Apple and Pear Scab

I'm almost to a point where I think that our nice weather is going to stick around for a while. The Old Farmer's Almanac winter forecast for our area has been spot-on, and their long range outlook is equally favorable. My peas are in the ground, and although I haven't seen any sprouts yet, it's still a little bit early for that.

UC IPM Illustration of the scab life cycle.

So now, in addition to getting my seeds organized and started, I need to be mindful of the fruit trees and their needs. The bees are out and about already, and they're absolutely loving our plum tree which is now in full bloom. I don't recall it ever being so fragrant in February before!

One of the problems we have here is scab on our apple and pear trees. It's common everywhere, but our cool, wet springs are absolutely perfect growing conditions for the fungi that cause these ailments. Apple scab is an infection caused by a fungus called Venturia inequalis, whereas the Pear scab is an infection caused by a close relative, V. pirina. The infections, even though they appear symptomatically similar and are also managed in essentially the same ways, are different and cannot spread interchangeably between the two types of trees.

The fungi overwinter on the ground in the leaf and fruit debris from the trees until the following spring rains come and spread the spores. If the temperatures are right (between 55 and 75 degrees F) the spores will germinate quickly in the spring. Cleaning up and removing the fallen leaves and fruit is one of the most important things you can do to manage scab in existing orchards, and in many cases can significantly reduce the severity of an infection, year over year. If you are putting in new trees, planting resistant varieties will also help.

We have a couple of trees this year where there are some dead leaves and fruit are still stubbornly stuck to the branches on which they grew. I'm going to need to figure out a way to knock those down so I can get rid of them before the new leaves start to open. Once an infection takes hold, you cannot get rid of it- you can only do damage control for the rest of the season. It can cause a significant loss of fruit if the infection is severe, so catching it early and being vigilant in your management program is key.

I'm also researching spray options this year, which I don't normally do. Historically, warm and wet conditions here in the Spring means we're going to have all sorts of fungal issues to contend with, so I'm definitely interested in preventing whatever I possibly can.There are a lot of choices out there, from hard-hitting chemical concoctions, to more gentle "home remedies" that may or may not work. Keep an eye out for that, in the next couple of weeks.

What about you? Have you had any experience with apple or pear scab?

Rats!

Templeton the rat, from Charlotte's Web. Click for Source

We've been lucky so far, I suppose. In the four or five years that we've been keeping chickens and rabbits, we haven't had any real rodent issues. We keep our feed in bins, clean up any spills promptly, and in general keep as tidy a chicken coop as is possible (without being OCD about it.)
So, I'm a little surprised and disappointed that we're seeing a bit of a rat problem right now.

At first, I didn't know it was rats. The chickens started acting oddly, roosting as high up off the ground as they could possibly get. This meant off the roost bars and up onto my stacked cubbies, where I store some of my garden supplies and tools. Sleeping up there means poop in places that I can't easily clean up- I really need a dry day to pull everything out of the coop and do a deep clean. Usually I do one in the spring, but they're not leaving me much of a choice.  Egg production got a little off-kilter as well. They refuse to lay inside the coop now, instead preferring to make a nest in Steve's hutch. We've also had some really thin-shelled eggs, which in my experience are a really good indicator of disturbances in the coop.*

Initially, I thought it was a predator issue: we've seen some more coyotes on the game camera, the neighbors have a new dachshund, and I'm still seeing our eagle, hawk and owl on a regular basis.  So, I started paying a little more attention during the day, and that's when I saw it... the rat. Not the biggest one I've ever seen, thankfully, but a rather aggressive one. I watched as it chased more than one squirrel out of the chicken run, nipping at it's heels while it scrambled up a tree to escape. I went out with the pellet gun, but between the fencing, Steve and the girls, a clear shot just wasn't happening.

I don't like traps. I'll just put that out there right now. I got my hand caught in a mousetrap when I was maybe 4 or 5, and I can still picture it, clear as day. OUCH. However, I like poisons even less, so I do think that traps have their place. I went out and picked one up from Lowes; a molded plastic job with teeth and a really heavy spring. The thing gives me the willies just looking at it. I baited it with peanut butter and set it up outside one of their holes, and placed a plastic milk crate, upside down and weighted down with a couple of bricks over the top of it to keep Steve and the chickens out of trouble.

