Looper Caterpillars

This is one of the culprits responsible for the recent damage to my veggies. They are Vegetable or Green Loopers (Chrysodeixis eriosoma)*.  Their “loopy” name is because of the way they move -  they lack legs in the middle of their bodies so when they walk they hunch up in the middle, forming a loop.

When small they are green all over, but develop stripes as they get older, and can grow up to 4cm long. The amount of time they spend as larvae or caterpillar form, varies from 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the temperature, and the quality and quantity of food available.

Vegetable loopers feed on a wide range of plants, and mainly consume the leaves, but they will also attack  fruits, like tomatoes or beans, and flowers.  When small the larvae feed on only one side of the leaf, leaving translucent feeding windows, but as they develop, they chew holes in the leaf, and along the leaf margin, down to the central ribs. 

Control of Green Loopers (Chrysodeixis species)

Commercial crops, especially ones that are not used for their leaves, such as beans or peas, are often not treated as the amount of damage due to defoliation can be tolerated. 

For home gardeners the best method is manual removal of caterpillars, which is easiest when they are active in the cooler parts of the day.  To save your crop, early detection, before they can destroy too many leaves is going to be needed. (although its fine to eat the remainder of the leaves they have chewed holes in).  The removal of cocoons and eggs also helps.

The caterpillars cleverly lie along the veins of leaves and can blend in amazingly well. Look for holes, or the windows that the smaller caterpillars make. Piles of their droppings can be another clue to track them down. They spin loose cocoons on the back of leaves which are easy to remove.

Most general insecticides will kill them, but because they have a lot of natural predators, such as parasitoids, some bugs, spiders, lacewings, ladybird beetles and other predatory beetles, that may also be killed in the process, using them may not reduce the presence of caterpillars in the long run.  Products such as Dipel (Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)) while being a better choice, because it is more selective to caterpillars, will only work when Vegetable Loopers are small (less than 12mm).

Other Organic Controls

• Keep plants healthy with fertilisers and Seasol (seaweed liquid) - Vigorously growing plants will be better able to compensate for flower and fruit damage, and damaged leaves will be replaced more quickly.  
• On healthy plants caterpillars will need to eat less and move on from the larvae stage more quickly, so the damage is less (but presumably once they become moths they will come back and lay their eggs again more quickly)
• Good plant spacing (between the same species, or others that the loopers prefer) can reduce the transfer of caterpillars (and make spraying easier if necessary).
• Removal of unhealthy or finished plants and leaves to limit transfer of caterpillars.
• Trap crops - sacrificial plants that the loopers prefer.  The caterpillars eat them instead.  They must be removed once infested before caterpillars start to look elsewhere. Gardening Australia have a Fact sheet about these and dead end trap crops here.
• Reduce access by moths so they can't lay eggs in the first place, or by caterpillars, with plant netting or fruit bagging.
• Plant Resistant varieties - different forms, colour, natural chemicals, cell thickness or leaf surface coverings can make a difference to plant susceptibility or how much is consumed if attacked.

Links for more details and further advice about Looper control:

• Gardening Australia Fact sheet: Friends and Foes
• Gardening Australia Fact sheet on Caterpillar Control
• Loopers in field crops - Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• Ausveg article on Caterpillar Control
• T.E.R:R.A.I.N - Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network - Chrysodeixis eriosoma (Green garden looper)

Note: No caterpillars were harmed in the taking of these photographs. (However they were humanely squashed soon after)

* I think these are (Chrysodeixis eriosoma), but they might also be Tomato Loopers (Chrysodeixis chalcites). Entymologists, who would be qualified to judge the difference, are unsure whether the two species might actually be allotropic and conspecific - which would mean they have developed differences as a result of having bred in isolation from each other, but they are the same species. 

And now, a vintage technical illustration to end with:

Cutting Cocktail Catch Up - 12 Days On

I checked on my cuttings in Water Storing Polymer Gel after 12 days when I hoped to be seeing some roots appearing.

Unfortunately, they were knocked over and replanted twice since then so I would not be surprised if progress is slow. I also think I may have been overwatering them so that some were smothered. So I salvaged what there was still proceeding happily and took some more cuttings with the aim of giving the new ones a better chance.

Contrary to my expectations, the tomato cutting has not taken root yet - there are rough white knobby bits at a node, but no actual roots yet.

Here are their progress reports:

Mystery of the Lavender Leaf Loss

Its been raining here for days.  Well, not all day everyday - A deluge every day or every second day, but enough that the soil is constantly wet - that is a lot for Sydney and is quite unusual for us at this time of year.  All my preparations for a hot dry period have been unnecessary and instead I have been worrying more about plants in pots becoming waterlogged, or transplants not developing the roots they will need once the weather does become hot and dry.  Combined with the heat, the rain makes it very humid, and I have been concerned for the survival of plants like lavender and rosemary that need good drainage, to dry out between waterings, and good air flow.

But that is not the problem with a lavender plant that I discovered this morning......

