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| Ladybugs are named after the Virgin Mary. They are voracious pest eaters in all stages of life, but vulnerable to sprays and "safe" oils. |
I was trying to figure out how long it would take to catch up with my mother's knowledge of insects and wildflowers. She published articles on butterflies and moths, with expert photos included. When I read a gardening book about beneficial insects, I recalled her constant advice - "Leave the bugs alone. The beneficial insects will take care of the bad ones." We would be outdoors and she would find an interesting one, hold it in her hand, and demonstrate how safe it was.
One of the biggest mistakes in gardening is to resort to insecticides and oils to take care of a pest. That will work temporarily, but those measures are even more effective against beneficial insects and spiders. Almost all bugs are beneficial, so a bugspray will wipe out the whole population in one area and allow the worst pests to come back before the beneficial insects recover.
An edible oil is not toxic by itself, but when used to get rid of pests, the oil will also suffocate the eggs of good insects, like the ladybug.
People seem content to view weeds, bugs, and certain birds as bad, but God created them all for specific purposes. Our helper continues to worry about the crabgrass in the sunny garden, where tomatoes are forming and ripening. I see the tangle of crabgrass and vines as green manure. They will provide the carbohydrates for the soil creatures below, where the richness of their chemistry will be locked into the top layer of soil for next year's garden. If a tomato is damaged and not good to bring indoors, I smash it into the soil so it the seeds will volunteer new plants next year.
I also want trashy areas for bugs and birds. The lawn is in great shape, simply from the mulching mower, but a grassy area limits life above ground. There is nothing like a wild patch for spiders and birds to find their food. Across the street is a maple filled with one type of bird each night. I am not sure which species, but they want to eat in the morning and evening. I want our yard to be a spa for birds, so they stop by to bathe, to drink, and to feed on pests.
The invention of labor in gardening continues to fascinate me. Every time I mention roses, someone responds "Work! All the work! The spraying, the pruning..." The gardening books are no help. They outline big projects that make me tired when I read about them. Why build condos for compost when a little chicken wire works?
Asparagus is a good example. As farm boys know, it is often found along fences, where birds rested and deposited the seed - with fertilizer.
Now read a gardening book. Dig a big trench and fill it with compost hauled from the three-stage compost condominium complex that you built with your carpenter friend. Put the mature plants in deep. Cover with soil, then wait, and cover with more soil or compost. And again. And again. But I ask, "The birds just sit on a fence. Why?"
The key to asparagus is time and rich soil. I have chosen an area where I will plant asparagus in mushroom compost and cover with organic material, including newspaper, mulch, and compost. Earthworms will distribute the organic matter and fungi will feed the roots. The overhead soaker hose will keep them watered. The thick spears will be harvested and the rest will fern out to feed the enormous roots. I will buy praying mantis eggs cases to populate the area with the nemesis of the asparagus beetle.
