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Those tiny predator wasps are easy to miss. They are about the size of a gnat and can easily be mistaken for them. The tip off is the antenas on the wasps. Gnats do not have long antenas.

The one thing that makes the most difference in taste is access to grass and weeds. Chickens can go through a lot of greens if they can get them. It also makes for tastier and more brightly colored yolks.

Yellowjackets also eat cabbage worms. High protein for the young'uns. Digger wasps eat army and cutworms. They all have a place in our gardens.

I hesitate to do much watering with our drought here so I'm pretty much stuck with the native weeds that will get by on just some night time dew and an occasional fog. If this drought ever breaks I'll have my work cut out for me getting ahead of the weeds.

:hu :clap

What a great idea; get them hooked on gardening while they are young. kids often eat veggies they would turn their noses up at if bought at the store but not when they grew them themselves. I have a feeling home gardens will be more and more important in the future.

Love those predatory wasps. If you want to encourage them be sure to have some plants with small flowers so they can gather nectar and pollen in their adult stage. A few carrots left to go to seed are great for that, The tiny wasps love them. They also like cilantro flowers and dandelion...

The old idea of the Doctrine of Signatures which stated that God left clues on plants to tell us what they are useful for has been pretty much discredited. It was called lungwort because the marking suggested a spotted lung to early physicians. BTW it seems to be of no real use in lung problems...

The mental picture of a hen with lipstick on her rear end cracks me up. :lol:

By the time you see those cocoons (which is what they really are) on their backs the hornworms insides have been all but destroyed. Even though they may still be on your plant they are no longer doing any damage. By this time they might be termed the walking dead.

The adult ladybug (lady bird if you're a Brit) doesn't eat that many aphids but they lay eggs that grow into nymphs and in that stage they never stop prowling and eat every aphid they find. There are tiny predator wasps that are also very effective on aphids. Make sure there are plants with...

Kale just happens to be the "in" miracle food this year. Next year it will be something else.

When I can water more frequently than I can now I always have part of my garden in red clover. It's a dual purpose plant for me. The greens are cut for my rabbits. If I have a surplus it becomes hay and when the patch begins to thin out I turn it under.

That sounds great. I saved the recipe for when I get overwhelmed with zuchini but it won't be this year. With the drought going on here I'm skipping all plants that need frequent watering. Maybe next year. BTW my aunt used to make a mock apple pie using (of all things) soda crackers as the...

In this California drought I feel guilty every time I water my garden so I am only growing a few salad plants. 90% of my garden is going untended. Hopefully letting it revert to nature will increase my predator population when I can reclaim it. The biggest drawback is that some of the weeds are...

In upstate New York we used to pick blackberries in the same patch as the bears. Just use common sense and they won't bother you. They're busy eating berries. Make sure there are no cubs around and stay on the opposite side of the patch.

I agree with you. Collards has the same food value and is a lot better to eat and easier to grow.

The media mocked President Carter for his so called "Killer rabbit" episode but he was an outdoorsman and knew enough to shy away from any wild animal that isn't acting normally and a swimming rabbit is not normal.

Most perennial kale is sort of fussy about climate. They like areas which stay cool and moist the year round but no prolonged freezes. They don't like hot temperatures or dry air. Think Pacific Northwest. I tried the walking stick kale here in San Diego and it was not happy at all. Biennial...

Good point. They are the only species other than humans that can catch leprosy. Fortunately for us leprosy id not easily transmitted.