It is always preferable in my book to avoid using harmful chemicals in the garden wherever possible. It is inevitable each year that my broad bean tips will be infested with blackfly and it would be tempting to spray. But look closer and see these
harlequin ladybirds preparing to take advantage of the easy supply of food.
In fact, these male and female ladybirds appear to be getting excited over this abundant supply of food and decided to take advantage of the situation.
Doesn't it make sense to lay your eggs where the ladybird larvae will have an instant meal just half an inch from where they hatch?
So these little critters were 'at it' all day today, wiggling around and enjoying the warm Spring weather.
These yellow eggs are ladybird eggs, and just look how near they are to the blackfly. Isn't nature wonderful?
Meanwhile elsewhere on the plot, my frostbitten tomatoes have grown lots of side shoots and I have decided to experiment with a couple of plants. Above you can see that two new sideshoots grew out of the base pair of leaf axils on this
chocolate cherry tomato. I couldn't chose which one to chop off, so I wonder if I support both stems it will grow up as a twin? Has anyone tried this?
Another tomato plant just grew shoots everywhere after the frosting. Although this
Ildi tomato is supposed to be trained as a 1 stem cordon tomato, I am growing this one in a hanging basket to see what happens. It's great to experiment.
Elsewhere, do you remember I took side shoots as cuttings? well here they are just a week later already putting down root systems.
I have been brewing my own nettle and comfrey plant food at the end of the garden. This warm weather has ripened it off a treat. The stench is amazing. Just one cupful of this liquid feed in a 2 gallon watering can will be the right dilution for a great liquid tonic!
In fact, these male and female ladybirds appear to be getting excited over this abundant supply of food and decided to take advantage of the situation.
Doesn't it make sense to lay your eggs where the ladybird larvae will have an instant meal just half an inch from where they hatch?
So these little critters were 'at it' all day today, wiggling around and enjoying the warm Spring weather.
These yellow eggs are ladybird eggs, and just look how near they are to the blackfly. Isn't nature wonderful?
Meanwhile elsewhere on the plot, my frostbitten tomatoes have grown lots of side shoots and I have decided to experiment with a couple of plants. Above you can see that two new sideshoots grew out of the base pair of leaf axils on this chocolate cherry tomato. I couldn't chose which one to chop off, so I wonder if I support both stems it will grow up as a twin? Has anyone tried this?
Another tomato plant just grew shoots everywhere after the frosting. Although this Ildi tomato is supposed to be trained as a 1 stem cordon tomato, I am growing this one in a hanging basket to see what happens. It's great to experiment.
Elsewhere, do you remember I took side shoots as cuttings? well here they are just a week later already putting down root systems.
I have been brewing my own nettle and comfrey plant food at the end of the garden. This warm weather has ripened it off a treat. The stench is amazing. Just one cupful of this liquid feed in a 2 gallon watering can will be the right dilution for a great liquid tonic!