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10 Mar 2011
March 10, 2011 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

The Not So Dreaded Lawn

My lawn is making progress. After putting lime down, tilling the grass, spreading grass seed and adding hay to the ground, I am now seeing sprouts. I added another bag of seeds a few days ago and looks like I will actually have a lawn by the time my family comes down in May 🙂

Tilling the ground was by far the hardest part. Some things I now consider “men’s work.” Tilling the ground has been put at the top of that list. It may sound sexist, but its more like homage. I would not have been able to till my grass myself and I absolutely hate cutting my grass so some things are best meant for the opposite sex. And for that I am truly grateful.

Two years ago, my lawn mower was stolen from my yard. I had only used it once, but I am definitely grateful that I had only spent about $100 on it. This year I will buy one that has a bag and is self propelled (LOL jokes on you robbers, you still have to push that sucker hard to get it to move forward). For now, I will just let the new grass grow and try to get the rest of it cut before the homeowner’s association squad come to my door and give me a “your yard is an embarrassment to the community” ticket.

20 Aug 2010
August 20, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Tobacco Hornworm

Friday, 20 August 2010

Tobacco Hornworm

Click for Larger View

Well, I found about 4 of these little freeloaders devouring my tomato plants and crapping all over my leaves.  Tobacco hornworms are green in color, they have seven straight lines along its belly, they are typically about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, they have a red hook/horn at the end of their bodies and are usually found on the underside of leaves, especially tobacco plants.  What I found really cool about these pests is that they secrete the neurotoxin nicotine which is used in tobacco.  What I found uncool is that they completely defoliate garden plants, consuming everything….the foliage, blossoms and the green fruit.  Because they consume the entire leaf, your crops can become completely devastated.

Also known as M. sexta or Manduca sexta, the tobacco hornworm, much like the tomato hookworm which is what I thought it was at first, eventually grows into the Carolina Sphinx moth (those of which I have also found in my garden).  They have a usual life cycle of 30 to 50 days, but they sure can eat enough to last all year in that short amount of time.  After eggs are laid, it takes 2-4 days for their eggs to hatch.  The eggs are usually found on the underside of your leaves.

As a baby caterpillar, they live on the underside of plants, especially tobacco plants.  They literally eat and crap all day everyday (hmmm, I know some people like that).  After they devour your garden and hard work, tobacco worms go into a “wandering stage” looking for a place where they can go in order to pupate (or change into a moth).  The pupal stage lasts about 2 1/2 weeks and it becomes a Carolina Sphinx moth.  Carolina Sphinx moths feed on flowers.  The moths are also dimorphic (meaning that the female and male look so different they look like they are from a different family of insects).  The females mate once and the males have a good time with whomever they can and as many as they can.  And so completes the circle of life and the female lays her eggs under a leaf and it hatches two to four days later in order to wreak more havoc on some poor gardener’s tomato plant.  Like mine:

My remedy for this pest is to pick them off and move them to a far location.  The adults caterpillars are hard to kill so if you don’t get them in their baby stages, its best to just pick them off.  My daughter actually does that part with a pair of garden gloves and a jar.  Since their life span is so short, they would go into pupal stage before ever finding their way back to your garden.

Aww they left me a present …..

03 Jun 2010
June 3, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

My Zone


My zone here in Georgia is zone 8.  A few years ago, it was located in zone 7b, but I suspect due to global warming that the temperatures here have gotten a little hotter.  I like living in Georgia’s climate.  The winters for the most part are pretty short and mild, reaching as low as 20 or 30 degrees for a few weeks during the winter, and the growing season is long.  And although most of the time there is no snow during the winter, this year we actually had a very wet and frosty winter with one very mild snow storm.  The summers are humid which are great for tropical plants and ferns.

This is my zone back in 1990 when I was actually living in Virginia in zone 6.  Macon GA was barely in zone 8 (more like zone 7b)

This is my zone in 2006.  The warmer climates are moving up a little:

The challenge that I have noticed in living in zone 8 is that we are not quite tropical so many of the palms that strive in Florida are a little harder to grow here.  We can very well have a mild winter or we can have a dangerous frosts during the winter which can kill some tropical plants, such as my sago palms, citronella and my cordyline this winter.  For next year, I plan to be more prepared for the winter.  I would like to buy a few plant covers for a few of my plants and I have been lightly potting some plants so that I can transport them inside during the winter.  What I do like about this region is that it is warm enough to where some annuals actually come back the next year and act more like perennials.  I also like the variety of plants that I can pick from.  My zone allows me to take advantage of both heat and humidity loving plants as well as plants that can survive frost.  Last year, I had no idea which plants to transport in and which ones to leave outside.  I had a few plants that could not stand the winter, but this year I have learned a lot more about my plants and which ones need to be accommodated during the winter months.  Yuccas, palmetto palms, succulents, chrysanthemums, and the like all do very well in my garden and survive the winter without problems.  Other plants/trees that grow well here include gardenias, crepe myrtle, hibiscus (which is Hawaii’s national flower), elephant ears, trumpet plants, and many more.  Make sure you know your zone before planting and check the seed packet to make sure your plants can grow in your zone!

