An Introduction to Green Lacewings

Have you ever seen an adult green lacewing? Me either. They’re nocturnal! Adult green lacewings are active during the nighttime hours. Larvae can be active during the day and night.

Green lacewings are green or yellow colored, providing camouflage in areas of dense vegetation. As an under-appreciated group of beneficial insects, green lacewings are like lady beetles in that they are natural predators of many types of soft-bodied insects and insect eggs.

Green lacewings actively hunt aphids and mites and inject digestive juices into the body of the victim. In less than 90 seconds, a liquefied meal is ready to eat. While rare, lacewing larvae are known to bite humans. This is usually nothing more than a small skin irritation.

Green lacewings are small to medium-sized insects that belong to the group of net-winged insects. There are 1.300 to 2.000 species of green lacewings found all over the world. They inhabit areas with a temperate and tropical climate and are found in the fields, gardens, forests, tropical rainforests, and swamps.

SEX

Green lacewings undergo complete metamorphosis—egg, larva, chrysalis, and adult. On an average day, green lacewings are solitary creatures until it comes to procreate. 

The “mating dance”, if you will, of the green lacewing wing is to produce a song of ultra-low frequency by vibrating their abdomens. During the spring and summer, courtship depends on the abdomen song.

EGGS

Photo Credit Nathalie Beauchamp

Female lays eggs 100 - 200 eggs in a lifetime. Like a monarch butterfly, green lacewings lay her eggs on the underside of leaves. And sadly these monarch eggs can become dinner for green lacewings. Overall, I like to think green lacewing larvae do more good than harm. It’s Nature’s way!

The eggs are either laid singly or in small groups. Each egg is always found perched on the tip of a hairlike stalk that is about 1/2 inch long. The purpose is to separate multiple eggs, to reduce the cannibalism of the eggs by sibling larvae.

Female green lacewings will typically deposit the egg close a food source for the emerging larvae, which can include any plant infested with aphids

Green lacewing eggs will typically metamorphize to the larvae stage anywhere between three and ten days, depending on the weather.

LARVAE

The green lacewing remains in the larvae stage from two to three weeks, and several instars later, then larvae enter the chrysalis stage. Each green lacewing larva will devour 200 or more pests a week during their two to three weeks developmental period.

The larva is elongated and light-colored with brown and grey stripes on the sides of the body.

CHRYSALIS

Five days later, a fully-formed adult insect emerges from the chrysalis. Some species of green lacewings overwinter in the pre-pupa stage, while others can overwinter as adults.

The chrysalis is light in color and egg-shaped.

ADULT



Green lacewings have golden eyes, long antennas, soft body, and two pairs of large, transparent wings, with green veins. Folded wings look like a tent above the body, and a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 inches, depending on the species.

The adult green lacewing is about 3/4 inch long, light green, and has a delicate appearance with lacy wings. One unusual characteristic is its eyes, they look like two golden hemispheres. Lacewings are weak fliers and are commonly found near aphid colonies. The adults feed mostly on nectar, pollen, and honeydew, but with some species, the adults will feed on insects.

Most species of green lacewings adults live around six weeks.

DIET

Green lacewings are omnivores; their diet is based on the plants and animals. In the larva stage, they feed exclusively on soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mites, flies, thrips, leafhoppers, caterpillars, and eggs of butterflies.

Adult green lacewings consume insects, nectar, and pollen, and also play an important role in the pollination of various plants, as they transfer pollen from one flower to another during feeding.

There are sources online to purchase these predators. And if you tried this approach with lady beetles only for them to fly away, you are in luck. Green lacewings aren’t agile flyers like the lady beetles, so they will stay in your garden.

Fun Facts about Fireflies!

I was one of the lucky ones, growing up on the East coast of Virginia where lightning bugs, as we called them, lit our warm evening summer sky, often as early as May. Today’s term for these beetles seems to have gravitated towards fireflies. I like that too, but I still fall back on my childhood term of lightning bugs; after all they were lighting up the night sky like that of a summer storm.

For those of us East of the Rockies with warm and sultry nights, awaiting the arrival of the fireflies meant the arrival of summer.

There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies, a type of beetle. Did you know there are fireflies out West as well, but they don’t light up the sky at night? Despite their name, not all fireflies glow. Fireflies in the western United States, for example, lack the ability to produce light. Another interesting fact about fireflies is most females don’t fly. Instead, on the East coast at least, they remain in moist leaf litter and flash to a receptive mate.

Sadly, fireflies are in decline. The reasons are still to be pinpointed but experts believe habitat loss and light pollution play a role by interfering with firefly flash patterns. Light from buildings and streetlights make it difficult for fireflies to signal each other during mating season—meaning fewer fireflies. It has been noted flashes of synchronous fireflies get out of synch for a few minutes after a car’s headlights pass.

Males flash to attract females, and mating begins when the flash carries the right rhythm. The flash of a male firefly is only the first stage of courtship, and may not even be the most important. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but a study shows, size matter! Females are more likely to mate with males who give them a larger nuptial gift.

Life Cycle of Fireflies

Like all beetles, fireflies undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Egg – In mid-summer, mated females will deposit about 100 spherical eggs, singly or in clusters. Fireflies prefer moist soils, and will lay eggs under mulch or leaf litter, where the soil is likely to stay moist. But it varies by species. These eggs usually hatch in three- to four-weeks.

Larva – Larvae emerge from their eggs in late summer, and live in the soil through the winter before pupating in the spring. This is one of the many reasons to keep leaf litter in our garden beds. At night the larvae hunt and eat slugs, snails, and worms. To consume food, the larvae will capture and inject its victim with digestive enzymes to immobilize it and liquefy its remains.

Pupa – Different species of firefly larva pupate in different ways. When the larva is ready, usually in late spring, some species construct a mud chamber in the soil and settle inside it. In other species, the larva attaches itself to a tree’s bark, hanging upside down by the hind end.

During pupation, a remarkable transformation takes place during the pupal stage. In a process called histolysis, the larva’s body is broken down, and special groups of transformative cells are activated, triggering biochemical processes that transform the insect from a larva into its adult form. When the metamorphosis is complete, the adult firefly is ready to emerge, usually about 10 days to several weeks after pupation.

Adult – When the adult firefly emerges, it has one purpose, to reproduce. To find a mate, fireflies use a species-specific pattern to locate compatible individuals of the opposite sex.

Typically, the male flies low to the ground, flashing a signal with the light organ on his abdomen, and a female resting on vegetation returns his communiqué. By repeating this exchange, the male hones in on her, and the rest of the story is happily ever after.

Adult fireflies don’t live long, averaging about two months; just long enough to mate and lay eggs.

No matter the life cycle, all stages of fireflies glow. Bioluminescence is present in firefly eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults, and even some larvae living below the ground or underwater glow. Some firefly eggs emit a faint glow if disturbed.

