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CRAWLING CRITTERS IN THE GARDEN...ETC.

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:31 am
by Marion(57 Loboy)
I went to the garden today to check on things and at the bell pepper plants I saw a golfball sized pepper on the ground. It looked like someone just snipped it off. While lifting the peppper plant leaves around to see what else was there to pick perhaps, a caterpillar fell to the ground. It is about 3/16 of an inch in diameter and almost 1-3/4 inch long. It is dark black and canary yellow, the stripes running the length of the body. I looked online for some time, and even took it with me to the feed mill since I was going there anyhow and came up short on a positive ID. The one gal at the mill said it looked like a Monarch butterfly caterpillar. Online, there was a reference to striped cutworms, but no picture to compare it to. Also onine, the Monarch one had black and yellow rings on it, not longitudinal stripes.

Any ideas?

I use SEVIN once a week only and haven't seen any pests yet. Don't want to apply more often cause that keeps the bees away too no?

Also, what have any of you guys used to promote and encourage the toads to set up shop and hang around your garden?? I have had more people tell me that's the best way to keep the bugs at bay????

One more!! I put 240lbs of lime and 240 lbs of gypsum in the rock laden clay soil we have here over my 75' X 150' garden prior to planting. I have 3 applications of 12-12-12 fertilizer side dressing each row.
Here's the tally so far:

ONIONS-doing fine and are bigger than golfballs, with some getting close to tennis ball size. Almost time to step-over the greens!

BEETS- Healthy, abundant tops with beets about golfball size.

CARROTS- Thought the tops would be bigger by now, carrots are pencil diameter and only about 3-4 inches long. Should be 12" or more they said when mature.

EARLY GIRL TOMATOES- 3'-4' tall with maters galore, picking ripe ones for a week now.

BIG BEEF TOMATOES- 4'-5' tall and spilling out over the tops of the cages! There's TONS! of big green tomatoes and still flowering. Can't wait to be firin up the grill everyday to make the burgers these thing will go on!!

SUGAR SNACK CHERRY TOMATOES- These are doing fine also, 2'-3' tall and spread out nicely between the stakes with string we put up.

CANTELOPE- NO SURVIVORS........AGAIN THIS YEAR!.....UGH

CUCUMBERS- Yummy ones every day now.

BROCCOLI- cut the 8"-11" center heads out the other day- we'll see how the side ones come out.

MINI PUMPKINS and JACK-O-LANTERN PUMPKINS-vined out and blooms all over the place. It's a bee airport in the punkin patch! There are plenty of each variety beginning to grow on the vines. Nary a squash bug in sight yet. Pray for me the vine borers don't show up !!

This all said, why is my SWEET CORN all stunted!!!!!!!! Really!! I have corn stalks only a foot tall with the tassles coming out!!!! WHAT DID I DO WRONG HERE !!!! The corn got the same rain/sun/supplemental (well)watering the rest of the stuff did !! WHAT GIVES ????I planted "Breeder's Choice" yellow; and yellow/white from BURPEE. Anyone else having this happen to their sweetcorn? It was supposed to be 6'-7' tall. The field corn around here is doing just great....tall as ever!! .....I don't get it !!!



Thanks, Marion

Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 8:46 am
by Little Indy
I suugest BT which cause the gut of catapillars to be paralysed but does not harm most other bugs.
Richard

Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 7:28 pm
by Bill
I use 12 12 12 before planting only. After corn is about a foot tall I side dress with 42% N, sparingly. I side dress two or three more times depending on rain fall. Last application when ears are starting to fill. Remember this is 42%N I use it sparingly.
Bill