Spittle Bugs Are Hatching

Photo: Spittle bug hiding in "foam" or "spittle"

Foam or a spittle-like substance has appeared on my strawberries, kohlrabi, fennel, parsley, chamomile, African daisies and calendula, which means the spittle bugs (also known as froghoppers) have hatched.
In its earlier stage, spittle bugs take in the sap from plants and secrete bubbles from its other end to cover itself.  This layer of bubbles provide protection from predators.

Although spittle bugs do feed from the sap of plants, the amount of damage is minimal.  Therefore, insecticide is not necessary when there is only a moderate infestation.  Instead I have been dislodging the "foam" and the spittle bug by spraying the affected plants with a strong jet of water from the hose.  Without its protection of foam, the spittle bug will be exposed to natural  predators and the elements.

Apartment Gardeners Can Compost

Photo 1: Thick top layer of hand shredded newspaper

Photo 2: Shredded newspaper, egg shells, carrot tops, coffee grounds, and banana peel decomposing

Photo 3: Red worms working on scraps.

Photo 4: Finished compost ready to use directly in garden or to make compost tea.

For apartment gardeners and people with small gardens, I suggest trying a worm compost bin.  The bins are cheap (less than $10), requires little square footage of space, and are easy to make.  You will also have finished compost in less time than you would with a traditional compost bin.

Indoor Worm Compost Bin
I used to keep a worm compost bin under the kitchen sink in a small plastic container with holes on top.  I use handfuls of finished compost to make compost tea (i.e., mixture of finished compost and water).  Compost tea stretches out finished compost so I can provide nutrients to several plants.

For those of you who are hesitant about keeping worm compost bins indoors, I promise you my bin did not have any bad smells or fruit flies nor did any worms every try to escape.  The key is to keep the bins under the right conditions.  This may sound difficult, but it is not.  The environment must be cool or warm (but not hot), moist but not soggy, and not overloaded with kitchen scraps.  Note: I only fed my worm bin broken egg shells, fruit and vegetable scraps.  I also chopped or crushed scraps when I could to accelerate the time it took to get finished compost.  I also placed a layer of moist, shredded newspaper on top of my scraps to prevent fruit flies from discovering my bin.  If you notice the bin getting soggy, you can give the liquid to plants or place shredded newspaper at the bottom to absorb the liquid.  

Outdoor Worm Compost Bin
Now that I have more space, I created a large worm bin and placed it outside near the back door.  I love it!  The worms quickly break down all my scraps.  It is important to keep a thick layer of moist shredded newspaper on top of the scraps to keep the fruit flies to a minimum.  See Photo 1.  The fruit flies do not hurt the worm bin; They actually help break down the scraps.  I just try to discourage their presence because they are annoying.  Make sure you keep the medium moist or else you might attract ants. If ants ever attack your bin, just use a hose with a mister attachment and moisten the scraps and newspapers.  The ants should disappear in a day.

I am considering creating a second bin.  The bins are easily stackable because I drilled holes on the sides of the bin instead of on top.  My adult red worms have already produced several baby red worms so I will have plenty of worms for a new bin.

Last Chance - Free Composting Classes

Free composting classes are being offered this Saturday (May 14, 2011) at Antioch and Kensington County.  Click here to reserve your spot.  This will be the last free composting class of the season.  The next one will be offered in August.
To see if your city offers free composting classes, go to your city's website and look under your city's waste and recycling department or perform a web search for "free composting classes in (enter your city here)".  Your city may also offer free or discounted composting bins, reading materials, and free compost.

Sluggo: Slug & Snail Killer Certified for Organic Gardening

Photo: Monterey Sluggo Snail & Slug Control for Organic Gardening (1 lb) for $8.80

Monterey Sluggo is a cheap and effective way to control the slug and snail problem in your yard.  A little of this stuff goes a long way.  This product is also certified for organic gardening by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), and it is safe to use around pets and other wildlife.   It does not contain metaldehyde (which is toxic to all organisms); instead Monterey Sluggo's active ingredient is iron phosphate, which occurs naturally in soil.  Iron phosphate is also used as an ingredient in fertilizer.

How it Works:
Slugs and snails find Sluggo appetizing, and are attracted to this bait.  After they eat the pellets, they will cease feeding all together.  They will become less mobile, and will eventually die within three to six days.

Caution: Although this product is certified for organic gardening it does not mean it is harmless.  The Sluggo product label does warn consumers that it will cause moderate eye irritation so avoid making contact with your eyes or clothing, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after use.  The label also warns consumers to avoid contamination of water, food or feed by storage or disposal.

