Re: infor

To: g*@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] infor
From: j* s* <j*@igc.org>
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2004 16:12:29 -0400
In-reply-to: <005001c45655$44bc0c40$05ec3544@newhvn01.in.comcast.net>

Lots of folks here use beneficial nematodes--parts of Florida have serious unbeneficial nematode infestations or problems. I believe Peaceful Valley Farm Supply sells them.

Figs--one of Ms. Fatma's favorite fruits--are especially susceptible. We finally found a Mission fig, genetically engineered by Louisiana State University to be nematode resistant, that has begun to produce large crops of rather smallish figs. Good flavor, but half the size of a regular Mission.

But, this is only its third year of production. And it's not been pruned yet--a task for the next cold season. I plan to severely whack it back this winter and mulch it heavily with rotted cow manure for the dormant season.

On Saturday, June 19, 2004, at 07:29 PM, Kitty wrote:

Pam, Yes I tried beneficial nemetodes many years ago. I think it helped, couldn't say for sure. But my lot is 60 ft wide, bounded by 4 neighbors. They won't treat heirs and the beetles would just fly on over here.

In my early years of gardening, early-mid 90s, I tried all sorts of stuff, much of it organic from Gardens Alive!, but also some chemicals and fungicides suggested by Pirone when I took my courses on pest control. In the long run, I tried all sorts of stuff, but it gets expensive and not altogether necessary. Heck, I can live with a little powdery mildew.

Kitty
----- Original Message -----
From: <gardenqueen@academicplanet.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: Re: Re: [CHAT] infor
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY>I see. Just curious. Actually have you ever tried the beneficial nematodes? They take care of all lawn grubs, including Jap beetles which
had not
made it here. We have other kinds though and it gets those too. It also
controls
fire ants, iris borers and flea larvae. Good stuff. Pam Evans Kemp, TX
zone 8A
----- Original Message ----- From: Kitty Sent: 6/19/2004 3:13:00 PM To: gardenchat@hort.net Subject: Re: Re: [CHAT] infor > Pam, > You must realize you are an exception. Most people will not spend 16 hours > a
day
watering their plants. Many people will not live with plants with >
holes in
the leaves if there is a way to prevent it, organic or not. When I >
said not
feasible, I meant not feasible for the general population; I wasn't > referring to myself. I'm content to live with some destruction, others
>
won't or can't. Right now I've got a bug here I found on one of my lilies
>
last year. There was just one last year. I posted pictures, also showed to
>
our Hort Ed. While trying to get an ID, it destroyed the plant. This year
> I
found 4 of them on a Deutzia. Snipped the whole stem, bagged it and took
> it
in to CES. He said possibly lacebug, but I'm not so sure. Just found 2
> more
on another lily. This bug will not go away with a shot of water, he >
needs
stronger measures and I'm not about to let him go crazy on my lilies. > Without an ID, though, it's hard to know what to use. > > Anyway,
back to
straight organic. I don't know if you have Japanese Beetles > there,
but
nothing organic is going to stop them. You can try Milky Spore, > but
once
the grubs die off there's nothing for MS to feed on and it goes > away.
Even
if it did persist, they'll just wing it over to your nice plants > from
your
neighbor's untreated yard. > > I firmly believe in IPM and use even
less
than that warrants. I'm fairly > close to organic, including my
fertilizers.
But most people won't spend $30 > / bag to cover 2000 sq ft of lawn.
Shoot,
my neighbor won't spend $5. > > For the activist, all organic is
possible.
For the perectionist it is not > feasible. For the the general
population of
gardeners out there who have a > garden as one of their many pastimes,
who
enjoy puttering in their garden > occasionally, who maybe just are
determined
that their landscape be > presentable, but have no intention of reading
up on
organic methods, it > isn't going to happen. > > Ortho does too
good a
job marketing their chemicals. People who just want > the problem to go
away
are quick to grab "Bug-B-Gone" I've not read the > label, but just the thought that they want every bug to be gone scares me > because I know
it
must detrimentally affect the good bug population as well. > But not
everyone
has the level of interest that many of us share on this > list. So many people have no more than an hour or 2 a week to deal with > their
landscape
and it is not realistic to expect that they will strive for > the
organic
solution. > > Kitty > > ----- Original Message ----- >
From:
<gardenqueen@ACADEMICPLANET.COM>>
 To: <gardenchat@HORT.NET>&gt; Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004
1:10 PM &gt; Subject: Re: Re: [CHAT] infor &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; Not
feasible
where darlin'?? I've been all organic since I started the > > bird/butterfly sanctuary 5-6 years ago and was 80% organic before. It >
>
works here at least. Joanne across the street does the same. Is it >
>
different there? > > > > > > Pam Evans > > Kemp,
TX >
> zone 8A > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Kitty
>
> Sent: 6/19/2004 9:19:43 AM > > To: gardenchat@hort.net >
>
Subject: Re: [CHAT] infor > > > > > Ceres, > > >
>
> I have used Merit a couple of times with good results to protect my
>
birch > > > > > tree from Japanese Beetles. I don't know
how much
bee activity there > would > > > > > be around birch
catkins.
Merit had

