Weekly planter: Pineapple is a gift of the tropics

The edible pineapple is in the bromeliad family.  Georgia Tasker/Miami Herald Staff – Miami Herald File Photo

 

(I have had fun incorporating pineapples into my landscape at home.  I have found the homegrown pineapple to be so much tastier than what you usually find in the store.  Even when the plant is not bearing fruit, it’s a beautiful addition to your landscape. It usually takes a couple of years before you start getting fruit.  This year I will be harvesting 15 pineapples and will have multiple slips and hapas to pass on to friends.  Slips originate from the fruit stalk below the fruit and have a characteristic curve to the base of the leaves. Hapas are similar to slips but develop well below the base of the fruit and do not have the characteristic curve at the base of the leaves. Slips and hapas should be left on the peduncle for several weeks after harvesting the fruit in order to develop a usable size for planting. For more information on growing pineapples go to: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg055  -- Gene)

 

 

When truly fresh, a pineapple is one of the tropic's great gifts, with juicy flesh and a distinctive aroma. Originally from southern Brazil and Paraguay, the fruit was taken to Europe by Columbus and it was spread by explorers and traders.

 

As it was expensive to import pineapples to Europe two centuries ago, only the rich could afford them. It was a sign of friendship and hospitality to offer guests the fruit, and so it became a symbol of hospitality — which explains the pineapple motifs on gates and entryways.

 

In the 19th century, pineapples joined sugar as a major crop in Hawaii, but as land and labor costs rose and tourism flourished, the big plantations have dwindled. Pineapples were an early crop in South Florida, but they proved susceptible to cold and nematodes. However, for the home gardener, they're rewarding fruits to grow. They take 12 to 24 months to produce the aggregate fruits.

 

Botanical name: Ananas comosus; Ananas bracteatus and other cultivars.

Height: 2 to 4 feet.

Light: Sun.

Culture: Start your pineapple from the top of a fruit. Cut away the lower leaves on the stem and dry the top for a couple of days. Place the top firmly into damp sandy soil in a container. By using a container, you avoid nematode problems.

 

Water once a week, and fertilize with 7-3-7 or a palm special fertilizer every four months. Overwatering may cause rot. Watch for mealybugs and scale in the top leaves, and treat with insecticidal soap.

Just when you give up hope, a small fruit will begin to develop. As it matures, you will see the color change to golden. Small offshoots at the base of the plant can be used to start your next generation of pineapples, or begin again with the cut-off top after you have enjoyed it.

 

There are many varieties of pineapple, and many kinds of ornamental pineapples that seduce your eye if not your taste buds. Stokes Tropicals is an Internet source for pineapples; Home Depot occasionally stocks them; available now at www.homedepot.com.

— MIAMI HERALD FILES

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article21135801.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

 

All-Purpose Insect Pest Spray

 

A homemade spray for all-purpose garden pest control.

 

This all-purpose garden insect pest control spray combines the repellent effects of garlic, onion, and hot pepper with the insecticidal properties of soap.

For decades the editors of Organic Gardening magazine have collected pest-control remedies and recipes from readers. Several ideas were repeatedly offered as safe, effective insect controls. The editors combined several of these home remedies to make an all-purpose spray out of ingredients found in most kitchens. This spray combines the repellent effects of garlic, onion, and hot pepper with the insecticidal and surfactant properties of soap. Keep in mind that sprays that contain soap may harm natural enemies and pollinating insects. Apply it only to prevent or ease a specific pest problem.

Nowadays, there are also commercial organic sprays that list garlic oil and/or hot pepper as the active ingredient.

Protection Offered
Home gardeners can try homemade all-purpose spray against any leaf-eating pests in the garden, and make a note of what pests are successfully controlled. Certified organic producers should check regulations before using this type of homemade spray.

Precautions
The ingredients can cause painful skin and eye irritation. When preparing and applying, wear rubber gloves and keep the mixture well away from your eyes and nose.

How to Use

·          Chop, grind, or liquefy one garlic bulb and one small onion.

·          Add 1 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper and mix with 1 quart of water.

