R2elk
Almost Self-Reliant
I keep bees. I rarely see honeybees on the lilacs. Bumblebees, yes but not honeybees.
I plant yellow sweet clover every year. It blooms the second year and the honeybees love it.
What did you do in your garden today?
- Thread starter tortoise
- Start date
I plant yellow sweet clover every year. It blooms the second year and the honeybees love it.
LaurenRitz
Almost Self-Reliant
It may come down to importing native bees eventually. Ground nesting bees, mason bees. All I have seen in the last three years is carpenter bees. I've been pollinating my fruit trees with a paintbrush this year. Fine when it's a few blossoms on immature trees, but next year...
I mow around patches of flowers. Mostly onion grass at this time of year.
The Porch
Super Self-Sufficient
After checking out the fruit trees and the lavender beds protected against speed ball-
I moved all the tools, buckets and things and set up the two pallets next to the compost bin.
Then, I moved the fence line on this north side back to mirror up with the field fence. I got it all set and tied off and strung field tape to keep the deer out.
you can see the mowed grass and fence post from where the garden fence was. After everything dries out I'll get it mowed and weed trimmed super short.
so now I have room for my woodchip pile compost and room to plant squash.
I moved all the tools, buckets and things and set up the two pallets next to the compost bin.
Then, I moved the fence line on this north side back to mirror up with the field fence. I got it all set and tied off and strung field tape to keep the deer out.
you can see the mowed grass and fence post from where the garden fence was. After everything dries out I'll get it mowed and weed trimmed super short.
so now I have room for my woodchip pile compost and room to plant squash.
murphysranch
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2009
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- Southern Washington State
I just read up on Mantis in Washington State. They are the European type, not native. Up here, they are supposedly not an effective pest control species. So I don't think I'll order any. There sure were alot of them for sale on eBay.
The Porch
Super Self-Sufficient
We have a lot of wasps, I hate them but they have a job and from what I have red they eat aphids
R2elk
Almost Self-Reliant
In normal numbers, they are spread too thinly to be effective. In the concentrations that I have them, they work very well.
The first year I had a garden here, there were loads of tomato horn worms. I hand picked many of them off. The second year I used praying mantis. They were so thick in my garden that I had to hand pollinate the melons and others that needed insect pollination.
I found no tomato horn worms and have had none since.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
Those darned hornworms are destroyers!!
flowerbug
Sustainability Master
they can be a challenge to find and hand pick but i would rather do that than spray. we do have mantis here but the garden does not have a lot of places where they can hang out during the times when garden vegetables are not growing. i would like to have more refuge spaces for them, but ... Mom doesn't like things she considers untidy looking and insect refuges need to be pretty much left alone as much as possible.
Mini Horses
Sustainability Master
I have a blue light and they do glow at night. 
. Helps me pick them off. Baking soda discourages them some but washes off fast.
. Helps me pick them off. Baking soda discourages them some but washes off fast.
flowerbug
Sustainability Master
we've had late enough frosts the past few years that the lone lilac tree hasn't bloomed very much. it probably could also use a bit of trimming to regenerate it and get it back to a more compact form.
