A reader wrote in with a problem regarding some sort of slippery mold discovered in her yard:

I was walking in the back of my yard today and almost slipped on this slippery mold-like substance. It is spread out over a vast area. It looks like little piles of slimy poop, but no animal could possibly scatter that much in the area without me seeing it! It’s everywhere! Can you help me identify it? It’s black, in piles about 3 or 4 inches around.

Our response, which we hope was helpful:

It seems like this could be a version of Dog Vomit fungus (nice name right?) – in which case you might take a look at this recent post on our blog: I Have Slime Mold In The Mulch In My Garden!

It could also be a mold called Nostoc, which starts out bluish/greenish but can turn black.

All mold/fungus is slimy and slippery, usually popping up after significant rainfall especially if the area never has a chance to dry out.

What can you do?

For long-term, you may want to look at how that part of your yard is draining. If drainage is poor, you may want to get a landscaper in to correct the slope or lay some drainage piping.

Short-term, try these techniques:

Most organic approaches:

• Apple Cider Vinegar – Use 1-2 Tablespoons per gallon of water. This is a good natural herbicide.
• Corn Meal (any kind of corn meal is OK) – Dry Method: Work 2 pounds of cornmeal into the soil for every 100 square feet. Water well, to activate the fungus killing properties. Wet Method: Cornmeal Juice – soak 1 cup of cornmeal in 1 gallon of water overnight. Strain liquid and use as a spray.
• Milk – 3 ounces of any kind of milk in a gallon of water used as a spray.
• Baking Soda – One tablespoon of baking soda per gallon of water, use as a spray. Follow up with compost at 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet to reestablish microbial population, as baking soda is very hard on the soil microbes.

Last resort – non organic:

• Bleaches and Peroxide – great fungicides. 1-2 tblsp per gallon of water.

Good luck!

Joyce & Gayle

Not all insects are pests.

There are many beneficial insects that you should welcome into your flower or vegetable garden.

Be careful using broad spectrum pesticides! You may kill the insects that are helping you keep other pests away. Insects also benefit your garden by pollinating your plants.
 
How to attract and keep good bugs in your garden:

Food
Its cheaper and easier to the good bugs you already have in your garden than to buy them at a nursery.

Many beneficial insects need to sip flower nectar to survive. Many beneficial insects need flower nectar to survive. To keep these insects in your garden, make sure to plant nectar producing flowers and a variety of plants that will bloom as many months during the year as possible. Plants in the cabbage, carrot and sunflower family will attract beneficial insects.

Not-so-Good Bugs
Ants can prevent good bugs from controlling aphids in your garden, so try to keep ants in check.

Don’t use persistent, broad-spectrum, contact insecticides.
These kill off good and bad bugs, but the bad ones will usually find their way back to your garden faster than the good bugs. So you’ll end up having to use more and more insecticide.

Pamper Your Spiders. Cover bare dirt with dead leaves or grass clippings to provide shelter for spiders. Spiders are the number one insect predator. 

Here is a list of some other beneficial insects:

• Dragonflies appear in a variety of colors. They have long narrow bodies, large compound eyes and four transparent wings.  They can be as big as 6 inches long and they eat mosquitoes, aphids and gnats.
• Praying mantises are brownish insects with wings. They are 3-4 inches long. They eat moths, flies and mosquitoes.
• Ground beetles are about 1 inch long and are iridescent black or brown. They eat soil-dwelling pests such as slugs and snails.
• Ladybugs or Lady beetles are the most familiar insect predator. Most ladybugs are round to oval with bright colors and are often spotted. Ladybugs eat aphids, mites, scales and insect eggs. Lady bugs are very effective in reducing infestations
• Pirate bugs are ½ inch long and are black and silver. They will eat spider mites, caterpillars and thrips.
• Soldier beetles are ½ inch long flat bodied beetle with a narrow, black abdomen and bright red head. They eat cucumber beetles, aphids, caterpillars and grasshopper eggs.
• Assassin bugs are ½ to 1 inch long light brown-green bugs that have a cone-shaped head and a long antennae. They eat a variety of pest in your garden including flies, mosquitoes, beetles and large caterpillars.

• Green Lacewings  are one of the best insects to have in your garden. The green lacewings vary in length from about ½ to ¾ inch. Some have gold or copper colored eyes. You can easily recognize their light green bodies with large clear oval shaped wings that they fold above their bodies. They eat aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, small caterpillars and the eggs of several kinds of destructive beetles.

 Do your best to keep good bugs in your garden and you’ll have a successful garden!

Do you have a tip for gardeners? Send it to us and we may post it here to help other gardners with common planting questions and issues. Click here to contact BornToGarden.com

Vegetable Gardening: A Report from the Furrows

This year we had a bounty of cucumbers, and so, we also had a bounty of cucumber seeds.

Now, what to do with those seeds?

No, we are not going to spit them at our little sister…tempting perhaps, but no. There are much better uses for cucumber seeds:

One of the smartest things to do would be to save them for next year. Storing seeds is both a wise and economical choice. Instead of buying the cucumber seedlings from a nursery or a garden center, you can grow your own. It not only saves you some money, but the tiny seedlings are fun to watch grow, especially know that they are your very own.

To store your seeds until next season –

• Remove them from the plant gently and wash them, make sure you get any plant debris off of them.
• After that, take an air-tight jar and put the seeds in it. You can also add a packet of silica gel (you know those strange packets you often find in the pocket of a new suitcase or purse) to absorb any moisture.
• Next you need a nice cool place for them. It is essential that the spot you keep them in is dry and dark, otherwise the seeds will rot and you will end up with a cucumber shortage. A basement is a good spot – as long as it is not too damp. Another good spot is in the refrigerator, if you can spare the space, as the cold temperature will help preserve them.

What if you forget about your cucumber seeds in the back of the fridge next year?

Well, just in case you don’t plant the cucumber seeds next year, not to worry. They are good for up to four years.

***However, the older the seed, the longer it might take to germinate and the plants may not be as strong as they could be. So, its best to replenish your seed stock freshly every year.

Good luck! Don’t forget to let us know how your garden is doing and what your plans for the fall are! Click here to send us your garden news.