Where Do Bugs Get Off The Train? At The Infestation!!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter long weekend. There were many celebrations by many faiths that occurred over this last week. The Sikh faith celebrated Vaisakhi which occurs every year on the 13 or 14th of April. It is the biggest Sikh celebration and is also celebrated by some of the Hindu faith and is about the beginning of the harvest in Punjab. Over half a million people united to celebrate in Surrey.
The Jewish faith ended on Sunday their observance of Passover a weeklong observance of their freedom from slavery in Egypt led by Moses referred to as the Exodus. Easter is the Christian celebration of Christ’s victory over death and is linked to the lunar cycle and occurs on the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the spring equinox so its dates are different every year.
There was also Earth Day on Monday I hope many made an observance of the many things we have done, are doing and need to do to protect our Earth and our lives on it. Its was also the opportunity to exercise our right and our duty to vote in the advance voting stations and this coming Monday will be the last day for us to exercise this privilege. Even Putin got into the spirit of the Easter celebration by offering a temporary cease fire on the Ukraines however he lied.
I’m sure many of us have lost plants that looked fantastic when we purchased them and then quickly looked sickly or just died. Many bulbs and perennials that were already planted previously that we enjoyed too seemed to have died over the winter. Often it is caused by creatures buried In the soil or that have overwintered in the bark of a shrub or tree in the form of eggs. These pests vary from Cutworms, Aphids, Spider Mites, Thrips, Codling Moth, Earwigs, Ants, Roaches, Beetles, Slugs and Snails to mention a few. All these pests can do serious harm to plants, bulbs, shrubs and trees silently and in very short time. 30 million years ago countless one celled plants called Diatom lived in the seas and oceans.
They built protective casing around themselves from the water and when they died these silica shells built into huge deposits turning into a soft, chalky rock that is mined and prepared for use in our gardens that is very affective and safe even if digested however caution must be taken not to inhale this powder as it is an abrasive silica that can cause inflammation and scaring if inhaled. Diatomaceous Earth works when eaten by the pest and then its sharp silica daggers pierce the exoskeleton and interrupts their ability to move, feed and reproduce. It also dehydrates them while improving the soils structure and water retention.
Diatomaceous Earth should be dusted on shrubs, trees and plants evenly and worked into the top few inches of the soil where pests reside.s. You will have to reapply it after a heavy rain or watering but it is inexpensive and easily found at hardware and plant supply stores. Diatomaceous Earth was used by the Chinese for over 4000 years but has only been used in North America since the 1950s. It is safe and actually good for dogs, cats and humans and will actually rid pets of internal parasites.
Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
