Saturday Morning, August 26, 2006 Will Autumn Ever Come???

Has this summer seemed endless to anyone else? Its 6:20A.M here on the funny farm. The roosters are crowing and I hear the dogs playing under the house and its muggy as heck already! Trying to decide whether or not to make a cup of coffee or tall glass of something cold! Couldn't sleep...I've not been able to do enough physical activity to get tired and the brain must be in overdrive. I'm getting really excited about our trip to M'boro next weekend and about the RU. Hubby and I are still having the car or motorcycle debate. I want to be able to haul and he wants to ride so we'll see (oh, I already know the outome - he rarely loses in the drive vs ride debate)> He swears if we ride this time, he'll bring the car in the Spring. I think he has ulterior motives - he doesn't want to have to dig any more holes or beds!

Old pic, but one of my favorites.

Boy I hate to rush these things... (fall). I want cooler/wetter but... I am already noticing the lack of daylight hours and suffering the urge to hibernate. More sleep, more fattening food. Wouldn't want to wish rain on the RU, would make a car the better option tho... : ))

Oh, I agree - a break from the heat would be great! But when it comes, the rainy days, shorter days, and eventually frosty nights come with it. I keep telling myself that we still have a good six weeks of frost-free weather - and that's a long time. But I know it'll zip by quick - it always does.

I'm determined to get my GH cleaned out, a layer of pea gravel down, more shelves put in, and generally get it ready to go, otherwise I'll be scrambling late next month or October to get it ready to start bringing in stuff.

The morning here in Pocahontas stayed about 75 to 80 until ten o'clock when the cloud cover blew away... Had to move the bulldogs into the a/c.

The Old Farmer's Almanac says September will average 73.5° (2.5° below avg.)
Precipitation for the month will total 3.5" (1" below avg.)
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Sep. 1-7: Warm, humid, t-storms
Sep. 8-14: Sunny, cool
Sep. 15-20: Sunny, warm
Sep. 21-30: T-storms, then sunny; cool
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Do yall have any rain forecasted for this weekend? They say we have 70% chance today and 80% chance tomorrow --- we'll see!!!

Something like 20% today, 30% tomorrow. With this heat, it would be nice if it triggered an afternoon thundershower!

This forum surely is too quiet!!! I've not felt like posting and I just figured everyone else was feeling the same.

I've been heavy into research and feeling low because I've worked so hard to keep my brugs alive, but now I have an infestation of spider mites. HOWEVER I am on the mend...

I was ripping out brugs for the burn pile, when all of a sudden I thought ... if I'm going to burn them, I might as well experiment on them first, so what if it kills them. lol lol We're talking serious experiments here... the flame thrower (I read 111 degrees water bath will kill them so I'm wondering what a singe will do, kinda like holding a masrhmellow over the flame), double doses of some chemicals, clorox sprays, dips and other such stuff!!! If I could just get the right attitude, this could be fun.

When I started telling Bob what I was planning, he looked at me as if I had gone over the edge. To give me time to reconsider, we went roaming NE Mississippi. We had loads of fun, which we both needed since this spider mite situation had gotten us too serious.

See you over coffee in the morning!!

Judy

We looked for a flame thrower tonight. Couldn't find one! I guess we're goingi to have the manufacture one of our own. Anyone ever watch "Tool Time" ? I wish I could get my DH to tone down his "tweaking" of power tools to be as tame as Tim the toolman Taylor....

Here are some tips for the DIYer: http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/LTRAS/itech/flame.html

And here are some off-the-shelf models: http://www.flameengineering.com/Weed_Dragon.html

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/subcategory.aspx?category=292&subcategory=563

Terry, interesting links, Thanks.

JD, let your husband experiment, then when he has a working model, he can make me one!! My Judy size model is, not designed for ease of use nor it is powerful enough.

Good Morning Everyone!!

Judy

Morning Judy!

I'm off to work on the brugs!!! See you all when it gets too hot outside.

Judy

Judy, are you experimenting today? Keep us abreast of the progress?

Sorry, I didn't mean to rush things for you folks further north. Its just that I can put on enough clothes to stay warm but can't seem to really beat the heat. I'm looking forward to some cool weather yard work as well. Right now, the ground is hard, the knats and mosquitos are buzzing and its dry dry here. But I'll sweat it out and hope you guys have more long days and warm weather to enjoy.

We're calling this thread the weekend thread!!!

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Out of the first 15 small pots of brugs:

4 - totally clean
2 - went into the burn pile
1 - a virus I believe, so I'm going to call the Ag Agent & ask him to visit
1- between two branches, I could see a small web with 3 live mites moving around inside it but thumping of the leaves did not produce live mites on the white cardboard.
7 - I really had to look hard and do a lot of thumping of leaves but did eventually a live mite or two fell on the cardboard.

I treated the last two groups with a double blast, the first to kill live mites and their eggs, plus a systemic as a preventive.
1) Schultz Fruit & Vegetable Insect Spray, because the plants were small and there was minimum danger using the product plus it is both a miticide and ovicide. http://www.schultz.com/ProductCategories/IndoorInsecticides/FruitsVegetablesInsectSpray/

Edited this to post a WARNING
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Update *******

Crispy Fried Brug Leaves !!!!!

The Schultz "Garden Safe Brand" Fruit & Vegetable Insect Spray fried the leaves. I tried it on the tomato plants first and it didn't fry them, but it sure fried the brugs. Oh well either they will put back out or they'll go in the burn pile, as I first intended. I will post an update later.
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2) Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Systemic Rose and Flower Care Ready-To-Use Granules http://www.bayeradvanced.com/garden/products/details.cfm?id=3 with kills spider mites.

These brugs were across the yard from the brugs identified with broad mites, therefore I'm hopeful they do not have them. I isolated these brugs from all others after the above treament and marked them with "BS" meaning Bayer/Scultz treatment.

4 clean brugs got Bayer Advanced 2-in1 - they are isolated from all others

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I cooked hamburgers for lunch and now it's back outside to work on the brugs.

Judy




This message was edited Aug 27, 2006 4:33 PM

Judy -
Funny that you used Bayer. That's what hubby brought back from lowes last night. That's what he treated everything in pots with since I'm adament that these bugs are going to leave, not me or my plants. :-)

I use it all the time on Bob's roses to feed and prevent problems. Now I've used it on the hibiscus and brugs for insects. The fertilizer formular isn't right for the brugs, but the Systemic pesticide is just what they needed.

Judy

Update *******

Crispy Fried Brug Leaves !!!!!

The Schultz "Garden Safe Brand" Fruit & Vegetable Insect Spray fried the leaves. I tried it on the tomato plants first and it didn't fry them, but it sure fried the brugs. Oh well either they will put back out or they'll go in the burn pile, as I first intended. I will post an update later.

Judy

msfarmergirl - You have d-mail. We have to meet up when you come through here going to Murfresboro? I wonder if it has one or two 'e(s)'

Judy