Organic growing requires a lot of patience and ingenuity. No matter what procedures and precautions are made when planting, you’re bound to eventually have to deal with a pest or 2…
June’s irritating pest was the chipmunk constantly eyeballing the strawberry patch, despite being fenced-in. Netting was placed directly on top of the plants this year to deter the little buggers - And it actually worked!
Potato bugs can be an absolute nightmare, and the only truly way to organically deal with them is by hand-picking them off. This is why you want to catch them early. Drown them in soapy water; repeat 3-5 days. The potato bug can easily decimate your plants so regular inspections are a must.
Otherwise, my cheap go-to home-made bug spray includes the Almighty Cayenne Pepper. Its strong and powerful scent deters many annoying pests; mix 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper to 1 cup tepid water; transfer to spray bottle and apply generously, but don’t be drenching your plants.
July 2020 was by far the hottest and driest month I have on record since hobby-farming in 2010. Glad rain has been abundant lately but our back-up water tanks and rain barrels have certainly come in handy so far this summer. This heat though hasn’t been too kind for some cooler-loving plants, resulting in premature bolting. Fortunately, it's early in the season so more seedlings are in bloom reading for another go.
Checking up on the carrots the other day to see where they're at gave me a good laugh...
Till next time.