It’s a lovely spring day, and you stroll outside, gardening tools in hand, to tend to your plot. But when you approach your planting beds, you discover, to your horror, that your poor little leafy friends are riddled with holes, their stems discolored and disfigured. What monster could have done this to your plant babies?
Garden pests are a common problem for many gardeners, especially in the spring when the weather is warming up and everything is starting to grow. Insects and other pests are harbingers of bedlam, causing major damage to your plants and vegetables and possibly even destroying entire crops. So what are some of the most common garden pests to look out for in the spring?
The Voracious Aphid
The aphid is a tiny bug that loves to feast on the juicy sap of young leaves and stems. They come in a variety of colors, from green to brown to pink, and can multiply quickly, leading to stunted plant growth and distorted leaves.
The Sneaky Cutworm
Another common garden pest to look out for in the spring is the deceptively cute cutworm. The cutworm is a type of caterpillar that hides during the day and emerges at night to munch on young plants at the base. These critters can sever stems and kill entire seedlings overnight.
The Infamous Snail or Slug
These gastropods are known for leaving behind slimy trails as they crawl over plants and foliage, devouring everything in their path. They’re particularly fond of tender young shoots and can cause significant damage to your garden.
The Insidious Spider Mite
This tiny arachnid is almost invisible to the naked eye. It feeds on plant sap and can cause leaves to turn yellow and fall off, leaving your plants weakened and vulnerable.
The Persistent Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle is a metallic-green bug that loves to feast on roses, fruit trees, and other ornamental plants. They can strip entire branches of leaves and flowers, leaving your garden looking like a barren wasteland.
Not all bugs are bad. In fact, there are some insects that are highly beneficial for plants and trees. But for as many noble bugs as there are, there is an equal number of malicious ones that can wreak havoc on inhabitants of your garden. The key is to be vigilant and to act quickly if you spot any signs of infestation. There are many methods for controlling garden pests, including using natural predators, such as ladybugs and praying mantises, as well as using organic pesticides. While garden pests can be a real nuisance, with a little bit of knowledge and preparation, you can keep them under control and ensure a successful harvest. Thank you for reading Common Garden Pests To Look Out for This Spring. Here are some other articles you may enjoy reading.
Have you been looking for Some Simple & Unique Pots? Did you even know they were available in such patterns and designs? We have come across some truly unique and fun self watering pots that will not only take excellent care of your plants, but they will stand out in quite an amazing way. Everyone will notice them and ask where you got them so they can get them too! They come in so many styles these days that you may not even realize the all of the cool options that are around. Here are a few that we found that I really think you will love and want. I absolutely love that they have so many faces available in many different styles and colors. If you are interested in buying any of them, just click on the picture and it will take you directly to the marketplace. If you are looking for a truly unique gift idea, this is definitely going to be a great option. Not only will the person who you give it to love it, but you will probably want some for yourself. These are a great way to really personalize your garden and house.
About these pots
They are all self watering. Just fill the reservoir and they will drink as needed.
They come with a Drainage Hole. This is definitely needed for almost all houseplants. It will provide good drainage which will really help to prevent the roots from rotting.
They are lightweight. Resin material makes the planter solid yet light weight.
Great gift idea. People love getting these unique planters and love showing them off.
Self Watering Planters – These head planters for indoor plants come with an absorbent plant wick to feed your plants for over a week. Fun & cute flower pots – These Self Watering Pots Have It All!
Can’t Find Right-sized Inner Pot? These cute planters for indoor plants come with a perfectly fitting plastic inner nursery pot with drainage holes. Move and water these funny plant pots with ease!
No Messy Saucers – This tall 6 inch face planter is designed so water drains from the inner plant pot & collects in the bottom of the ceramic face pot, protecting surfaces & making watering mess-free.
Planters And Vases All In One! – Tall enough to use as a white ceramic vase for cut flowers & dry grasses, or use as a cute head planter. You decide!
Mix & Match Your Modern Pots – Display together emphasizing the beauty of your face pots fully. matte black, matte white pots in three tall sizes of 8, 7 or a 6 inch plant pot. create a family!
Removable Inner Pot – Means you can switch & style your small face pots of the same size. Style and restyle your planters with a face, to your hearts content. what a smart planter!
Modern Room Decor – With a zen design, this buddha planter with a timeless etched face is the cutest. this closed eyes flower pot suits any minimalist home décor & makes a fun garden or plant gift.
She is unique and fun. Puts a smile on your face.Guaranteed conversation starters!
Perhaps you are interested in a more basic self watering pot? Those are available too! Here are a few options.
