Category Archives: The Daily Green

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Worms

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Beneficial insects for the garden wormsThere are over 2,500 different types of Earthworms throughout the world. They vary in size anywhere from 12 inches to 8-feet-long depending on region. They have no teeth and have 5 hearts. In the United States, Earthworms are coveted in gardens. Organic gardeners, especially, depend on their help to maintain their garden.

Earthworms help aerate and fertilize soil year round by tunneling through the garden in search of food. They break down leaves, wood, stems, etc., then turn around and excrete nutrients recycled from their meal.  All the while they are allowing roots to grow and stretch underneath. Earthworms are also a great source of nutrients for different bird and fish species.

By using organic compost, and avoiding pesticide use, this will allow earthworms to stick around throughout the off-seasoned months.

Time for gardening bargains

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Fall Gardening BargainsIf you have a limited budget and have had your eye on purchasing perennials for your garden, fall is the perfect time to purchase from you local gardening center.  Garden centers are looking to reduce inventory and eliminate excess perennial plants at the end of the growing season.  Reductions in plant prices can be substantial at this time of the year and it is the opportunity to obtain those great plants at reduced prices and planting the perennials at this time of the year is good timing and you will be rewarding coming the growing season next year.

Mulching Fall Leaves

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Mulching Fall LeavesChopping leaves with a mulching mower and leaving them on the ground or lawn is a cheap and efficient alternative to fall leaf disposal.  Shredding leaves are healthful for turn and soil because the microbial activity in decomposition improves the soil.  The mulching works best when the uncut lawn is just lightly coved and grass should be visible through the leaves.

Bulbs in October

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Bulbs in OctoberThe crisp October weather provides ideal planting conditions for hardy bulbs, including  hyacinth, glory-of-th-snow, snowdrop, and scilla.  Planted in the fall these spring bloomers will have time to root in the cool soil before the ground freezes hard.

Mistletoe

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I find it interesting that during the holiday season we hang and use mistletoe in our homes and carry on some tradition of kissing under the mistletoe which according to Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom may be of Scandinavian origin.

I guess the bright greenery and the berries are a welcome addition during the holidays and add decoration to our festivities.  But it is interesting to find that mistletoe is actually a parasite that grows on tree limbs and kills the tree limbs by consuming its nutrients.  According to facts mistletoe is considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats. The parasitic plant has yellowish flowers, small yellowish green leaves, and waxy white berries.

I now understand why gathering mistletoe can be dangerous as it grows on dead tree limbs but it interesting that the lovely tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has endured for centuries even though it is a parasitic plant.

Vegetable Garden in Pots

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If you are like me and have limited space for a vegetable garden or not enough light to support a vegetables having vegetable plant in pots or containers is a wonderful solution.  Certain vegetables can do well and produce crops in pots under good conditions and some tips to consider for success outcomes include:

Containers and Pots for Vegetable Gardens

Selecting Containers: Containers for your vegetable gardens can be almost anything: flower pots, pails, buckets, wire baskets, bushel baskets, wooden boxes, nursery flats, window planters, washtubs, strawberry pots, plastic bags, large food cans, or any number of other things.

Drainage: No matter what kind of container you choose for your vegetable garden, it should have holes at the base or in the bottom to permit drainage of excess water.

Color Considerations: You should be careful when using dark colored containers because they absorb heat which could possibly damage the plant roots. If you do use dark colored pots, try painting them a lighter color or shading just the container.

Size: The size of the container is important. For larger vegetables like tomatoes and eggplants, you should use a five gallon container for each plant. You can grow these plants in two gallon containers, however you need to give the plants considerably more attention.


Soil and Fertilizer

You can use soil in your container vegetable garden, but the synthetic mixes are much better. Peat-based mixes, containing peat and vermiculite, are excellent. They are relatively sterile and pH adjusted. They also allow the plants to get enough air and water. Mixing in one part compost to two parts planting mix will improve fertility.  Using a slow release or complete organic fertilizer at planting will keep your vegetables fed for the whole growing season.


Watering

Pots and containers always require more frequent watering than plants in the ground. As the season progresses and your plants mature, their root system will expand and require even more water. Don’t wait until you see the plants wilting. Check your containers daily to judge the need for water.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Ladybugs

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Beneficial insects for your garden ladybugsAs gardeners we are often focused on bugs, insects and pests that can and do cause harm to our plants.  We do spend time and resources eliminating the pests from our vegetable, flower gardens, shrubs and trees with the use of products we purchase from our local garden centers.

But not all bugs are harmful to our gardens and some can be very beneficial to our flowers and plants.  One popular beneficial bug is the ladybug.  They are harmless to all plant life and help decrease bad bug infestation. Ladybugs feed from soft-bodied insects such as mealy bugs, spider mites, and aphids. They feast on Aphids, a type of plant lice (adults can consume up to 100 a day of aphids), so with the help from ladybugs, your garden may have a chance of survival.

To attract ladybugs into your garden you can plant cup-shaped flowers such as tulips and lilies, as well as, other plant life like angelica, dill, geraniums and white cosmos. You can also purchase them as larvae and place on plant. Make sure to use selective pesticides for treatment and moisten plant with water in order to keep ladybugs interested in your garden – not the neighbors.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden HoneyBees

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Beneficial Garden Insects HoneyBeesHoneybee (Hymnenoptera)

Unlike the bumble bee, honeybees are able to sting. Their bodies have the same yellow and black striped pattern used as a defense mechanism, but are half the size.  They are considered the best pollinators because each colony carries thousands of bees at a time.

Honeybees are scattered throughout the US, but have become scarce in the last couple of years. Some claim the Earth’s environmental stresses and plant mite infestation to be some of the reasons. To help attract them back into your garden, plant some of their favorites: Apple trees, clover, plum trees and sunflowers to name a few.

Beneficial Insects for Your Garden Dragonfly

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Garden Insects DragonflyThere are over 450 different species of Odonata in North America. A dragonfly ranges anywhere from less than an inch to six inches in length and vary in an array of iridescent colors (blue, green, red, violet and yellow). The long, heavy-bodied, narrow body shape compliments its 6 legs, compound eyes, and four transparent wings.

Dragonflies lay their eggs in or near water and begin their larvae state. The “nymphs” are aquatic and can live underwater up to three years, depending on species, and molt numerous times before surfacing. Then, the dragonfly sheds its final layer exposing its wings.

Benefits: Dragonflies have excellent eyesight and are able to catch their food while flying not allowing their inability to walk hinder mealtime. They frequent large bodies of water (lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands) and help control garden pests, including aphids (ants, bees, flies, butterflies, and mosquitoes).