Cutting Cocktails - Part 2

TOMATO

My tomato cuttings were shoots removed when thinning their "donor" plants:

LEMON BALM AND MINT

The Lemon Balm and Peppermint cuttings were approximately 7cm long, with all but the top sets of leaves removed. Each lower set of leaves or branch is at a node from which roots can grow - make sure you have 2 or 3 nodes "buried" in the gel.

HEN AND CHICKEN FERN

JASMINE

Normally a jasmine cutting is a length of stem that has several nodes, but these have only one node, with little root buds showing.  To keep them looking cute, I've really only included enough stem to anchor it in the gel.  Time will tell whether that give them enough chance to survive.

Jasmine drawing is from Edwards Botanical Register, Ornamental flower-garden and shrubbery Published 1829 by James Ridgway in London.  In the Public Domain. The book is available at the Internet Archive.

All photos copyright Megan Michie.

Cutting Cocktails

Don't drink these.....but they look cute.

Isobel was playing with some water storage crystals and dreaming up creative things to do with them...and we ended up with a LOT of hydrated gel.  So I've been creative myself and used it to pot up some cuttings.

I've used the gel before with cuttings and it does seem to work well, and faster for some reason.  Its similar to striking cuttings in water, but the gel forms a structure that hold the cuttings, and so long as you don't totally drown them, it holds bubbles of air so the roots have some access to oxygen. More types of plants will tolerate striking in gel than will in water, and the gel prevents the water becoming stagnant so quickly. Place them in a sheltered place out of the sun, as you would other cuttings.   If the container you use is clear you can see when roots appear, and when you need to water.

The gel, which comes as small crystals, is designed to be added to soil or potting mix to increase its water holding capacity.

These are the crystals we had, which come from ALDI, but Yates, Eden and Hortico have similar products sold at hardware and garden stores. Seasol sell a version that release Seasol to the plants. Don't try using the crystals from nappies or kitty litter because although they are also polymer hydrogels they are types that absorb and hold onto the water or wastes, whereas the garden products make the water available back to the soil or plant.

You can also watch seeds grow in these gels which makes for another good educational experience if you have inquiring minds about, or to do just for fun.  But obviously you will need to wrap or cover the container if the seeds are types that need dark to germinate.

In My Garden Today - Blue Day

 I noticed a common choice of colour in my wander around my garden today.....

Hydrangea, Native Violet, Petunia, Calibrachoa, Chives, Lobelia, Hydrangea detail.

I've called these Blue Blooms because they are all described as blue on their labels or reference books. I would probably call them all purple though in any other context.

At this time of year there are other blue flowers in bloom: jacarandas, agapanthus, duranta, wild violets and lavender flowers, but sadly not in my garden. 

Illustration MAY LOVE EACH DAY, MAKE GLAD THY WAY pot of violets, published by Raphael Tuck and Sons, 1903.  http://tuckdb.org/postcards/64199 in the Public Domain.  Photos Megan Michie

In My Garden Today - Kangaroo Paws

 The Kangaroo Paws in my side front garden are blooming away at the moment.  It turns out it is quite difficult to take a photo that shows what they are like en mass. When seen in person they stand out better from my neighbours houses and form a psychological screen, if not a physical one.

I used to think of the furry finger like growths as the flowers but they actually open to reveal the small flower inside.

I think these are "Bush Pioneer" and "Bush Endeavour" from the "Bush Gem" range, which are hybrids bred for good form and disease resistance.  I didn't plant these and I am basing this on my memory of labels found in the garden when I was pruning last year. Since they have been here for many years and have had plenty of time to grow new offspring from cross pollinated seed, they may not be true to form any more in any case. 

There is good advice about caring for Kangaroo Paws at the following links:

Gardening Australia Website: Fact Sheet: Kangaroo Paws 

Waldecks Kangaroo Paw Care Sheet

Aussie Green Thumb : Pruning Kangaroo Paw

The Bush Gem range was bred by Angus Stewart and he has information and a video on his site, Gardening with Angus, about their care:

Plant Search: Kangaroo Paw

Kangaroo Paws Anigozanthus Bush Gems Landscapers

Everything I've read about their care recommends enthusiastic pruning twice a year, and say that a prune directly after flowering will likely produce a second flush of flowers - so that is next on my gardening tasks list.

If the plants are pruned before the flowers have died completely, new stems and flowers are encouraged to form in the same flowering season.  Cut off any flower stalks that have started to look tatty at the base of the stalk, above a leaf node, with a 45 degree cut. Look out for active buds on the stem and don't cut below them.

Angus recommends cutting the flowers above a dormant flower bud low on each stem as soon as the first flowers open. The buds with grow out and give a second flush of flowers, and you can enjoy the cut flowers inside in a vase.

The other pruning should be after the flowering season, and should be more drastic, cutting the whole plant close to the ground to encourage new growth of leaves and flowers for next year.

