Getting plenty of rain during the spring months was a good thing, as all of the perennials were able to grow lots of nice roots, and get fortified for the summer. However, it is a bit deceiving as it caused me to plan on a fine garden in May, and put me in denial about the coming hot, rainless months, in which the garden has to fight stress.
In Georgia we are in another drought and the most used tool now, is the garden hose. I alternate mornings to get things watered, before the sun is so demanding on my energy. Because my garden is scattered about, it can't all be done in one day. My first chore was to pull up all of the leaf lettuce, not because it did not look good, but because it was bitter. I did not like this leaf lettuce as much as I had thought I would. Thus, it was not eaten in a timely manner, before it became bitter. Next year I will plant romaine, and less of it. I am very fond of romaine and will be sure to use it myself or share.
I met a new enemy this morning as I was bending over to move the hose around. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a movement. Upon closer inspection I saw what I thought were fleas because they did not fly, or crawl. They did little hops to move about. They were on the side of the concrete blocks that form the walls of the raised beds. I made a mental note to research fleas in the garden.
The first call I made was to my favorite free, information agency, the County Extension Office. The agents are aways so knowledgeable about any problem you present to them. This agent said it sounded like flea beetles. They favor eggplant. Their eggs are laid in the soil and I suppose they emerge when it is time to eat on the eggplant. I do not have eggplant in my garden but the flea beetles are there anyway. My next step in research was to see what the online sources had to say about flea beetles, especially in how to combat them. The solution is to put yellow sticky traps about for them to hop onto. The other suggestion was to use the sticky fly paper available in the hardware stores. I remembered seeing those in my storage shed, so I went out to be sure I did have some, and happily, I did have three of the little rolls.
I waited a while to go down and try out the fly paper but when I went to put up the paper, I only saw about two of the little pests. I did put up the paper anyway, as they could not have hopped too far away.
The last thing I expected to find in my garden was this pesky flea beetle. Since I try to use organic practices in my garden this sticky fly paper fits into my plan.
The agent did say that if I could bring one in to him, he could make a definite identification. I have no idea how you would catch one of those hopping insects, so I will go on the theory that he did identify it accurately. Also, I put out the fly paper, so that is good enough for me, done deal!
It is always nice to fine the solution to a problem right on the premises, as in my Cedar house shed.
If you see little jumping bugs on your eggplant you might want to decorate your plant with fly paper, winding it around the leaves. It was not something I had planned on doing but when an obstacle presents intself, it is satisfying to find the solution without resorting to toxic sprays.
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