A Beautiful Friday in the Garden

APHID UPDATE: The aphids have now moved on to cabbage and chard and Pat is fighting what seems to be a losing battle! She said that with the advent of the warmer weather and sunshine that the aphid population seems to be exploding. Her advice: just be diligent and continue spraying with the Safer Soap as much as possible, as well as following the other tips from our previous post.   And pay attention to all of your tasty leafy veggies - not just kale- because they are definitely not immune either!

Yep... the aphids have gotten to the cabbage.  Now that's nasty!

This poor little kale plant was stunted from all of the aphid damage!

Other than the bad news on the aphid front, everything else in the garden is doing well and it is a beautiful sunny day! The artichokes are sprouting, the calendula adds a vibrant touch of orange all over the garden, and the newly planted radishes and nasturtiums are starting to sprout!  Enjoy some recent photos below and have a great weekend!

The calendula is spectacular right now!

Now I want a Greek salad!

 

Maybe the chard is starting to have an aphid problem too, but it is all over the garden and still looks delicious to me!

The purple hues of the kale and cabbage complement each other nicely, don't you think?

Pat is working diligently away at spraying the kale with the Safer Soap to rid it of aphids.

Go, Mr. Ladybug, go!  Eat those aphids so I can eat this delicious artichoke.

Ok so these aren't in the garden, but are so spectacular I had to share them anyway.  The tulip trees on campus are breathtaking right now!

WEBSITE WEDNESDAY: University of California Integrated Pest Management

Keeping your edible garden free of bad bugs can be difficult, especially if you are not even sure what type of pest is the problem! This common issue brings us to today's 'Website Wednesday' recommendation--The University of California Integrated Pest Management (UCIPM) website specific to 'Pests in Gardens and Landscapes--Vegetable and Melons.'

In February this year our gardener Arlene encountered this pest who'd taken up residence on the flip side of a cabbage leaf. We knew it was some kind of moth based on the pupae. Then we found this entry on the IPM website describing the color of the pupae by following the links associated with cabbage pests: "Pupae are green with faint yellow lines down the back and sides; there is no spun cocoon. The cabbageworm is active throughout the year in California." Voila! We have a cabbageworm and now know the best way to manage them is by handpicking. Now that was easy!



It's not always that easy, but regardless this website is awesome! You can delve deep, really deep into the various types of pest that may be affecting your garden. In addition tons of tips for identification, UCIPM also provides tips on various types of management. The UCIPM website is not just about pests either, it also provides cultivation tips and techniques, weather data, and top-notch publications useful for any home gardener!

Do you have any pests that you are having a difficult time identifying? Post a photo on our Facebook page under 'Fan Photos.'