izzy
Pro Member
Posts: 347
Joined: July 2011
|
Post by izzy on Aug 3, 2013 22:06:30 GMT -5
Never have I seen such large grasshoppers - and in such great numbers! They are flying all over the garden, devouring everything. In the past week, I started setting out my tomato plants for fall ; started from seed. I've been missing my heirloom tomatoes. Out of 100 starts, already I'm down to about 35! This morning when I watered, they were fine. By evening, when I went out to pick peas, 3 more were chewed down to the ground. Won't be much longer, and I'll have to resort to whatever I can find at a nursery nearby. Any ideas to get rid of these pests? Or move them from the main garden area? Anything I could put on the tomato plants to make them unattractive? All ideas appreciated!
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Oct 28, 2013 11:19:53 GMT -5
Hi, Izzy.
I hated hearing about the grasshoppers. Hope you were able to save some of your heirloom tomatoes.
This month, I finally found my March, 1968, 10th printing of Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening from Organic Gardening and Farming Magazine. They suggest plowing the garden 5" deep since grasshoppers lay their eggs in the top 3" of soil. Fall tillage is preferred so it will cause the eggs to surface and be destroyed by the action of the sun and wind drying them out.
Later this month, I borrowed the 1978 edition of the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. They suggest "fall tillage right after harvest as it makes the ground unattractive to egg-laying hoppers and exposes eggs already deposited. Seedlings can be protected by laying cheesecloth over the row." I can see how floating row covers could help.
They go on to mention “if your crops are in trouble right now, try a hot pepper spray” and that “A simple trap can be made by ½ filling 2-quart Mason jars with 1 part molasses in 10 parts water.”
Also this month, I was given a used copy of The Experts Book of Garden Hints from 1993. This is also from Rodale Press. Their solution for grasshopper infestation:
Make Your Own “Firewater”
Here’s a recipe for an irritant spray that’s effective against aphids, thrips and grasshoppers. Rabbits, too, seldom take more than a single taste of plants treated with this fiery concoction.
2-4 Jalapeno, Serrano or Habanero peppers 3 cloves garlic 1 quart water
Mix all the ingredients in a blender, or chop the garlic and peppers and let them steep in a quart jar of water set in the sun for several days. Strain through cheesecloth. Spray as needed; repeat after a rain.
|
|
izzy
Pro Member
Posts: 347
Joined: July 2011
|
Post by izzy on Oct 30, 2013 1:18:19 GMT -5
Hey Strat, Thanks for looking that up! Funny, I've got the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (not sure which edition). It's buried under a pile of books in the back room. Used to pull it out a lot, but then it kinda shuffled it's way to the back of the pile. Time to dust it off. The habaneros are about the only thing that didn't get devoured - giant 4'x4' bushes that produced buckets of peppers. Yup, I made a pepper spray, sans the garlic, and sprayed every chance I could. Finally, in desperation, I mowed the neighbors back end - well, just a strip about 8' wide along the entire back section that adjoins mine - and I got it down to dust! They don't seem to have minded at all - it was about waist high in weeds. They're not gardners, not even enjoying working on the property outside at all, and besides they all work or go to school, so it never gets done. That pretty much did the trick - the grasshoppers are now down to at least a manageable population, but I'm still to this day fighting them off. Much of the fall garden is chewed down to the ground, including my beloved greens, but I managed by some divine intervention to save one row of tomatoes, and hopefully, some shelling peas. I'll attempt to get some greens going under row cover again. It could work. Mabe. At least the grasshoppers will be left out in the cold.
|
|
|
Post by stratcat on Oct 31, 2013 18:57:23 GMT -5
YVW, Izzy! I'm sure glad to hear you were able to save some of your tomatoes and garden. Thinking back to Organic Gardening magazine, they used to talk about making bug sprays out of the offending insects. Blend some bugs, let it steep, strain and spray on the plants. I never tried THAT!
|
|