·          Steep 1 hour, strain through cheesecloth, then add 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap
            to the strained liquid; mix well.

·          Spray your plants thoroughly, including leaf undersides.

·          Store the mixture for up to 1 week in a labeled, covered container in the refrigerator.

 

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/all-purpose-insect-pest-spray

 

 

 

 

Air Potato Round-up this Saturday 9 am - Noon

 

 

 

7 Best Air-Cleaning Plants

I know this is an area I need to improve in.  Believe it or not, I don’t have any plants in my office right now and I need to change that.  Hopefully this article will help you, too!  Just remember, many of the plants listed can be invasive if grown outdoors in South Florida.  Leave them in the pot indoors, please!

 

 

Finding plants that clean the air could make your lungs healthier and put you in a better mood.

 

Winter isn't easy on most of us. Piles of ice and snow greet us weekly, and short days make brief periods of sunshine even harder to come by. That, combined with bitterly cold temperatures, means most of us wind up staying inside our well-sealed energy-efficient homes, rather than get outside for fresh air. And that could put your lungs at risk. There are a wide variety of toxic chemicals lurking in your home, and while you can take steps to minimize them, one the most prevalent chemicals in your home isn't easy to get rid of. Formaldehyde, a volatile organic compound that is emitted in low levels by a variety of household building products and furniture, may cause cancer in humans and has been known to trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions when present in high levels. A common component of glues that hold pressed-wood or particleboard furniture and cabinets together, it's also emitted by natural gas stoves, carpet glues, flooring glues, caulks, sealants, paints, furniture finishes, and the water- and stain-repellent finishes applied to upholstery and clothing.

Government regulations have reduced the amount of formaldehyde that is used in insulation and particleboard furniture, but the sheer number of potential formaldehyde emitters found in the average home makes the chemical difficult to avoid. The good news is, you have a cheap, easy, green tool at your disposal to get rid of it. In 1989, NASA scientists tested a variety of houseplants for their ability to remove formaldehyde from the air, and one of the authors, B.C. Wolverton, later published the findings in a book titled How to Grow Fresh Air (Penguin, 1996).

Following is a list of their top formaldehyde removers, as well as a few other plants that clean the air and may bring a little sunshine into your winter. But before you head to your local greenhouse, ask your friends if they can give you any clippings or root cuttings. Not only are they free, but it's also difficult (if not impossible) to find organically grown houseplants. Greenhouses are breeding grounds for aphids and other plant pests, and as a result, growers commonly use herbicides and fumigants.

 

#1: Boston fern.

Boston ferns remove more formaldehyde than any other plant. They're also highly efficient at removing other indoor air pollutants, such as benzene and xylene (these are components of gasoline exhaust that can migrate indoors if you have an attached garage). The downside is that they can be finicky. You need to feed them weekly in seasons when they're growing, monthly during the winter, and they like to be watered regularly. Depending on the humidity and moisture levels in your home, you may need to water them or mist their leaves daily. Another good fern for formaldehyde removal is the Kimberley Queen, a larger, broader-leafed fern than the Boston fern. It's also a much better choice if you have particularly dry indoor air, thanks to a high transpiration rate (the rate at which water evaporates from leaves). Wolverton writes that they're "one of the best natural humidifiers of all houseplants tested."

 

 

#2: Palm trees.

Palm trees seem particularly good at removing indoor air pollutants, particularly formaldehyde, and fortunately, they're all relatively easy to care for. The best at formaldehyde removal is the Dwarf date palm, which is closest in appearance to the palm trees that remind you of warmer climates (a good cure for the winter blues). But you'll also get clean air with a bamboo palm, areca palm (pictured left), lady palm, or parlor palm. Another plus: Palms like cooler temperatures, in the 60 to 75 degree range, so they force you to be energy efficient and lower your thermostat.

#3: Rubber Plants and "Janet Craigs."

Got a dim office that's just screaming out for cleaner air and a little touch of nature? Try a rubber plant or the dracaena "Janet Craig." Both will tolerate very little sun (though they may grow a little more slowly) and top the list for formaldehyde removers, which is particularly important in offices where most furniture is made from particleboard held together by formaldehyde-based glues. Janet Craigs will tolerate more abuse and neglect than rubber trees, but rubber trees are a little more aesthetically pleasing.

