SQUASH BUGS!!!

Squash Bugs Have Arrived!

 © University of Maryland, College of Agriculture  & Natural Resources

I can't write a post any better than the one I am linking to below on these critters. There is even a link to download the PDF:

SQUASH BUGS IN HOME GARDENS 

Although I do disagree greatly with this statement:

Squash bugs are less important to control later in the growing season. Late season or fall feeding is not considered serious.

My experience last year was to the contrary. I waged a full on, dedicated battle against them and lost in the end. They killed all of my butternut, spaghetti squash, pumpkin, zucchini and cantaloupe plants.

Partly due to the number of gardens that had been left go and were no longer being maintained. The squash bugs were running rampant. It's important in a community garden that you be aware of pests that may be inhabiting your plot and work to control them.

Getting to know your garden neighbors and working together is a great way to learn new homemade remedies and method, as well as reduce population numbers.

Some Quick important notes about Squash Bugs:

• They primarily attack squash, pumpkins, and also cucurbits, such as cucumbers.
• Check leaves regularly and crush any eggs. Usually found on undersides of stems and leaves (photos available at link provided above). I found some among flower clusters.
• It is important to identify nymphs early, adult squash bugs are difficult to kill.
• Remove plant debris around the garden to reduce potential hiding spots.
• Clean up cucurbits vines and any other plant matter or debris in your garden in the fall to reduce the number of overwintering sites.

Natural Garden Remedies

Well, it's that time of year when the heat of summer really starts to set in, and along with that the insects.  Here are few natural, homemade remedies that are easy to make and contain no toxic chemicals.

Insecticidal Soap

Inside a spray bottle, Add
1 Quart of water
1-2 Tbsp Liquid Castile Soap (I use Dr. Bronner's Peppermint, which is an easy to find brand)

Start with 1 Tbsp to first see how tolerant your plants are. If the infestation is heavy and it seems your plants are tolerating the applications well, then increase gradually.

Very useful in combating soft bodied pests such as Aphids and Spider Mites.

Here's a how to video from Lisa Bronner making and using insecticidal soap:





Powdery Mildew
Another home remedy I've tried in the past and seems to help a bit for Powdery Mildew is to mix:

1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Quart water
a few drops of pure liquid soap (again, Dr. Bronner's is a good one)

Spray on leaf surfaces and undersides of affected plants once per week. Be sure to trim off dying or severely affected leaves and to disinfect your gardening shears with bleach afterwards so you do not contaminate other plants with the spores.

Recipe Wednesday: Green Beans

This weeks Recipe Wednesday features some ideas for all the green beans that are currently being harvested.  If the leaves of your plants are looking lacy and skeletonized, the reason is pesky little Mexican Bean Beetles. Click Here to learn more about them.

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Green Beans with Lemon & Garlic Sauce

Makes 6 Servings

1 lb fresh green beans
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Steam green beans over boiling water until slightly tender and bright green. Remove beans and place in serving bowl.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in small saucepan over low heat.

Add garlic, and let sweat until aromatic, approximately 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and squeeze the lemon through a small strainer into pan. Add salt and whisk sauce together.

Pour sauce over beans and toss to coat.

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Dilled Green Beans

1 pound green beans
Fresh Dill
Feta Cheese
Red Onion
Fat Free Italian Dressing

Cut the beans into bite sized peices and blanch for about 7 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Add dill, feta and onion to taste and toss with dressing. Serve chilled.

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Minted Green Beans (Rachel Ray)
 

1 to 1-1/2 lbs fresh green beans (cleaned and stem ends clipped off)
Olive Oil
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
10 mint leaves chopped
small handful of fresh parsley chopped

Heat skillet on medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil. When hot, add green beans and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, and simmer for 5-10 minutes until desired tenderness. Remove from heat and add mint and parsley, stir well.

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Pickled Green Beans
 

2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
4 cloves garlic, peeled
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 1/2 cups water

Cut green beans to fit inside pint canning jars.

Place green beans in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, for 3 minutes. Plunge beans into ice water. Drain well.

Pack the beans into four hot, sterilized pint jars. Place 1 clove garlic and 2 sprigs dill weed in each jar, against the glass. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar.

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring vinegar and water to a boil. Pour over beans.

Fit the jars with lids and rings and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Recipe Wednesday: ZUCCHINI

This weeks recipes... Ways with Zucchini!! These simple, quick to prepare recipes, are great ways to quickly use up the massive amounts of zucchini that even one plant can produce. Enjoy!

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Zucchini Appetizer Pizza

1 zucchini
1 small can or jar of pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese (shredded or fresh)
Basil- chopped

Cut zucchini into coin size thin pieces and place flat on a cookie sheet.  Place 1 teaspoon of sauce onto top of zucchini slice, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, and then top off with chopped basil.  Put in oven and bake at 350 until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted.

