Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Wairarapa Midweek
9
GARDEN
YARN DOUG’S TIPS
WITH
TIME TO SOW... BASIL - T P BEANS - P
Potatoes: Keep mounding up rows of potatoes to ensure a bigger harvest. When watering potatoes, water the soil and not the leaves Taller growing berries such as boysenberries, blackberries and other scrambling berries will require staking. Aphids and whitefly are still active. Be vigilant and spray with Kiwicare Insect Hit or Derris Dust, or if infestations are small blast them off with the hose. Apply a liquid fish fertilizer such as Ocean Grow every two weeks during this active growth period. This can also help to deter white butterfly and other pests. Repot cyclamens into fresh potting mix. Feed with Nutricote or a soluble fertiliser like Thrive Flower & Fruit.
BEANS - DWARF - G P BEETROOT - G P BROCCOLI - T P BRUSSELS SPROUTS - P CABBAGE - T P CARROT - G CAULIFLOWER - P CELERY - P CHIVES - G CORIANDER - P CORN - P COURGETTE - P KALE - P LEEKS - T P LETTUCE - G P MESCULUN - P MUSTARD GREENS - G ONION - P OREGANO - G P PAK CHOY - P PARSLEY - G P PARSNIP - G RADISH - G ROCKET - P SILVERBEET - G P SPINACH - P SPRING ONION - P
When fluffybums (or leaf hoppers) grow up and turn into adults they are commonly called Passion Vine Hoppers. They feed on a variety of plants, not just vines, and the honeydew that they produce can cause sooty moulds. The damage from these insects usually occurs in autumn and summer, and is mostly on the mature leaves. You can tell if you have the leaf hoppers by pale yellowing of the foliage. The leaves will develop yellow speckles where the insects have been sucking up the plant sap. This will make the plant weak and prone to disease. In hot weather they can quickly reach plague numbers, and can devastate
SWEDES - G TURNIP - G T -Sow in trays G - Sow in garden P - Plant from seedling
DEAL TO THE ‘FLUFFY BUMS’ with KiwiCare Insect Hit
Gggrrrr…!!! They’re at it again. Those little fluffybums are attacking some of my crops. I have been on this earth for far too long to let these cute little critters deceive me. Let me explain.
The passion vine hopper in the nymph stage.
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CUTE LITTLE FLUFFY BUMS
MOON CALENDAR NEW MOON - February 27th, 2017 FULL MOON - February 11th, 2017
MOON PLANTING TIPS THIS WEEK
passionfruit vines, beans, tomatoes, ornamentals and more. The young leaf hoppers (nymphs) are known as fluffybums, because of the white fluffy cotton-like tails that are raised above their bodies like peacock tails. Both the nymphs and the winged adults “hop” when disturbed. Young nymphs feed on the underside of the leaves, developing through five growth stages before moulting as winged adults. Around this time of the year the nymphs go through their final moult and change into small brown adults that look like small smooth winged moths. You will often see these in a line on the stem of plants. During autumn the adults will be busy laying eggs in small branches of their favourite plants. As they withdraw their “ovipositor” (the egg laying tube) they pull out small white tufts of plant material, which show up as white dots on your plants. So now is the best time to be dealing to them, while they are still in their nymph stage (which is normally between November to March). Once
February 9th to 11th are days of prolific growth for above ground crops. Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer. Avoid sowing root crops as they will go to seed. Adult passion vine hoppers. These pests can quickly get out of control and ruin your crops.
I had plague numbers on my Choisya plants. I used KiwiCare Plant health Insect Hit with great success. This is a systemic insecticide and fungicide that controls these pests as they feed on treated plants and the sooty mould. But if you are spraying edible crops then use a product such as Yates Derris Dust or Yates Pyrethrum or Yates Fruit & Vege Gun. Also, prune off any plant parts where you can see the white fluffy-coated eggs. This will help reduce hopper numbers. So, when you can, pop out into your garden sometime and pick a crisp, thirstquenching apple from your tree. And whilst crunching, take a quick check to see if the fluffybums have taken residence at your house.
February 12th to 15th is time to sow edible sprouts as there will be quick germination and a rapid growth spurt. Avoid planting other crops as growth will be weak and spindly. EVERY DAY A VIP CUSTOMER WHO HAS SHOPPED WITH US WINS A $50 GARDENBARN VOUCHER. COULD IT BE YOU?
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Happy Munching - Doug
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