What Is Electronic Control Module

Watering is never more important than during a plant's first days in the ground. Cucurbits also need side-dressing, as do tomatoes and peppers. While we begin to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of our labors, plenty of work still needs our attention.

They show up on new shoots, crowns and undersides of leaves on fruit and vegetable plants, ornamentals, flowers and shade trees. As gardening season gets into full swing and some parts of the country are experiencing height of summer temperatures already,...

Typically I recommend covering cole crops with floating row cover to keep pests away, but in the case of cabbage root flies, covering them too early may actually trap newly emerged adult flies underneath the row cover, so instead I turn to making cabbage...

Disadvantages: Overspray onto butterfly host plants can kill butterfly caterpillars. Predators and Parasites Lady beetles and green lacewings prey on hornworm eggs and early larval stages, and Japanese paper wasps ( Polistes spp.) will attack and feed...

His crop of amaranth weeds will give the birds lots of seeds to eat, and they are part of the overall digestive system that is an integral part of his operation. “Weeds are No. 1,” he says.

When it comes to weeds, there's no single right way to eradicate them. You often need to think about your weed management plan before you even plant your garden because the arrangement and spacing of your plants can often help minimize weed pressure.

By encouraging pollinators and making toad hiding spots, it gives toads a chance play a part in the garden food web. If you were a toad, would you want to live there, or would your life be in danger every few weeks as a lawn mower comes ripping through?

Take a look at what you do in your garden and make sure you are maintaining proper cultural practices. It's easy to wash off of harvested crops and is completely safe. « More Dirt on Gardening » Tags beneficial insects , birds , kaolin clay , Lists...

Straw, hay, chopped leaves, shredded hardwood, untreated grass clippings and compost form a protective barrier over the soil and prevent weed-seed emergence. The best time to do this chore is before weed seeds have a chance to germinate.

Let your own tolerance be your guide, bringing weeds in check when you feel they are impacting your bottom line to an undesirable point. Large weeds require a lot more fuel to kill and are more likely to recover if all the tissue is not killed.” Flamers...

« More Dirt on Gardening » Tags beneficial insects , organic pesticide , pest insects , pest management , pests , spinosad These products (brand names include Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew, Entrust, Green Light and Monterey Garden Insect Spray) are made...

If you don't see the culprit, look for the slime trails or visit the garden at night. North American Geographical Range: all Seasons of Prevalence: spring, summer and fall Control Techniques: Cover susceptible plants with floating row cover until harvest.

« More Dirt on Gardening » Tags fencing , groundhogs , Havahart trap , vegetable garden It's illegal in my state to move a nuisance animal to a new site, so I suspect the game commission officer will take him away.

In the heat of the summer, some take to flipping the tarps to their lighter-colored side in hotter months so as not to harm the soil microbial life with excess heat. Because these tarps are heavy, they are actually more susceptible to wind than light...

These seeds have few energy reserves and need to be on the surface to get enough sunlight to germinate. Give each box a generous overlap of about 4 to 6 inches on all sides. Spreading grasses are dormant in the cool part of the year: They can't be starved...

« More Dirt on Gardening » Tags garden , Jessica Walliser I love the miniature daffodils for our smaller gardens and along the pathways where their petite stature can be appreciated.

Treatment should be delivered when weeds are 1 to 2 inches tall. However, the practice is quite safe. The most practical units for hobby farmers are the manual hand-held torches, push cart or wagon.

To keep them from making a meal of my cole crops this year, I have covered all susceptible plants with floating row cover the day they were planted. Any cabbage worms on it will die and float to the top, keeping them out of the cooking pot and off of...

They seem to be our herd's favorite summer treats. But, our browse is not as heavy as some other areas near where we live. It might be a bad year for my hostas, heucheras, and sunflowers.

When disturbed, the caterpillars curl into a “C” shape. Again, the pencil or pen prevents the cutworm from chewing away the full circumference of the plant stem. Slip a tube section around each transplant, making sure the bottom of the tube is nestled...

The eggs are soon followed by small, army-green, slug-like larvae. It's time to head out and cut back last year's asparagus ferns. Asparagus ferns can have some sharp points on them, but if the patch isn't cut back and cleaned out every spring, I'm practically...

I'm considering moving them to another bed entirely so I can smother out any remaining weeds with a thick layer of mulch and finally get a handle on them. I'm thinking that in the long run, it doesn't really matter.

If large populations are present, there are some organic controls and pesticides available on the commercial market, but I highly recommend talking to your local extension agent about any potential treatments as ideal management plans differ regionally.

Several passes with a flame weeder, a few days or weeks apart, may be needed to adequately suppress grasses. Repeated flaming can likewise be used to suppress perennial weeds that have stored energy in their roots or stems, allowing them to regrow after...

Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home magazines are your resources for rural living. Large dogs can discourage deer from coming onto your property altogether, and smaller dogs can be great for gopher control.

Suburbia has encroached on their territory, and as a result, they're turning more and more to landscape plants as a food source. Set up a motion-activated sprinkler near the garden and hook it up to the hose.

Vitamin E and rosemary oil, tossed in as perservatives. Other benefits: The insecticidal soaps target pests with one application, reducing labor costs. Lewis, founder and president of Pharm Solutions, says, “We think every pesticide sold should be USDA/National...