Dayton "Dirt" - June 21, 2013

This past week with yet another 2 inches of rain in the area has brought the soil moisture back to “normal” levels and has now set the stage for good growth for the vegetable garden now that the nighttime temperatures have warmed. Timely “to dos” include spraying veggies and flowers with Bi-Carb to prevent powdery mildew, applying a slow-release fertilizer to the lawn, preventive grub control and slug control with the wet weather. I like “Sluggo” for slug control as it’s inexpensive to use and the salt, iron- phosphate is not harmful to domestic animals or wildlife like metaldehyde products. While spider mites are at bay with the cool, wet weather, it’s still necessary to check for the little devils by shaking a mite susceptible plant’s branch on a white sheet of paper to see if any brown specs “run” on the paper. A miticide such as the Bayer Tree and Shrub protection would be in order for mite control among other insects with non-food types of plants. Sadly, many excellent mite and insect controls are not available to the general public because of EPA restrictions or the fact that the manufacturer will not package the product for smaller consumer amounts because of economic reasons. Such is the case with “Solve your Bird Problems” or Methyl Anthranilate for crops such as blueberries and sweet corn. The product is available only in a 2½ gallon jug or larger for more than $300.00! The chemical occurs naturally in grapes and is an irritant to birds. This EPA, FDA approved product can be sprayed right on the fruit and will not alter its flavor for human consumption. I have applied this product this past week to our ready-to-ripen blueberries in order to repel the ravenous robins and even worse - the geese! I hope it works as the blueberries will be safe and the birds will not be harmed. A small unsprayed remote patch of blueberries would be in order so that the birds could get some nourishment especially for robins, cardinals and blue jays. Seiberling Farms has 15 gallons in stock to spray on ripening sweet corn as last year one whole field of about 7 acres was destroyed by birds! Just remember too that it’s great to live in a state like Ohio with its vast water resources as other states have to struggle with low water supplies and wildfires among other weather related problems. Tom