6.30.2010

weeds + water wednesday: ups + downs

it was a slightly dramatic week at the dew drop inn garden!

i was out one evening watering everything when i noticed that my purple basil was covered in tiny green bugs and sticky sap...
 

with a quick internet search i determined that the little suckers were aphids!  the sticky sap is called "honeydew" and is apparently a secretion from the bugs as they are devouring the plant.  yuck.

dismayed and annoyed, i considered options for removing them from my plant.  the most effective organic option seemed to be either neem oil or insecticidal soap.

so, i turned to my beloved next door neighbor for help and he gave me this...


this stuff gets rid of the bugs but keeps everything pesticide free. 

i washed off all the aphids and honeydew first, which was satisfying.

then, i mixed the concentrate with water in a spray bottle and thoroughly spritzed that poor purple plant. 

in the middle of treating the attacked basil, i looked over and shrieked with excitement.

i had discovered the first tomato...


it's hard to tell how teeny tiny it is.  

here is a photo with my fingers just so you have an idea...


after finding this one, i discovered several more...



how exciting!  

side note: tomato fuzz is just so darn cute.
 
phew.  

that was a dramatic balance of aphid anger and tomato jubilation.

in other garden news, i believe that my nitrogen rich fertilizer treatment earlier this week seems to have worked wonders on everything.

for example, my lettuce is suddenly extra green and boomin'...


i can hardly wait for a delicious salad straight out of that pot.

to top i all off, i have been writing about these details in my super cute garden journal from heidi at bury me in leaves...


that's the drama thus far.  

i wonder what next week will hold?

3 comments:

ALFIE said...

i LOVE your garden journal!!

i can only imagine your basil scare! i thought i had bugs in my potato plant---but was able to get rid of the few pests by hand before any real damage was done.

i've been loving my garden salads---and i found some tomatoes too! i even found the tiniest ever little sprouting watermelon!

i'm seriously in love with my garden :)

diane said...

alfie, i have ms. heidi pumpkin pie (my journal swap partner) to thank for that adorable journal.

and yes, the aphid incident was indeed unpleasant. so happy that it's currently solved.

"the tiniest ever little sprouting watermelon" sounds super cute and i would LOVE to see it!

i'm crazy in love with my garden, too. doesn't it feel great?

Becca said...

Ugh- I had the same aphid problem last month (somehow they had gotten on some of my indoor seedlings!)

Congrats on your first tomato! Don't you just love the smell of tomato plants?