Experts theorize the ability to emit light helps larvae signal to predators that they aren’t appetizing, since part of the firefly defense mechanism is to produce foul-tasting steroids.

The firefly’s glow is the result of the reaction of two chemicals found in their tails, luciferase and luciferin. Luciferin is heat resistant and provides the glow. Luciferase triggers the flash. Firefly light can be yellow, green, or orange.

Where do Fireflies Live?
Fireflies thrive in warm, humid climates, which is why they are found on almost every continent on Earth. Fireflies inhabit forests, fields, and marshes near bodies of water because they require a moist environment to survive. Some species of firefly larvae have gills and are aquatic, while others live in trees.

What do Fireflies Eat?
As adults, most fireflies feed on nectar and pollen, but some don’t seem to eat at all. Those few species that carry their carnivorous lifestyle into adulthood switch from snails to other fireflies. Yikes!

Catching Fireflies

Lightning bugs are so ingrained in our childhood memories. I’m sure everyone on the East coast has a memory to share. The top one is catching them and keeping them in a mason jar for the night.

There is plenty of air in the jar to keep the insects alive for a day or more, and poking holes in the lid will cause the jar to dry out too quickly. Instead, put a small piece of washed apple and a small clump of fresh grass in the jar, or moistened paper towel in the bottom, keeping the air in the jar moist, and it gives the fireflies something to grab onto. The grass is for them to climb on and hide in.

Every day, unscrew the jar lid and blow across the top of the jar. This keeps the air in the jar fresh. Don’t put the jar in direct sunlight.

You don’t need to feed the fireflies. Most adults never eat. They did all their eating as larvae. But don’t keep them in a jar for more than two or three days. Fireflies only live a few days or weeks, and we need them outside to mate.

Unlike some other insects, fireflies are no bother to us humans. They don’t sting, bite, attack, or carry disease.

It's All About the Soil

Without a doubt, I have the best soil in six states! And I made it myself. When we bought our home in 1997, our soil was solid clay. To remedy this, the garden soil was amended, one planting hole at a time and over time!

To have the perfect garden for your particular plot of land, you should only grow what grows there now or what could grow there. However, we must remember something—often, new neighborhoods have had their topsoil stripped! Your soil is likely subsoil. While difficult to work with, but it’s rebuildable! 

My the case of my garden, I amended the existing soil by mixing the native soil (clay, in my case) with a bucket full of compost to each hole! And then yearly, I add three- to four-inches of composted leaf mulch from the City of Raleigh. Mulch adds nutrients, retains moisture, keeps soil from heaving in the winter, makes the garden look tidy, and adds nutrients. 

Soil is the key to both animals and plants we depend on, including ourselves. Our soil isn’t something we can take for granted. As gardeners, caring for the soil must always be our priority, and the process of building soil fertility is vast and complex. Regardless of soil type, clay or sand, adding organic matter increases soil fertility.

What is Topsoil

Topsoil is formed from tiny particles weathered or worn from their parent materials (rock, of various types). Living organisms in the soil include bacteria, fungi, protozoa (single-cell animals), nematodes (minuscule non-segmented worms), arthropods (insects, spiders, mites, and centipedes from microscopic to several inches long), earthworms, and larger organisms such as moles, voles, and even gophers, which have their role to play in recycling nutrients and maintaining good soil structure.

Topsoil serves five essential functions: regulating water, sustaining plant and animal life, filtering and buffering potential pollutants, cycling nutrients, and physical stability and support.

Regulating Water

Soil helps control where rain, snowmelt, and irrigation water goes. Water and solvent hitch-hikers, called dissolved solvents, including minerals, salts, metals, cations, or anions dissolved in water, can either flow over the land and into our watershed, or filtered into and through the soil. It’s best to have a healthy soil that filters the solvents through the soil.

Sustaining Plant and Animal Life 

Diversity and productivity of living things depend on soil. The number of living organisms in healthy topsoil is enormous: It’s estimated the total biomass of organisms in soil exceeds 15 tons per acre, with the weight of the bacteria alone invisible to the eye totaling 13 tons!

Filtering and Buffering Potential Pollutants

In the Bee Better Teaching Garden, all the rain that hits our land permeates and filters through the ground before going to the watershed, except for our driveway, and it is well-cracked. I’d crack it up more if I didn’t think my husband would leave me!

Minerals and microbes in the soil are responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal by-products and atmospheric deposits.

Cycling Nutrients

Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled in the soil.

Physical Stability and Support

Soil structure provides a medium for plant roots. Both the chemical composition of the parent material and the average particle size help determine fundamental characteristics of soil whether it is acid, alkaline, or neutral; and whether it is sand (large particle size) or clay (extremely small particle size.)

Healthy topsoil also consists of a complex community of living creatures, and each class of organisms has its own strategies for feeding itself, adapting to environmental conditions, and coexisting with its neighbors.

Any practice that destroys some or all of those classes of organisms is likely to reduce soil fertility.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird, feeding her young.

Did you know, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird was not known to the first Europeans arriving to the New World? This tiny creature puzzled them. Christopher Columbus wondered if the migrating hummingbird was a cross between a bird and an insect, then referred to as flybirds.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is our migratory bird: the only one in our region. The Rufous is in the Pacific Northwest, the Black-chinned in Texas, New Mexico, and up through Nevada; and the Anna is along the California coast. I once saw an Anna Hummingbird in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Most definitely, it must have caught the jet stream.

These tiny creatures are interesting in so many ways. Do you know they weigh less than a nickel, at its heaviest? They may be small, yet their presence is big. While they seem tame, and may even come up to you if you’re near a feeder, they will fiercely defend their territory at any time of the year, not just during nesting time. You see, plants only provide so much nectar in a day, so if a hummer finds a good patch of plants, they will defend it. Less energy is needed to defend a source then it is to find a new one.

Hummingbirds hover in midair to feed on flowers and feeders, and they are the only birds that can fly backward. Their wings move in a figure-eight pattern that allows them to maneuver with ease.

You won’t see a flock of Hummingbirds, as they are solitary migrants. Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds spend the cold months between southern Mexico and northern Panama.

It is generally thought that Hummingbirds sense changes in daylight duration, and changes in the abundance of flowers, nectar, and insects. Instinct also plays a role in making the decision to migrate.

To support this high energy level, a Hummingbird will typically gain 25 to 40 percent of their body weight before the start of migration in order to make the long trek over land and water.

Hummingbirds fly by day when nectar sources are more abundant. Flying low allows the birds to see, and stop at, food supplies along the way. They are also experts at using tailwinds to help reach their destination faster and by consuming less energy and body fat. Research indicates a Hummingbird can travel as much as 23 miles in one day.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Migration

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds depart for Central America in early fall, with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. To accomplish this incredible migratory feat, they feast on nectar and insects and double their body mass, from the weight of a penny to the weight of a nickel.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have the largest breeding range of any North American hummer.

