Wednesday, June 15, 2011

BEETLE PATROL

Yepper - I said Beetle Patrol.  Colorado Potato Beetle to be exact!  Buggers.  Literally.  They are so popular they have their own website - http://www.potatobeetle.org/.

We will not spray for them so we have to patrol for them.  The thankful part is they don't slither away, they are easy to spot, and their eggs standout like orange, neon lights on the back of the potato leaf.  You can crush or bottle.  Whatever your squeamish preference will allow.

Another recycle method for bottles - Beetle traps.
Anne and Paul 'patrolling'.















To slow down their reappearance we apply straw mulch.  Plus it keeps the unwanted weeds at bay along with trapping moisture in the ground and helps prevent exposure to the sun causing the green, bitter tasting, alkaloid to appear on the skins of the potatoes.

Theresa applying the straw mulch.

At the end of the day a snuggled in potato field will be a happier potato field.


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