PROPER USE OF INSECTICIDAL SOAP
How It Works
Soap has been used for centuries as an all-purpose pesticide. When sprayed on insects, insecticidal soap breaks down the insect's protective coating, and causes it to dehydrate and die.
Insecticidal soap is very different than dish water soap! It is specially formulated with fatty acids to kill insects.
Dish washing soap on the other hand contains perfumes and dyes, and in a concentrated form, can be harmful to plants. Therefore, whenever you see "Home Made Insecticidal Soap Recipes" be very careful not to burn your plants!
All soaps are long chain fatty acids, but not all soaps have insecticidal properties. Insecticidal soaps are specifically formulated to have high insect-killing properties, while being safe for most plant species.
The insects must come into direct contact with the spray droplets for the material to be effective. Good coverage is essential.
Insects It Kills
Insecticidal soap is a totally safe and natural product proven to solve insect problems. It's approved for organic use, and made from naturally occurring plant oils and animal fats. It will control a variety of insects including:
- Aphids
- Mealy bugs
- Spider mites
- Soft brown scale
- Psyllids
- Rose or pear slugs (sawfly larvae)
- Earwigs
- Whiteflies
- Thrips
Safer's Insecticidal Soap can be used on houseplants, roses, flowers, vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, shrubs, trees or greenhouse plantings.
It does not kill beneficial insects such as ladybugs, praying mantis and others.
Note: Some entomologists have concerns about impact of soaps on soft-bodied immature predators, such as lady beetle and lacewing larvae. No real data has turned up that substantiates these fears, however, until such data surfaces, perhaps refraining from using soaps where there are numbers of these beneficial larvae (until they mature) would be advisable.
How To Apply It
Good spray coverage is essential for good results. Spray it directly onto the insects when they are first sighted on buds, shoots, stems, bark and the underside of leaves. Make sure to wet both sides of the leaves and growing points of the plants.
Some of the new spray technologies that create a "fog-like" spray may also improve coverage. Spraying in the evening or early morning hours so that the spray droplets do not dry out quickly may also improve the effectiveness application.
It is safe to use on shade trees, fruit trees, shrubs, houseplants, flowers and ornamentals.
How Often Apply It
Insecticical soap should be applied weekly for 2 to 3 weeks, and it can be used up to the day of harvest.
Becareful of Burning Foliage (Phytotoxicity)
The soaps have no residual activity toward insects, but repeated applications may have damaging effects on some types of plants. Insecticidal soaps may cause a burn on the foliage of sensitive plants.
In general, some cole crops and certain ornamentals are sensitive to burn caused by soaps. Multiple applications in a short time interval can aggravate phytotoxicity. In addition, water conditioning agents can increase phytotoxicity.
Note: Always test first! Spray a small amount first to make sure your plants are OK before a full-scale application is made.
Its that time of year when the sun starts shining and the mites become super active. If you had a small problem before chances are they will become a huge problem if you don't get on top of it NOW!
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THE SPIDER MITE (Acarina)
Spider mites are found throughout North America. The two-spotted spider mite is most common. They often spin fine webs on leaves. To make sure your plant has spider mites, take a white piece of paper and sharply knock the stem on which they are living. If it is mites, you will see little specks moving around on the white paper. |
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DESCRIPTION
Adults are extremely small, 1/75-1/50 of an inch, with eight legs. They are related to the spider family and have fine hairs, which can be reddish, light green or yellow, covering their bodies. Most spider mites spin webs on leaves and shoots, but not all species do this. |
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LIFE CYCLE
Adults and eggs overwinter in crevices in the bark or in garden debris. Eggs hatch in 1-8 days, and nymphs develop into adults in 5-10 days. Both adults and early nymphs emerge in the spring. Reproduction continues year-round on houseplants and in greenhouses. |
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PLANTS MOST AFFECTED
Many vegetables, including cucumbers, eggplant, bean, tomato, and melon. Fruit trees, houseplants and ornamentals, like the Monterey Pines shown to the left are susceptible. |
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DAMAGE
Both adults and nymphs pierce the plant and suck the juice from the underside of the leaves. This weakens the plant, causes leaves to drop, and stunts fruit. Damage first appears as yellow speckled areas on leaves; extremely fine webbing sometimes is visible on the underside of the leaves. Spider mite outbreaks can be severe and rapid in hot, dry conditions; in low humidity, the mites feed more to avoid drying up. |
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MEANS OF CONTROL
Organic Control: Spray dormant oil on fruit trees to kill overwintering eggs. In gardens or green houses, rinse the infected plants with water and mist them daily to minimize reproduction. Release predatory mites. Check with the local suppliers to see which species of predatory mites is best for your conditions, since there are many species of predatory mites. Spray insecticidal soap or neem oil. Chemical Control: Spray with Pyrethrum, Rotenone, or Orthene. |
Have a look at this amazing imagery of The Northern Lights.