Here is a list I found on the internet of plants that grow well in Zone 8:

http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gardening_Zone_8

24 May 2010
May 24, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Natural Ways to Repel Insects

Monday, 24 May 2010

Natural Ways to Repel Insects

There are other ways to repel insects without having to use insecticidal soap or pesticides.  Here are a few ways to naturally get rid of pests:

  • Plant other plants in your vegetable garden that these insects don’t like, such as mint, borage and nasturtiums (but be careful of mint and other invasive plants that may take over your garden)
  • Plant other plants that attract beneficial insects such as lady bugs, lacewings, some beetles and wasps.  Plants such as mint, dill, parsley, alyssum, and sage attract insects that devour crop eating insects.
  • Use the jet setting of your water hose to blast bugs off your crops.
  • Remove old leaves, sticks and other debris where caterpillars and slugs can burrow and multiply.  Removing leaves also reduces disease, which can make plants more susceptible to pest problems.
  • Grow your seeds indoors.  Bugs love young sprouts so make sure your plants are past their germination stage before putting them outside
  • Plant seeds early.  Aphids begin to show up in Georgia around April.
  • Plant your seeds in March (as well as indoors) so that the plant will already be established.
  • Cover your plants with clotches or clear plastic.  Hot soil kills many types of pests.

To make your own natural pesticide/insecticide, view my blog on Organic insecticides.

18 May 2010
May 18, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Garden Guide

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

iPhone App – Garden Guide

Current Price: $1.99
My grade: 3/5

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This app is a useful little app that allows you to keep a photo journal of your plants/herbs/vegetables as well as look up information about each one.

PROS

  • Easy interface:  The graphics are easy on the eyes
  • Water/light scale:  Lets you know how much water a plant requires, how much light and when the plant blooms
  • Garden builder:  You can save the plants you have in your garden by adding them to your favorites.  You can then sort them by type, location and name
  • Informative:  Contains information about soil preferences, zone hardiness, bloom time and weather preferences for each plant as well as a description and how to care for your plant.  You can learn about pests even if you aren’t experiencing any problems in your garden.

CONS

  • Spelling:  Many grammatical errors when viewing details of each plant
  • Variety:  More plants need to be added.  I found about 5% of the plants in my garden in this app.
  • Pest Information:  The pests area should list some of the plants they are attracted to.
  • Interactivity:  Only has a journal, but could benefit from a todo list for your garden with reminders and deadlines.

Overall the application is good if you want to learn about common pests and if you plan to journal your outdoor activities.

16 May 2010
May 16, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Organic Bug Repellant

 

Found this recipe for homemade bug repellant.  The spray is very effective, but has to be applied often.

  • Water bottle
  • Witch hazel extract
  • Citronella oil
  • Peppermint oil

Fill a spray bottle with witch hazel extract. Add one drop each of the citronella and peppermint essential oil for each fl oz of liquid.

07 May 2010
May 7, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Snails and Slugs

 

My children love slugs and snails (I know gross).  And while I don’t particularly care for them, I have come to terms with the fact that they are going to be a part of my garden.  So…. my children get their bug containers and start an entire slug rescue mission.  WHY?  Because they know that I will rid of them at all costs.  Last year I planted some hostas.  They were sprouting beautifully and then all of a sudden my hostas started to look like Swiss cheese.  This year I decided to prepare myself.  I did a lot of research on these little creatures and have found some interesting facts about slugs.

A slug is a gastropod mollusk and a snail is a gastropod mollusk with a hard outer shell. Slugs for the most part do not have shells or have a very very small internal shell.  There are approximately 40 different species of snails in the U.S. but only half of them are considered pests.  Snails and slugs have soft, slimy bodies which is why they must have a damp areas for hiding and avoiding desiccation (drying out).  This would be why most slugs are out and about after a good rain and why you can usually find them under stones, boards, debris, low branches and weeded areas when its hot and dry.  Their tentacles, which detect light and smell, can break and easily grow back.  As they move, they emit a mucus which helps to protect the body, especially the foot that moves it along.  The mucus also leaves a trail for other slugs to follow and can protect it from predators by making it hard to grasp.  Slugs are also self producing-hermaphrodites.  They have both female and male organs.  In some cases they do mate with other slugs, but because their penises are hooked, they have to chew them off in order to be released from their mate. If it were up to me, I’d just be a party of one!!! 🙂

As far as the environment is concerned, slugs do have some positive roles in the ecosystem.  They eat dead leaves, fungus (mushrooms), and decaying veggies.  Some slugs are carnivores and eat other slugs, snails and worms.  They help cycle organic matter which builds rich soil and they are food to other wildlife such as birds, turtles, toads, snakes, possums, raccoons, geese, chickens and ducks.  While this is ok for regular wildlife and the natural environment, gardeners are faced with a unique set of problem with slugs because slugs love to feast in gardens.  Visit my slug prevention blog post to learn organic ways to rid your garden of these creatures.

