Comments on: A healthy ecosystem in an unappealing wrapper http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/ Organic Gardening and homesteading Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:05:15 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Nika http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Nika Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:39:14 +0000 http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/#comment-37 Kathy: Glad you like it! Yeah, I definitely need to have a lot more cilantro in my life next year :-) I love it so much I could eat it as a salad almost. It seems that the greater diversity and definitely the greater "bloomage" you have going on the better you are with the good bugs. We even have hummingbird who come to sip out red flowered beans. Its neat to stand below the red flowers ad watch the hummers sip with no care for me being so close. Kathy: Glad you like it! Yeah, I definitely need to have a lot more cilantro in my life next year :-) I love it so much I could eat it as a salad almost.

It seems that the greater diversity and definitely the greater “bloomage” you have going on the better you are with the good bugs.

We even have hummingbird who come to sip out red flowered beans. Its neat to stand below the red flowers ad watch the hummers sip with no care for me being so close.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Kathy Fri, 24 Aug 2007 07:41:14 +0000 http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/#comment-35 What a gorgeous, verdant garden! I hope to have one as large as that next year. Will keep the tip for companion planting cilantro with tomatoes. I have a lot of assorted flowers in the garden currently (marigolds, calendula, cosmos, broccoli gone to flower, sunflowers) and had noticed almost no harmful insects at all. Pretty nice, especially since I've been neglecting the plot far too often lately. What a gorgeous, verdant garden! I hope to have one as large as that next year. Will keep the tip for companion planting cilantro with tomatoes. I have a lot of assorted flowers in the garden currently (marigolds, calendula, cosmos, broccoli gone to flower, sunflowers) and had noticed almost no harmful insects at all. Pretty nice, especially since I’ve been neglecting the plot far too often lately.

]]> By: Nika http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Nika Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:43:45 +0000 http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/#comment-33 Ingrid: thanks! Wild about the cilantro. I looked up companion planting for tomatoes when I was planting the garden and didnt come across cilantro (I planted that somewhere else) bu that doesnt mean its not supposed to grow there! Sounds like its a great thing to grow. I grew parsley and oregano and basil and the base of the tomatoes. I too have learned so much! I used a dripper hose and tried hard not to spray the branches. next year i am keeping my seeds of change tomatoes FAR from ones bought elsewhare. I will also space better, like you. I have read about "rock dust" at PTF and elsewhere but did not pay enough attention on what it is and why to use it. Will look in to it too! Ingrid: thanks! Wild about the cilantro. I looked up companion planting for tomatoes when I was planting the garden and didnt come across cilantro (I planted that somewhere else) bu that doesnt mean its not supposed to grow there! Sounds like its a great thing to grow. I grew parsley and oregano and basil and the base of the tomatoes.

I too have learned so much! I used a dripper hose and tried hard not to spray the branches.

next year i am keeping my seeds of change tomatoes FAR from ones bought elsewhare. I will also space better, like you.

I have read about “rock dust” at PTF and elsewhere but did not pay enough attention on what it is and why to use it. Will look in to it too!

]]> By: Ingrid http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Ingrid Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:50:35 +0000 http://www.humblegarden.com/2007/08/16/ecosystem/#comment-32 Hi Nika! I love your riotous garden! Absolutely gorgeous! I had a hornworm problem as well this year, but luckily for me I accidentally let my cilantro plants go to seed. I was not familiar with how easily they bolt in hot weather, and suddenly these long stalks of tiny white flowers were blooming away. Well, guess what attracts those parasitic wasps? I did a little research and found out that they happen to love the blooming cilanto. It was only a short buzz over to my tomatoes, and soon the hornworms were history. Thank goodness I only had to pick a few and squish them - the wasps took care of the rest! So next year I will plant cilantro for my cooking use, and plenty extra to go to seed near the tomatoes. I also had a wilt problem; this year's garden has taught me an abundance of lessons. My mistakes were planting too closely, so not enough air circulation between plants, and splashing water on the plants. Next year lots of room and a drip system. I have also read not to plant tomatoes in the same plot for 3 years, and not to compost the diseased tomato vines, burn them or throw them out in the garbage. It is a soil-borne disease, and will infect next years crop. Tomatillos sound good - I think you have inspired me to try them next year! Have you had any experience with rock dust as a soil amendment? I've been reading about it on the Path to Freedom website, it sounds intriguing. Hi Nika! I love your riotous garden! Absolutely gorgeous! I had a hornworm problem as well this year, but luckily for me I accidentally let my cilantro plants go to seed. I was not familiar with how easily they bolt in hot weather, and suddenly these long stalks of tiny white flowers were blooming away. Well, guess what attracts those parasitic wasps? I did a little research and found out that they happen to love the blooming cilanto. It was only a short buzz over to my tomatoes, and soon the hornworms were history. Thank goodness I only had to pick a few and squish them – the wasps took care of the rest! So next year I will plant cilantro for my cooking use, and plenty extra to go to seed near the tomatoes.

I also had a wilt problem; this year’s garden has taught me an abundance of lessons. My mistakes were planting too closely, so not enough air circulation between plants, and splashing water on the plants. Next year lots of room and a drip system. I have also read not to plant tomatoes in the same plot for 3 years, and not to compost the diseased tomato vines, burn them or throw them out in the garbage. It is a soil-borne disease, and will infect next years crop.

Tomatillos sound good – I think you have inspired me to try them next year! Have you had any experience with rock dust as a soil amendment? I’ve been reading about it on the Path to Freedom website, it sounds intriguing.

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