One day my cauliflower was growing great the next the leaves were almost totally denuded by bugs!
Every plant had been under attack from something that was targeting the cauliflower only.
I got out the sprayer and doused everything with a layer of dish soap, but it was too late to save the cauliflower. This is the first year I have tried to grow it so I was excited to see how it fared. Oh well, I will try again next year.
Does anyone know what this plant is? Is it poisonous? It is growing in many places in the pastures and it is spreading, the sheep and goats won't eat it. I find this odd unless it tastes terrible or it is poisonous. Any ideas?
did someone already answer you? i think its jewel weed. sorry about the bugs. tell them guineas to get on the job!
ReplyDeleteYou have a GORGEOUS patch of Jewelweed/Touch-me-Nots. Don't think it's poisonous. It's called Touch-me-not because when the seed pods are ripe if you touch them they explode and send fat seeds everywhere.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good plant to keep. The juices in the stem are excellent for treating poison ivy. My uncle actually puts the juice in homemade soap!
OFG - I don't let the guineas or chickens in the garden because I'm afraid they will tear the plants up - should I be letting them in? I think you are correct about the Jewel Weed.
ReplyDeleteNaomi - I looked up Jewel weed and it has all kinds of good properties, one of which is a treatment for poison ivy rash!
I think the chickens would eat all your garden plants, but not the guineas. My guineas do eat some seeds off the ends of weeds, though. I don't have a garden, so I'm not the best person to give advice. I'm sorry about your cauliflower!
ReplyDelete~Lynn
hey CC, allegedly the guineas will NOT tear up the garden - then hennies will tho. the guineas just need a spot to have a dust bath or they will make one. otherwise, you might want to give it a go. i loved it when my guys were in the garden but due to the um.. problems.. with the neighbors we are keeping them in a different yard. they are doing a bang up job at bug control where they are. :-D
ReplyDeleteYeppers. It has a tendency to grow right BY the poison ivy here. Usually with any of us if we get into the poison ivy we're smearing it on so fast....
ReplyDeleteLynn/OFG - If I could find a way to let only the guineas in the garden I would, alas if I open the gate the chickens would rampage the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteNaomi - The poison ivy has been DEVOURED by the sheep and the goats, they love it! That is why I was curious about the Jewel weed as it was totally left uneaten!