03 May 2010
May 3, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world.  Although they are tiny, they make up for it with speed and excellent eye sight.  Their vision is the equivalent of 8X binoculars which means they can spot a bird feeder from 3/4 mile away and their speed can go from 30 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour.

Some other facts about hummingbirds:

  • Their nests are the size of an English walnut
  • It takes almost 2 weeks for their eggs to hatch
  • They usually have only two babies at a time
  • The oldest baby stays around long enough for the youngest to fly away
  • The female bird does all the work (not surprising):  she builds the nest, lays the eggs, cares for the young
  • Male birds mate with as many females as possible, but the female must choose him
  • Their nests are made with thistle, down of dandelions, and spider webs
  • The size of the eggs are the same size as a black eyed pea
  • Their tongues are forked
  • Their hearts beats at a rate of 250 beats a minute while resting and 1200 beats per minute while feeding
  • They fly at 30 miles per hour at normal speed and 50 miles per hour when being pursued by a predator
  • Their wings flap at 40-80 times a second
  • Their body temperature is 105 – 108 degrees
  • They weigh about 3.1 grams
  • They are approximately 3.5 inches in length
  • Ruby throated hummingbirds migrate across the entire gulf of Mexico two times a year for spring and fall (taking 18 hours to fly)
  • They are solitary animals and do not fly in flocks

Very interesting animals to be so small.  I only saw one last summer 🙁  Can’t wait to see if I can actually take pictures of them this summer.

27 Apr 2010
April 27, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Yuccas

My favorite plant so far in my garden is my yucca plant.  This plant is usually grown in warmer climates (zone 8 and above), but can withstand harsh winters, some frost and even dry spells.  Yuccas are perennial plants known by their spiky look and their green color.  There are approximately 50 known species of yucca.  Some of them bear fruit and flowers (however, mine do not).  Yuccas require direct sunlight and are slow growing.  Definitely a great ornamental plant to add to your garden.

10 Apr 2010
April 10, 2010 0 Comments By nubiangardenchick Uncategorized

Banana Spiders

Click for Full View

All of my life I have had arachnophobia.  At this point in my life, I never thought I’d love gardening so much.  So at some point this summer, I came to a cross road:  Either stay in the house and avoid spiders at all cost or learn to respect them and move past my fear of them.  For the most part I have done well.  Of course this week I found this monster in my side yard several weeks ago and could have easily stepped back into my old way of avoiding them altogether.

What I have learned is that spiders are very very beneficial to the garden.  There are thousands of species of spiders and for the most part, they are very shy, unaggressive and usually non-poisonous.  Spiders help control the insect population and keep pests from devouring your garden.  The banana spider (above) unfortunately eats both beneficial bugs as well as pests.  I haven’t decided whether I plan to let it stay around, but I just noticed there are 2 more around the yard and they all have an egg sack the size of regular chicken eggs!  Needless to say, I was able to photograph it without feeling sick on my stomach from fear and anxiety.

The banana spider does bite; however, their bites only cause mild irritation in humans.  Banana spiders are actually afraid of cockroaches; however, they aid in keeping mosquitoes, wasps, flies and beetle populations low.  Their webs are some of the strongest webs in the world, some have webs tougher than Kevlar, the material used to make bulletproof vests.  The male banana spider is completely different and much smaller than the female spider.  When a male is so much different than the female to a point where they do not look like the same species it is known as sexual dimorphism.

Banana spiders molt several times.  On the last molt, she is fertile for only 48 hours.  Needless to say, the male moves in and makes a special noise (so she knows not to eat him, but to mate with him).  After she is inseminated she spins two large egg sacs containing hundreds of eggs (I’m sorry, but I think mine have thousands of eggs inside!).  Unlike the tarantula, the female spider doesn’t devour her man like a happy meal.  The male moves about two inches up above her on the web and guards her and the sac until they both die (I guess chivalry is still existent in the spider world).

What’s really fascinating about banana spiders is their webs.  They are absolutely gorgeous.  The webs have a sticky substance on it that helps bugs to become entrapped.  They can spin webs up to 3 feet wide!  They are truly cool to watch (from a distance) although I’m not sure how long they plan to be my roommates.

Posted by at 03:56 PM in Bugs | | Comments (0)