Does Anyone Watch Veria?

[so lucky]

It's a channel on dish network, if you didn't know. They have a program called "Under the Sun" in which this guy goes around the world investigating sustainable and organic farming/gardening. So the program this evening mentioned how beneficial stinging nettle is in the garden. I am now wondering: Do you know if it is used in a tea for pests or nutrients, or is the dried nettle dug into the soil? I'm going to investigate this, as I have a big patch of this stuff growing under the deck staircase, on the north of my house.
The other thing that caught my ear was to use half an egg shell, inverted on a stick which is stuck in the ground along the rows of cabbage or broccoli. This is supposed to attract the cabbage moths to lay their eggs in the egg shell, which is incompatible with egg development, so the baby worms don't develop. I suppose a white egg shell would be more attractive than a brown egg shell? Are moths color blind?lol. Anyway, I'm gonna try this too. I'll let you know if either idea seems worthwhile.
On this program, too, he had a farmer who uses the "cow manure in the cow horn buried in the garden all winter" method. I don't have any cow horns handy for this, sorry.

 

[lesa]

I wonder what about the egg shell, attracts the moth? Seems like they prefer green? This is a simple and cheap experiment! So they just balanced a half an egg shell on a stick? Sounds like a great station- wish I got it!

 

[897tgigvib]

I apologize, I don't get it at first...

How is the eggshell done? I'm sure it's just me missing the understanding

Is the eggshell carefully broken in half?
Is it a boiled or raw egg?
then, the half eggshell is set kind of umbrella fashion over a small stick set in the ground?

 

[Smiles Jr.]

. . . then, the half eggshell is set kind of umbrella fashion over a small stick set in the ground?

I was wondering that as well. Is the shell positioned like an umbrella or like a cup? If cup-like do we put a hole in it to drain moisture?

How far off the ground?

How many?

Oh! Life is so confusing! :/

 

[so lucky]

Well, I only heard the host mentioning the egg shell just as (I'm paraphrasing here) "and we learned that using a broken egg shell on a stick in the garden encourages 'butterflys' to lay their eggs up inside the shell. And since chicken egg shells are not conducive to developing the newly layed insect eggs, they will not become worms" So I am imagining that if you use the cracked egg shells from breakfast, and poke a hole in the end to kinda fit over a stick, perhaps a 12" to 16" stick, and poke the other end of the stick in the ground along the row of veggies, it will look like a little row of umbrellas. Cabage moths do lay their eggs on the under side of a leaf, so I guess that is the idea behind this. I'm going to try it.

And as far as the stinging nettle, apparently it is gathered, chopped, and fermented in a bucket of water. Once the bubbling is done, two to six weeks, you strain and dilute the stinky liquid and use on certain veggies. Not tomatoes or beans, I think it said. There is info on this on the great encyclopedia in the sky.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That eggshell idea is interesting. You're not the only one that's going to be trying it. I happen to have some chickens that lay blue-green eggs.......

I can see cutting a tree branch with a spot where a twig was coming out, sticking the egg over that so that joint keeps it from sliding down the stick, then maybe experimenting at what height is best.

I think this will be like a lot of organic things. It won't absolutely stop all cabbage moths from laying their eggs on the plants but it could reduce the number. Hopefully if we can figure out the right method it will be a significant number.

 

[so lucky]

I just wish I had caught the whole program. I only turned it on for the last 12 minutes. I thought I had seen every one of those episodes, because they don't seem to have a lot of new programs. Well, it will probably be on again. I'll watch for it; maybe some more instructions are in the main body of the show.
And in the grand scheme of things, I guess this idea isn't any more bizarre than a lot of other organic methods we try. I mean--a bag of water hanging in the chicken house?? Come on!

 

[majorcatfish]

after reading this checked nope time warner does not carry it.
it is a interesting idea

 

[897tgigvib]

me like um this idea and needum smart person to figure how to do it!

my neanderthal ancestor did not go extinct. she watched the tricky moderns and figured from there!

 

[so lucky]

me like um this idea and needum smart person to figure how to do it!

my neanderthal ancestor did not go extinct. she watched the tricky moderns and figured from there!

Well. Marshall, I'm sure you realize that what the "weaker sex" lacks in brawn, we make up for in brains! lol