The spring migration can be hard on the Hummingbird population as they move north from their winter homes in southern Mexico and Central America. Stops along the way may be for a few minutes, or a few days at more favorable locations with abundant food supplies; and remember food is non-existent over the open waters. Strong cold fronts moving south over the Gulf of Mexico make flying difficult as the birds deal with headwinds and heavy rain, over long distances with no shelter.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Food

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of red or orange tubular flowers such as trumpet creeper, cardinal flower, honeysuckle, jewelweed, bee-balm, red buckeye, and red morning glory, as well as at hummingbird feeders. As you probably know by now, you do not need to use red-colored sugar water.

Hummingbirds also catch insects in midair or pull them out of spider webs. Main insect prey includes mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, and small bees; also eats spiders.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird flower nectar

Purle Giant Hyssop
Agastache scrophulariaefolia

Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum

Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis

Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata

Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca

Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa

Whirled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata

Trumpet Vine
Campsis radicans

Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea

Fireweed
Epilobium angustifolium

Southern Blue Flag
Iris virginica var. shrevei

Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia uvaria

Meadow Blazing Star
Liatris ligulistylis

Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya

Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis

Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens

Bee Balm
Monarda bradburiana

Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulos

Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana

Blue Sage
Salvia azurea

Figwort
Scrophularia marilandica

Royal Catchfly
Silene regia

Coralberry
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

Verbena
Verbena sororia

Bee Better Naturally in Controlling Japanese Beetles

When summer arrives, so do the Japanese beetles. While we (hopefully) are ready to battle the heat and humidity July and August bring, we’re never prepared for the Japanese beetle, or at least I’m not!

It didn’t use to be this way. The first detected Japanese beetle was found in the U.S. in 1916 in a nursery near Riverton, New Jersey. Today this beetle can be found in at least 30 states, and just two years ago, it showed up in Canada.

While so many people come and stay in North Carolina because of our (mostly) favorable climate, so does the Japanese beetle. Also, because of the availability of a wide variety of host plants and the lack of natural enemies to this beetle from Japan, they thrive here. Although the European starling is the best-known beetle-eater, we certainly don’t want any more of those either.

What Are Japanese Beetles?

The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is a widespread and destructive pest of grass, landscape, and ornamental plants, such as roses, crabapple, apple, Japanese maple, crape myrtle, and pin oak, as well as cherry, plum, and peach trees.

Adults emerge from the ground and begin feeding on plants in June. Activity is most intense over the four to six weeks beginning in late June, after which the beetles gradually die off. Individual beetles live about 30 to 45 days.

Japanese beetles feed on about 300 species of plants, devouring leaves, flowers, and overripe or wounded fruit. They usually feed in groups, starting at the top of a plant, working downward. The beetles are most active on warm, sunny days, in direct sunlight. A single beetle does not eat much; it is group feeding by many beetles that results in severe damage.

Japanese Beetle Lifecycle

The adults are generally metallic green, with bronze or coppery-brown wing covers leaving part of the abdomen to show. The five patches of white hairs on each side of the abdomen, and one pair on the last abdominal segment distinguish Popillia japonica from all other similar looking beetles.

This description—metallic green, coppery-brown wings with a bit of the abdomen showing—is reminiscent of the vintage Coppertone suntan ad with a puppy pulling down the bathing suit pants of a surprised browned toddler at the beach. Not so!

Egg-laying begins soon after the adult beetles emerge from the ground and mate, then females leave the plants in the afternoon, burrow two to three inches into the soil, and lay their eggs. Each female can lay a total of 40 to 60 eggs during her lifetime.

For the next ten months, the developing beetle lives in the soil as a white larva, or better known as a grub. I’m sure you’ve seen the grubs. White, C-shaped caterpillars are visible in my garden anytime I sink a shovel.

Pupation takes place within an earthen cell formed by the last larval instar. Its color ranges from pale cream to metallic green depending upon the age.

In summary, enjoy your summer and make controlling Japanese beetles a hobby, not a vendetta. Bathing suit optional.

How to Control Japanese Beetles

Control efforts need to address both adult and larval populations through an approach that integrates the following methods:

Make it your morning and late evening ritual to handpick Japanese beetles from your plants if you can reach them. During these hours, the beetles are less alert and slow. They can be squeezed to death (very satisfying, indeed) or dropped into soapy water.

This next approach is for those with patience, which is hard to have when it comes to this destructive pest. You won’t get immediate gratification as from above, but perhaps you’ll be better off next year. Adding beneficial nematodes to your ground areas kill immature stages. These microscopic, worm-like parasites actively hunt, penetrate, and destroys grubs in the soil. Apply in spring before the beetles emerge. You will have even better results with a 1-2 punch by also adding Milky Spore, Bacillus popilliae, a naturally occurring host-specific bacterium that attacks the destructive white grubs in turf. Even if you use Milky Spore and beneficial nematodes, you can still have Japanese beetles. Nothing is full-proof; if it were, Japanese beetles wouldn’t be a problem.

There are natural insecticides, but remember even beneficial insecticides will kill more than just the pest.

Commercially available Japanese beetle traps can be useful but have been proven to lure more beetles and result in more substantial damage.

For your roses, there is a practice called “keep them in the green.” Cut your colorful roses and bring inside during the Japanese beetle season. Sorry, this is still not full proof, but your house will look fantastic.

And there is one more approach, but again takes patients and could be harmful to your monarch butterflies.

If you do see them, take a closer look before you squish! Learn more HERE about controlling Japanese Beetles!

Be sure to check them FIRST to see if they have any tanchid fly eggs on their shoulders. If they do, let them go and the fly eggs will hatch and consume them from the inside — and produce more flies to dispatch more Japanese beetles. If you see those opaque white dots — one or two or three or more — let them go.

Feed Me, the Birds, Bees, and Butterflies—Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Sambucus canadensis

Common Name: Elderberry

Type: Deciduous shrub

Height: 5 to 12 feet

Spread: 5 to 12 feet

Pollination: Self-fruitful, but bigger crops with two cultivars for cross-pollination. This applies to both the American, S. canadensis and European, S. nigra species. The American elderberry can be eaten straight off the bush, but it's not all that tasty raw.. Elderberries are the ultimate wildlife habitat shrub.

Wildlife Benefits: Fruits are attractive to wildlife. American elderberry, Sambucus canadensis and European elder, Sambucus nigra, are closely related. The Royal Horticultural Society currently lists American elder as Sambucus nigra var. canadensis.

Origin of species:  Eastern and Southern North America

Native Cultivars: ‘Adams’ & ‘York’

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Wet to medium that drains well

Zone: 3 to 9

Care:

Plant: Spring

Fertilizer/pH: 4.8

Groom/Prune: During the first two seasons, elderberry plants should be encouraged to grow vigorously with little to no pruning required. After the second year, pruning should be done annually in early spring. All dead, broken, and weak canes should be removed.

