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Still have whiteflies
In article ,
"Marie Dodge" wrote: "Isabella Woodhouse" wrote in message ... In article , "Marie Dodge" wrote: [...] The squash are too far gone with millions of white fly and borers. The squash crop will be removed and burned tomorrow. It's impossible to get the sprays under all the many thousands of leaves. Suggestions anyone... other than to torch the three entire gardens. [...] This year, for the first time, we put row covers over the zucchini (four different cultivars) and they are all producing and doing well. I go out early every morning and hand-pollinate the female flowers with a little brush. This is not at all difficult with squash flowers. We've never, ever had summer squash this nice before. We use the lightest weight 8 foot wide Agribond (like cloth not plastic) over a make-do lashed wood frame. We started with tensile steel hoops but the plants were much to large and vigorous for them. Our beds are 4 feet wide and we're smack dab in the middle of the country. We're going to use row covers on some fall crops as well, both to keep out pests and extend the season. Best thing since sliced bread. The cost of trying to grow some of our own food is more costly than we'd pay at the store we're finding. What did these row covers cost you if I may be so bold? We only had a 50' long piece that my husband said he bought two years ago and just now got around to trying. He said it was reasonable but does not recall the price. The product is reusable unless it gets torn up by hail or deer I guess. He asked me to order more for the fall so I've just started looking at prices. Johnny's has Agribon in different weights (sorry I misspelled it in my other post). The lightweight insect barrier is 118" x 250' for $51. It looks like lightweight non-woven interfacing for sewing. It lets in the light and the rain, though the heavier stuff for cold weather does block more light. No doubt others have it too and there are other brands. I don't think anything can guarantee that you'll never see a bad pest like the SVB again but, for us, we finally have a really nice crop without extraordinary effort. The pests may eventually find them, who knows? But I've already had a better crop by the end of July than I had in any previous entire season. And best of all, no spraying whatsoever. I did have to let out a bumblebee today that must have gone in there when I was pollinating them earlier. I told him there were plenty of other flowers for him to visit other than the squash. We use ground staples, rocks and old broken pots to hold down the fabric. And in places where I needed to join fabric pieces (his test size was not quite wide enough), I used my quilting gun that shoots tiny little plastic ties (I use those instead of safety pins for my quilts). Isabella -- "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" -T.S. Eliot |
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