Lady Bugs...Lady Bugs....and More Lady Bugs!

Did You Know!

• We have 400 different kinds of Ladybugs in North America.
• Aphids are a Ladybugs favorite food.
• The male Ladybug is smaller than the female ladybug.
• A Ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.
• Although most Ladybugs live for one season, some hibernate under treebark, stumps, and leaves  or in a Ladybug house until the next spring.
• Predators won't eat an insect if it doesn't move, so Ladybugs have been known to play dead!
• You can attract Ladybugs to your garden by putting out white or yellow flowers, such as Marigold, Calendula, Cosmos (white, pink, orange or yellow), and Chives (they produce a beautiful herb flower).

This year I will have 2 Ladybug houses in my yard to give them a safe place to spend the night and protect them from predators, wind and rain. I also hope they will hibernate in them over the winter.

                                    About Ladybugs! 

Ladybugs can be very beneficial to your garden! They keep annoying pests away and help pollinate other plants, but how do you keep them in the garden? SOLUTION FOUND! When you first buy your Ladybugs from your local gardening store, make a fun little concoction: 1 part water to 2 parts flat soda (like Root beer or Orange) then spray it on the lady bugs while in the bag. This will sort of "glue" their wings together for about 2 or 3 days (don't worry, it doesn't hurt them at all) this way, they'll lay their eggs around your garden, and where ever a Ladybug lays her eggs is considered her home. So, she'll keep returning to that place in the garden and eating the little aphids and other pests in your garden!

A Ladybug's eggs look like this small, orange, and football shaped photo below. The eggs will hatch in 2 to 5 days.

Ladybug Eggs

They look very similar to aphid eggs. The difference is the color and size. Aphid eggs look like this photo below, very small, black, and football shaped.

    

Aphid Eggs

When Ladybug eggs hatch they look like this photo below; creepy looking right? This is the larva stage and can last up to 3 weeks. Make sure you don't harm these little guys! Not that you could, well easily at least. They're very fast! They eat a good amount of aphids in this stage of life. 

Larva

At this stage they stay inactive for a short time and become a Pupa which looks like this photo below. Slightly smaller than a full grown Ladybug. Their shell is growing and is a light orange-brown color with some spots. In about 7 days, they become full grown Ladybugs. Ladybugs do not have their spots until 24 hours, so if you find one without spots, you have found a brand new adult! Now the life cycle starts over again. 

Enjoy your Ladybugs and watching your garden thrive pest free!

Adult Ladybug

This post on Ladybugs was written by: Rachel Collins and Ruby Collins

Art and animation of Ladybug by: Rachel Collins 

Lettuce

Lettuce Crop 2008

I love the lettuce you can grow in Washington! The variety makes for a beautiful salad worthy of some homemade dressing. That is another blog in itself?

It is a little early, but I did find some Buttercrunch at Watson's Nursery, and Branches. This year I will be planting Buttercrunch, Gourmet Salad Blend, and Baby Butterhead Lettuce. Buttercrunch is a delicious head lettuce that adds to a great salad, or great on burger. It is very popular and can be found in any nursery and grocery store. Gourmet Salad Blend is a variety of leaf lettuce, and the mix makes for a great salad. Baby Butterhead Lettuce, this is my favorite to grow. It is a small head, tender and sweet. Great things come in small packages...and that is the Baby Butterhead Lettuce! They will be carrying it as Gardensphere Nursery in 2 to 3 weeks. I was also able to get it last year at Portland Nursery. Enjoy this spring and summer growing some amazing lettuce, we live in the perfect climate!!!

About Growing Lettuce: Head lettuce need more room when planting than leaf. I put my plants out as early as I can get plants, although at times I have to protect them from a frost. You can use anything from milk cartons to pre-made row covers available at Watson's Nursery. You can make your own using fabric, slats of wood and PVC or metal wire.

The benefit in planting early is you can continually plant through the summer, as long as you make sure you keep the soil moist. If it dries out lettuce will become bitter. This is only a problem when we get into summer and don't get any rain. I found that planting in partial shade in mid-summer helps. I plant my tomato plant in the middle of my lettuce, then by the time my tomato plant grows, my lettuce has some shade to hold in moisture.

I am planting my first crop of lettuce March 17th. Some I will put in the ground, and some in pots. Slugs are a problem in spring with all the rain we get, so planting in pots help with slug control. I have found that making a perimeter of eggshells helps, and I know other friends have had success with a perimeter of saw dust, and wood ashes.