I didn't have to wait long, and we've probably caught one mouse and four rats total, so far. I say total, because we've had a few odds and ends in the trap, which were creepy as well as gross, so I'm not going into too much detail on that. Suffice it to say, I still don't like traps, and I sure as heck don't like rats. Not one bit. (Oddly, pet rats don't bother me. Also, Templeton up there was one of my favorites in Charlotte's Web... but let me see a rat outside and I go into full-blown home defense mode.)

In speaking with some of the other neighbors over the holidays, it seems that everyone on our "block" is seeing rats this year. We have at least two houses that I know of, within a quarter mile of us, that just started keeping chickens and/or other barnyard birds since this past spring, so I suspect that has something to do with it. On one hand, I'm relieved that it's not just my coop that's having problems, but on the other hand, this is a pretty widespread issue and we can't control what happens anywhere but here... so they're going to be tough to get rid of completely.

For now, we'll keep the trap baited and set, until the problem seems to dissipate, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Fortunately, we do have the hawk and owl in residence, who I'm sure will lend their talons to helping us get the problem under control. I'm also keeping an eye on feeders and our grain bins to make sure there aren't any rats getting a free meal.


What about you? Have you experienced rodent issues in your coop or barn? What did you do?


*Thin-shelled eggs are sometimes referred to as "fear eggs". If you feed your birds a well balanced layer feed plus whole grains, and have oyster shell always available for them, and you occasionally see thin shelled eggs, look for something bothering your birds. 

Friday Photos

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend planned.

It's been another busy one here, so I'm just going to get right to the week in photos:

Echinacea

Fig!!

Psst... Maggie- it's finished!

Fledgling Robin. Saw it yesterday as Mom walked it farther away from the chickens.
 Looks to be doing well!

GIANT SLUG

'Cause I'm Happy...

Potato farm up the road.

Tomato Jungle!

Volunteer potatoes. One plant... 12 tubers. Woo Hoo!

And since I wasn't able to post yesterday's usual collection of links (hello, migraine), here are a couple of links that I had set aside as interesting:

• We don't have tomato hornworms here, but I understand they're quite the problem in some places. If you happen to be in one of those areas (Hi Karen!), you may find this article from Hobby Farms helpful.
• Speaking of tomatoes... here's a handful of recipes from Gardener's Supply. That Bloody Mary mix sure looks good!

Is your garden starting to wind down or are you still running to keep up with harvesting your goodies? Pop on over to Facebook and let me know!

Garden Update

Our garden has definitely seen some challenges this season!

First, there was the (admittedly typical) cool, wet spring, which put us at least a month behind in planting the early veggies, like the peas and potatoes. The first round of peas never did germinate, rotting in the cold, wet soil in early April.

Next, along came the rabbits, who mowed down the green beans as soon as the first little green shoots poked their heads out of the ground. Ditto on the second flush of growth, and again on the succession planting. The one bed of carrots never did recover from being eaten completely down to the ground. None of my usual deterrents worked: I finally had to put chicken wire fences up around certain beds, in addition to the outer fence for the garden proper!

What isn't being eaten above ground by the rabbits and slugs is getting harassed underground by the moles. Normally, I don't see a ton of mole damage during the summer months. Usually they're active in there only in winter, which is okay by me. Moles serve a purpose, eating grubs and other insects from the soil that I'm perfectly fine to let them take care of. I'm less pleased with the giant holes that open up while I'm watering the raised beds, so I've been dumping in mole repellent before filling them back in. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about the tunnels without relocating the established plants. I just have to make sure to keep on top of the watering, to make up for any exposed roots, below.

Despite all of that, though, things are moving right along, as gardens tend to do. I can't remember ever having such a good year for strawberries; we ate as many as we wanted to and still had enough to freeze a couple of pounds. I even dehydrated some, which turned out nicely as well. This is the first time I've tried that, so it was a small batch- I want to see how well they hold up over time, before I commit to a lot of them. The raspberries are loaded, and I have to pick some every day just to keep up. I've probably got three pounds in the freezer already, and they haven't slowed down yet!

The Rat's Tails are in full swing, now, as are the summer squashes; I can barely keep up. Our cauliflower are looking good (despite a mole tunnel directly beneath them) and I'm looking forward to harvesting some this week. I might even get some peas soon; the vines are about 4' high and starting to bud up.