Hopefully this has given you a renewed interest in some new styles of pots. Not just regular pots, but self watering pots. They will help to make your garden an even more special place while also helping to keep all of your plants hydrated for longer periods. Thank you for reading about some truly unique and some simple self watering pots. Happy gardening!
Have you ever heard the saying “an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure?” It basically means that a small amount of prevention will do much more good for you than a large amount of solution after something has happened. We can apply that saying to many different circumstances in our lives and our gardening habits are certainly no exception. It will be less likely that we will be dealing with pest infestations if we stay on top of the little things consistently. Now, for some plants, that could mean daily attention is needed. For others it can be weekly or less. The overall health of your plants will be better if you give them better attention consistently. This will make everything much easier when you finally do come across some trespassers in the foliage! Whether you are dealing with indoor plants, a greenhouse, or tending to your garden in the back, you will eventually come across some pests. It is just a matter of time. Here are a few natural pest solutions that are completely safe and natural to help you keep the bugs away.
When purchasing new plants at your local home and garden stores, be sure to inspect them before buying. It’s not uncommon to bring home pests in a new plant from the store. Be sure to inspect any fresh cut flowers or clippings that you may bring inside from your own garden / landscaping as well.
Potted plants that are left outside during the warmer months are vulnerable to bugs crawling into their soil. Inspect them before you bring them into your home. You may need to replace the soil as this is a common place for bugs to live. Be sure to check the bottom of the leaves as well.
Wash / clean the leaves of your plants every week or two. If possible, bring the plant over to your sink and spray all of the plant surfaces. Another option is to use a spray bottle filled with water. You may want to take the plant outside for this as it can get messy quickly. Try to spray the plant from all angles. Be gentle with everything, but also really try to wash the entire plant. It is much harder for a pest outbreak to happen when it doesn’t have a solid chance to get established. This will also improve your overall plant health and the look of the plant itself. These spray bottles are technically for hair, but I think they work great for plants! I love the continuous mist. I think it really does well for cleaning your houseplants as well as watering the leaves.
Identify and isolate any infested plants as soon as possible. The sooner you spot any problems, the easier it will be able to deal with any issues that may come your way. When you find that one of your plants has signs of an infestation, move it away from other plants preferably outside of the home or greenhouse.
If it is a severe infestation, you may want to try taking a couple clippings to propagate & then toss the mother plant. It sucks to have to go this route, but it’s better than a total loss. If possible, take a few cuttings of the plant, root them, and hang on to the mother plant just in case you are able to save it. You may not be able to save it, but if you have a few clippings you will have an opportunity to keep that same plant going.
For small outbreaks, you may try dipping a q-tip or cotton balls in rubbing alcohol and then rubbing it on the outbreak areas of the plant. The stem. The bottom of the leaves. The area where the leaf meets the stem also known as the “leaf axil.” Be thorough. Be consistent.
Worms might be very slimy and sometimes irritable creatures, but they are just as vital to the ecosystem as humans themselves. From being great allies for your soil to being a source of life for your plants, your garden would just not be the blooming beauty it is without them.
But how do these worms survive? What do worms eat and drink? Would they devour my seedling? This article entails in comprehensive detail everything you need or want to know about earthworms and their feeding habits.
What do earthworms eat?
Earthworms feed on many forms of organic material, e.g., garden clippings, vegetable peelings, decaying leaves, coffee grounds, eggshells, and many types of living organisms such as nematodes, protozoa, rotifers, bacteria, and fungi.
An earthworm can consume the equivalent of its own bodyweight on a daily basis.
Primarily, the diet of earthworms mostly consists of decaying plants (grasses, leaves, plant debris), rich in cellulose, but they also enjoy bacteria and fungi. By leaving hay or dead leaves on the ground, you allow them to acquire all the necessary resources and keep their role as soil decomposers.
Vermicomposting makes it possible for earthworms to transform our kitchen waste into quality vermicompost, subsequently producing organic liquid fertilizer.
Vermicomposting consists of placing earthworms in a “vermicomposter” where they feed on the waste brought to them. Their droppings accumulate and constitute vermicompost which blends perfectly with the odorless soil.
This is a 3 Tray Worm Composter
Due to their body composition, earthworms are great indoor organisms and are perfectly suited to the needs of city dwellers: they do not emit odors and ensure rapid decomposition.
The earthworm depends on the abundance of decomposing plant and soil matter for its survival.
Worms help the process of breaking down the already deteriorated matter into even smaller pieces, digesting them, and re-depositing them in the soil. While earthworms mainly consume the roots of dead and decaying vegetable plants, they eat live red clover (Trifolium pratense).
In addition to dirt, other earthworm delicacies include manure and dead animals, as well as the dead leaves of trees such as maple (Acer), birch (Betula), and ash (Fraxinus).