#4: English ivy.

Grown outdoors, English ivy is an invasive species that can damage your home's exterior and tear off your gutters. But bring it inside, and it's an effective formaldehyde remover. Thanks to its ability to climb structures, it's easy to grow as topiary and use as a decorative element in your living spaces. English ivy likes part sun and part shade, so it's a good plant to try indoors, and it's not as temperamental as Boston ferns are. Occasional waterings and mistings during the winter will keep it healthy.

 

#5: Peace lily.

One of few houseplants that will bloom indoors, the peace lily with its seashell-shaped spathes really will bring a touch of summer into a dreary winter. One of the best plants for removing formaldehyde, it also removes benzene and certain VOCs that are emitted by harsh cleaning products (making it another good office plant, particularly if your maintenance staff doesn't use green cleaners). It also prefers low-light conditions and has a high transpiration rate that will humidify your air. Just be aware that the leaves can be poisonous to pets and children, so peace lily may not be a great choice for new parents or pet owners.

 

#6: Golden pothos.

Though not high on the list of formaldehyde removers, we've included this plant because you can practically hit it with a hammer and not kill it. It tolerates a lot of neglect and is forgiving when over-watered. And it's still relatively effective at removing air pollutants. For those reasons, it's a great "starter houseplant" for people without much indoor-gardening experience. Golden pothos are often mistakenly sold as philodendrons, which are related plants that are equally good at removing formaldehyde, and almost as forgiving to newbie houseplant tenders.

 

#7: Flowering air purifiers.

Nothing is better at beating the trifecta of winter blues—dirty air, and lackluster décor—than a flowering houseplant. Florists' mum and Gerbera daisies (pictured) are the best at removing formaldehyde, with tulips not far behind. Of course, nothing worth having comes easy. Flowering plants require more careful watering and feeding, and most prefer cool temperatures (below 65 degrees). Also, unless you're a really good indoor gardener, you have to toss the plants after the flowers die. If you're really dedicated, you can try rooting a new azalea plant this spring in a movable container that you can bring indoors in the fall. Azaleas can be bred to flower all winter, they are great at removing formaldehyde, and they don't have to be tossed out when their flowers fall off.

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/7-best-air-cleaning-plants?page=0,0

 

Here’s to a cleaner, healthier office in 2015!

 

 

 

 

The Gift Of Graft: New York Artist's Tree To Grow 40 Kinds Of Fruit

Sam Van Aken's grafted fruit trees are still quite young, but this artist rendering shows what he expects the "Tree of 40 Fruit" to look like in springtime in a few years.

 

by NPR Staff

August 03, 2014

 

It sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss, but artist Sam Van Aken is developing a tree that blooms in pink, fuchsia, purple and red in the spring — and that is capable of bearing 40 different kinds of fruit.

No, it's not genetic engineering. Van Aken, an associate professor in Syracuse University's art department, used an age-old technique called grafting to attach branches from 40 different kinds of stone fruit onto a single tree. It's called the "Tree of 40 Fruit." Weekend Edition's Arun Rath spoke to Van Aken about the project, and what inspired it.

 

ii

Van Aken recently grafted these stone fruit onto his "Tree of 40 Fruit."

 

"I'm an artist. So the whole project really began with this idea of creating a tree that would blossom in these different colors and would bear this multitude of fruit," he says.

But he soon discovered that it was actually pretty hard to find so many distinct varieties of stone fruit in New York, he explains in his presentation at TEDx Manhattan. "I realized the extent to which we've created these massive monoculture." Most grocery stores and markets only stock a few varieties — and most of them are grown in California.

But then Van Aken came across the New York State Agricultural Experimentation Station. "It was the largest orchard of its kind in the Northeast, perhaps even east of the Rockies," he says.

The three-acre plot contained all sorts of varieties of stone fruit, he says. "And they all had these amazingly different tastes."

That's when he started to understand the history behind these fruits, he says. "Then [the project] really became about preserving some of these antique and heirloom varieties."