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. No serious insect or disease problems. Some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites and aphids. Branches are susceptible to damage from high winds or from heavy snow/ice in winter. Plants will spread by root suckers.

Propagation:

Gardeners can propagate elderberry (Sambucus spp.) simply by taking a cutting and rooting it in the soil. Softwood cuttings are best for propagating elderberries, thanks to their new growth that is just beginning to harden and mature. Take your cuttings in June, July ,or August and root them in the soil right away.

Comments:

Fruits of species plants are used to make jams, jellies, pie filings, and elderberry wine, and did you know you can infuse the flowers in vodka for a nice flavored toddy? Give it about a month.

Did you know elderberry carries Pierce’s Disease which is the number one disease that kills bunch grapes, and I grow them? I need to watch out for this type of thing.

Pierce’s disease spends part of its life cycle in elderberry plants, Sambucus canadensis which, as you know, are a common weed here. So problems occur with bunch grapes if there are elderberry bushes anywhere near them. 

 There are ways around this since it can often take about 5 years before it  kills the grapevines, so you can still get a decent amount of fruit before you have to replace the vines. I could just plant new vines every two years or so, and chop out the ones that are dying. They grow fast and fruit heavily on their second or third year. But in truth, I’m not much of a vodka drinker :).

Feed the Birds, Bees, and Hummingbirds—Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis

Kind:

Latin Name: Cephalanthus occidentalis

Common Name: Buttonbush

Type: Deciduous shrub

Height: 5 to 12 feet

Spread: 4 to 8 feet

Wildlife Benefits: Waterfowl and shorebirds consume the seeds of common buttonbush. White-tailed deer browse foliage in the northeastern United States. Wood ducks use the plant’s structure for protection of brooding nests. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are attracted to common buttonbush for its nectar. Bees use it to produce honey.

Origin of species:  Eastern and Southern North America

Cultivars: Sputnik buttonbush,(Cephalanthus occidentalis 'Bieberich' & ‘Sugar Shack’ , about half the size and just an beneficial.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Wet to medium; great for a rain garden. Grows very well in wet soils, including flood conditions and shallow standing water. Adapts to a wide range of soils except dry ones

Zone: 5 to 9

Care:

Plant: Plant in moist soil most anytime; as a native, you may get volunteers with enough water around.

Fertilizer/pH: 4.8 to 7.2

Groom/Prune: None necessary

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems.

Propagation: Take the cutting from the end of a terminal stem—one with a bud at the tip— from 2 to 6 inches long that includes at least one node, a swelling on the stem where leaves and buds emerge.

Cut with your clean blade just below a node.(Note: don’t use clippers; they will crush the stem.) Cutting first thing in the morning ensures that the shrub is at its most hydrated. Remove all but the uppermost leaves on the cutting.

Pour the rooting hormone into a cup to avoid contaminating the entire bottle of hormone. Dip the raw end of the cutting into the hormone. Make a small hole with your finger for each cutting in the dampened perlite-peat mix filling the pots or tray. The hole helps prevent knocking off the hormone. Firm the soil mix around the cuttings and place them in indirect light. Keep the cuttings moist until they root.

Comments:

I’ve not grow buttonbush since I don’t have a stream, ditch, or even a rain garden. One day I might add this great wildlife beneficial shrub, but for now, all my rain water is directed to feed fruits.

Mosquito Control—Is there such a thing?

It would appear mosquito season is upon us.  What can I do? Is there truly such a thing as mosquito control…without chemicals?

If you ask the barrier-spray mosquito control companies, they’ll tell you they have the answer. Indeed, their chemicals control mosquitoes, but what they don’t tell you is that they also kill everything else in the spray’s path and on the foliage.

Mosquitoes Can Kill

Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance; they can be deadly! If a female carrying disease goes for your blood, you could be in trouble. Mosquito-borne diseases in the U.S. are one of the deadliest in the world because of the many diseases they transmit. We have had reported cases of dengue, zika virus, West Nile virus, and Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, as well as a host of other diseases affecting you and your pets.

Thanks to the 2016 Zika outbreak, these broad-spray mosquito control companies have grown exponentially, and have set homeowners into panic mode to kill.

Trust me, I don’t like mosquitoes either, and I’d rather die of old age with a hand-cultivator in my grip than from the mosquito-borne Zika virus!

When I asked the closest Mosquito Joe location to me about their chemical toxicity, the reply was, “Our chemicals are organic, and with such a low concentration, it doesn’t affect anything else.” Hmm, maybe I just look like I was born yesterday.

When are we going to learn organic pesticides are still pesticides?

What About Our Safety?

Do we know enough about the chemical safety of these mosquito control companies? To find out more, I reached out to Dr. Michael Reiskind, associate professor of entomology (the study of insects) at NC State University. Reiskind explains, “Mosquito control companies spray an insecticide — almost always a pyrethroid — to vegetation outside your house. That vegetation is where mosquitoes like to rest, so it kills them when they go in there. But it will kill other insects that go in there to rest. We call that a non-target effect.”

These mosquito spray companies often minimize the risk of environmental impacts by saying, “The insecticides are similar to naturally-occurring substances found in chrysanthemums.” But according to Reiskind, “The synthetic pyrethroids used to control mosquitoes have been manufactured to be more toxic and to last longer in the environment.” It’s essential for all of us to understand the consequences of killing with chemicals.”

Generally, barrier spray treatments are applied where mosquitoes spend the daytime — under leaves and in shady areas. Conscientious appliers avoid spraying flowering plants, and by law, they should. But butterfly and moth caterpillars, and many other insects eat the foliage of sprayed plants. As for the birds, pyrethroids don’t directly harm birds, but birds eat caterpillars, so they are at risk as well from the chemicals and loss of an important food supply.

These mosquito control companies also claim they have certified applicators and only spray in the shrubs and trees, never on blooms, and before 10 am, before pollinators start foraging.

Is that so? To find out more, I also contacted Sydney L. Ross, with the NC Department of Ag and Consumer Services, Structural Pest Control & Pesticides Division. Her reply was troubling: “Within North Carolina, we allow for one licensed pesticide applicator to supervise as many individuals as he or she would like, as long as all individuals work out of the same storage location.”

So only one person in an office of 5, 10, 20, or more pesticide applicators needs to be certified; only one applicator needs to go through the arduous certification training, and be annually re-certified?

To summarize, only one person with the license needs to be available to train in the safe use of insecticide products and be reachable by phone to the unlicensed applicators on the job. That licensee is responsible/liable for any mistakes made by the person they are supervising. Please note, there is no requirement to verify in-house training. To me, that licensee is the designated felon! Would you want that responsibility?