How much do earthworms eat?
It depends on how many worms you have. Earthworms can eat their weight each day and can double their population every 3 months. If you start with 1000 earthworms they will consume between 250 and 500 grams of waste per day.
After a few months, you should have 2000 earthworms and you can subsequently double their feeding ratio. Baby earthworms (small earthworms) will not eat much and will take about 3 months to reach adulthood.
How do I improve the appetite of the earthworms?
Earthworm populations are capable of consuming two tons of organic waste per hectare in one year. However, to be possible, organic materials must be present in sufficient quantities and of a certain quality to sustain them.
In soils that contain a lot of carbon and not enough nitrogen, vegetation takes longer to break down, providing less material for the worms to process. Adding manure to the soil improves digestibility, giving the worms a more ravenous appetite.
What is the ideal living condition for earthworms to maintain a ravenous appetite?
Earthworms must be kept within a temperature range of 15 °C and 25 °C and have a humidity between 75 and 85%. The pH should also be between 6.5 and 8.
Also, you might want to tell your neighbors that they don’t like noise, and are photophobic in nature.
Do earthworms excrete after eating?
After eating, the digestive system of the worms is so well-structured that the worms eject the result of their consumption in the form of castings, small twists on the surface of the ground. The good news is, the more castings you have in your garden soil, the better the soil in your garden.
In order not to disturb the earthworms, it is better to avoid turning the soil in depth (forget the old-fashioned “Plows”) or the fork-spade which could sink too deeply to turn the soil and thus disturb the micro-organisms.
Use tools such as the “broad fork” if you want to work the soil in the garden, especially in a vegetable garden.
The worms defecate on or near the surface of the earth. Their feces or racks are rich in nutrients and make the soil more fertile.
When is the best time to feed the earthworm?
Autumn is the best season to bring the organic matter to your soil to enrich it, and therefore to earthworms which break down this organic matter and make it assimilable by plants.
During this season, the favorite food of earthworms is cellulose. Place on the surface of the ground: dead leaves, grass clippings, kitchen peelings, and weeds. If you run out of raw material, then opt for cardboard boxes (preferably brown with no tape, no inscriptions) will do, it’s practically pure cellulose!
Autumn catches earthworms fully active. Take advantage of this to enrich your soil and prepare it for the coming year’s crops. The soil will be easier to handle, loose, airy, and perfect for your seedlings and plants.
What kind of food is harmful to earthworms?
Materials such as plastic, synthetic fabric, metal, cement, snack bags, tetra pak and glass are not ideal feeds for your worms.
Among other things that you should never have to add is: bread and its derivatives, cooking oil, diseased plants, paper with color printing, human or animal feces, meat products, dairy products, and rice.
If you have any questions about what to put or not, this site is the ideal place to leave your questions, I will gladly answer them.
What do earthworms drink?
Nothing. As off as that might sound, not even water is ingested by these little slitherings. But put into proper context, this is not as incredulous as it sounds.
Unlike vertebrae, who need lungs to respire, worms breathe through their skin, which is the same medium they get the water they drink.
However, for worms to inhale oxygen, the skin has to be moist. To moisturize, worms create a mucus coat beneath their skin that aids to retain as much water as they need, all of which is gotten from the surrounding soil.
However, since too much of anything is bad, worms will drown if the ground is too wet. Hence the reason why worms come out of hiding in their numbers onto your driveway after a rainstorm.
On the other hand, if the soil gets extremely dry, these worms will possibly suffocate due to dehydration, if they can’t find moist ground quick enough.
Will worms eat my plant?
Earthworms also called nightcrawlers or rain worms, eat leaves and other plant matter. However, they do not eat the fresh plants and leaves directly, rather they prefer to eat decomposed leaves and plants in the ground.
What kind of worms should I be feeding?
There are around a hundred species of earthworms in the US, distributed according to the area they occupy in the soil.
The piglets (less than 5 cm deep), dark red, live on the surface, in leaf litter or decomposing plant waste (particularly compost, leaf litter, etc.). It is the worms in this category that are used for vermicomposting (Eisenia fetida and Eisenia Andrei).
Endogés (1 to 20 cm deep), pink, whitish, even translucent, live in networks of horizontal galleries in the first 20 cm of the soil and eat dead roots. For example, the cutworm (Nicodrilus caliginosus).
The anecics (10 to 30 cm deep), large, red, gray, or brown, come out of the earth every night to look for the organic matter on which they feed, empty their intestines by making a “cast” (which is rich in nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium – easily assimilated by plants), then descend into their vertical galleries, burying organic residues with them.
