Life goes on in the vineyard. First the happy stuff like the adorable baby grapes on my Edelweiss grapes. Unfortunately this is way too many grapes on a plant that has been in the ground less than 13 months.
Later this week I will have to thin the clusters to one or two per plant. I know it is what is best for the plant but it sure hurts to drop those healthy grapes.
And now for the unhappy stuff....
The Japanese have invaded, Japanese Beetles (or is it Beatles?) that is. We need to prune off the extra vegetation and tie up the canes so we can spray to control these nasty little pest and put a stop to this damage. I really hate to use a chemical spray but there are way too many to hand pick this year. Research shows that the pheromone traps actually attract more beetles than they destroys. So until someone discovers a natural predator, I guess I'll spray.
Hi Waste Not Farmers :)
ReplyDeleteIn the 90's I had a recently cleared area woodland to turn into a garden and as I "farmed" the Japanese Beetles invaded...One word: chickens! They love to eat these beetles. So I did the pheromone traps set into cutouts in the lids of 55 gal plastic garbage cans with a little soapy water at the bottom, 5 of them. Soap is important to keep the bugs from flying out. 2 or 3 times a day I'd empty the traps and use a strainer to scoop out the bugs and slap them into a pail with a lid. Then off we'd go to the chicken coop where I'd again slap them onto the ground, stunning them, and the birds would rush in for the treats. I also collected from the neighbors and together we cleaned up the area, slowly but steadily. The next year we had very few beetles. Very work intensive but very, oh, "green". Good luck with your house and gardens and growing family!