Compliance

Around my neighborhood, I’ve seen and others have reported seeing mosquito control companies spraying after 10 am. So while Ross was only a question away, I asked: How strictly regulated are the mosquito spray companies in NC? Ross replied: “All mosquito spray companies are required to hold a public health category license with the Pesticides Section. Alternatively, some hold structural pest control licenses with our other section, Structural Pest Control, which covers their mosquito applications around a structure. All mosquito application companies are subject to random and routine inspections once a year, and they are also subject to random inspections while in the field.

“Inspections generally cover topics such as personal protective equipment, products used, application method/equipment, recordkeeping, pesticide storage, and environmental conditions during the time of application. Inspections can also lead to an investigation if there is pesticide misuse.” Ross also noted her office investigates and follow up on all complaints received in their office regarding mosquito applicators, so if you see spraying after 10 am, call your local authority. In NC, that number is (919) 218-7952.

Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit Trees



The chemicals should likewise never be sprayed on or close to edible plants, including fruit-bearing trees, and vegetable and herb gardens. Structures like houses and swing sets also should be avoided; however, rules are murky about structures such as fences.

Pyrethroid insecticides used to kill mosquitoes will kill any insect that encounters it, including bees, caterpillars, and butterflies. The reality is there’s no way to entirely avoid hurting pollinators if you’re spraying for mosquitoes.

More studies are needed to quantify this damage, but from experience, I am a twice-failed beekeeper. The first time I failed, I assumed it was Colony Collapse disorder (CCD). The second time, my bees were throughout the garden. I later found out one of my neighbors used a mosquito spray service. Other beekeepers have lamented to me the same experiences.

I have since registered with Fieldwatch, a program that allows pesticide applicators to locate any nearby beehives or sensitive sites and contact the site’s owner to avoid pesticide contamination/drift. Although personal gardens aren’t yet allowed to register, I registered anyway because I have over 30 fruit trees and consider my pollinator a sensitive site. So sue me.

Mosquito spraying is not the only reason insects like fireflies, butterflies, and bees are in trouble. But mosquito sprays can kill these species. Decreasing the amount of spraying is one thing we can do to help them.

Clean Your Garden

Keeping an area tidy is more effective that spray

You diligently work to control mosquito breeding through Integrated Pest Management (IPM), right?

If this is you, be the one in the neighborhood who begins to take action!

The most important thing you can do to reduce mosquitoes in your yard is to take away their habitat through a tip and toss practice of ridding your garden of their breeding ground, which is standing water. In controlling pests with IPM, you do the least environmentally impactful things first, then progress to the point of using chemicals, or not. I don’t use them.

Reduce the number of sites available to females for egg-laying — clogged gutters, old tires, plant holders, birdbaths, and discarded containers. Use personal repellents that keep mosquitoes at bay. And when the mosquitoes get too bad, go inside! 

However, what your neighbor is doing may be overshadowing your efforts due to their mosquito control applications. Is keeping your yard clear of standing water enough? You need to get your neighbors on board. Mosquitoes are a neighborhood-scale problem!

Eliminating standing water isn’t always feasible; for instance if you have a still pond. Bee Better Naturally recommends all-natural larvicides, which kill the mosquito larvae and truly doesn’t harm other wildlife. These Bt dunks can wipe out another chunk of a garden’s mosquito population.

On our back porch, where we often sit, we have a series of ceiling fans and another oscillating fan, which helps a lot. But still not enough for days after a good rain. So I wondered what would Doug do?

Doug Tallamy’s Recommendation

At a recent conference, I asked Doug Tallamy for his best recommendation for mosquito control.

“Simple,” he said. “In an out-of-the-way area, partially fill a bucket of water, add wheat straw or hay, let it ferment. The fermentation attracts female mosquitoes to lay her eggs. Then add a mosquito control dunk that’s specific to the mosquito larvae.” I tried it, and it works!

We all have lots of decisions to make as consumers. For some people, a mosquito-free yard is worth the cost of some “by-kill.” Not for me! At least if we decide to spray our yards,we should be informed of the potential losses, as well as benefits of being mosquito-free.

Mosquito control in the Better Teaching Garden

Until soon, Naturally, Helen

Fertilizing Sustainably

Bee Better Naturally prefers using nature as our organic nitrogen source, so our primary fertilizer is composted leaf mulch from the City of Raleigh. After building our soil since 1997, we have the best soil in six states :)

For annuals, we do give them a boost at planting time with an organic fertlizer, and our favorite is Holly Tone products from Espoma.

Most plants like a pH between 6.5 and 7. Hydrangeas like it more acidic than most plants, particularly if you want blue blooms on your mopheads.

Blueberries too want acidic soil. Asparagus prefer an alkaline soil, but we can still grow these in the Raleigh area with the addition of lime.

We at Bee Better Naturally believe that it is ALL about the soil (post coming soon.)

Holly Tone products offers a choice of organic products that can also include amendments to lower or raise pH. To encourage flowering, use a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus. Fertilizer’s three main ingredients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or NPK.

• 10-10-10 means there is an equal proportion N, P, and K.

• Hydrangeas like a low N and a high P; thus a combination of 10-40-10 would be ideal, as it would be for any flower-focused plant.

My general rule is to remember what the numbers means. The first number, nitrogen helps from the top of the plant to the bottom. As such, N is for the green, P is for the bloom, and K is for the root or up and down and all around.

To refresh your understanding of pH, it refers to the acidity of the soil and is measured by the number of hydrogen ions present in the soil. It’s a logarithmic scale based on the power of 10. As such, a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than pH of 7. Thus, even a little change in pH can make a big difference.

• A pH of 7 is neutral.

• A pH lower than than 7 is acidic.

• A ph higher than 7 is alkaline.

This is what I use from my Blueberries.

Until soon,

Naturally, Helen

Waterwise Design for a Sustainable Garden

Waterwise signage in the Bee Better Teaching Garden with Helen Yoest

When and How to be Waterwise:  With a waterwise design, watering in the absence of rain is a breeze.  My garden at home, the Bee Better Teaching Garden, was designed with waterwise principles. I have very little watering to do, and what I do have, is a choice. My boxwood collection is contained and the watering is smart. These containers are near a watering source, so moving around a hose isn’t a big deal.

This is true year round, and particularly true in July and August: Remember, waterwise means using water wisely. It is not xeriscaping! Water new plantings until they are established. At the BBTG, we recommend:

Annuals: Best planted after the last frost. Most annuals will last through first frost. After planting, water every day the first week, ever other day the next, and weekly after that in the absence of rain. Give them an inch.

Perennials: Best planted in the fall or spring. Water every other day the first week, every third day the next two weeks, and weekly after that in the absence of rain. Give them an inch.

Shrubs: Best planted in the fall. In the absence of an inch of rain, water deeply weekly for the first year. I bet you don’t do that. I’ve lost shrubs by forgetting this sage advice.

Trees: Best planted in the fall. In the absence of an inch of rain in any given week, water deeply weekly for two years. I bet you don’t do that either. It’s a good idea to begin some new routines!

