I got home late from work last night to find my Eastern Black Swallowtails had, in one day, gone through a substantial growth spurt by chewing their two already slim fennel plants down to NOTHING. My curly parsely, which wasn't doing all that great to begin with, was next and is also virtually destroyed. None of my neighbors grow fennel, so if I don't figure out a way to feed these babies, they're SOL. Today, on my less-than-one-hour lunch break, I made a mad dash to Lowe's for fennel, and of course they didn't have any, and the parsley they have is pathetic and overpriced. I get the idea to pop next door to Publix and buy whatever fennel have in the produce section, regardless of the fact that they'll have no roots (won't matter anyway at this rate of consumption, and hopefully they'll settle in and grow after all).
I rush to the register around the slew of elderly people in absolutely no hurry (truly no offense meant...when I took a hiatus from being a working woman, I was slow at the grocery myself...) to pay for cranberry juice, salad dressing, and all the fennel they had on the shelf (six, to be exact)! I get strange looks from the guy in front of me in line, but I just shrug and smile at him. The adorable young lady at the register looks at me and says, "I have to ask what you're buying all this fennel for!" Without thinking, I say, "Butterflies," as I'm dealing with the debit card swiper. That's it, that's all I said...one word. She looks at the fennel and salad dressings with this horrified look on her face, then looks at me and actually asks, "You're going to cook butterflies?" I couldn't help it...I totally burst out in laughter, and once I collected myself, with tears in my eyes, I explained that no, it was to FEED the voracious caterpillars that will only become butterflies if I provide lots of fennel!
Emma
This message was edited Jun 24, 2009 1:45 PM
Butterfly Gardening and Grocery Shopping
Oh, yes...I guess we should be careful what we say! You can never grow too much fennel, or parsley in case some "guests" drop in and stay for breakfast, lunch and dinner....until they're done. No reservations taken...they won't call anyway.
Don't forget to thoroughly wash the fennel. Any chemicals used in the field or preservative sprays could harm the caterpillars. Most of our local markets have organic products :o)
Am still glad at nursery close to me sells herbs in small pots. Rue, fennel, dill and parsley to keep the butterflies happy!!!
~ Cat
Great tip on washing everything! I only do organic gardening, and prior to moving to such a small town, ate 100% organic produce...the two local "health food markets" have VERY little in the way of organic, or even naturally-grown produce, which is a real shame. I do wash all host plants I buy very well before contaminating my garden unless they come from one nursery I trust never uses chemicals. The fennel they stripped to nubs in no time is organically-grown from organic seed, so maybe that's why they went through it SO quickly (I know I prefer the taste of organics). I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the ones from Publix weren't grown with high levels of pesticides!
I have four of the fennels soaking in water indoors in the hopes theyll push some roots before the babies finish off the two I put out for them today, one of which they've already eaten 1/3 of in one day...I just don't know how do they expect me to meet demands this high? Thank goodness fennel isn't an annual; maybe next year the plants will be bigger before the masses descend on them. If these root readily, I may have to clear out Whole Foods of all thier fennel next time I'm there; I'll try not to give another person the idea that I'm having butterfly salad this time ;~)
That's funny about the grocery check out girl!
I wonder how many fennel/dill plants is a good number to have in the garden for the BSTs?
I have about 10 big fennel/dills and 10 parsleys just getting going this summer. Maybe I should have more?
Throw an extra packet of seed out it can't hurt.
Emma....The first year I had to do the same thing. Here my best source was parsley, it is a lot cheaper and more available. It also stays well in the frigerator wrapped in a wet paper towel in a plastic bag. But do take time to wash anything you don't grow two or three times.
Great tip on the parsley! Soaking it in water for a couple hours would probably make a big difference in getting out some of the chemicals.
I am already panicking because this morning I saw a Swallowtail female laying eggs on the fennel I just bought yesterday...yikes! How do they expect me to meet demands this high? The fennel I have is in its first year, but I forsee tucking into several areas of the garden if this is what I'm going to be facing; I knew I wanted these guys to come, I just never expected them to eat so much in one day!
I do think I'll need to go ahead and start some seeds ASAP to avoid future raids of local produce departments!!!
To avoid egg-laying on any new plants in the future, you could get some of those caterpillar sleeves or enclosures that cover a plant made for that ...or make your own! There used to be these foldable mesh laundry hamper things that a plant can be put inside. Not sure what stores are selling those now...it changes so often.
This message was edited Jun 25, 2009 12:33 PM
Oh, that's a great idea to let the plants recover for a spell! I do want the butterflies. but I have several host plants not mature enough yet to handle large populations of larvae!
I had to do the same thing recently: substitute the Publix with Super Walmart, and substitute the time with 6am! I grabbed flat italian parsley and washed it really well when I got home. The next day I found some plants. My garden center said Fennel was in short supply right now, but they did have a bunch of Dill, and I also bought 2 large Parsleys...planned on swithcing out 'eaten' plants with the new small pots as needed. Stored my stash in another place, but wouldn't you know it: THEY have eggs on them now! LOL!
That is too funny! It's good to know there are so many other people doing utterly ridiculous things for the sake of caterpillars!!!
Oh yeah!! Guilty! (((waving)))
Ok.. now you all have me wanting to go to the nursery and buy fennel, dill, parsley......for the other caterpillars/butterflies... the Monarchs & Queens are abundent because I have loads of milkweed in the ground, but none of the others come to my yard :( but I know I can fix that.
My husband is going to think I have lost it completely.
:-))