• Footie Update: Improving Coddling Moth Protection
Surround®, a white, odorless kaolin clay, is used as a deterrent for pests and diseases on fruit trees. Kaolin acts as a physical barrier preventing insects from reaching vulnerable plant tissue. It acts as a repellent by creating an unsuitable surface for feeding or egg-laying. The… More
• Pruning Vocabulary
Each subject has it’s own vocabulary and pruning is no different from the others. The following is a list of terms used in pruning. You may wish to print these out or bookmark it for future reference. Have more questions about pruning? You can ask experts and other HOS members on the HOS Forum More
• Plant a Paw-Paw Patch
Many people have heard of paw-paws, especially from a children’s song. It is considered an exotic fruit, but I don’t think it should be. It is in fact the largest native North American fruit. They grow easily without diseases, bugs, or heavy predation from local animals. The fruit is extremely… More
• Nylon Footies: Excellent Insect Barrier
The results are in; Nylon Footies are 100% effective against apple maggots & 96-98% effective against coddling moths. The environmentally effective way to protect your fruit without spraying is easy to apply. The key to the effective barrier is time of application. Nylon Footies must be… More
• Bitter Pit: Cause and Control
At this year’s All About Fruit Show, many home growers had bitter pit problems in apples and Asian pears. Bitter pit can affect all apple and Asian pear varieties but some are more prone than others. The main cause is a mineral imbalance, low levels of calcium. A Little Information on… More
• Insect Barrier
As my girl friend was trying on shoes and I was doing my impersonation of a pink flamingo, standing on one leg then the other, I noticed something. She was putting on disposable nylon foot sox. I thought, if it could cover feet, why not an apple. I asked the clerk if I could have some of the… More
• All About the Apple Called Yellow Bellflower
Mystery surrounds this apple, for no one knew or remembered when it originated but “Coxe” reported in 1817 “The original tree at Burlington, N. J. was large and old.” There is no doubt that it was an old colonial fruit. The ‘Yellow Bellflower’ was always called ‘Belle Fleur’ by the French… More
• Cherry Harvesting Dates
One nice thing about growing fruit in your backyard (or any part of your yard) is that you can select varieties that will ripen over a period of time. This will let you and the birds enjoy an extended harvest. The following is a cherry harvest chart patterned after one developed by Lynn E…. More
Fruit Growing
Footie Update: Improving Coddling Moth Protection
Ted Swensen
Surround®, a white, odorless kaolin clay, is used as a deterrent for pests and diseases on fruit trees. Kaolin acts as a physical barrier preventing insects from reaching vulnerable plant tissue. It acts as a repellent by creating an unsuitable surface for feeding or egg-laying. The uniform white film may also disrupt the insect’s host- finding capability by masking the color of the plant tissue. Furthermore, particles of kaolin act as an irritant to the insect. After landing on a treated surface, particles of kaolin break off and attach to the insect’s body triggering an excessive grooming response that distracts the pest. I thought, why not soak nylon footies in Surround® to see if Codling Moths would be repelled. I experimented with Surround® saturated nylon footies on apple fruits. Those apples with Surround® soaked footies were pest free, those with plain footies had codling moth but no apple maggot, those apple fruits with no protection had both codling moth and apple maggot (100%). The Surround protected fruits seemed to be free of earwig damage, unlike the other test fruits. The year before I had experimented with other nylon footie combinations, but I was unable to control the codling moth infestation until I tried the Kaolin treatment.
The “how-to” for Surround soaked footies
Need 4 quart pan, colander to hold 288 footies, another pan to catch fluid. Directions:
1. Add container of Surround® (3 T) into 3 quarts of water
2. Stir– or Surround® will not dissolve
3. Place 288 footies in Surround® + water – stir to soak footies
4. Pour footies and Surround® mixture into colander with pan beneath to catch fluid 5. stir captured
5. fluid and pour over footies with catch container beneath Keep repeating until fluid does not have evidence of Surround®
6. Dry footies by spreading on wire mesh, table,etc.
7. Apply to fruit BEFORE codling moths mate
HOS is selling footies again this year, find out more.
Greenhouse Growing – Growing Fresh Vegetables,Herbs and Fruits In Your Own Greenhouse
Article by Dave Pierson
When it comes to greenhouse growing, what you are able to cultivate in your greenhouse will depend, generally speaking, on your location and the season your in. This applies to basic detached cool or cold greenhouses, which most amateur gardeners opt for in their own gardens. Of course if you want to invest a little more in the way of installing heating and lighting systems, you can grow virtually anything year round.
The purpose of your greenhouse is to create the perfect growing environment for the selected crops throughout the year. The greenhouse does not do this all by itself, obviously. You, the gardener have to make the adjustments for ambient temperature, ventilation, heating, humidity, cooling and then monitor each of these parameters for success in growing the plants you want to.
With a little effort, you can grow vegetables and other plants in your greenhouse throughout the year!
Your greenhouse gives you the opportunity to grow different types vegetables, herbs, and fruit among food crops. You can use pots, planters, prepared beds, grow bags and even hydroponics to achieve amazing results. All food plants need consistent care, ample sunlight and ventilation, optimum soil structure and moisture level and feed in the form of fertilizers. Setting up supports to keep your plants from trailing on the floor is also key.
It’s should also be pointed out that staying vigilant when it comes to watching for pests and disease. If your greenhouse doesn’t have excellent drainage in place it will develop standing water in areas, which will a prolific breeding ground for pests of all types – Not Good!
You can grow your plants in pots as well as in beds. Both work well, but have different requirements as far as care is concerned. It is easier to care for and manage food plants if you use containers for growing perennial herbs and fruit plants, but a greenhouse bed for both annual vegetables and herbs as well as bedded fruits like strawberries. Clay pots are ideal for growing perennial herbs because their roots prefer relatively drier root zones with a minimum fertilizer input. You can use separate pots for different varieties, but it is possible to plant several of your favorites together.
Vegetables:
When preparing beds for the vegetable and annual herbs, ensure proper drainage on a concrete floor by laying down a slatted base under the beds or making a drainage pipe to channel away excess water. Cover these with aluminum screening to keep in the soil mix. Create more space by attaching trellises for plants like tomatoes and cucumbers, and filling the space between these as they grow by planting other salad plants below.
If you wish to do away with the mess created while preparing beds and growing mixes, you can simply buy grow bags that contain an ideal growing mix for your veggies and annual herbs. These are effective for a season, but get depleted thereafter. Also, the bags restrict room for root growth to a degree and the growing mix may get rapidly heated up on warm days. It takes more effort to keep the grow bags individually watered.
About the Author
For more in depth information and ideas about greenhouse growing techniques or how to build your own hobby greenhouse, please visit garden greenhouse, where you’ll find many more practical tips on greenhouses… and hopefully a little inspiration too!
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