Chances are your container plants will need to be watered every day. Check by doing the finger test. If the top inch of soil is dry, it’s time to water. Water thoroughly. Small pots will dry out faster than larger pots, and containers in the sun will dry out faster than those in the shade.

First season plants — those fall and spring additions — will need more frequent watering than established ones. Water new additions two or three times per week until the plants are established. Established plants typically require watering once a week.

Conserve water by running (if you must) a sprinkler during cooler hours, typically in early morning. This will help reduce water loss due to evaporation. If possible, set up a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose to minimize waste. Watering in the morning hours also allows the water to dry on the foliage, minimizing fungal formation.

Add mulch. A layer of mulch, three to four inches deep, will moderate soil temperature and reduce evaporation. Organic mulches include: composted leaves, shredded pine or hardwoods, and even nuggets. Mulches will also reduce weed production and keep the garden looking tidy.

Right now, I don’t have to add mulch to the plants. In general, I don’t add fertilizers. I’m not really into having the first or the biggest. I just want healthy plants, and believe the breakdown of the composted leaf mulch is enough; the garden results prove it. Or at least it has for the last 30 years since I’ve been in Raleigh. If you want to fertilizer, follow these guidelines:

Waterwise Design: With a waterwise design, watering in the absence of rain is a breeze.  My garden at home, the Bee Better Teaching Garden was designed with waterwise principles. I have very little watering to do, and what I do have, is a choice. The Oasis Zone is mostly made up of the boxwood collection, all in containers. But the watering is smart. These containers are near a watering source, so moving around a hose isn’t a big deal.  

I have the BeeBetter Naturally garden beds divided into watering zones: oasis, transitional, and xeric. 

The oasis zone is for thirstier plants; it's located near a water source. 

The transitional zone is for plants that need occasional watering, particularly during times of drought, and is located a hose-draggable distance from the water source—halfway between the water source and the perimeter of the property.

The xeric zone is the zone furthest from the water source. Plants in this are are drought tolerant once established, requiring no supplemental watering.

T

Conserve water by running (if you must) a sprinkler during cooler hours, typically in early morning. This will help reduce water loss due to evaporation. If possible, set up a drip irrigation system or a soaker hose to minimize waste. Watering in the morning hours also allows the water to dry on the foliage, minimizing fungal formation.

Add mulch. A layer of mulch, three to four inches deep, will moderate soil temperature and reduce evaporation. Organic mulches include: composted leaves, shredded pine or hardwoods, and even nuggets. Mulches will also reduce weed production and keep the garden looking tidy.

Naturally, Helen

LOQUAT, Eriobotrya japonica—Kind, Culture, Care, and Comments.

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Eriobotrya japonica

Common Name: Loquat

Type: Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub

Height: 10 to 25 feet

Spread: 10 to 25 feet

Pollination: Loquat trees are pollinated by various insects including bees (Apis sp.), syrphids, houseflies, Myrmeleontidae, Bombinae, and Pieris rapae (L.). Although they are considered self- compatible, cross pollination by another cultivar, seedling, or selection improves fruit set, size, and production.

Fruit Health Benefits:  Plant chemicals called carotenoids give this orange-fleshed fruit its color and provide an excellent source of vitamin A, essential for healthy eyes and a strong immune system. Loquats are also a good source of calcium, potassium and fiber.

Wildlife Benefits: Squirrels and birds.

Origin of species: China and perhaps Japan.

Cultivars: There are many, but we grow the straight species.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade.

Water: Medium, but drought tolerant once established.

Zone: 8 to 10.

Years to bear fruit: 2 to 2 years.

Harvest Time: Spring

Care:

Plant:  best grown in fertile, evenly moist, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Best with consistent moisture, but established plants will tolerate some drought.

Fertilizer/pH:

Mulch: Mulching loquat trees in the home landscape helps retain soil moisture, reduces weed problems next to the tree trunk, and improves the soil near the surface. Mulch with a 2- to 6-inch layer of bark, wood chips, or similar mulch material. Keep the mulch 8 to 12 inches from the trunk.

Groom/Prune: During the first 1 to 2 years after planting, prune young trees by tipping shoots in excess of 2 to 3 ft, tipping will increase branching

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. This rose family member is susceptible to fire blight. Potential insect pests include aphids, scale, fruit flies ,and caterpillars.

Potential disease pests include rots, cankers, scab, leaf spot and blight. Seeds and young plant leaves are mildly poisonous if ingested. In areas where fruit set occurs, fruit drop can cause troublesome litter problems.

We have had ours for since 2008 with no problems at all other than it hasn’t fruited lol.

Propagation: My advice? Buy one.

Loquat trees may be propagated by seed, but they do not come true from seed and they have a 6- to 8-year juvenile period before flowering and fruiting. Loquat seeds may remain viable for up to six months of storage at high RH and 41°F or cleaned and planted immediately. Loquat may be cleft, veneer, and whip grafted or chip, patch, or shield budded. Propagation by cuttings and marcottage is also possible but more difficult. Vegetatively propagated trees generally begin bearing 1 to 2 years after planting. Mature planted trees may be stumped and top-worked to desirable cultivars. Loquat trees may be propagated by tissue culture (somatic embryos), microcuttings, and by micropropaga- tion using terminal or axillary shoots; however, these methods are not common in the US.

Comments:

Loquat has been cultivated in Asia for at least 1,000 years and was introduced into the US sometime before 1879 and into Florida before 1887.

I’m wondering why my loquat has never bore fruit is b/c I don’t have bees at the right time since Loquat is a winter bloomer. With further research, I found that the flowers freeze in temperatures as high as 26 to 27ºF. In our zone 7b, we are hardy down to 10ºF, but are likely to reach the flower freeze temperature.

Still!!! I recommend growing loquat as a plant of interest, and it would make a great privacy hedge.

GOUMI, Elaeagnus multiflora 'Sweet Scarlet'—Kind, Culture, Care, and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Elaeagnus multiflora ‘Sweet Scarlet’

Common Name: Goumi Berry

Type: Deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub

Height: 6 to 10 feet

Spread: 6 to 10 feet

Pollination: Self-fertile, most of the time, but better with a friend.

Fruit Health Benefits:  Goumi berries are high in vitamin A and E, bioactive compounds, minerals, flavonoids and proteins. Their lycopene content is the highest of any food and is being used in the prevention of heart disease and cancers and in the treatment of cancer. Cooking the fruit increases the lycopene content. 

The fruits and seeds of the Goumi are a good source of essential fatty acids as well which is very unusual for a fruit. The seeds are also edible although somewhat fibrous, and are especially high in proteins and fats.

Wildlife Benefits: Birds love them!

Origin of species: China, Korea, Japan

Cultivars: ‘Sweet Scarlet’ is what we grow. ‘Red Gem’ is also a good cultivar to grow.