Good Companions: Everything! That's the beauty of lettuce. Especially carrot, onion and radish.

Bad Companions: NONE

Planting: Space leaf lettuce plants 8" apart in a row, and head lettuce 12". Soil needs to be turned in and loose enough for the shallow delicate roots to take hold. Soil must also be moist and not allowed to dry out. If you plant 2 shallow root plants in the same area, make sure to give them extra compost (onions are a good companion, but are also a shallow root plant). If your garden has plenty of organic matter and lots of wiggle friends, you know there is plenty of food to maintain a healthy crop of lettuce and onions.

Harvesting: Leaf lettuce matures 45-55 days and you can start harvesting the outer leaves as soon as they are big enough to add to your salad. Cut as close to the soil as you can. The plant will continue to grow and you should continue to harvest until a center stem starts to grow. At that point the lettuce harvest is over, and you can pull up the plant and replant another crop. Head lettuce matures in 65-75 days, make sure you harvest while the plant is still young and tender. Again, when the plant grows the center stem, the harvest is over. I prefer to harvest from the garden to the dinner table, but if you must harvest and store, make sure you harvest in the morning and store up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Let us garden together!

Ruby

Pest Control

Companion Planting - Planting a garden in my backyard makes for close quarters for the variety of vegetables that I plant.  I found that you can solve lots of PEST problems by companion planting. I will list good and bad companions for each plant when I post the planting of a particular vegetable. Below are some other things to plant in your garden to help control pest.

Lady Bugs....Lady Bugs....and more Lady Bugs are one of the best things you can have in your garden!


Garlic is great to plant and ward off Japanese beetles, weevils, spider mites, and it is a good companion to beets, and lettuce.
Celery is great to plant and ward off Moths, and is a good companion to everything, except carrots, parsley, and parsnip.


African Marigolds are great at warding off pest like corn ear worms, and add color to your garden. 
Farmers and gardeners have long known that marigolds make important companion plants. Plant them all over your garden. The scents of the marigold repel animals and insects, and the underground workings of the marigold will repel microscopic worms and other pest. I am not planting corn this year, but this always worked for me, and I always had worm-free corn! (Do not fertilize marigolds they bloom better in poor dry soil, also if you deadhead the blossoms, they will continue to bloom profusely).


Garden Buddies - I plant my Green Beans (Bush) in an adjacent bed to my potatoes. Beans repel Colorado potato beetle, and potatoes repel Mexican bean beetles. Now that is what I call garden buddies!!!


Enjoy your friendly garden,
Ruby

Walla Walla Onions

Walla Walla 

It’s time! If you haven't planted Walla Walla’s you are missing the best onion ever! This is a must for me to plant, because Fajita’s are a go to meal for my family in the summer. You can't make a good Fajita without a sweet onion. They are available now at Portland Nursery and Watson Nursery, so you can pick them up and store in a cool dry place until you are ready to plant. 

No Posting is complete without a photo to encourage you as you work hard in your garden. Check out this HUGH Walla Walla Onion!

Good companions: Carrot, lettuce, spinach, tomato, strawberry to name a few.
Bad companions: Bean, pea, asparagus, and sage

Planting
I have planted my onions as early as March 15th and as late as April 10th. Harvest time varies depending on when we get out warm weather. My past records show harvest dates from July 8th to July 30th. Walla Walla onions are Long-day varieties, because they grow well in the North West with our 14 hours of light in the spring/summer. Transplant your purchased plants (as well as those you started indoors) to your garden. Space 5 to 6 inches apart in staggered rows. If the leaves are long, cut back about 1/3.
Once again, they do not like weeds.
Fertilizing
Onions don't need much. If you have good soil don't worry about fertilizing (See my tips page on checking soil quality in your garden). If you need to use organic fertilizer like a fish emulsion once a month. DON"T over fertilize. Caution: Too much nitrogen will produce lots of leaves and small bulbs...done that:(
Watering
Roots are shallow and need soil moisture.They don't need much water, but mulch to maintain soil moisture and control weeds. WEED WEED WEED your garden!
Harvesting
Wait till almost all the tops fall over, then harvest. I like the soil to be slightly moist when I harvest. Gently pull onions from the ground, and leave them out to cure in the sun. I hang mine in a small tree I have in my back yard. Once the skin become crinkly, cut the tops off (about 1" from bulb) and store in a cool, dry place. I have never used onion bags, so not sure how well they work. I prefer to eat within a month and share with neighbors. Keep onions away from apples or tomatoes, because they will cause onions to sprout.