been suggested by our Hort Ed as

a > safer > >

> > > product than those previously used, but no product of

this sort is > > > > > completely safe. I

was concerned about the affect to soil organisms in > my > >

> >

> application.

> >

> >

> > > >

> >

I've been on amessage

board where,

when the subject of

Merit

was raised, > > > > > folks came out vehemently against
it for
all

sorts of reasons. But the > > > > > objections came

from

people that I would guess to be totally organic > types. > >
>
>

> In a better world everything would be organic, but with what

we have > today, > > > > > it's not feasible.

>

>

> > > > > > > > I no longer use Merit

but this is mainly because I am a lazy gardener > and I

> > > > > don't resort to insecticides unless absolutely
necessary.
Japanese

> Beetles > > > > > seem to have declined in number

in

the past few

years, but that is > probably > > > > > cyclical. In
a couple
more years

I may have to resort to such measures

>

> > > > again. > > > > > > > > >

>

Kitty > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original
Message

-----

>

> > > >

From: <CERSGARDEN@AOL.COM>> > > > >

To: <gardenchat@HORT.NET>> > > > > Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004 8:38 AM > > > > > Subject: [CHAT]
infor
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
>
I am a lurker on an iris list. I am sending a message copied from it. >
>
> > > What > > > > > > are your thoughts? I
have
never used this product nor have I > researched > > > >
> the
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; use of. The writer seems to be a very
knowledgeable member of this &gt; list. &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; &gt;
Ceres >
> > > > > > > > > > > Generally systemic insecticides are considered to be reasonably safe > to > > >
>
> > pollinators since they don't get excessive exposure via the
pollen or
> > > > > > nectar, but Merit may be a bit different.
The
active ingredient > > > > > > (imidacloprid) has two
actions.
One, at higher doses, is lethal to > > > > > insects. >
>
> > > > At lower doses it can affect behavior without directly killing the > insect, > > > > > > such as stopping
aphids
from feeding. It is the behavioral effects > that > > > >
>
are > > > > > > of concern regarding bees since it is
claimed
that imidacloprid can > > > > > disrupt > > > >
>
> foraging activities.-- in fact some of it's uses were banned in
France >
> > > > > because of complaints from beekeepers. Bayer (who
make
it) deny these > > > > > > claims based on what seems
like
good research, and there haven't been > many > > > > >
>
complaints about its impact on bees in the US as far as I know. This >
is
> > > > > all > > > > > > complicated by
the
fact that bee populations in the US have been > decimated > >
> >
> > by Varroa mites, and if colonies do decline, it could well be
mites
> that > > > > > > are causing it. So, as usual, the situation is murky, and it depends > who > > > > > >
you
believe. There are some interesting websites on this if anyone is >
> >
> > > interested in digging deeper. I have a couple of research projects at > the > > > > > > moment on this compound
and
its effects on insects, so the area is of > some > > > >
>
> interest to me and all of this may be more than you wanted to know!.
>
Bob > > > > > > Hollingworth. > > > > >
>
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Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive! > > http://www.hort.net/funds/ > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive! > http://www.hort.net/funds/ > </BODY></HTML>
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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
Zone 10
27.0 N, 82.4 W

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