Garden Update and Nature Study: Tomato Hornworms

Look what I found munching away in my garden!! 

Wow these things are creepy.  I literally screamed out loud and ran from the garden when I spied them.  I was watering the tomato plants and looking for any tomatoes that were eaten or ripening and when I stood up I was eye to eye with this guy and his friend.

EEWWW!!!

I ran into the house for dear hubby who helped with the removal.  He pulled off the leaves they were on and then squished them.

Being the homeschoolers that we are, we decided this would make a great little nature study.  So here is what we learned.  First of all - not worms as the name would imply.  They are actually the caterpillar of the sphinx moth.  The hornwom grows to be about 3-4 inches in length.

From About.com:
               The moths overwinter in the soil as dark brown pupae, then emerge and mate in late spring. 
               They lay their eggs, which are round and greenish-white, on the undersides of leaves. The 
               eggs hatch in four to five days, and the hornworm emerges. It spends the next four weeks 
               growing to full size, after which it will make its way into the soil to pupate.

 Next we wondered what are all those yucky white things on it?  Well turns out these are the larvae of the Braconid wasp.  And according to several sources I found on the internet, we should have left these hornworms alone because their days were numbered anyway.  The Braconid wasps are harmless to humans and beneficial to gardens.  They lay their eggs inside hornworms and a few different species of beetle, then the larvae push their way out and when the fully grown wasp emerges from those rice looking cocoons, the host, in this case the hornworm, dies. Then you have no more hornworm plus a bunch of new Braconid wasps to lay eggs in any new hornworms that may make their appearance.

After all the difficulty I've had with my tomatoes this year I needed some vengeance.  Those little puppies were squished and I felt good about it!  Maybe we'll finally get some tomatoes to eat.

Garden Update: Eggplant

One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant.  When I was little we lived next to a farm that grew eggplants and living in New Jersey we eat them alot.  I've never grown them before until this year. I bought two small plants at the grocery store on a whim and then put them in the garden after the radishes were finished.  A few weeks ago they started to flower and now we have some lovely fruit growing!  Little M was a little disappointed in them and he said that he is not going to eat those "weird purple eggs"!

We are also looking forward to our melons finishing up.  Both the cantaloupe and the watermelon should be ready in a week or so.

We are still having a problem with wildlife eating our tomatoes.  I just don't have it in me to kill them, much to my husband's irritation.  I did finally get one tomato away from those stinky chipmunks.  I picked it when it started to blush and it's ripening up on the kitchen counter (next to Little M's yellow pepper).

How's your garden growing?  I'm linking up The Garden Path - come check it out.

Garden Update: Zucchini

My biggest news from the garden this week is the zucchini!  I wasn't sure whether I was going to plant zucchini this year until the last minute.  Last year I planted too many zucchini plants and everyone was tired of zucchini after a few weeks.  Also I wasn't sure if a zucchini plant would fit in the square foot garden we started this year.  But I love zucchini, so I put one in.  This week we had two lovely zucchinis.  I sauteed one in olive oil for lunch one day and then Little M and I made some zucchini bread.  Keep reading for my favorite zucchini bread recipe.

(Sorry about the focus - Little M was helping and then the camera battery ran out)

Here is my recipe for zucchini bread:

1c sugar                           1c all purpose flour
2 egg whites                     1 tsp baking soda
1 whole egg                      2 tsps baking powder
1/2c apple sauce               1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2c buttermilk                  1 tsp vanilla
1/4c vegetable oil              1 1/2c zucchini, shredded
1c whole wheat flour


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients (except sugar).  In a seperate bowl, mix eggs together with oil, buttermilk, applesauce, and sugar.  Beat well then add vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients, mix well.  Add zucchini and stir until mixed.
4. Pour batter into pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to cool on a wire rack.

Ms. Q and I started some seeds indoors in preparation for late summer/ early fall planting.  We plan on doing cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, peas, carrots, lettuce, and spinach.

On another note, I am having some problems in the garden lately. Here is a picture of some of my tomatoes.

I think it's chipmunks.  They've eaten 10 13 already!  I've searched the internet for ideas to keep them out of the garden.  The only way it seems is to trap them or kill them.  There's no deterring them evidently.  Anyone have any ideas?

Garden Update: Mulberries

Although it is not technically in our garden, I thought I would highlight the mulberry tree that hangs over our back fence from our neighbors yard.  The mulberry tree has a pretty short berry season lasting only a few weeks in June/July.  We were able to harvest "our" branches about three times this year.

