Planting in a storm. — Key Takeaways
For roly poly (pill bug) infestations decimating garden seedlings, spray Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew (spinosad, 2oz/4 tbsp per gallon, ~$10 for 8 gallons of mixture) on plants and soil after watering, since bait pellets like Sluggo Plus are pricier and less effective.
Key takeaways
Roly-poly infestation controlled with Spinosad spray, mixed 8 gallons per $10 bottle
Roly-poly infestation controlled with Spinosad spray, mixed 8 gallons per $10 bottle
- 2 oz (4 tbsp) per gallon; watered plants first, then sprayed foliage and topsoil
- Cheaper than premix bottles: $10 concentrate makes 8 gallons vs ~$12 for under a gallon premixed
Seedlings can be stripped by roly polies (pill bugs) in under 16 hours
Seedlings can be stripped by roly polies (pill bugs) in under 16 hours
- Some transplanted cabbage leaves were half-gone or entirely missing by next morning
- Soil was 'seething' with thousands of them after fresh compost and mulch were added
Multi-seedling cell packs can be split into extra plants instead of thinned to one
Multi-seedling cell packs can be split into extra plants instead of thinned to one
- One cell held 5 cabbage seedlings; gently teased apart with some soil kept on roots
- Trade-off: splitting yields more heads later (~15 cabbages from one $3 pack) vs fewer, faster heads if pinched to one
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In this video
- 1mIntro, dinner split, and market haul
- 2mFreeze-drying prep and pineapple
- 3mEvening farm walk with Bear
- 6mNew transplants and garden layout
- 10mSeparating clustered cabbage seedlings
- 14mStorm rolls in during planting
- 16mMorning pest damage from roly polies
- 20mMixing and applying Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew
- 25mManaging fall pest pressure
- 28mWinter garden outlook and closing reflections
“I could separate this and have five cabbages later rather than pinching them off and getting one cabbage sooner.”
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