OT.... just saying hello

[Howie]

"Eat your vegetables before they eat you."

[nuthatch]

That sounds like nasty stuff to deal with. I've seen plants covered with it before.

We recently became aware of an unfamiliar weed here. It grows flat to the ground and spreads, so a mower misses it. If you step on it or touch it, it puts out a horrible odor that smells just like a very dead decomposing animal.
I kept smelling that nasty smell one day after my DH came in from outside. I thought a dead deer or calf was in the field next door, the odor was so strong. Turned out the odor was on DH's shoes from stepping on the weed! We had to mop the whole house! TG we don't have carpeting!
He's been rototilling those nasty weeds under. Just hope we're not just replanting them.

Thank you, Lazarus, for growing organic food. It's lots of extra work, I know, but worth the extra costs to the consumer in the long run. We are trying to go all organic, but see chemicals being sprayed all around us. From all the insecticides, chemical fertilizers and the rampant use of RoundUp used by homeowners, to the use of the fungicides that are sprayed on the wine grapes that are grown in this region, you can't get away from it! It's disheartening.

[Sunshine]

Hey Laz--
Am trying container gardening for first time. Aphids are on my bell pepper plants and melon leaves. Soapy water isn't helping a lot. Any recommendations?

Am suspicious larvae were in the potting soil I buy. Don't know how else aphids would so quickly appear in a screened porch on the third story up?

[Lazarus]

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That sounds like nasty stuff to deal with. I've seen plants covered with it before.

We recently became aware of an unfamiliar weed here. It grows flat to the ground and spreads, so a mower misses it. If you step on it or touch it, it puts out a horrible odor that smells just like a very dead decomposing animal.
I kept smelling that nasty smell one day after my DH came in from outside. I thought a dead deer or calf was in the field next door, the odor was so strong. Turned out the odor was on DH's shoes from stepping on the weed! We had to mop the whole house! TG we don't have carpeting!
He's been rototilling those nasty weeds under. Just hope we're not just replanting them.

Thank you, Lazarus, for growing organic food. It's lots of extra work, I know, but worth the extra costs to the consumer in the long run. We are trying to go all organic, but see chemicals being sprayed all around us. From all the insecticides, chemical fertilizers and the rampant use of RoundUp used by homeowners, to the use of the fungicides that are sprayed on the wine grapes that are grown in this region, you can't get away from it! It's disheartening.

That is interesting about the smelly weed. I will enjoy trying to find what it could be.
We had A good rain yesterday so I will need to crawl the field tomorrow and try to stop the dodder before it strangles a plant. It is a hopeless task because if I were to do this all day long I will lose the battle.

Still, I am moving and that is good.

[Lazarus]

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Hey Laz--
Am trying container gardening for first time. Aphids are on my bell pepper plants and melon leaves. Soapy water isn't helping a lot. Any recommendations?

Am suspicious larvae were in the potting soil I buy. Don't know how else aphids would so quickly appear in a screened porch on the third story up?

Here's our questions:
What kind of soap are you using?
Do you totally saturate the plant? The soapy solution needs to drown every part of each leaf.

[Sunshine]

I use Palmolive dishwashing soap. I saturate all parts of leaves, but not stems or soil.

[Lazarus]

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I use Palmolive dishwashing soap. I saturate all parts of leaves, but not stems or soil.

Soak all parts. Soak them heavily as if each part of plant was taking a bath.

Use only original palmolive...no scented stuff. Do this twice a week until aphids are gone.
Good luck!

[Sunshine]

Thank you! Will start this regimen this morning :)

Might the larvae be in the plants soil too? If so, is it hopeless?

[Lazarus]

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Thank you! Will start this regimen this morning :)

Might the larvae be in the plants soil too? If so, is it hopeless?

Maybe. But ants actually keep them the way humans keep cows. The ants milk the aphids. They take some fluid that the aphids exude and eat it. The ants keep colonies of aphids transporting them from leaf to leaf. Ants have a collective intelligence. Isn't that amazing.

[Sunshine]

Yes, the non human world is amazing indeed.

I haven't seen any ants. It might be hard for them to climb up three stories and get into the porch. Might take months to find it?