Culture Information:

Sun: Sun to part shade

Water: Medium

Zone: 4 to 9

Years to bear fruit: 2 ti 3

Harvest Time: May, June

Care:

Plant:

The shrubs can tolerate any kind of soil, from sand to clay and acidic to alkaline. They will grow in nutritionally poor soil and polluted air, and will do well in full sun or partial shade. They can even tolerate salty sea air. In other words, growing goumi berries does not take a lot of special care.

Fertilizer/pH: 6.0 to 6.5.  It is recommended to fertilize at the same time as you water using a time released fertilizer 8-3-9 or similar to help Goumi Bushes grow and produce a substantial crop. These bushes are moderate feeders and may require multiple feeding during the growing season.

Mulch: Add an organic mulch around the plant.

Groom/Prune: Not necessary.

Pest/Disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems.

Propagation: Softwood cuttings.

Comments:

I know, it’s an Elaeagnus or Ugly Agnus by another name. ‘Sweet Scarlet’ is not invasive like the Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellata. I wrote about Goumi in my third book, Good Berry Bad Berry.

PLUM, Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa'—Kind, Culture, Care, and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Prunus salicina ‘Santa Rosa’

Common Name: ‘Santa Rosa’ Plum

Type: Deciduous tree

Height: 18 to 10 feet

Spread: 18 to 20 feet

Pollination: While the Santa Rosa plum is a self-pollinator, you'll harvest a better crop when planted with other Japanese varieties. We only have one tree, and we get enough fruit! Not enough to share, but enough for our family.

Fruit Health Benefits: The fruit is stomachic, meaning it promotes the appetite or assisting digestion.. It is said to be good for allaying thirst and is given in the treatment of arthritis.

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, all members of the genus contain amygdalin and prunasin, substances which break down in water to form hydrocyanic acid (cyanide or prussic acid.) In small amounts, this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being.

Wildlife Benefits: Honey bee and a few native bees.

Origin of species: Japan

Cultivars: We grow ‘Santa Rosa’

Originating in the central states, cultivars of the American plum include "Hawkeye," "Blackhawk," "De Soto," "Fairlane," "Alderman," "Weaver," "Stoddard," "Tecumseh," "Toka" and "Waneta."

Cultivated American plums are grown for ornamental purposes and fruit production. Introduction of cultivars into the eastern and western states makes it possible for plum growers to reap the benefits of the characteristics of the American plum.

The Japanese plum cultivar ‘Santa Rosa’ cross-pollinated with American plum or one of its cultivars performs well in a Mediterranean climate, requiring very little winter cold to bloom and set fruit.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Medium to Moist

Zone: 5 to 8

Years to bear fruit: 4 to 6 years

Harvest Time: July

Care:

Plant: A "Santa Rosa" plum tree needs to be planted in well-drained soil and receive full sun to do its best. If the location has too much shade, the tree will produce fewer and lower quality fruit. You want full sun for at least 6 hours a day in late spring, in summer and in early fall.

The ‘Santa Rosea’ plum tree also requires 500 chill hours.

Fertilizer/pH: 4.5 to 7.5. In sandy, fast draining soil, you’ll likely need to fertilize. Young trees should be fertilized with a nitrogen fertilizer three times, in March, May, and July. Mature trees should be fertilized with a fertilizer intended for fruit trees, according to the package directions. Apply the entire amount in the spring. Irrigate immediately after fertilizing, and if it is very dry, also irrigate a day before.

In our home garden, where I’ve been nurturing since 1998, the clay has been broken up from years of adding 4 inches of composted leaf mulch from the City of Raleigh. We don’t tend to need fertilizer anywhere in there garden. It’s all about the soil!

Mulch: Heavily mulch around the base of the tree with an organic mulch such as leaf mulch, pine straw, or other barks.

Groom/Prune: Plum trees need to be pruned to encourage fruiting, develop an appropriate shape and control excess growth. Generally, prune when the leaves are off (when the tree is dormant). It’s easier to see what you are doing and removal of dormant buds (growing points) invigorates the remaining buds. Santa Rosa plums are likely to also need summer pruning to control size and vegetative growth.

There are several approaches to pruning – these directions are for the open-center vase shape frequently used for apricot trees. Right after planting the bare root tree, cut it off to one short stick 24 to 30 inches high (1/4 inch above a bud or branch) and cut any other side shoots remaining below that. This encourages low branching and equalizes the top and root system.

If the tree is growing vigorously, in the late spring of the first growing season, select three or four shoots to become your primary scaffold. (If the tree isn’t vigorous enough, delay this until August.) To the extent possible, these scaffold branches should be spaced evenly around the tree and each about 6 inches apart from the next vertically, with the lowest 12 to 18 inches above the ground. Look to keep branches at an angle of around 45 degrees to the trunk if possible. Don’t choose branches directly vertically on top of one another. Pinch back all of the other shoots to about 4 to 6 inches. Young plum trees have vigorous upright growth, so you will need to prune its vigorous vertical shoots back to their outward-facing buds/branches and trim away branches that form narrow, V-shaped forks to avoid limb breakage. By the end of the fourth year, you’d like to end up with three to four primary scaffolds and five to seven secondary scaffold branches.

Other pruning tips:
• Summer pruning is likely to be needed to remove upright center growth to open up the tree and get sunlight into the center.
• Angle cuts at about 45 degrees away from the nearby bud or stem.
• If a branch isn’t where you want it, you may be able to tie it down or spread it to get it into a better place rather than cutting it off.
• When pruning a mature plum tree, remove about 20% of the prior year’s growth, starting with weak, diseased or dead limbs; any limbs pointing downward; watersprouts and any sprouting below the grafting junction.

Pest/disease Control: Susceptible to plum leaf scald and other bacterial diseases. Additional diseases and insects can affect plum trees as well, including scales, borers, mites, aphids, leaf spots and rots.

Propagation: Mix 1 portion of rooting hormone liquid concentrate with 9 parts water. dip the severed end into the rooting solution for five seconds.. Check the plum cutting for root growth in four to six weeks.

Comments:

Delicious!

PERSIMMON, Diospyros kaki ‘Fuyu’—Kind, Culture, Care and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Diospyros kaki ‘Fuyu’

Common Name: Japanese persimmon or Kaki

Type: Deciduous Tree

Height: 20 to 30 feet

Spread: 20 to 30 feet

Pollination: Self-pollinating

Fruit Health Benefits: Persimmons are also a good source of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), folate, magnesium and phosphorus. These colorful fruits are low in calories and loaded with fiber, makingthem a weight loss-friendly food

Wildlife Benefits: Persimmon trees often host caterpillars of the beautiful pale green Luna moth. More than 28 other wildlife species eat persimmons.

Origin of species: Kaki is native to India, Burma, China and Korea, and is widely cultivated in Japan.

Cultivars: ‘Fuyu' is by reputation the most popular non-astringent variety in Japan. It produces medium to large fruit that persists on the tree after leaf drop and often into winter. Fruit is mild flavored and sweet. Fruits may be harvested when the skins reach deep orange.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun

Water: Medium

Zone: 7 to 10

Years to bear fruit: Up to 7.