The state wanted to close the operation down due to a lack of funding, so Van Aken purchased it in 2008.

His 16 trees around the country are composed of mainly antique and native stone fruit varieties, including peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines. In his TEDx talk, Van Aken says he's worked with 250 varieties of stone fruit at this point.

"I'm working with cherries, I've had limited success with that," he says. "I also graft almonds to them, because the almond blossoms are just absolutely amazing."

The process of building up these trees has taken years and a lot of patience. Van Aken starts with what's called a stock plan. He then inserts small, budding branches from other trees at strategic points throughout the stock tree. He tapes these grafts in place and lets them heal and and bond with their new base over the winter months. If all goes well, the grafts will start to grow in the spring.

The technique has been around for thousands of years, Van Aken says. "It appears on hieroglyphs in Egypt."

These days many commercial fruit trees are grafted — growers choose base trees that work well in their climate. And, Van Aken says, "nurseries now what they'll do is they'll sell combination trees, which are two varieties that will cross-pollinate each other, so you'll get a better fruit set."

As we've reported, a group of dedicated fruit fans in San Francisco are even using the technique to get the barren trees along city sidewalks to bear cherries, pears and apples.

Van Aken's trees are still quite young — his rendering shows what he expects them to look like in a few years. For now, he says, he's battling the squirrels, chipmunks, deer and groundhog that are threatening his labors of love.

"I get very Caddyshack," he says, laughing. "I'm a lot like Bill Murray during the summer."

 

You can go to the site below and hear the story:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/08/03/337164041/the-gift-of-graft-new-york-artists-tree-to-grow-40-kinds-of-fruit?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140803

 

 

 

 

 

Indoor Plants and Indoor Air Quality

Do indoor plants really fight indoor air pollution?

By Marc Lallanilla

Green Living Expert

 

Indoor plants brighten our lives by bringing a little touch of nature into our homes and offices.

But beyond their aesthetic and emotional benefits, many people swear that indoor plants also improve our physical health by cleaning the air of toxins.

Is this story about "cleaning out the toxins" just a bunch of hippie hokum, or can houseplants really purify the air?

The Science Behind Indoor Air Quality

In order for a plant to thrive indoors, it has to be tolerant of low-light conditions, stale indoor air, an irregular or indifferent watering regimen, and all the other slings and arrows we humans throw at our plants.

Not all plants, of course, are going to make it indoors, as many a brown-thumb gardener can attest. Even the most cautious of caretakers has thrown out a plant that just seemed determined to die.

And indoor plants certainly have their work cut out for them: The EPA has determined that indoor air can be up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air.

What pollutants are found in indoor air? You may be sorry you asked. A frightening list of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs -- including benzene, xylene, hexane, heptane, octane, decane, trichloroethylene or TCE, methylene chloride and formaldehyde -- have been found in indoor air.

Additionally, ozone -- the highly reactive, colorless gas that's the main component of smog -- isn't just an outdoor pollutant. Ozone also infiltrates indoor environments since it can be released by ordinary copy machines, laser printers, ultraviolet lights and certain indoor air purifiers.

These pollutants can have serious health impacts. Benzene, for example, is internationally recognized as a cancer-causing agent. Other illnesses, such as asthma and other neurologic, reproductive, developmental, and respiratory disorders are all linked to exposure to VOCs.

And the toxic effects of ozone on humans include pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, inflammation, and a significant reduction in lung functioning. In other words, poor indoor air quality can sicken and kill you.

Phytoremediation to the Rescue

Has anyone ever proven that indoor plants can clean the air of these and other pollutants? After all, a scrawny little spider plant, drooping in a forgotten corner of someone’s office, doesn’t look all that potent of an air purifier.

But indoor plants really don’t have anything to do all day except take in carbon dioxide and other gases from the air, and convert these (plus a little light and water) into the sugar compounds that keep the plant alive.

In 2009, to test the effects of phytoremediation (the ability of plants to clean indoor air), researchers from Pennsylvania State University studied the effects of three common houseplants on indoor ozone levels. The scientists chose snake plant, spider plant and golden pothos to study because of the plants' popularity (primarily due to their low cost, low maintenance and rich foliage) and their reported ability to reduce indoor air pollutants.

