Rabbit Season, Thrips Season, Rabbit Season....

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by VC Scott

Take a sheet of white paper to the tomato patch. Bend over a flowering branch and tap the flowers on the white paper. If you see tiny dark speck on the white paper that start to move after a second or two, you have thrips.

Spinosad does take care of thrips. My problem using spinosad is that it seems to kill off the natural enemy of tomato russet mites. Whenever I use spinosad, I end up with a tomato russet mite invasion.

Alternate between the Spinosad and DE. It will knock everything dead in the garden. I used to feel bad i was killing beneficials but then i realized i dont need beneficials if everythings dead. After years a fighting a major uphill battle i found this combination to be by far the best.

[tryno12]

dang rodents attack small plants - 6 generations of the #@!%@$ and i am a poor shot w/pellet gun...........so no beans or other veggies except toms (set out plants or protect the young ones).....not fun!

[MissS]

Well tryno12 you are really lucky to only have dealt with 5 generations of them. I'm really good with my pellet gun but I am not allowed to use it where I live now. I have to resort to using poison, traps and luring in the local coyotes with coyote urine. The coyotes work great!

Imp I was reading my local gourmet club activities and they are offering a night of preparing.... RABBIT. I think that I shall attend.

Originally Posted by tryno12

dang rodents attack small plants - 6 generations of the #@!%@$ and i am a poor shot w/pellet gun...........so no beans or other veggies except toms (set out plants or protect the young ones).....not fun!

[Gardeneer]

Rabbit can be kept off simply by using a thing called "RABBIT FENCE". It is a special wire fence, 24" wide/tall made just for this purpose. I have used plastic but they chew it and get in.

[tryno12]

every now and then get a cyote come thru but home builders have taken the field and woods nearby so no owls now either. just put 7 yds. compost in raised bed (20 X 5.5 X 18") and have a bunch od gingers seeds starting to sprout - don't know best kind of light to keep them from getting stringy, can't put them out for a month............
yes, i will put up a short fence for the rabbits around the top of bed so we put in a few peas and beans

[imp]

Originally Posted by MissS

Well tryno12 you are really lucky to only have dealt with 5 generations of them. I'm really good with my pellet gun but I am not allowed to use it where I live now. I have to resort to using poison, traps and luring in the local coyotes with coyote urine. The coyotes work great!

Imp I was reading my local gourmet club activities and they are offering a night of preparing.... RABBIT. I think that I shall attend.

Yum! You'll have to share recipes if you go. I DO like fried smothered rabbit with cat head biscuits and fresh butter!

Coyotes are very smart and adaptable. And they do keep vermin down, too, so that is good.