EDIBLE FOODS and FOOD FOREST:
Bee Better Teaching Garden grows at least 30 different fruits. Learn about our Food Forest HERE!
I’ve also begun a new Fruit Forest with strong-backed volunteers in the Joslin Garden.
HERBS:
What’s looking good now in the Bee Better Teaching Garden:
Parsley, Petroselinum crispum
Rue, Ruta graveolens
Thyme, Thymus vulgaris
Oregano, Origanum vulgare
Rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus, formally Rosmarinus Officinalis.
In the Food Forest, the rosemary has spider mites.
Without looking at this plant with a hand lens, it’s impossible to be sure, but this type of mottled leaves is typical of the damage done by either a sucking insect or spider mites. The leaves ended up stippled and paled with such infestations because the insect or mite pierce the leaf repeatedly as they feed, which kills the cells in the leaf. Initially, the leaves look stippled, but over time the entire leaf can die.
Leafhoppers, lacewings, and whitefly are three insects that suck plant juices and cause similar damage. If you look closely, or with a hand lens, and see webs, it’s likely spider mites are the cause.
Since most people want to eat their herbs, you, of course, don’t want to use systemic or other chemical insecticides. Also, mites aren’t killed by some insecticides. You could use one of the insecticide/miticides made from neem or cinnamon, however. Another good practice in such situations is to spray the plant with a hard stream of water once a week.