Somehow every time I set out to take on some simple gardening task I end up spending hours in the garden. I love to garden so this is ok. Finding enough hours in the day, that's an entirely different manner.
But it was with the simple intent of planting a couple of wine barrels that began the June Bug journey. I had had tomato plants in the tubs previously, but that had been months ago. I figured I'd dig around pull out any remaining roots and be on my way.
As my hands worked the soil, I came upon this enormous grub, that we latter identified as a June Bug. And then I came upon another and another and another. I emptied the barrel and proceeded to sift through the dirt until I hauled in 62 of these little monsters.
I didn't know what to do with them and Skye asked me to keep them. For now they are in this little terrarium covered in dirt. I don't have any idea how to care for them, but there they are. I might look into their edibility and see if I can find a good recipe for them.
The previous home of the monsters. One barrel had 62 grub. The other barrel, none. Now I've got lettuce, soybeans, and carrots in them. They seem to be doing quite well. In the black barrel I planted some fingerling potatoes that I ended up not cooking and they started sprouting so I figured why not.
The Good Bugs
After determining what these grubs were, I turned my attention to prevention. Because I am growing organically, I often end up getting a beneficial insect to counter the baddies. For these grubbies, I would use beneficial nematodes which I ordered on line.
A few days later I recieved a little plastic jare full of Steinemema feltiae more affectionately call NemAttack and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or NemaSeed from Arbico Organics.
Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented worms that occur naturally in soil throughout the world. Once released, the nematodes seek out their host, enter through body openings, emit a toxin and death occurs within 48 hours.
I also ordered some 1000 Aphidoletes aphidomyza, Aphid predators. A Predatory Midge that Attacks All Types of Aphids
By the way that became part of Skye's science lesson for the day.
Remember the worm farms that started off as one of her home school science presentations and has grown into a whole new hobby of mine.
They are doing great, churning through lots of shredded junkmail, kitchen scraps and yard clippings. Processing it from what would have been tossed in the refuse bins into wonderful fertilizer.
Inside one of the bins, the good bugs hard at work.
I put together this little green house to start up some seedlings. Inside I've rigged an irrigation system set with a timer to cut down on a little of the work.
Inside the green house.
So far I have only been able to plant one-half of one of the four raised beds. I also have many empty pots that want to be utilized.
The citrus trees are producing wonderfully. We've been giving them away by the bucketful. Hopefully soon we'll be able to use them ourselves.