That being said for those of you who are opposed to hand picking snails at night and smashing them *cringe*,  "wasting" beer for beer slug traps, setting up copper barriers and so forth, this is the product for you.

Beer Slug Traps

Turn an ordinary yogurt cup into an effective organic slug trap.  Just dig a hole, and place the empty yogurt cup into the hole.  Make sure the soil line is flush with the top of the cup.  Then pour cheap beer into the cup.  The slugs are attracted to the beer, and unwittingly fall into the cup of beer and drown.  It works!  I have caught some pill bugs (a.k.a. roly polies) too.  You can empty them out weekly, and resupply with new beer.

Organic Counts - Calculate Your Impact by Buying Organic

Organic Valley has a tool on their website that supposedly calculates how much toxins you are keeping away from earth by buying organic produce.

According to their Organic Counts tool, purchasing a gallon of Organic Valley milk per week will result in the prevention of 9.5 lbs of synthetic nitrogen and 2.1 oz of herbicides & pesticides from being used! The tool also offers links to learn more about synthetic nitrogen, herbicides and pesticides and their impact on Earth and our health. It's a fun tool to use and definitely worth checking out.

Local Harvest

Do you crave fresh, organic produce, but lack the time or space to create your own garden? Visit Local Harvest's website at http://www.localharvest.org/. This website is a public nationwide directory of small farms, farmer markets, and other local food sources. You can find CSA farms that will either deliver food to you or make produce available for pickup at regular intervals. You can also shop at their store for fresh produce, meats, heirloom seeds, flowers, syrups, preserves and more.

A Company Designs and Maintains an Organic Garden in Your Own Backyard

Bay Area denizens can pay a weekly fee to have a backyard garden designed and maintained by professionals at MyFarm. Customers can choose between a Personal Installation (just enough food for themselves) and an Owner Member Installation (enough food for MyFarm to sell to other members). Owner members receive a discounted membership.

Full Story

4 Reasons Why You Should Grow Your Own Herb Garden

1. Save Big Bucks

A single bunch of herbs can cost anywhere from $0.99 to $2.99 at major grocery stores in my area. Many recipes call for more than one herb so you can see how the $$$ start adding up. Most of the time you are only using a tablespoon or so of each herb so much of the herb you bought goes to waste. By growing your own herbs, you will save money, cut down on waste, and still be able to create stellar meals.

2. Convenience

Have you ever planned on making a special dish only to find the grocery store does not carry the herbs you need? This used to happen to me more often than I would like. Now I have all the herbs I need at the tips of my fingers. You no longer have to hop from one grocery store to another in search of the right herbs.

3. Quality

By growing your own herbs, you can control what goes into and onto them. I prefer eating organic produce so I do not use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Also, by growing your own herbs, you are guaranteed the freshest possible cuttings.

4. Eat Healthier

Fresh herbs are a low-calorie diet's best friend! Herbs have a negligible number of calories. You can use herbs to give those low-calorie dishes a punch of taste to make up for all of that fatty, buttery goodness we cut out. Moreover, herbs are a good source of vitamins.

Parkseed Organic Herb Garden Collection

Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Thyme, Chives, Parsley, and Oregano

Free Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer

Photo of Edamame Plant Trailing Up a Young Avocado Tree

Get free organic Nitrogen fertilizer and help our earth at the same time.

Instead of buying commercial Nitrogen fertilizers, first try planting a few legumes in your plant beds or container garden. Legumes have the ability to naturally convert atmospheric nitrogen (nitrogen dioxide) into nitrate, an organic form of nitrogen that plants can use. Peas, beans, clover, lentils, peanuts and alfalfa are a few examples of legumes.

By using legumes to fix nitrogen in our soil we are also helping out our planet. Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant. It is a major component of smog, and can irritate the lungs, lower resistance to respiratory infection, and increase sensitivity for people with asthma and bronchitis. Some of the major contributors to nitrogen dioxide are automobiles and electric power plants. Additionally, home heaters and gas stoves can also emit nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen oxides also help form acid rain, which eventually runoff into our sewers and water channels. These increased levels of nitrogen in our bodies of water lead to explosive algae growth. This is problematic because algae competes with natural grasses in the water beds. Furthermore, algae overgrowth depletes oxygen supply that oysters, clams and other marine life rely on for survival.