Among them, the common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) is the best known. They thus participate in the bioturbation of the soil by intimately mixing organic and mineral matter and by promoting microbial activity. More stable and better structured, these soils are more fertile and less sensitive to erosion. Thanks to their network of galleries, these tireless ploughmen aerate and drain the soil.
How do worms digest food?
The organic matter that is ingested by these invertebrates is mobilized directly through the pharynx to reach the esophagus and on getting here, passes to a structure called a crop, which is a simple sac that serves as storage.
The process continues to transport the material stored in the crop to a compartment or structure that resembles a simple stomach called a gizzard, where particles are crushed and simpler nutrients are obtained to allow better absorption of them in the intestinal tract.
Like all digestive systems, unprocessed foods that are mixed with mud or swamp are excreted through the anus, which is when they expel the so-called humus, which is a mixture of mud with organic matter.
Have you ever been sitting out in your garden enjoying a cup of tea and when your finished there’s some left in the tea pot. You could put it down the drain however that would be a waste of water. You maybe wondered “Can I water my plants with tea?”
Let’s find out…
What benefits are there in watering with drunken tea? If you conduct a chemical analysis of tea, you can find in the composition of the drink minerals and organic matter, as well as tannins, that will acidify your soil. Not all houseplants need such acidification.
We can certainly say that ferns that suffer from the action of carbonate salts in soil or water as well as cacti that love hard water and the tannins it contains, respond well to tea.
The rest of the houseplants, however, react to the watering of the teapot with a lot of disdain or probably disgust. More so, there is no reliable experimental data that would prove the obvious benefit of such a fertilizer.
There is an opinion that regular mulching of the soil with tea residue helps to retain moisture, and if you make tea leaves under flowers indoors and gently store them in a flowerpot, the plants will receive a fertilizer with an extended lifespan.
Disadvantages of Watering Your Plants with Tea
Flavored tea with additives can lead to dramatic consequences for flowers including root rot and imbalance of soil nutrients.
Watering plants with tea leaves that contain sugar provokes the appearance of a fungus mosquito in the pot, black midges, and other pests that are not easily eliminated. These pests will start a toxic relationship with your flower and will require a huge chunk of alimony to severe the marriage.
When using moldy tea, you can introduce bacteria, mold in the soil (apparently) and cause soil contamination.
For cases of domestic greenhouses that prefer acidic soil, such addition can only do more damage than good.
Top Tip: You can determine the acidification of the soil by such signs as a greenish coating on the soil, which gives off an unpleasant smell, rotting of inflorescences and leaves, as well as mold on the petioles of plants.
These arguments will make the supporters of the “grandmother” methods reflect and think deeply. But if you are a cultured person and can’t be dissuaded by what neighborhood folks think, you might as well go ahead with teeing up your flower, pun intended.
How to Use Tea Leaves for Irrigation and Fertilizer?
This option may be acceptable to supporters of organic floriculture, as natural remedies have recently become widespread.
Top Trick: Any tea can be used for watering: black, green, herbal. The main thing is that it does not contain additives and flavors of synthetic origin.
How to Water Plants With Tea Infusion?
Make sure your flowers need soil acidification. Plants like tomatoes, oxalis poinsettia, and east lily thrive in acidic conditions. A simple soil test can be performed with a litmus test.
You do not need to constantly pour this fertilizer under the flowers, several times a month is enough. Avoid watering your plants with tea that has added sugar, acidic or moldy solution. You can use a cool, weak, unsweetened solution at room temperature.
Top Trick: If, in addition to watering, the tea leaves also flow under the flowers, then it is necessary to strictly fix the amount of them, mixing them with the top layer of the soil. This method will help maintain humidity, which will require you to water the plant less often.
Some Other Ways to Use Tea Leaves.
If you are a tea addict like many of us, then you might be “elated” to discover that there are other means to use them.
A large amount of waste after drinking tea can be turned into a drainage layer when planting a flower in a new pot.
To do this, lay the tea leaves on the layer of expanded clay, sprinkle with earth and plant a flower. When it reaches the roots of the lower soil layer, part of the tea leaves already decompose and serve as organic fertilizer.
Instead of a drainage layer, the dried tea leaves are mixed with the flower soil when a plant is transplanted into another pot. This additive is acceptable if the soil is dense, then it acts as a baking powder.
Wrapping Up
So, if you use tea for watering, then you should do it following all the rules, do not use additives and flavorings, or moldy raw materials. This method is best for plants that prefer acidic soil and hard water with tannins.
When adopting this method, try to regularly loosen the soil under the flowers indoors and monitor the condition of the plants. When midges and other insects appear, you need to cultivate the soil and reduce watering.