Plants 'recognize' their siblings
Submitted by Vidura Panditaratne on Wed June 13-07
Plants are able to recognise their siblings, according to a study appearing today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
Researchers at McMaster University have found that plants get fiercely competitive when forced to share their pot with strangers of the same species, but they’re accommodating when potted with their siblings.
“The ability to recognize and favour kin is common in animals, but this is the first time it has been shown in plants” Susan Dudley, associate professor of biology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, said. “When plants share their pots, they get competitive and start growing more roots, which allows them to grab water and mineral nutrients before their neighbours get them. It appears, though, that they only do this when sharing a pot with unrelated plants; when they share a pot with family they don’t increase their root growth. Because differences between groups of strangers and groups of siblings only occurred when they shared a pot, the root interactions may provide a cue for kin recognition.”
Though they lack cognition and memory, the study shows plants are capable of complex social behaviours such as altruism towards relatives, says Dudley. Like humans, the most interesting behaviours occur beneath the surface.
Dudley and her student, Amanda File, observed the behavior in sea rocket (Cakile edentula), a member of the mustard family native to beaches throughout North America, including the Great Lakes.
So should gardeners arrange their plants like they would plan the seating at a dinner party?
“Gardeners have known for a long time that some pairs of species get along better than others, and scientists are starting to catch up with why that happens,” says Dudley. “What I’ve found is that plants from the same mother may be more compatible with each other than with plants of the same species that had different mothers. The more we know about plants, the more complex their interactions seem to be, so it may be as hard to predict the outcome as when you mix different people at a party.”
Summer Gardening Tips
In the summer gardening revolves around pruning, weeding and mowing. All the annuals have been planted and the clean up from the previous winter's been done. The first this to do after the spring clean up is to give the shrub beds and perennial gardens a new edge and fresh layer of mulch. Don't be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. Cut back the foliage of bulbs which turning yellow.
Perennial gardens need alot of care. They require weeding, deadheading (the removing of past blooms) this keeps the garden looking clean and healthy. Make sure the garden doesn't get too dry during droughts. Keeping the weeds at bay is an ongoing chore. Cultivating the soil regularly can reduce the weeds and also allows water to reach the deeper roots. Annuals in the garden need similar care. Deadheading the blooms and/or cutting the blooms to take indoors encourages new growth and more blooms. An occasional fertilization also can help with the blooming otherwise use a slow release fertilizer in the beginning of the season. As the plants begin to grow, especially toward mid-summer, staking becomes important in order to prevent the plants from flopping over and falling over one another. Use bamboo stakes, they usually blend right in the garden and are hardly noticeable. For the larger plant use three stakes in a triangle formation. Wrap garden twine around the plant looping around each stake as you go.
In the summer rose care is constant. To keep your roses looking great keep up with deadheading the past blooms. Though this is for aesthetic reasons it will also keep the petal from fall all over the foliage creating unsightly brown spots. Check often for disease or insects and make sure to resolve those problems. A systemic fertilizer applied twice a year usually does the trick.
Pinch back the old flowers on the rhododendrons, this will force the plant into putting its energy into forming next year's flower buds rather than this year's seed heads.
Monitor the lawn as well, If there area which is walked on often or played on there may be the need for aeration. This is the process of loosening up the soil. Grass does not grow well in compacted soil. Every few years run a aerator across the lawn. The plugs which are removed from the soil allow water and nutrients to reach the deeper root of the grass.
Don't forget to enjoy the garden.
Late Summer Perennial Gardening Tips
Sometimes when we get to the end of a long hot summer, it seems like there is nothing to do but give up. By August, the garden can look tired and tattered. There are some things that can be done now to revive the garden.
Now is a good time to look around and see where the ‘blank’ spots are in the garden; to see what part of the garden is lacking bloom. We often see these blank spots, because all the plants we bought in spring were spring or early summer bloomers. Now we can go to the local garden center and pick some plants that will give us bloom in late summer and early autumn. Planting at this time will require some extra care since temperatures may be high and rainfall may be low. New plants will need regular watering so that they establish well.