In My Garden:
This is my first year planting legumes with my other plants. I chose to use edamame plants (a.k.a. "soy bean" plants) because edamame beans are tasty and they have some unique properties. For example, edamame beans "contain all of the amino acids needed to make a complete protein, just like meat" (Mayo Clinic). Edamame beans "also contain isoflavones, a plant-based compound that may reduce the risk of some types of cancer" (Mayo Clinic).
I planted an edamame plant in the same container as my avocado tree. The avocado seems to like the edamame's company. My avocado plant now has several new baby leaves. I cannot be sure it is because of the edamame's presence, but I can confidently say that my tree is performing better than last year, and that the edamame's presence is at least not harming my avocado plant.

Photo of Edamame Plant Trailing Up a Young Avocado Plant

Neat Fact:
Early Native Americans have used companion planting methods to grow corn, beans and squash. The Iroquois referred to these crops as "The Three Sisters," and considered them to be special gifts from the Great Spirit (Dodson). To read more about the Legend of the Three Sisters click here.
The corn serves as a support structure for the beans.
The beans provide "nutrients" to the other plants.
The squash acts as mulch and preserves moisture in the soil. Its prickly vines also deters raccoons from ravaging the corn (Dodson).


Sources:

Dodson, Mardi. "Companion Planting: Basic Concepts & Resources-Ancient Companions." National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. available at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/complant.html (last visited Apr. 28, 2008).

Fahrenthold, David. "EPA Told to Set Timeline for Cutting Nitrogen Pollution," Washington Post. 26 Mar. 2008: B02. available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR2008032502409.html (last visited Apr. 27, 2008).

Mayo Clinic. "Legumes: Using Beans, Peas and Lentils Instead of Meat." CNN.17 Jun. 2005. available at http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00260.html (last visited Apr. 28, 2008).

"Nitrogen Dioxide. " Clean Air Trust. available at http://www.cleanairtrust.org/nitrogendioxide.html (last visited Apr. 27, 2008).

"Nitrogen Cycle," Soil Food Web, Inc. available at http://www.soilfoodweb.com/ (last visited Apr. 27, 2008).

Tomato Seedling Sale Tomorrow (Saturday, April 12)

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to remind those of you in the area that Bountiful Garden is having their tomato seedling sale tomorrow!

Saturday, April 12th, 2008 starting at 8:00 a.m
at 21901 Columbus Avenue, Cupertino, CA.

• All plants come in large one-gallon pots. They have a great selection of heirloom tomatoes. Click here to see what kinds of tomatoes they have.
  
• 100% Organic, no pesticides, herbicide, fungicides.
• Each plant is $5.00, and that money will go directly to disaster relief! "[E]very penny of the money that is given to [them] by people at [their] vegetable stands goes directly to disaster relief. This means that all of the costs in operating the organization must come from other forms of fund raising (tomato seedling sales, donations, sponsors)." To learn more about Bountiful Garden, click here.

The Habanero Plant

Featuring Mature Habanero Pepper (in Orange);
Unripened Green Habanero Peppers in Background

Earlier this year (April 26, 2007), I saved some seeds from a habanero pepper that I was using to make a spicy vinegar, and planted them in a container. I watered the soil thoroughly, and covered the container with a plastic ziploc bag to help the soil retain its moisture and create a greenhouse effect. These plants grew without any fuss at all. About seven months later, I have five healthy plants that have several little peppers that are finally maturing.

This is a great plant to have in your garden even if you do not like spicy foods. The habanero plant is aesthetically pleasing all year round. In summer the plants will have pretty white blooms with dark green centers. And in the fall, you will get additional color with these pretty 1" to 1.5" orange peppers. You can just give away the ripe peppers to a friend who will appreciate the spicy fruits or blend the fruits with water to make an organic insecticide.

Habaneros are suitable for container-gardening. My plants are only a foot tall, but the average height is 2-feet tall and the average width is 18-inches. You do not have to water the plant very often. In fact, over-watering the plant may ruin the taste of the fruit. This plant likes full sun, but if you are growing your plant from seed place the young plants in indirect sunlight to avoid frying the plant. I fertilized my plants as soon as they began to bear fruit. I used a low fertilizing solution about once a month.

Caution: These peppers are EXTREMELY HOT. I wouldn't recommend growing them if small children will have access to these plants. I also do not recommend eating the fruit alone or handling the fruit with bare hands. The inside flesh of the pepper is scorching hot, and will remain on the skin for a very long time. It's heat score is rated over 300,000 Scoville Units (COMPARE TO: The Jalapeno Pepper, which is rated around 3,000 Scoville Units).