Mild winters are like junk food. Sure, it's good at the time, but the end consequences are dire. Winters lacking the usual bite allow nefarious bugs of all sorts to overwinter easily, creating mass hysteria in gardens once late spring and summer are in full stride. Nothing is more discouraging than walking out to discover a prized brussel sprout plant decimated in a day by a harlequin bug, or the prized cabbage for twenty hungry mouths crumbled by an invading aphid … [Read more...] about Warriors under the Microscope: The Lion-esque Lacewing
Lacewings
Buckwheat: The Phosphorous Philanthropist
Most cover crops are a fall affair. Planting seed like crimson clover or rye can be depressing because it means winter will soon sequester the barren land for three months. Still, not all cover crops need the fall fixture for optimum growth. Buckwheat, also known as the "phosphorous pump", is a beautiful and beneficial addition to a summer garden. Buckwheat is unique in its ability to mine phosphorous from the soil into its roots. … [Read more...] about Buckwheat: The Phosphorous Philanthropist
A Warm and Fuzzy Insecticide Piece Part 1
A microscopic soap opera happens every day with trillions of different scenarios. Lives are created and then vanquished. Treasures taken and babies stolen. Colonies come together to defeat an indomitable titan only to lose their village moments later from a grander giant's foot. As our world turns, so does the insect universe. The size of the species (theoretically ranging from 900,000 different kinds to 30 million), rabbit reproduction rates, mammoth lack of care for fellow insects, and … [Read more...] about A Warm and Fuzzy Insecticide Piece Part 1