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Grilled Zucchini Coins

1 zucchini
Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella, Italian Blend, Provolone, your favorite)
Olive Oil
Fresh Chopped Herbs or McCormick's Herb Blend (or any favorite herb blend)

Slice Zucchini into 3/8" thick coins. Rub both sides with olive oil and fresh or dried herbs of your choice. I usually clip a sampling of whatever i have growing. Grill on low-medium flame for a few minutes, flip over and sprinkle with cheese. Let cook few more minutes until just tender as they will continue to soften after you take them off the grill. 

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Zucchini Frittata

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 C buttermilk
4 oz can diced gr. chiles (or fresh!!)
1/4 C parsley, chopped
2 C grated Jarlsberg or Monterey Jack
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp tarragon
8 med zucchini, chopped & steamed
1 C seasoned croutons, crushed
1/4 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 9 ingredients. Mix well. Fold in zucchini. Transfer to 8" square baking pan, greased and dusted w/ half the crushed croutons. Sprinkle w/ remaining croutons and dot w/ butter. Bake 45 min. or until set. Serves 8.

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One Good Bug... Lady Beetles

While there are a lot of bad bugs in the garden, there are also some good one's, and the Lady Beetle is no exception!

Everyone is familiar with one's that look like this:

But...did you know that there are over 450 species found in North America?  Some are good, some are bad (like the Mexican Bean Beetle), some are native and some were introduced from foreign countries.

Around here, there are several varieties you might find in your garden.  Which is great news because many species of Lady Beetles feed on aphids and other soft-bodied pests.

You can attract Lady Beetles by planting pollen and nectar flowers and leaving weeds such as dandelions, wild carrot and yarrow in and around your garden.

And while these may look scary...

...resist the temptation to squash them, they are all different stages of the Lady Beetle life cycle, from newly hatched (1st photo) to a pupal stage (last photo). And they are voracious eaters of pests like aphids!!

Here are some other types of Lady Beetles you might see in your garden...

2-Spotted Lady Beetle

7-Spotted Lady Beetle

10-Spotted Lady Beetle

Spotted Lady Beetle

Community Gardens Rules & Regulations

As a general reference, the following are the Community Gardens Rules & Regulations:

In order to properly manage the gardens in the interest of safety, maintenance and appearance, the following rules and regulations are to be observed:

1.   Plots will be available for planting by April 15, (weather permitting). 

2.   Gardeners are responsible to weed and properly manage their gardens.  Tall crops should be planted only where they will not shade neighboring plots, and vining plants should be contained within the plot borders.

3.   Herbicides are not permitted; fertilizers manufactured from municipal sludge are also prohibited.  If insecticides or fungicides are used, a 2-foot unplanted border must be maintained within the plot.  Environmentally safe insecticides and fungicides are preferred.

4.   Shanties and lean-to shelters or shade stands of any kind are not permitted.  Lockers that are no larger than 2 feet high, 2 feet wide and 6 feet long are permitted.

5.   Water will be available at rain barrels and a spigot at the Horn Farmhouse.  Only hand watering, using cans or buckets, will be permitted.  Watering containers must be covered or turned upside down after use; no standing water is permitted in the garden plot areas.  In the event of drought conditions, the Center reserves the right to turn off the water.

6.   Temporary fencing of plots is encouraged.  Wood (not metal) should be used to support border fencing, and to stake plants.

7.   Trash and litter are to be cleaned from plots, adjacent pathways and fences.  Take trash and litter with you and dispose of them appropriately.

8.   Dogs and loud music are prohibited from the garden plot area.

9.   On or before October 31, gardeners must remove all non-biodegradable material (i.e., stakes, fence, wire, lumber) and any perennials from the garden.  The five stakes placed by the Center should remain.  Failure to comply may result in loss of future garden plot rental opportunity.

10.   If for any reason a plot must be abandoned the gardener should notify the Horn Farm Center.  If a plot becomes unkempt, the gardener will be given one week’s notice to clean it up before it is reassigned or tilled in.

Mexican Bean Beetles

Mexican Bean Beetle

If you are growing beans, you have most likely already spotted these 1/4" long, yellowish brown beetles.

Not sure if you have them, but you've noticed that the leaves of your beans look skeletonized and lacy. You may not have noticed these beetles because they prefer to feed from the underside of leaves.

Flip over the leaves and you will most likely find any of the following:

The above photo shows the many stages in the lifespan of a Mexican Bean Beetle, from eggs to larvae to adult beetle.

These beetles overwinter and females begin laying eggs in the spring. Eggs will hatch in about 5-14 days and the larvae feed, grow and pupate for about 2-4 weeks.  They can produce 1-3 generations per year.

