Stoney Ground Herbs

Beautiful, strong herbs for NZ gardeners and herbalists of all levels

Quietly busy times

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There’s been a bit of a hiatus on my writing posts of late due to having started studying,

I’m doing He Papa Tikanga through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and I’m loving it. I have no idea what it will lead into but it’s rocking my socks and that’s enough for me.

It’s great to have something to do whilst there’s nothing doing in the garden except navigating mud!

Though that’s not entirely true, I’ve just planted four new fruit trees- again through Edible Garden. This year we got an apricot (Moorpark), a plumcott (a cross between a plum and an apricot), a dwarf peach (Kotare Honey) and a dual pear (Red Bartlett and Doyenne du Comice).

I also have just recently pruned our other fruit trees. If you haven’t done this yet (get onto it!) and are new to the game I highly recommend Kath Irvines book Pruning Fruit Trees, A Beginners Guide. (Click here to get a copy or check it out.) It is bloody brilliant, easy to follow with great illustrations~ reading it is like having a conversation with Kath, where you’re asking all the right questions! I have used it for my ancient apples and plums, my second year apples and my new bare rooted trees, my currants and my espaliered fig.

Kath Irvine's book Pruning Fruit Trees: A Beginners Guide
Worth every penny… or make someone super grateful to you (thank you Glenbo, I am grateful!)

Ladybugs!

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Is it ladybugs or lady birds?  One word or two?  What does wikipedia say?  (Right, depends where you’re from and it’s one word!)  What do you call them?

I call them bloody exciting!

Especially when I spot at least four on my chamomile!

Coccinellidae, ladybug, aphids

Coccinellidae AKA ladybug

I must admit, of late it’s become apparent that I have aphids on some of my plants.  Dill was the first one to let me know, then my southernwood..  I remember Kath Irvine saying at some talk how if you’re feeling brave enough you could always leave your insect infected plant in the garden in hope that nature will do her do and bring on the beneficial insects.  Lo and behold, I have ladybugs!

If all goes to plan, there’s more of those ladybugs..they’ll get their groove on..lay thousands of eggs…hatch…and EAT!  (It’s the larvae that eat the aphids and boy do they have an appetite!)

Yaeh!  Just when I was thinking of making up a batch of neem soap spray I can spend my time writing this post instead and let the ladybirds do their thing..

 

The Dratted Psyllid

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Psyllid

Psyllid

Under unfortunate circumstances I am becoming quite the expert in psyllid (a.k.a. TTP, tomato potato psyllid).

Again unfortunately I am the expert in identification rather than how not to have them in the first place (yet!) nor exactly what to do about them other than the endearingly tedious finger and thumb treatment (so far!).

So, I will tell you all I know how to identify these rascals then direct you over to Kath Irvines’  (of Edible Backyard fame) blog post about psyllid here.

These guys are relatively new to New Zealand, so a lot of people don’t even know they’ve got them til their tomato and potato plants are an alarming yellow with tinges of purple.  From there it’s all gone Pete Tong.  That’s what happened to me in my Picton garden.

And it’s happening to me here but I have the goods on them this time so my tomatoes haven’t got to that stage.  Plus fortunately, they made their appearance only recently so my plants are quite mature and I’ll still get some tomatoes off them.

WARNING:  Animals (insects) were harmed in this photo shoot!

psyllid eggs, pysllid larvae

Eggs and larvae on my tomato.

What first alerted me were flat green scale like things on the edges of my older leaves.  Aphid like colour, flat and oval.  That’s about as much detail you see unless you get your magnifying glass out, or macro lens on your camera!

Psyllid larvae

You can see the husks left over from the larvae turning to its adult form.

You’ll start noticing white “sugar crystals” on the top of leaves, more caster sugar than normal white sugar.  I’ve also noticed what looks like dead ants on the stems of my plants.  Note; these are my observations on my tomato plants.  Psyllid also trespass on potatoes, capsicums, chilli and others from the solanaceae family.

Psyllid with young

Psyllid with young. Squash!

And here’s the little buggers themselves!  Again you’re seeing a lot more detail here than what you will with your naked eye.  They’re about the size of a sandfly with the look of an underweight cicada, they leap like a flea, but squash a lot easier!  Another thing I’ve noticed is is that obviously the plants systems are down with psyllid therefore attracts other insects like aphids, but it almost looks like sometimes that the aphids have been employed as babysitters!

My method so far is squashing all that I see and if it’s just all over I’m stripping the plant and allowing my fruit to ripen…

Alma Borghese and Albenga Oxheart stripped of leaves

Alma Borghese Orange Roma and Albenga Oxheart stripped of leaves.

So go check your toms and potatoes now and I hope you don’t see what I mean!