Happy Planting:)
Ruby

Planting Potatoes

Planting Schedule for 2012

Now that you have purchased your "Seed Potatoes" it is time to prepare them. I always Pre-Sprout my seed potatoes, and the ones I bought from Portland Nursery are young, so it is important to do this. When you chit or Pre-Sprout the seed potato you get a plant that is stronger and mature faster, and give you a heavier yield crop.

Here is a Time Schedule you can follow if you like. If not make your own using the steps below.
 March 6th -  Place seed potatoes  in a brown paper bag in a cool dark place (50 to 55 degrees).
 March 16th - I will start Step 1 Below
 March 29th -  I start Step 2 Below
 March 30th or 31st - Step 3 Below

Soil Preparation: Light, loose and a well-drained soil is ideal. Fortunately, the potato is very adaptable and will produce well enough for the home gardener, even where soil is less than perfect.  Potatoes like well tilled soil. I don't keep up with PH, but if you do, potatoes do best in slightly acid soil from 5.5-6.5. Read my TIPS Blog on how to achieve healthy soil :)


Step 1:
The first thing you do when you get home with your seed potatoes is to spread them out on a flat with the "seed end" up (That is the area that has the most eyes, that is where the sprouts emerge). Place the flat in a warm area around 70 degrees with medium light intensity. The warmth will stimulate the development of strong sprouts from the eyes. This process should take about 10 days.
Step 2:
Now you are ready to prepare the seed potato. CAUTION: Be careful not to break off the sprouts.
Cut the seed potato into 1 1/2 inch thick slices, with 2-4 eyes per piece. Place the pieces in a well-ventilated (cool) area for 1 to 2 days. This will dry and heal the cut area. If temperature is too warm they will dry out.
Step 3:
Before planting dust potatoes with a dusting of organic sulfur. You can find this in any nursery. I use a paper bag to dust them in, be careful not to break off the eyes.
Planting can vary. I like to plant in rows, because the kids enjoy digging them up and it gives them room to dig. Plant 6 to 8 inches deep and seed pieces 10 to 14 inches apart. I plant in rows and stagger the plants. Plant in full sun for best yield.

Good companions: Bush bean, cabbage family, corn, marigold, pea. I like to plant with compatible crops. This helps with pest control.
Bad companions: Cucumber, pumpkin, squash family and tomato.

Sprouts will emerge in about 10 to 14 days, depending on soil temperature. When stems are about 8 inches high, gently hill the vines up with soil scraped from both sides of the row with a hoe. Leave half the vine exposed. This process is called Hilling and it is crucial. You will hill again 2 to 3 weeks adding 1 to 2 inches of soil. If the potatoes push through and get exposed to light they will turn green.

Fertilizing: When plants emerge and until blooming ends, spray every two weeks with fish emulsion . Foliar sprays are the best way to apply fertilizer, and the result is a higher yield. Apply every two weeks until blooming ends. Spray in the morning while it's still cool and the dew lingers on the leaves. This way all the fertilizer is absorbed.

Watering: Moderate, especially when appearance of blossoms. Potatoes that are not over watered  taste better and less watery. Make sure you weed properly so your potatoes don't compete for water.

Harvest: Harvest the main crop when the foliage dies back. I cut foliage a week before I harvest the crop and I let the soil dry before harvest. Gently loosen the soil using a garden fork and feel around with your hand to find tubers. Place potatoes on a flat surface to dry, before brushing off dry soil. Do NOT wash them. Cure about 2 weeks at 55 degrees in humid conditions, and then store at about 40 degrees in a root cellar. DO NOT store with  apples, they give off a gas that initiates potato sprouting!

ENJOY!
Ruby

About Yukon Gold Potatoes

Time To Buy Seed Potatoes 

"Yukon Gold Potatoes"

YUKON GOLD POTATOES

They have many other varieties if you feel adventurous.

Yukon Gold’s are wonderful for baking, frying, make great mashed potatoes, and fabulous potato soup!

   Yukon Gold Potatoes are out! A little early to plant, but buy them before they run out. I bought mine today at Portland Nursery, and they look great! www.portlandavenursery.com The eyes are young, so they will store nicely for a few weeks before you need to prepare them for planting. I recommend you buy this weekend and store them in a dark cool place. 

     

     Some potatoes turn grayish under certain cooking conditions. Yukon Gold resists graying and in fact will often turn an even brighter color when cooked.

I will post how I prepare for planting Soon!