To recreate a typical indoor environment, the researchers set up phytoremediation chambers in a greenhouse equipped with a charcoal filtration air supply system in which ozone concentrations could be measured and regulated. Ozone was then pumped into the chambers, and the chambers were checked every 5 to 6 minutes. The study revealed that ozone depletion rates were significantly higher in the chambers that contained plants than in the control chambers without plants.

Indoor Plants and VOCs

Researchers from the University of Georgia in 2009 tested the phytoremediation ability of indoor plants to remove VOCs from the air. A range of popular plants were placed in gas-tight glass jars and were then exposed to benzene, TCE, toluene, octane, and alpha-pinene. The plants were then classified as superior, intermediate, and poor, according to their ability to remove VOCs.

The study concluded that bringing common plants into indoor spaces has the potential to significantly improve the quality of indoor air. Of the 28 indoor plant species tested, Hemigraphis alternata (purple waffle plant), Hedera helix (English ivy), Hoya carnosa (variegated wax plant), and Asparagus densiflorus (asparagus fern) had the highest removal rates for all of the VOCs introduced. Tradescantia pallida (purple heart plant) was rated superior for its ability to remove four of the VOCs.

And in 2011, a team of researchers tested the efficiency of formaldehyde removal in 86 species of plants representing five general classes (ferns, woody foliage plants, herbaceous foliage plants, Korean native plants, and herbs).

The scientists found that Osmunda japonica (Japanese royal fern), Selaginella tamariscina (Spikemoss), Davallia mariesii (Hare's-foot fern), Polypodium formosanum, Psidium guajava (Guava), Lavandula (Sweet Lavender), Pteris dispar, Pteris multifida (Spider fern), and Pelargonium (Geranium) were the most effective species tested. Ferns had the highest formaldehyde removal efficiency of the five classes of plants tested, with Osmunda japonica determined to be most effective of all 86 species, coming in at 50 times more effective than the least efficient species.

 

http://greenliving.about.com/od/healthyliving/a/indoor-plants-indoor-air-quality.htm

 
http://plantscapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/6-good-indoor-plants.jpg

 

 

 

 

Nature in New York City Blooms, Crawls and Creeps, Especially in the Eyes of a Child

While this covers New York City, all our Cities offer similar experiences!

 

By Marcia Anderson

June 25, 2014

 

 

To a young child, there’s no such thing as an ant, a bee or a ladybug. They’re all bugs and worth a closer look. Lift a small rock. Often worms, tiny beetles, salamanders, or other critters can be uncovered, to the shear amazement of a child. Colonies of ants found under stones are fascinating to watch as they go about their business marching in rows to and from their anthills.

Most ants found in the northeast are not a serious threat to human health. Ants and other insects are usually found where they can obtain food and water to take back to their nests. Ants provide an ecological cleansing and fertilization service of considerable importance. They aerate the soil outdoors and recycle dead animals and vegetable material, and kill many other pest insects including: fly larvae, fleas, caterpillars and termites.

In spring, wasps are important predators of caterpillars, while others are scavengers, helping to control pests and recycle organic material. They turn more aggressive in late summer and fall when their food preference turns to sweets.

Bugs may be small and easily taken for granted, but they are often a child’s first intimate encounter with a wild animal. How they are taught to deal with these small creatures sets the tone for their relationships with larger wildlife such as reptiles, birds and amphibians. Unfortunately, in their zeal to teach children to be wary of dangerous bugs, many adults do not discern between those which are dangerous and those which aren’t. By showing their disdain for all bugs and killing any that cross their paths, many adults inadvertently teach children that all are to be feared and destroyed at every opportunity.

 

Ants explore a blade of grass

 

A gentleness and reverence for all creatures should be taught at an early age. It’s important to remember that the younger child learns by modeling, rather than by verbal instruction. A child who’s shown how to put overturned stones back in place to leave insects undisturbed is more likely to take that much more care than a child who’s simply told to do so.

