made a
> major difference already.
>
> By4now,
> Dave in the Adirondacks
> www.artofdaviddouglas.com
>
> On Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 9:14 AM, Rinda Frye <frinda@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> >
> > Japanese beatles are horrible. But I've found that while they were a
> > plague here in the late 90's, they seem to have disappeared in the last 4
> > to 5 years--I think they simply moved west. If you have access to Virginia
> > creeper, plant some on a fence not too far from your rose bushes. They love
> > Virginia creeper and you can use it as a catch crop. But you have to go
> > out early mornings when they're still sleeping in the vines (and in the
> > roses) with a bowl of soapy water and knock the little devils into the bowl
> > to drown. (This can be very meditative and therapeutic.) Oh, they also
> > love bee balm, which you can use in the same way. One more thing: they
> > prefer light colored roses, so if you plant red or purple roses, you won't
> > have as much trouble with them--the darker the better.
> >
> > >________________________________
> > > From: C.T. Ibanez <c.t.i.artwork@gmail.com>
> > >To: "Organic_Gardening@yahoogroups.com" <
> > Organic_Gardening@yahoogroups.com>
> > >Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 4:21 PM
> >
> > >Subject: Re: [Organic_Gardening] New member
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Hi Sally and everyone - I'm in zone 7a and this has been a great year for
> > yellow squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. In fact, I picked a zucchini last
> > night that weighed 3.2 pounds.
> > >
> > >Last year, I planted rose bushes and they bloomed all summer. This year,
> > I haven't gotten one single bloom because the Japanese Beetles are eating
> > the delicate buds. I've tried vinegar, soapy water, picking them off by
> > hand, and drowning them but I can't seem to control the devastation. I also
> > have mulch around the base to stop the larvae in the ground but even this
> > is not working. Does anyone have a suggestion I could try?
> > >
> > >I've been a member of this group for several years now and I know that
> > last year we were very active. I hope we can kick start this group again
> > because I learned so much from the seasoned gardeners that it would be a
> > shame if we allowed it to disintegrate.
> > >
> > >C.T.
> > >Sent from my iPad
> > >
> > >On Jul 15, 2013, at 6:13 AM, sally glendinning <wirlybirdone@yahoo.co.uk>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Hi All!
> > >>
> > >> I'm Sally and I have been lurking -- I suspect everyone is off doing
> > their gardening. I can't do much at the moment for two reasons.
> > >>
> > >> First I might be moving home and secondly I have mainly concrete around
> > my home and need to build the beds -- I have a limited income, so I have to
> > pause and save up for the next round of development.
> > >>
> > >> I have three raised beds -- two of them actually made from an up-ended
> > bed-base filled with horse manure and multipurpose compost -- the compost
> > is cheaper than buying-in a ton of soil. I have been gardening, on and off,
> > for just over 50 years and still learning.
> > >>
> > >> My crops are doing well this year, after last year's washout. I have
> > parsley, mangetout and peas, broad beans, shallots, onions and leeks.
> > Parsnips, dwarf runners and french beans.
> > >>
> > >> Most of the beans are growing atop my woodchip bed 3' 6" above the
> > ground.
> > >>
> > >> I have two baths full of potatoes.
> > >>
> > >> For once it isn't raining -- in fact it's been sunny for a few weeks
> > this year -- so it's a very good growing year and so far, keeping my
> > fingers crossed that the potato blight has passed us by.
> > >>
> > >> What crops/techniques are you all trying ?
> > >>
> > >> Enjoy your gardening -- Best Wishes from Sally in Wales.
> > >>
> > >> ________________________________
> > >> From: ja_ad_co <ja_ad_co@yahoo.co.uk>
> > >> To: Organic_Gardening@yahoogroups.com
> > >> Sent: Friday, 5 July 2013, 8:22
> > >> Subject: [Organic_Gardening] New member
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Hi all.
> > >>
> > >> I'm new to this group and I suppose I am a little disappointed that all
> > of the messages are so old. I wonder if its the time of year and everyone
> > is busy gardening.
> > >> I thought I would join the group to see if anyone has any tips that
> > they can share about gardening organically.
> > >>
> > >> Janey
> > >>
> > >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> *www.artofdaviddouglas.com*
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>

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