Last year I experienced both a a strong early summer and late summer generation on my green beans.

Inspect your beans daily, beetles easily pick off or will drop to the ground if disturbed. Reducing populations by smashing all stages from eggs to beetles are your best defense.

A few minutes each day inspecting your plants are all it takes to manage these beetles.

Currently, I have found many, many clutches of eggs on the undersides of my bean leaves and several larvae.   I was happy to find a few Spined Soldier Beetles also on my beans which are natural predators of the the Mexican Bean Beetle.

Spined Soldier Bug

Spined Soldier Bugs also prey on caterpillars, grubs, tent caterpillars, fall armyworms, and sawfly larvae. So don't be scared of this little guy, he is a welcome addition to the garden.

Since these beetles overwinter, our best line of defense as a community garden is to reduce their numbers by destroying them in their early stages as eggs and larvae and also destroying any adult beetles as they come along.

Recipe Wednesday: Beet Rosti with Rosemary

This year I decided to grow Choggia beets, even though I don't like beets much. Friends were kind to share a lot of ideas for cooking them... Here is one recipe from a friend we tried out last night... and I loved it!!

Beet Rosti With Rosemary
(a Mark Bittman Recipe)
Yield 4 servings

Time 30 minutes

Beet Rosti

Some Notes:
Keep the heat moderate — cooking too quickly will burn the sugary outside of the pancake while leaving the inside raw. And don’t forget to wear an apron when you're grating the beets. (note: I shredded them using my food processor, less mess for sure)

Ingredients
2 pounds beets (3 very large or 4 to 6 medium)
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour (just a binder - I'm sure you can use gluten-free flour or rice flour, etc.)
2 tablespoons butter
Minced parsley or a few rosemary leaves for garnish

shredded Choggia beets

Preparation:

1. Trim beets, and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in food processor or by hand. Begin preheating 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2. Toss grated beets in bowl with rosemary, salt and pepper. Add about half the flour; toss well, add rest of flour, and toss again.

3. Put butter in skillet; heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape beet mixture into skillet, and press with spatula to form a round. With medium to medium-high heat -- the pancake should gently sizzle -- cook, shaking pan occasionally, until bottom of cake is nicely crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.

Slide cake onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and return cake to pan. Keep cooking, adjusting heat if necessary, until other side is browned, another 10 minutes or so.

Garnish, cut into wedges, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Colorado Potato Beetle

Colorado Potato Beetle

If you are growing potatoes this season, you will most definitely see this beetle. They average about 1/3" long and are a yellowish color with black stripes.

The adults (beetles) and larvae (photo below) eat the leaves of potato plants as well as tomatoes, eggplants and other related plants, including petunias.

Their voracious feeding can kill small plants and will reduce the yield of mature plants.

Colorado Potato Beetle larvae

Over several months time a female can lay 1,000 eggs, which hatch in 4-9 days.  For 2-3 weeks the larvae will feed and then drop to the ground where they will pupate in the soil, where it emerges as an adult beetle in about 5-10 days.

On a tour of the gardens last week, the Community Gardens Committee, found the larvae in many gardens.

If you have seen these on your plants your best line of defense for your garden as well as the rest of the community is to smash them.

Inspect the undersides of your leaves for the eggs and smash them as well, they look like this:

Colorado Potato Beetle Eggs

If you get a bit squeamish squashing them, lay a dropcloth beneath your plants and shake or knock the larvae or beetles onto it, then you can dump them into some soapy water.

With about 10 minutes of attention, these beetles can easily be managed without the use of chemicals, which will only push them over to another garden.

Since these beetles overwinter, our best line of defense as a community garden is to reduce their numbers by destroying them in their early stages as eggs and larvae and also destroying any adult beetles as they come along.

Recipe Wednesday: Pea & Mint Soup

Welcome to our first Recipe Wednesday!  Each week we will feature new recipes for garden veggies currently being harvested! Happy Gardening & Harvesting!

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PEA & MINT SOUP

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 small leek, chopped
• 1 T fennel seeds, roasted and ground (opt)
• 4 C water
• 1 C milk (or cream, or soymilk/ricemilk in our family)
• About 1 lb fresh peas, boiled
• A handful of fresh mint, chopped (about 1 cup)
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• For garnish: cream, yogurt, parsley, mint sprigs, croutons

Heat olive oil in stock pot; add leek and saute until transparent. Add fennel powder and continue to saute until fragrant and leek is golden. Stir in water, mint and peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Stir in milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season w/ salt & pepper. Allow to cool slightly. Puree soup in blender or food processor (carefully!!!) until very smooth. Return to pot if reheating is needed. Serve hot w/ garnish of choice. Tasty!

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