 

Here are a few safety tips to help young children observe the tiny creatures in the great outdoors:

1.  Avoid areas with food left outdoors, such as picnic scraps, uncovered garbage containers or uncovered compost piles. Bees and wasps imprint on these food sources and keep returning to them.
2. Avoid sweet smelling soaps, lotions, or shampoos on both your child and yourself and do not dress up in bright colors. You do not want stinging insects to think that you are a flower or other food source.
3. In warm weather, use an insect repellent according to the label directions to protect from ticks and mosquitoes. Other alternatives are the mechanical repellent devices that clip onto pockets or belts and they give off repellents that deter mosquitoes or other insects.
4. Upon returning home, always inspect your child and yourself for ticks or other hitchhikers.

 

Every park in New York City, large or small, will have some wildlife encounters but be prepared to go down to your child’s level to see them. Just grab a small jar for temporary collecting and a magnifying glass, then get on the subway or bus and explore New York City. Happy Summer!

To find out more about nature in New York City go to: http://www.nycgovparks.org/greening/nature-preserves.

The Forever Wild Program is an initiative of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to protect and preserve the most ecologically valuable lands within the five boroughs. These parks encompass 51 Forever Wild Nature Preserves and include over 8,700 acres of forests, wetlands, and meadows. These open spaces are home to thousands of critters, including squirrels, frogs, red-tailed hawks, wild turkeys, fish, bald eagles, and countless plants.

 

About the Author: Marcia is with EPA’s Center of Expertise for School IPM in Dallas, Texas. She holds a PhD in Environmental Management from Montclair State University along with degrees in Biology, Environmental Design, Landscape Architecture, and Instruction and Curriculum. Marcia was formerly with the EPA Region 2 Pesticides Program and has been a professor of Earth and Environmental Studies, Geology, and Oceanography at several universities.

 

http://blog.epa.gov/greeningtheapple/2014/06/nature-in-new-york-city-blooms-crawls-and-creeps-especially-in-the-eyes-of-a-child/

 

 

 

 

For a truly ‘green’ garden, forget sprays and try natural predators

This article goes along with the Ladybug article I posted yesterday. 

By far the largest bug in the garden, praying mantis is a serious predator that keeps your food garden pest free. Maureen Gilmer / MCT

Forget pesticides – try natural predators

 

By Maureen Gilmer - McClatchy-Tribune News Service

 

Every month during the growing season I receive a package of Fly Predators in the mail. Inside are hundreds of tiny bugs the size of gnats that prey on fly larvae. I scatter them in my horse corrals and where the dogs do their business to reduce the summer fly population naturally.

This is an example of biological control that is ideal for chicken coops, compost piles and a dozen other problem areas without using chemicals and time-consuming sprays.

You might not have heard of Fly Predators, but you probably know about ladybugs. These popular little red beetles were the first successful bio-control for combating aphids in residential gardens. The predator-prey relationship keeps insect populations in balance naturally.

In the past, the cure for all bug problems was to douse the plant with pesticide. This not only kills the problem bugs, it kills the predator bugs, too. When bug populations are destroyed by pesticides, the predator-prey balance goes out the window. New bugs that either escaped the pesticide or just flew in are free to reproduce prodigiously in the absence of predators. This is the reason we see huge insect infestations in some gardens while they rarely occur in organic ones.

To understand how this relates to your summer garden, consider the predator-prey relationship of ladybugs and aphids. Known as "plant lice," aphids are sucking pests that gather on the soft tips of new growth to feed and breed. Their most dangerous predator: the ladybug. Yes, these little red beetles are ferocious consumers of aphids. With a big ladybug presence in your yard, the aphids never gain a foothold.

Another important predator is the praying mantis. These large, green bugs are voracious feeders that consume all sorts of insects that prey on your plants. They hatch from curious hard egg cases laid on tree bark, walls, shrubs and other less-conventional surfaces. This insect does not have a larval stage, but instead hatches out dozens of nymphs, which are tiny versions of the adult. These nymphs will inhabit your summer garden as they mature by feeding on anything they can catch.

