Last minute winter crop

Sowed winter greens (kale, swiss chard and spinach), peas and beets. Kale and chard started indoor on heat mats to germinate. Peas inoculated and sowed in large 16x flats.

Made a new soil starter mix with 4 parts compost, 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts perlite.

posted from Bloggeroid

Lumercizing

More on this later. Maybe.

posted from Bloggeroid

Bean Devouring Beetle Identified: Cribrate Weevil (Otiorhynchus cribricollis)

The bean eating beetles are back and this time they're also devouring my broccoli and the new citrus I planted.  I deal with this last year and had the bug identified by my local extension office but I couldn't find the report.  Until today.

Otiorhynchus cribricollis - Cribrate Weevil

• http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r105301211.html
• http://bugguide.net/node/view/345304/bgpage

The common treatment appears to be applying a sticky substance at the base of the plant to trap the adults as they climb to feed at night.  I cut 1.5" square pieces of paper grocery bag with a slit and hole in the middle.  I then brushed on a mix of equal parts sugar, water and honey to make a sticky goo.  I placed the traps under 6 bean stems and 2 broccoli stems as a test, if it works I will put them all over the place tomorrow.

OC Agricultural Commissioner

For my records, this is where to go to get pests identified. Takes about a week and you need to leave self addressed stamped envelope.
http://ocagcomm.com

The office is very close to my work.  Fill out the PDF form and drop off with specimen.

Address:
Orange County Agricultural Commissioner
Specimen for Identification
222 East Bristol Lane
Orange, CA 92865-2714

chipper shredder

Model #247775850

broccoli experiment

I'm going to try and keep a casual log of what im sowing and transplanting right now, for my own record.

• Transplanted red onions from flats to RB1, seeds started 2/24. 4" spacing, between carrot rows
• Trans. Honey dews from flats to 4" square pots, seeds started indoors 2/24
• Started 6 pack broccoli indoors on the rig
• Started 6 pack of broccoli raab indoorz on the rig

Need to figure out where the peppers will live this year as well as additional tomatoes I have in flats.