Looking at the garden we already have established, there are some things we can do to keep it in good shape. Watering should be our number one concern. It is essential to keep plants watered consistently during the heat of summer. On average, plants need about one inch of water per week and it is best to give it that whole inch at one time. A good deep watering once a week helps the plant develop a deep root system and gives the plant a good reservoir of water from which to draw. Avoid frequent sprinkling as it never wets the soil thoroughly. During really hot weather we may need to make that inch of water available every five days instead of every week. The weather and the plant’s environment will dictate water needs. Keeping plants watered helps keep them growing well and looking good.
Mulch can play an important role in the garden at this time. Mulch helps conserve water, keeps root systems cooler and reduces weed problems. During this time of year, inspect your mulch to see if it is still intact or if it has decayed down to a thin layer. A 2-3 inch layer of mulch is a good amount. Less than that may be insufficient to get the job done. If your mulch layer is depleted, go ahead and add some.
The question of fertilizer always comes up in any discussion of gardening. The question to ask now is “Do my plants need fertilizer now?” Late summer is not always a good time for fertilizer. Plants are often under heat or drought stress and fertilizer will not help them. In some cases it may even be harmful. Plants that are in dry soil may have their roots burned by fertilizer, even when the correct amount is used. If a plant is dry give it what it needs—water and save the fertilizer for another time.
Some plants may need to be rejuvenated in late summer. If some of your perennials have turned brown or become tattered, cut them back and then give them some water to encourage new growth. Many perennials respond favorably to this kind of treatment and if one or two don’t, then at least you have removed an eyesore from the garden. Those plants that don’t regrow now, will do so next spring from the root system.
Deadheading can also improve the look of the late summer garden. Remove spent flowers to keep the garden tidy. You may not want to deadhead everything, especially if you are trying to get plants to naturalize or if you are trying to attract birds. Know what your purpose is and then deadhead select plants.
A final task, and the one many gardeners dread, is weeding. Sometimes our late season gardens look bad because the weeds have gained a foothold. Get out and get the weeds out and the garden will begin to look better immediately. Also your perennials will grow better without the competition of the weeds.
Don’t let late summer take it’s toll on your garden. With a few simple steps, we can keep the garden beautiful and productive throughout the entire season.
ODORSOK
Odor problems are in the bag! This multi layered carbon cloth bag sets new standards for carbon filters in every way.
Full of innovation and versatility, some of the many benefits include:
- Unbelievably light - weighs <6lbs boxed.
- Stores at under 1/12th of its working size.
- Freight easily in the post without damage.
- Easy to assemble and disassemble.
- Average lower air loss with centrifugal fans.
- Work in humidity - Tumble dry when wet.
- Machine wash when dusty, (no detergent)
- Air flow capacity from 100 to 2400 cf/m.
- Sizes inc: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 & 16 inch .
- Fits any fan and comes with duct tape.
- Substantially cheaper than carbon canisters.
check the vid to see how easy this new filter is to assemble.
Quantum secrets of photosynthesis revealed:
This is a very good article read this blurb
Through photosynthesis, green plants and cyanobacteria are able to transfer sunlight energy to molecular reaction centers for conversion into chemical energy with nearly 100-percent efficiency. Speed is the key - the transfer of the solar energy takes place almost instantaneously so little energy is wasted as heat. How photosynthesis achieves this near instantaneous energy transfer is a long-standing mystery that may have finally been solved.
Did that peak your interests, I thought so click the link to read the article.
Summer Gardening Tips
by: Michael McGroarty
Don't be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looked terrible.
If you make a mistake pruning, don't worry about it. It's like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I've written on pruning.
Along with summertime comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don't water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down on the chance of fungus being a problem.
One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn't extremely harmful to the plants, it's just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you'd like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.
If you have Perennial Rye Grass in your lawn, and you probably do if you're in the north, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as Pythium Blight that appears in very humid conditions. This fungus attacks and kills perennial rye grasses. Here in the north most of our lawns are a blend of fescues, perennial ryes, and Kentucky Blue Grass.
If you have problems with Pythium blight you will lose the perennial rye grass in large areas of your lawn, and even though the other grasses will still be there and fill in, your lawn will have areas that are much darker green than the rest of the lawn because you will then have concentrations of Kentucky Blue Grass.