There are other bugs you can buy to add more diversity to your predator population:

 

• Green lacewing is a heavy feeder that loves the eggs of a wide range of pests, including thrips, mealy bugs and whiteflies.

• The Trichogramma wasp loves to lay her eggs into those of tomato hornworms and other insects just like fly predators do. When the wasp larvae hatch, they immediately begin feeding on the developing grub. Soon, a new crop of predator wasps emerges from the remains of what would have been a damaging caterpillar.

 

For anyone who needs help keeping bugs at bay in an organic garden, there's a way to boost your predator bug population while having fun with the kids. Purchase live ladybugs, which are carried at some nurseries and home stores, and are also available online. Introduce the ladybugs to your yard, where they'll go directly to the bad bugs and start feeding.

Bringing live predator bugs into your garden is a great way to wow the kids. Just pour ladybugs into their small hands and let them spread the love down your rows and borders.

This is the essence of a truly "green" garden where we can work with Nature herself to harness the age-old dance of predator and prey to keep your plants pest-free.

 

Maureen Gilmer is an author, horticulturist and landscape designer. Learn more at www.MoPlants.com . Contact her at mogilmer@yahoo.com  or P.O. Box 891, Morongo Valley, CA 92256.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/14/4172459/for-a-truly-green-garden-forget.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Public Works Sustainability Division

Office - (954) 828-5785  Fax - (954) 828-4745

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

 

 

How to attract ladybugs to your garden

Are aphids and other pests wrecking your garden? Partner up with ladybugs to stop the carnage.
By: Melissa Breyer

Fri, Jun 13, 2014

 

 

Lucky are those whose backyards boast an abundance of ladybugs; not only are they just ridiculously cute, but they are of tremendous benefit to the garden. In addition to their Beatrix Potter-like charm, ladybugs have a voracious appetite for plant-eating pests like aphids, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, mites, scales and other unsavory characters of the insect world. (OK, we don't mean to judge bugs here, but few gardeners like insects that destroy their plants.) Ladybugs are simply one of the best organic ways to manage pests.

 

While you can buy ladybugs by the pint if you are naturally deficient in them, it may be better not to introduce wild-caught mail-order insects into your ecosystem; they can come with parasites and diseases, or they might not stick around very long. If you do want to purchase them, look for farm-raised ladybugs. (Yes, there are ladybug farms. What a world we live in.)

 

Fortunately, whether you have no ladybugs, want more ladybugs, or want new ladybugs to stick around for awhile, there are ways to make your garden more attractive to them. Here’s what to do:

 

Feed them

First up, food; because just like us, the way to a ladybug’s heart is through its stomach. These plants produce pollen whose flavor the ladybugs favor:

 

Angelica

Calendula

Caraway

Chives

Cilantro

Coreopsis

Cosmos

Dandelions

Dill

Fennel

Feverfew

Marigold

Scented geraniums

Statice

Sweet alyssum

Tansy

Wild carrot

Yarrow

 

 

Keep other bugs around

And of course, you need to provide the main dish as well: insects. As hard as it may be, it’s important to tolerate garden pests so that there are enough of them to keep the ladybugs fed. It’s a delicate balance, but it makes sense. You can plant decoy plants that pests love, and that may distract aphids and their ilk from eating the plants that you’re trying to protect; which at the same time, ensures that there are enough aphids for the ladybugs. Plants that aphids love include:

 

Early cabbage

Marigold

Nasturtium

Radish

 

Water them

Just like any other creature, ladybugs need water, and shallow bowls of water can provide hydration. (But stagnant bowls of water can also attract mosquitoes, so refresh them frequently.)

 

Give them shelter

While cute, commercial ladybug houses seem to mostly remain vacant, low-growing ground covers can provide a home to protect these beneficial beetles from ladybug-eating birds and toads. Low, rambling plants like oregano or thyme work well, as will mulch or leaves.
 

Ditch the pesticides

We know that you know this, but we’ll say it anyway: Pesticides and insecticides are not selective; they will kill your beneficial insects as expertly as they will kill your harmful ones. Don't poison the ladybugs! 

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/how-to-attract-ladybugs-to-your-garden#ixzz35SodM6zu