Helpful gardening tips from Master Gardener Suzanne Drinkard

 

|:| compost pile |:| organic gardening (general) |:| blister beetles |:| leaf curl |:| leaf miner flies |:| red plastic mulch |:|

 

compost pile

The pile on the far right (3) is ready to use. The middle pile (2) is finishing. And the pile on the left (1) is divided into 2 sections: on the right the oldest, but not broken down. The section on the left is for new materials.

This is YOUR compost pile and these suggestions will help the pile break down quicker:

1. Chop up the pieces before you thrown them in the green pile. There is a loper in the shed. I know it is a pain, but smaller pieces allow for the bacteria to have more surface area to do their thing.

2. Try to knock off any soil that is attached to roots. Don't lose your good soil. And the soil in the compost bin mashes down the pile and air/water can't get through.

3. Remember: what goes into the pile will ultimately end up in our gardens! That is, pull weeds BEFORE they go to seed. The compost piles are cold compost, thus the seeds are not broken down as they would in a hot pile.

4. Plan to bring 1 bag of leaves to the garden this fall. Suzanne will mix them in with the greens.

Compost happens! But a good compost pile needs AIR, WATER, and a mixture of BROWNS AND GREENS. This will facilitate a more favorable pile. For a compost pile that is aerobic (breaks down with oxygen), there should be a mixture of browns (leaves, straw, sawdust, etc.) and greens (grass, weeds, garden leftovers, etc.) plus the oxygen and the moisture. The bacteria and many types of microorganisms present in the soil will begin to break down the materials. The greens (nitrogen source) act as the fuel for the bacteria to break down the browns (carbon source).

Ideally we should have a 3 to 4 part browns to 1 part greens. So when we close the garden, Suzanne will mix our leaves with the green pile. It could get really technical, but Compost Happens. Our pile will still be mostly a "cold" pile and take a long time to break down. A good "hot pile" requires a lot of work to turn and the right ratio of browns to greens. Who has the time????

Compost piles should not stink, but smell good and "earthy." Smelly piles may mean too many greens OR not enough oxygen is getting to the pile OR the pile is too wet (usually not a problem for us!). If this happens, we can adjust the nature of the pile . . . more browns, turning it, etc.

And finished compost is great for the soil!! It helps keep moisture in, if used on top it keeps the good soil from blowing away, and the worms love it, among many other things! SO USE IT!!

A couple of don'ts:

1. Please don't throw trash (like your Kleenex), sticks, plastic, etc. in the piles.

2. And remember that ALL CORN STALKS must be removed from the garden as we do not have the room to compost them. Take them to the transfer station.

 

organic gardening (general)

   

Don't panic about bugs, holes in the leaves of plants, curling leaves. It's all a part of organic gardening!

One of the reasons folks shy away from organic practices is that the plants don't always look perfect. You seldom see apples in the store (depending on where you shop) that aren't really shiny, round, and red. Well, the producers have probably used a "ton" of pesticides. Some of the best-tasting apples may not look so good because a few bugs have had their way with the plant.

For the most part, good insects (lady beetles, praying mantis, lace wings, etc.) will help keep them under control. The down side is that they won't show up until the "bad" bugs have come and started in.

Inter-planting is a good practice. In other words, confusing the "bad" guys with flowers and companion planting is a good thing. Did you know potatoes don't do well with tomatoes? Marigolds keep root-eating nematodes at bay. Nasturtiums under-planted with beans, squash, and corn provide shelter for the "good" guys. There are many plants that work well together and some that don't. Check out this link for a pretty good list: List of Companion Plants.

 

blister beetles

   

Blister beetles have been found in several gardens. The beetles are about 1/2 inch long and grayish green in color, and they swarm all over the plant. They have devoured Swiss chard leaves and beet leaves and will start on just about anything else. Not much organically can be done besides picking them off.

But BEWARE: Use gloves!!!! When squished, the beetles release a liquid that may cause actual blisters on the skin.

Some web sites recommend dropping them into water.

The word from the head honcho at MSU Extension says that horticultural soap may help with some "bugs." Ace Hardware has carried it before. Apparently, soap used at home may contain some chemicals that may be harmful to the plants. (Reference: Montana Master Gardener Handbook, Section 17 pg. 16.)

 

leaf curl

 

Leaf roll, or leaf curl, is a physiologic distortion that may develop with periods of cool, rainy weather. It cause the lower leaves to roll upward and become thick and leathery. Leaf roll does not affect plant growth or fruit production and requires no treatment.

Leaf Roll: Leaf roll of tomatoes may be caused by high temperatures, prolonged periods of wet soil conditions, and drought. It may also occur when tomatoes are pruned severely. The symptom is mostly on older leaves, with an upward curling of the leaflets, but may progress to affect up to 75 percent of the foliage. The rolled leaves may feel leathery and stiff. Often the condition of leaf roll occurs once the plants are under the stress of a heavy fruit set. Some varieties are more prone to leaf roll than others.

Prevention and Treatment: The symptom of leaf roll does not significantly damage the crop. To help prevent this disorder, tomatoes should be planted on well-drained soil and be irrigated during periods of drought.

 

leaf miner flies

Do your spinach, chard, or beet leaves look like this?

What is happening is probably caused by leaf miners. Watch for the leaf miner flies as they emerge from the soil in spring, and deal with them organically—they're easy to kill (they're about half the size of a house fly). Once they've laid eggs in the leaves of chard, spinach, turnips, beets, etc. (you'll see the tunneling trail of the "maggot" (larvae) throughout the leaves), pick the leaf and hold it up to the light, until you find the larvae. Squash it with your fingernails (they're harder to kill than they appear—tough little buggers), and discard the leaf. Doing this, of course, won't save those particular leaves, but it will wipe out the next generation of leaf miner flies, if you are diligent.

Don't continue to grow chard, spinach, etc., in the same spot year after year—it's an invitation to infestation. Rotate that type of crop. I'm aware that flies can fly, and possibly STILL find your crop, but it's just too easy for them to hatch out of the soil, and be right AT the crop they'll infest. Also, this is a great article if you want to read more: Spinach Leaf Miners.

 

red plastic mulch

 

Tomatoes and peppers benefit from use of plastic mulch. Read this informative article by Montana State University Extension for more information: "Can I help my tomatoes to ripen earlier by using red plastic mulch?"