Today's Weather in Your Garden - 15

I have used milky spore in a large area near my roses. It's sposta work better each year. I'm not convinced after 2. Also there's no way I can afford to cover 3.3 acres (some of which is fields and the beetles could erupt from the big hay field next door and visit my garden. But the person who swears by the stuff is a gardener by trade, so I may not have applied enough.

That's why I'm skeptical about anything that is not applied to the plant itself, but treats the garden. They'll just come from your neighbors!

Temp 40.2°, Wind N 6.5 mph, Wchill 32.5°. ☺

For Japanese Beetles we are trying a combo this year from Gardens Alive. I know not everyone likes them but last year we tried mole repellent from them for FREE and it worked. So this year we are giving G. Alive another chance and trying this:

and this 'Surround' which can be mixed with pyola: http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8072
pyola http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8101
and then a few J.B. bags: http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8124

This message was edited Mar 16, 2008 11:30 AM

We used MS three maybe four years ago. Last year I had very few JBs and could hand pick them. Is there a relationship, I don't know. It could be that a couple years ago we had a long extended severe cold snap at the end of winter that killed some of them. It could be that whenever I dig in the garden I look for and smush any white grubs. It could be the local grub eating raccoons and other natural predators. It could be the parasitic controls that have been introduced are working. I tend to think it is all of these things together with the fact that we have had them here to one extent or another as long as I can remember and people have been sending them to the soapy swimming hole for many many years so the population slowly shifts to new areas that are not so prejudicial to them increasing their numbers. It was the same with the red lily beetles at first no one was zapping them and there were a lot of them, then when everyone was on the prowl for them their numbers have dropped to a hand pick sort of population, at least in my garden. Every year is different but constant pressure on them by many natural methods I think works the best. JMO. :)

Dreary and dull today.
Just 39 degrees outside and a darkish overcast.

We should get some rain. Guess I should be thankful it's not snow.

Oh wait! A sunbeam just peeked through!!!

I can handle the twice a day soapy baths for JBs but those red lily beetles devastated me 2 years ago. I sprayed with a chemical mix for the first time last year and hand picked the beetles and their disgusting offspring and had lilies in bloom last year. I didn't buy a single new lily though.

Some years the JB's are very bad--other years, like last year, I did not see any. However, the aphids & other little beetles(I know not what) are dining on most of my roses. I hate to use spray because of my dogs, but my climbers were decimated. I definately have to use something. The day has become wintry--dark & very windy--but I noticed 3 clumps of tulips up on the east side of the house--yea!

41 and windy.

Brrrrr. Cold and raw here today. I was out trimming the tree, shivering. While I was there, I noticed lots of black vine weevil damage on my rhododendrons. I put out beneficial nematodes back in 2005. I might try the big guns this year, maybe just a little. The darn weevils are wreaking havoc on my azaleas too.

Dull and gray here today, too. We had problems with JB last year, too. But our real troubles were with gypsy moths. I live in a wooded area with many mature trees, mostly oaks, but the one 40 foot ash tree was completely defoliated. They even ate up the pine tree. I don't think that it will recover. It still is missing more than half its needles. We are getting sprayed with BT this spring, but what will that do to the butterflies? Ugh, I hate those stupid caterpillars!

It was grey and ugly here today, too. While I was out, one of the showers produced sleet or maybe it was hail. The temp was 50 according to the car's thermometer. Traffic was ungodly - maybe due to the 2 holidays.

I've read somewhere that this coming year is supposed to be bad for gypsy moths, like we dealt with in the early 80s when they decimated every green thing in their path. I hope this won't be the case. Are there any birds that actually eat those nasty caterpillars?

Yup. Had hail here too Mamasita.

Mamasita, that is beyond scary. We have not had those here but I remember their devastation. We had a nasty thing from the west coast a couple of years ago that ate every leaf on many trees in a month. You could here them chewing. The next year they were far less, but still a dropping on you if you were under a tree. But none since. Our winters got them, but for how long? Patti

Temp 39.9°, Wind N 9.3 mph, Wchill 29.7°, mostly cloudy. ☺

27 and sunny.

That's what I'm hoping, Mamasita. I think they were bad last year because last winter was so mild. This year it was a lot colder longer, so here's hoping it killed more of them off.
24 degrees and the sun is out! It's supposed to get up to 45 degrees today, then we get a little snow tomorrow :( but it won't last! Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

It's 27 but because we have 22-25 mph winds they are saying it's more like 12 degree's. Tomorrow the wind will be weaker and they are predicting that we get up to 44-50. I'll believe it when I see it, and if it happens I know that a storm of some sort will follow.
Yup,I just checked.... snow/rain on Wed.

It is at least sunny and looks warm out there. There is a gusty wind and temp of 29 in reality. The leprechauns must be a wee bit chilled today.

The sun's a-shinin', the wind's a-blowin', it's 30 degrees and I think I saw a wee leprechaun runnin' back thru the woods! Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

31 and sunny with no wind. Went skiing again this morning, and it was probably the best day of the season with the bright blue sky.

Beautiful here, too. The morning wind has died down and I can honestly say, I think spring is here.

Woo Hoo!! The wind died down here too.

A bit better here too and the sun is out. Patti

Bright blue sky--windy on top of the dam--pintail ducks behind the dam--lovely!

39 and crystal clear skies. Wind has died down. This is near perfection - the output of my solar panels today.

Victor...do you have solar panels??? That is great! I looked at putting those on about 3 years ago, but they were so expensive!

Yes I do Daisy. Incentives got better in the last three years.

Arrived home from the North Pole (also known as Ohio) this evening. Really it was not too bad, packed my Bean Boots, but didn't nead them. Heard Redwings there, in spite of the snow. One wee snowdrop still in bloom here.

31 and cloudy here. No wind. Rain on the way.

Mostly sunny with high thin streaks of clouds, storm tomorrow. Occasional light breeze with a chilly rising temp of 27 degrees, should end up in the 40s.

38 degrees and very light snow/rain.

35, going up to 45. Sunny and very little wind right now.

Cloudy & raw--looks like freezing rain before changing to all rain. A neighbor was raking today--I went to Walmarts & bought more phlox!

It was so nice out all day until I went out to plant spinach seeds. The sun was in hiding and it was raw and horrible out there but I did get the job done.

Temp 38.3°, Wind E 8.0 mph, Wchill 31.9°. ☺

Funny because it's 38.3 here right now with winds at 13 MPH and 100% chance of rain.

42, rain predicted turning to snow later. Next week looks better so far.

We got a bit of accumulation on the cars and now it's raining.

It's still snowing here but is supposed to go over to rain. Not much wind and 35 degrees. Not going to see the sun for a couple days they say. :(