Monday, September 07, 2015

The greens are back

Last spring, Ken planted some kale and collard green seeds. We set the little plants out in the garden and almost immediately they were attacked by flea beetles. The plants were ravaged as the beetles pierced the leaves with thousands of tiny holes. I tried some insecticidal soap to no avail. We thought the plants were goners and, indeed, the kale disappeared.

Nice looking collard greens. I've since cut back some that encroaching zucchini (top).

Just a couple of weeks ago, as summer's dry heat wave abated, we noticed that the beetles were gone and that new leaves started to grow on the surviving collard plants. Today they look great and we're looking forward to our first harvest. It may be time to plant more seeds for a fall/winter crop.

2 comments:

  1. "It may be time to plant more seeds for a fall/winter crop. "....
    Yup!
    And most of the Chinese veg... Pak Choi and Mibuna do very well...
    as does Green-in-Snow... there is a hint in the name of that last one....
    also Mustard Greens.... the red leaved one is particularly tasty...
    and over-winters well... I think the dark leaves pick up heat as well as goodness from a weak winter sun...
    also Marvel of Four Seasons lettuce....
    and green manures like mustard...
    which you can cut and rotavate in just before you rake your leaves over the patch.

    Especially now the flea beetles have fled!!
    T

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