I had my first green bean of the season over the weekend... the bean was a perfectly tender 4 inch pod- from a 10 inch tall plant. Sad. I'm going to get more seeds and put in another planting before the end of the week, in hopes that we'll get some to pickle and freeze for the winter. I just don't see how the ones that are in there will be able to produce anything substantial, even if they are loaded with flowers now. We'll see.

The tomatoes are loving their little greenhouse, and are trucking right along. There are lots of flowers and new fruit on the vines, so I topped them off with some extra rabbit manure the other day,  for a bit of a boost. Speaking of greenhouses, the eggplant is still growing and the sweet potatoes are making a run for it as well. With our temperatures staying in the mid-to-high 80s this week, I expect we'll see a bit of a growth spurt in there, too.

Let's see, what else? Oh! I have itty-bitty cucumbers on the vines; there's another plant I haven't had oodles of success with over the years, but they're doing well this time around. The rest of the brassicas are also doing well- there was a lull in the cabbage moth activity for about a month, but I've been seeing them around again so we're back to daily egg/caterpillar checks. That's okay, though- I like keeping close tabs on the plants that way.

I'll have to take a wander out there later today and shoot a quick video tour to document the season so far. Despite some of the challenges, things are still looking pretty good out there and I'm pleased overall with the progress.

How does your garden grow? Are you experiencing any challenges this summer, or has it been smooth sailing?

10 Kitchen Solutions for Common Garden Issues

Whenever I have trouble in the garden, I like to try the least aggressive methods first. Similar to what is being seen with the overuse of antibiotics and resultant development of superbugs like MRSA, using chemical controls in a home garden can often lead to more serious problems later. 

Here are three reasons why I don't like to use commercial sprays: 

• Money. Those bottles are pretty spendy, and they add up quickly.
• Bees and other beneficials. Many commercial formulas are broad-spectrum, indiscriminate killers- wiping out both the good guys and the bad. 
• If something kills 99.9% of anything, that remaining .1% is left to reproduce and pass along its resistant genes. Once that happens, the product that was just used will no longer work effectively against the survivors, and the problem will come back stronger than before. 

Any number of authors out there tout the benefits of natural remedies for your garden, but probably the most popular (and prolific) is Jerry Baker. He's written numerous books on how to concoct and use these less-toxic solutions around your garden. I can't say I agree with everything that he recommends using, and quite frankly I find the presentation a little hokey, but that's just a matter of my personal preference. By and large, however, he offers practical advice and is definitely worth checking out.

In case you don't have time to read a whole book on the subject- here are 10 items that are probably already in your kitchen, that can help you get a handle on some common garden issues: 

1. Garlic: Antifungal, Insect Repellant. If you grow roses, make friends with garlic. Regular application of garlic on roses can help keep aphids and black spot at bay; even just planting a few cloves around the base of your rosebush helps. To make a garlic spray, take 5 cloves of garlic and either chop them or use a garlic press to crush them into a measuring cup. Pour 1 cup boiling water over the garlic, and cover. Let stand until completely cool, then strain the liquid into a spray bottle. Mist affected plants early in the morning or late in the day, to avoid the possibility of burning the leaves in direct sunlight. The spray will start to lose its potency relatively quickly, so make up small batches as needed. 

2. Powdered Milk: Antifungal. The milk reacts with sunlight when sprayed on infected foliage, so this is one time where you do want to spray when the sun is shining. It can also be combined with baking soda, for severe fungal outbreaks. Ratio is 1 part milk to 3 parts water. (Plus 1 teaspoon baking soda, if desired.)

3. Dish Soap: Insecticide- aphids, thrips, Japanese beetles. Note: do not use antibacterial soaps or a soap containing detergents. Ivory Dish Soap, pure Castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) or Mrs. Meyers Clean Day soaps are good; baby shampoo also works. Make a spray using 1 teaspoon of soap to 1 pint (16 ounces) of water. Spray on leaves, let stand (out of direct sunlight) for about an hour, then rinse with plain water to reduce the risk of leaf burn.