You can see this fungus in the early morning. It looks like white cotton candy laying on top of your lawn. It usually appears along walks and driveways where the soil is wet if you have been watering. To prevent Pythium blight water as early in the day as possible.
Another nasty little blight that likes summertime is Fire Blight. Fire Blight attacks ornamentals, especially Apple trees, Crabapple trees, Cotoneasters, and Pyracantha. You know you have Fire Blight when a branch on one of your plants dies and turns almost red. The leaves usually hang on but turn reddish brown. The damage usually starts out near the end of the branch and works its way toward the main stem of the plant. There is little you can do except prune out the affected branch, cutting it as far back as possible.
Fire Blight is very contagious to plants so you should burn the branches you prune out. You should also dip or wash your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut to keep from spreading this deadly fungus.
Unfortunately, I've got one more summertime culprit to warn you about. It's a handy little fungus that grows in mulch. Actually there are all kinds of fungi that tend to grow in mulches, and most of them are really disgusting looking. But this little gem is unique in the fact that as it grows it tends to swell. Then somehow it manages to explode, and it will spatter your house with tiny brown specks. The experts have appropriately named this one “Shotgun Fungus”. Isn't that a cute name?
These tiny little brown specks will fly as high as eight feet into the air, and once they stick to your house or windows, they stick like glue. I know that right now there are people hollering across the house at their spouse, “Hey, remember those brown specks all over the house? I know what they are. It's from the mulch!” Tell me I'm wrong, but I know I'm not.
A lot of people are victims of this nasty little fungus, but they don't know it. All they know is that there are tiny brown specks on the house that look like paint. So far they have blamed everything from spiders to aliens.
There's not a lot you can do to prevent this fungus. I have found that if you keep the mulch loose so air can circulate it is less likely to grow fungi. Don't just keep adding layer after layer to the mulch around your house. You should skip at least every other year and just loosen the mulch you already have down. If you loosen it and then rake it flat it will look like you've just mulched. Mulch is great, just don't let it get packed down hard. Loosen it up at least once a year.
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Cuttings 24 hours prior to taking cuttings you should:
A) Remove the “mother” plant from the direct light and put it on the edge of the garden. This will help the plant to relax.
B) Pour fresh water thru soil to rinse fertilizers out. This helps the plants system to prepare for cuttings by reducing the amount of fertilizer in the system while the nutrients in the plant are converted into sugars and metabolic rates decrease.
1hour prior to cuttings:
A) Spray foliage of mother plant with fresh water.
B) There should never be any standing water in the bottom of your propagation tray at any time during the whole rooting process.
Taking the cuttings
If you follow these next five rules for cuttings, you should get roots without the use of rooting hormone, but for all practical purposes you will want to use rooting hormone to decrease the time to root by 2/3rds.
1) Temperature- 75 degrees fahrenheit below 70 degrees and above 80 degrees will thwart rooting. The reason is the metabolism of the cutting slows along with other factors such as molds and fungus.
2) Humidity- 90%-100% The reason that you would want high humidity is because the cutting has no way (without roots) to maintain moisture to the leaf. To solve this problem use a humidity dome or an anti-wilt product and spray the leaf periodically (~2X per day) (condensation will show on the inside of a humidity dome if in fact the humidity is over 90%)
3) Food for your cutting- it is very important to give the cutting special kinds of food. You must treat them differently because cuttings are not plants, yet. Soak the medium that you intend to put your cutting in, with a ¼ strength flowering solution. PH adjust to 5.6-6.4 and soak. The moisture level must be right see #4 below.
4) Moisture level of the medium is essential for rooting. If medium is too water logged than the plant won’t form a callus, root development slows, constant moisture opens the door for fungus and mold and root development stops. If you have rapid rooter plugs-gently squeeze the excess moisture out, rock wool should be conditioned and drained, and dirt should be well drained. Do not put any more moisture into your medium after soaking and draining. If you keep the humidity between 90% and 100% the medium will not dry out.
5) The right kind of light- low intensity fluorescent light (shop light) on for 24 hours until roots are seen. The fluorescents should be about 5-10 inches away from the cuttings. High output fluorescents should be two to three times the distance. Do not use H.I.D. light. Experienced gardeners may in fact use H.I.D. light, but it is placed at least 4 feet away from cuttings with a shade cloth draped over the humidity dome.