Photographs Copyright by Megan Michie

LOVE THIS WEBSITE - Square Foot Gardening Foundation

I have been enjoying the Square Foot Gardening Foundation Website. There is a lot of information there for vegetable growing using space efficiently, which applies nicely to my limited garden area.

But another lovely feature of the site is the inspiring quotes that are beautifully illustrated.  Like this one:

Go over there and have a look!

http://squarefootgardening.org

MARAUDING MARSUPIALS - Deterrents

I had a visit from possums again last night.  They denuded a parsley and a camomile plant, and nibbled some spinach where their tops poked through the mesh. To reach the spinach they had to stand on a pot of oregano which is crushed but will probably recover. They also knocked over some pots in their clumsiness.

I've read and been told about a range of substances that will deter the marauding marsupials but have not had much success with these methods.

One reason is that applying something every few days or every time it rains (and in some cases every time I water) is a pain. My experiments trying out the substances below have shown me that its unrealistic to think that I will be able to keep up the reapplications to keep my plants constantly protected. 

Some of the ideas seemed to work for a night or two, even a week, but then the possums overcame their dislike of the deterrent and ate my plants again. I think if they are hungry or thirsty enough they will eat their target plants anyway, especially if they can remember there being good eating in that particular spot.

It makes sense that since there are different species of possums, and each species lives over a range of different regions of Australia, under different environmental stresses, the same things may or may not work on any particular possums.

There is a good article on the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries website here which has a list of substances that people have used and claim to work to deter possums, so you can try some of them too. But as the article says nothing will work if the possums are hungry or determined enough.

MY LIST

I've forgotten the number of people who have told me to make a spray from blended CHILLIES - but my possums ate the whole chilli plant, including all the ripe chillies before I had a chance to make the spray!

I've also tried:

MOTH BALLS (scattered on soil or hung from branches)

MIX OF WASABI PASTE AND VICKS VAPOUR_RUB (spread on edges of pot, and along fence the possums liked to jump off)

CITRONELLA (lanterns/flares left with lids off so that oil is evaporating and releasing its scent, left next to pots)

LAPSANG SOUCHONG TEA (sprayed around and on plant)

BLOOD AND BONE (sprinkled around plants)

FISH BASED FERTILISER (watered onto plants)

BLEACH (sprayed on pot edges)

or COMBINATIONS of the above. 

Because I don't think I'd be able to keep up the applications, even if they do work, I haven't gone to the effort of finding another common suggestion, Qassia chips, or gone to the expense of buying commercial products such as Scat or Keep Off (both by Multicrop) or D-ter. These products have Aluminium Ammonium Sulphate (Alum) as their main active ingredient, which makes the plants bitter, but also contain other strongly scented ingredients (such as the ones I've tried).  Another product, Poss Off is based on Citronella, Garlic and Chilli.

I assume individual possums have different personalities with their own preferences, so maybe mine are a family of particularly determined criminals with poor taste and little common sense.

More to come about other deterrent methods.....

SELF WATERING POTS

I’ve been experimenting with some self watering pots for growing my veggies in this year - I’ve made some versions and bought some and all seem to be going well so far. 

Advantages of Self Watering Pots:

1. Watering is easier

• less frequent watering needed
• more flexibility about when I water
• reservoir acts as a safety net on days I am unable to water
• less water wasted

2. A constant water supply is provided to the plants, that will

• encourage maximum growth and yield
• avoid problems in the veggies that result from drying out (such as bitterness in lettuce or splitting and blossom end rot in tomatoes).
• increase heat resistance over our hot spring and summer.  (potted plants have a really hard time in the heat because as well as the plant on top, the sides of the pots and hence their soil and roots can bake as well.)

3. Water isn't left on plant leaves

• diseases such as powdery mildew less likely to develop
• leaves less likely to get burnt by water droplets heated by the sun

How does a self watering pot work?

Self watering planters work by providing a reservoir of water that is wicked up into the soil so that  the plants can draw on it.  The size of the reservoir allows for enough water to last the plant longer than regular watering can, and the supply is constant.  

They are not magic - they can’t entirely water themselves - they do need to have water added to the reservoir. The soil also needs to be top watered to start them off and to fertilise if you use methods that benefit the leaves as well (such as seaweed or fish fertilisers).  Care must be taken with fertilising to avoid the buildup of salts in the reservoir, because excess fertiliser will be fed back to the plant rather than draining away.

Diagram Copyright by Megan Michie

The key elements of a self watering pot:

• Space for plant, with drainage holes for excess water added from above to escape into the reservoir

• Reservoir to store the water

• Wick to provide a means for the water to move from the reservoir into the soil and roots of the plant by capillary action.

• Overflow outlet to prevent reservoir from overfilling and water logging the whole pot. The presence of an overflow outlet creates a layer of air in the reservoir above it and below the bottom of the soil to aerate the soil to maintain the air pockets needed in the potting mix for good root growth.

• Water inlet - to allow water to be added to the reservoir.

Over following posts I will describe some designs for self watering pots, how I made them and how they are working out.