We harvest the mulberries by placing old window screens on the ground under the tree and then hitting the branches with a long stick.  The berries then fall onto the screens and we pick them up and place them into bowls.

Mulberries taste alot like blackberries only sweeter.  We ate them plain, with whipped cream for dessert, and I used some to make my favorite muffin recipe.

When we first moved into this house my husband informed me that the berries in the yard were edible.  All I knew at the time about wild berries was that you shouldn't eat them because they might be poisonous.  So I didn't.  For years he kept telling me that they were safe to eat.  Well I'm sorry now that I didn't take his word for it because we were really missing out.  Can't wait for next season!

Garden Challenge: May Update

We are really "digging" this gardening thing!  We can't wait to start harvesting some of our produce and enjoy all the hard work we've been putting in.  In the last month we have done a lot of work in the design of the garden.  You can see our first Garden Challenge post HERE and our April Update HERE.  Unfortunately we had a really rainy spring so we didn't get to plant as many of the cool weather crops as we would have liked.  We still have many different kinds of plants started though.  The kids decided that they would like to add some herbs and flowers to the garden so we've included some zinnias and marigolds as well as basil, chives, rosemary, and thyme in addition to our veggies.  Also a good friend gave us two dozen strawberry plants after I mentioned that ours did not make it through the winter.  She informed me that the type of strawberry plant we put in last year does not usually do well through the winter here, that it's more of a fair weather plant.  The type she gave us is more hardy and we are looking forward to this year's crop and next year's as well. 

We have spent a lot of time in the garden over the last month.  Little M's interest and attention varies but Ms. Q is really taking responsibility for her box.  Here are our most recent pictures of the garden:

Our garden

Ms. Q's box

Little M's box

One thing I learned so far is how little I actually know about how plants grow.  I know the basics of the life cycle of plants and even about photosynthesis.  But what I find challenging is that each plant is so different.  Each plant in our garden requires different conditions for ultimate growth.  From the soil makeup to the fertilizer to the amount of sunlight and water, each plant is an individual.  I have spent more time googling plant care and gardening tips in the last month than in my entire life!  We definitely won't learn all there is to know about our plants this year (or in the next ten years I'm sure).  But Ms. Q and I are learning how to find the information we need.  I feel like I'm able to show her that it's ok to not know the answers and to ask someone who does know.  We are also learning from our mistakes (like the strawberries).  These lessons go beyond gardening and I hope Ms. Q is able to learn these lessons as well as how to grow a great veggie garden.

There is still one more update in The Homeschool Village Garden Challenge.  By next month we should be enjoying the fruits (and veggies, herbs, and flowers) of our labors.

Garden Challenge - April Update

This is our first update for the Homeschool Village's Garden Challenge.  Our introductory post can be found HERE.

Unfortunately we don't have much of an update.  Spring has finally sprung in the Garden State but we cannot count on frost-free  nights until mid-May.  The one thing I can update on is our newest discovery.  While Ms. Q and I were perusing the gardening section at the public library we came across this book:



I am relatively new to gardening so please excuse my ignorance about this but I am totally in love with this book!  Yes we came a little late to the square foot gardening party (the first book was written in 1979) but we are making up for it.  If you haven't read this book I highly recommend you check it out.  Instead of long rows in our garden with relatively few kinds of vegetables, we are going to plant just a few seeds at a time in raised boxes and plant a greater selection of produce.  This has delayed our planting somewhat but I really think it will be worth it.

Here is what we have done in the garden so far:

Little M, Ms. Q and I measured out the garden area to build our square foot boxes.

Dear Hubby built us these great boxes.

Ms. Q and I helped him fill them in.

Some of our tax return money will go to filling the walkways with mulch.

This week Ms. Q will be completing the boxes with a grid so that we can begin to plant a few cool weather plants.  Our plan is to put in peas, spinach, lettuce, onions, carrots, and radishes within the next two weeks.  The rest of our picks for produce will have to wait until after that May 15th Last Spring Frost date.

We also started a compost bin for the garden.  

You can read how we did it and how to make your own HERE.

Little M has been busy with his Garden Preschool Pack from Homeschool Creations.  He is really excited for Tot School in the morning and loves to tell his dad all about what he learned. 

He also found a "new friend" in the garden that we had to learn more about.

A "new [worm] friend"

We can't wait to start planting and of course harvesting our garden.   Having them grow their own is really the easiest way to get kids to eat their veggies!

How to Compost

In honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2011, I thought I would do something a little different than my usual Thursday recipe or craft.  

How about a little composting?