4. Hot Peppers, Hot Pepper Sauce: Repels deer, rabbits and some insects. Try 2 Tablespoons hot sauce in 1 quart of water, sprayed on the plants. Some recipes suggest adding a drop or two of soap or oil to help the mixture stick to the leaves better.

5. Vegetable Oil: Can be used as a carrier/sticker in conjunction with other methods; by itself controls corn earworms. Squeeze a small amount of a light vegetable oil in the corn silk while the ears are still small; this will act as a barrier to the earworms.

6. Vinegar (white): Herbicide. Particularly effective when applied hot and/or with salt. Excellent for sidewalk/driveway/patio cracks where you want nothing to grow. Use full strength to kill weeds; add 1T salt to 1 cup white vinegar and pour hot into the cracks. Avoid spraying this mixture if possible, as it will burn any plant it comes in contact with.

7. Apple Cider Vinegar: Fungicide. Use diluted, 3 Tablespoons ACV to 1 Gallon of Water, applied with a sprayer. 

8. Table Salt: Kills slugs and has herbicidal properties. (See #6) Take note that the salt will persist in the soil, and may stunt or prevent new plant growth, so use with caution. 

9. Baking Soda: Fungicide, Powdery Mildew and Black Spot. Mix 1 Tablespoon baking soda to 1 gallon of water; add 2T of light vegetable oil as a sticker. Mix well before and during application to keep the oil from separating. Spray on affected plants, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves as well.

10. Eggshells: Ground relatively fine (not quite powdered) they help keep slugs at bay and add calcium to the soil as they decompose.      

Remember, you won't get the same "kill 'em all" results out of these solutions, but you will be able to knock out enough of the bad guys in order to restore balance in your garden.

Do you have any home remedies that you use to take care of trouble in your garden?

Around the Web

- Cherry season is upon us! Here are three ways to take advantage of this early summer treasure:

• Check out this oldie-but-a-goody from WellPreserved on dehydrating cherries, and the bonus syrup step. It's brilliant.

• This recipe for cherry bounce looks really good. It's close to how I make it, except that I don't ferment the cherries separately. I let them sit overnight with the sugar, and then add the whisky. So much YUM. 

• Cherry Ricotta Cheesecakes? Yes, Please. 

- If you're still swimming in strawberries, set aside a few to make clafouti...  you can thank me later.  (It also works well with raspberries and blueberries, if you're so inclined.)

- Suncreen. Use it! This article details out the safest choices for you and your family. 

- Natural pest control for the garden. Don’t wait until you have a problem- keep ahead of the nasties, before they get out of control.

- This is a great post on ways to use up some of the excess mint that starts popping up this time of year. 

...and now it's time to get outside! Lots of work to do in the garden, as the warmer temps have weeds sprouting up all over the place. 

So, tell me: what's caught your eye online this week? Come on over to FB and share links to the A&T timeline. I have to moderate outside posts, but I'm always looking for interesting info to pass along. I'd love to hear from you!

Invasion!

Okay, so the title's a little dramatic, but this is the time of year when we start seeing insect damage in the garden, and sometimes it feels like we're being invaded. Fortunately, if you know what to look for, it's easy to keep things in check before anything major happens. 

Last night when I was in the garden, I saw this:

Tiny holes in my broccoli leaves! Any time I see leaf damage, I go in for a closer look.

See them? They're tiny. No? This should do it: 

That "big" one in the center is just shy of a quarter-inch long. And they blend in so well!

These caterpillars are in the cabbage butterfly family; their Latin name is Pieris rapae. They grow fast and have huge appetites, making for a lot of damage if you aren't careful. The adults are small(ish) white butterflies that can be seen flitting around over most of North America and beyond.

I squash them in place on the leaves when they're this small. This seems to keep other caterpillars away, too, which is nice. (If I miss any, though, the chickens are happy to take care of them for me when I do find them. I don't let them in the garden most of the year, so I just pick off the bugs and toss them over the fence- the girls go bonkers for them. Since the chickens are used to this routine, they tend to hang out around the perimeter when I'm in the garden.)

I typically avoid using sprays to control insects when I'm gardening, so picking them off or squishing them works for me. Other non-toxic options are diatomaceous earth or Bt, applied per their labels. I find it easy enough to monitor the plants for eggs and caterpillars, though, and generally that's all we need around our place.

What pests are you starting to see in your garden?