From the Gardens Registrar: More About Jumping Worms; Potato Beetles, Cucumber Beetles, and Squash Vine Borers; What to Plant Now; Dead Apple Trees; Fresh Dill; Workday Sunday Morning at EH      

Hello Gardeners,

JUMPING WORMS UPDATE – One of our gardeners heard Brad Herrick, from the UW Arboretum, talking on Public Radio about recent research he conducted which shows that jumping worm cocoons can’t survive temperatures above about 100 degrees. The research was done in a lab, but they’ll continue to test their basic findings under more real-life conditions. The gardener has suggested that putting black plastic over an infested area on a hot day might raise the surface condition enough to kill cocoons. Here’s a link to an article: https://news.wisc.edu/heat-kills-invasive-jumping-worm-cocoons-could-help-limit-spread/

COLORADO POTATO BEETLES – Our potato growers are starting to report the presence of these insects on their potatoes. They’re most likely to be found in gardens where potatoes are grown every year, since their pupae spend the winter in the soil, and re-emerge in the spring. Unfortunately, they don’t just attack potatoes, but other potato relatives, including tomatoes and eggplants. Here is a link to a good article with pictures, so you can know your enemy: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/colorado-potato-beetles Some years when infestations have been bad, our garden workers have sprayed Spinosad, which is an organic insecticide made from naturally-occurring soil bacteria. We would rather not spray, because some gardeners have concerns about it, and also we have to be very careful; our biggest concern is killing bees and other pollinators, so we don’t spray flowers, and we only spray in the evening, when bees aren’t active. Also, we can’t spray when it’s windy, or when rain is expected the next day. But still, if gardeners are finding a lot of beetles, it is a possibility.

CUCUMBER BEETLES AND SQUASH VINE BORERS – These insects are also becoming active. With all of these beetles, the easiest and safest method to protect your vegetables is hand-picking the insects off of your plants, and dropping them into soapy water. As for squash borers, row cover is effective in protecting plants. Also, if you plant more squash seeds now, the borers will be finished laying eggs by the time the new plants mature.

WHAT TO PLANT NOW – You can keep planting seeds for most vegetables throughout the summer. Beans, chard, cucumbers, and summer squash are good candidates, for instance. These grow fairly quickly, especially when it’s warm, and they can tolerate heat. It’s too warm now to plant lettuce and peas, but in a few weeks, it will be time to start thinking about fall crops, which could include peas, cabbage and their relatives, and spinach, lettuce, and other greens.

DEAD APPLE TREES AT EH – Our apple trees were planted in 2010, and there were great expectations for their success. However, they have not really done all that well, and there are now a couple dozen dead ones. The severe cold last winter and damage from hungry predators probably contributed to their demise. We will be cutting them down and hauling the wood away. We’re not sure yet what to replace them with    

FRESH DILL – If you have any dill growing in your garden plot, you probably have too much. It’s almost impossible to grow just a little. Even if you love the taste, and pickle every vegetable you meet, you’ll never be able to keep up with your dill. But in case you’re looking for more ways to use it, have a look at this: https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/fresh-dill-recipes/

WORKDAY – We will have a workday at Eagle Heights this Sunday, July 7, from 8am – 11am. We’ll start early so we can finish before the day gets really hot. We only want 8 people, so the poll will be taken down when we have enough volunteers. The task will be clearing abandoned plots. Gloves, hats, and water bottles are all a good idea. Here’s the link to sign up: https://doodle.com/poll/qkt5353ibsd72zyw

Happy gardening,

Kathryn