According to the EPA a compost bin can:

• Suppress plant diseases and pests
• Reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers
• Promote higher yields of crops
• Facilitate reforestation, wetlands restoration, and habitat revitalization efforts by amending contaminated, compacted, and marginal soils
• Cost-effectively remediate soils
• Remove solids, oil, grease, and heavy metals from stormwater runoff
• Capture and destroy 99.6 percent of industrial volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in contaminated air
• Provide cost savings of at least 50 percent over conventional soil, water, and air pollution remediation technologies

For at least the last three years I have been talking about starting a compost pile. I researched compost piles and bins on the internet, looked in our local home improvement and garden stores, and attended a presentation by the county agricultural extension master gardeners. I thought about piles, bins, worms, everything. So why has it taken me three years to start?

The answer is fear. That's right I was afraid of composting.  It seemed like a lot of work and even after all my research on the internet and the library I still wasn't sure exactly how to do it.  Then I found THIS  article that made it sound easy to make a compost bin out of a large trash can.  Seemed easy enough so we tried it.  Keep in mind that we just made this so I have no idea how well it actually works as a compost bin but it was pretty easy to make.

Start with a trash can with locking lid (this one cost about $20)

Drill 3/4" holes into the sides of the can and 1/2 holes in the top and bottom.

Our new compost bin!

But what to put in it and how?  Here is another list from the EPA about what to compost and what not to compost.

The IN list:

• Animal manure
• Cardboard rolls
• Clean paper
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Cotton rags
• Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
• Eggshells
• Fireplace ashes
• Fruits and vegetables
• Grass clippings
• Hair and fur
• Hay and straw
• Houseplants
• Leaves
• Nut shells
• Sawdust
• Shredded newspaper
• Tea bags
• Wood chips
• Wool rags
• Yard trimmings

The OUT list:

• Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
• Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
• Coal or charcoal ash
• Might contain substances harmful to plants
• Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs
• Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Diseased or insect-ridden plants
• Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
• Fats, grease, lard, or oils
• Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Meat or fish bones and scraps
• Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)
• Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
• Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
• Might kill beneficial composting organisms

So here is our start.

The bin under the kitchen sink (does have a lid to control odor until it's full)

"Brown" and "green" layers in the compost bin, wet everything down, and roll

I'm thinking we should turn it at least two times a week.   If you make the trash can compost bin make sure you get a trash can with a locking lid and then all you have to do to turn it is put the can on its side and roll it around a few times.  And here's a (stupid) question that I could never find the answer to.  I could never figure out how and when to put material in it.  You should add to your bin and roll it each time you have enough material for two layers - a brown layer, like leaves or dried grass, and a green layer, like kitchen scraps.  You keep filling it until it's about three fourths full then stop adding more material and just keep rolling it around every few days until it's done.  When your can is three fourths full - get another can.  Then start filling that one.  This way you will always have a can to put materials in while the other is "cooking".

Celebrate Earth Day the right way and go make that Black Gold!

Garden Challenge

This is our first post in the Garden Challenge being hosted by The Homeschool Village.   Each month a new post will update the progress of our garden.  It's not too late to join the challenge if you're interested!

Here's our garden update:

So far we have cleared the brush and dried leaves that collected in the garden over the winter.

 

As you can see there is still alot of work to be done before we can plant anything.  We had a few days of nice weather but we are back to winter again here, so the garden will have to wait a few more weeks I think.

We also decided what we want to plant this year and worked out a plan of where to plant what. 

Ms. Q and Little M pouring over the Gurney's catalog

We are going to plant:
sweet peas
cantaloupe
pumpkins
watermelon
zucchini
lettuce
bush beans (like string beans only they grow on a bush instead of a vine)

We have a small strawberry patch we planted last year but we haven't uncovered it yet. (It's still too cold to remove the straw bedding covering the plants.)  Hopefully the plants survived the winter and we will have fresh strawberries this summer.  We are also going to try one of those upside down tomato growers, just for fun.

Ms. Q has already had a number of lesson on how plants grow, so this year she will be focusing on gardening skills.  We have planted a garden for a couple years but we always just plant the seeds and hope for the best.  This year we are going to learn more about gardening and will be reading some books to help our plants no only grow but thrive.  She is really excited about having more responsibility in the garden this year.  Previous years she has helped out but always felt that it was Mom's garden.  This year it's OUR garden. 

Here are the books Ms. Q will be using:

















Little M will be learning the basics about plants and what they need to grow.  He will be using Lesson Pathways Taking Care of Plants unit.  He is excited to go outside and play in the dirt.  He really likes to use the garden tools - he just rarely uses them for their intended purpose!

We will read these and some more fun children's books about plants together: