Sunday, September 25, 2011

Fall Growing

My hoop house growing has had a set back. I've never had trouble with cutworms and caterpillars before, but now I seem to have a plague of them. I am wondering if they arrived with some composted cow manure I bought and added to the soil, only to discover it wasn't very nice at all.

Jeff and I have been looking for pests and squishing all we find. I'm hoping our friendly toads will eat some of them! The toads have made themselves at home in the hoop house and there are little 'toad wallows' here and there where they dig in a little for coolness and moisture. They amuse me, but they also startle me sometimes when I am planting or weeding and they shrug up out of the soil!

The pests have been attacking my parsley, basil, cilantro and broccoli. They have demolished the beets and spinach. They even got inside collars when I tried to protect the seedlings...boy, was I mad then!

So far, the collards, radishes and carrots are doing ok, but I'm a little afraid to say this in case I am jinxed! Some little radish seedlings:

I know things will get better, but it is frustrating at the moment to plant and watch it get eaten. However, I LOVE the hoop house! I am looking forward to writing up my last construction post to show you the roll up side and the doors on hinges.

3 comments:

2paw said...

Toads would frighten me too. Oh those dratted pests devouring your crops, I would be mad too!!

Kristen said...

I'm a toad lover! The more the merrier! The only ones I've seen this year are by the chicken coop; I think they like to go underneath to keep cool. They should help to rid your hoop house of those nasty bugs.

knitseashore said...

How frustrating!!! I hope the toads will invite their friends since there is such a good amount of "party food" for them. :)