Harvest Time: Fall. Fruits may be harvested when the skins reach a deep orange.

Care:

Plant:  Somewhat wide range of soil tolerance, but prefers moist, sandy soils, and yet drought tolerant.

Fertilizer/pH: 6 to 7.5. Fertilizer is required only when growth is less than 1 foot per year or in leaves loose their deep green color. When the need for fertilizer is indicated, use a balanced fertilizer – such as 10-10-10 or 10-20-20. Spread 1 pound of the fertilizer for each inch of trunk diameter under the tree canopy in late winter or early spring when new shoots emerge.

Mulch: Mulch in the spring & summer withe about 4-6 inches deep. Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk of the tree. Good mulch for persimmons is weed-free hay and pine bark. Spacing for persimmons depends upon the desired use in the landscape.

Groom/Prune: Train 'Fuyu' persimmon trees to an open vase system when young to manage the heavy foliage and allow penetration of light and air circulation in the mature tree. Cut newly planted trees back to 36 inches. During summer, when new growth is approximately 4 inches long, select six to eight shoots for the main scaffolding. Branches should be evenly spaced around the tree – like 10, 12, 2, 4, 6 and 8 on an analog clock face – and form wide angles between the branches and the tree trunk. The lowest scaffold branch should be 24 to 32 inches from the ground. Remove all other shoots at the time of pruning and as they develop throughout the summer. Cut back approximately one-third of the length of each scaffold branch the following winter, making cuts just beyond outward-facing buds. Continue to train the tree in this manner. Prune out upward-growing or damaged branches during the dormant season.

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. Scale and mealybug may need to be controlled. Leaf spot may occur.

Propagation: Persimmons are most commonly propagated from seeds and grafts. However, they will also propagate reliably from softwood cuttings if the cuttings are treated with hormone and kept under moderately humid, warm conditions

Comments:

Persimmon trees bear fruit that can make your mouth pucker when unripe or declare its ripe sweetness "the fruit of the gods," according to the translation of its Latin name.

Unripe persimmons of the native American species (Diospyros virginiana) contain tannin, an astringent, so the fruit must be ripened before consumption. Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu,' a Japanese persimmon, is not astringent but develops a richer taste when matured to a soft texture. The flavor has a deep sweetness like honey with a hint of mango.

Anyone who has tried to eat a persimmon before it is ripe will tell you that the extremely bitter taste is something they will never forget. Some folks wouldn't think of eating a persimmon until after a frost; however, frost doesn't have anything to do with the ripeness of the fruit.

Persimmons that are wrinkled and purple are usually very sweet.

PINEAPPLE GUAVA, Acca sellowiana syn. Feijoa sellowiana—Kind, Culture, Care and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Acca sellowiana syn. Feijoa sellowiana

Common Name: Pineapple guava

Type: Broadleaf evergreen

Height: 10 to 15 feet

Spread: 10 to 15 1feet

Pollination: Pineapple guava will not produce a good quantity of fruit unless you have more than one variety for cross-pollination. Some varieties are self-fertile, but they produce more fruit if there’s a pollinator close by.

Fruit Health Benefits: This tropical contains significant levels of vitamin C (more than 50% of your daily recommendation per serving), as well as a diverse selection of B vitamins and trace amounts of vitamin E, K, and A. In terms of mineral content, pineapple guava contains moderate levels of copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron, and calcium. A single serving of this fruit also delivers more than 15% of your daily recommended dietary fiber, in addition to various phytochemicals, phenols, and antioxidants.

Wildlife Benefits: Birds

Origin of species: Native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina and Columbia

Cultivars: In humid coastal climates, 'Improved Coolidge' (also called 'Edenvale Improved Coolidge'), 'Edenvale Late', 'Edenvale Supreme', 'Mammoth', and 'Moore' are good choices. 'Triumph' is commercially popular because it stores well, but the flesh tends to be grainier than most.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade.

Water: Low to Medium. This is considered a drought tolerant plant, meaning it survives with relatively little water, but needs adequate water for good fruit production. Give additional water. during dry spells.

Zone: 8 to 10

Years to bear fruit: 4 year.

Harvest Time: Fall

Care:

Plant: It’s adaptable to a wide range of soils, including acidic soil, but prefers a humus rich soil that is well drained.  Adding compost and not manure works for this plant.

Fertilizer/pH: 4.5 to 7. Fertilize the slow-growing shrub every two months during the growing season with a complete 8-8-8 fertilizer. During the first year, apply fertilizer once a month.

Mulch: Mulch soil around the shrubs to protect the shallow roots.

Groom/Prune: The guava requires little pruning to fruit happily, but you can shape the shrub to a single trunk to encourage taller growth. We grow ours as a shrub.

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. Black scale and fruit flies can be problematic in some areas.

Propagation:  Best propagated by cuttings or by grafting from known cultivars. Easily grown from seed, but cultivars often do not come true from seed.

Comments:

The skin of the pineapple guava fruit is edible, but many people prefer to cut the fruit in half, like an avocado, remove the seeds, and then scoop out the soft, sweet flesh with a spoon. However, simply slicing the fruit, without removing the skin, can deliver even more dietary fiber.

RASPBERRIES, Rubus idaeus—Kind, Culture, Care, and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

‘Southland’ Raspberries

Kind:

Latin Name: Rubus idaeus

Common Name: Raspberries

Type: Deciduous shrub

Height: 3 to 9 feet

Spread: 3 to 9 feet

Pollination: Raspberry blooms are self-pollinating; however, bees are responsible for 90 to 95 percent of pollination. Honeybees or solitary bees are solely responsible for pollinating raspberry bushes.

Fruit Health Benefits: Raspberries are low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They may protect against diabetes, cancer, obesity, arthritis and other conditions and may even provide anti-aging effects.

Wildlife Benefits: Bees, birds, and butterflies

Origin of species:  North America, Europe, northern Asia, Japan

Cultivars: For our region, ‘Southland’.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Best grown in organically rich, slightly acidic, moist but well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Intolerant of wet soils which can cause root rot. When grown for harvest of its raspberry fruits, raised beds should be considered in areas with heavy clay soils.

Zone: 4 to 8

Years to bear fruit: 2nd year, at least that was what it was for us.

Harvest Time: Early summer

Care:

Plant: Best grown in organically rich, slightly acidic, moist but well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Intolerant of wet soils which can cause root rot. When grown for harvest, raised beds should be considered in areas with heavy clay soils. We have ours growing in a raised. bed.

Fertilizer/pH: 6 to 6.5

Mulch: Add an organic mulch around the roots.

Groom/Prune: Summer-bearing – Remove all weak canes to the ground in early spring. Leave 10-12 of the healthiest canes, about ¼ inches in diameter, with 6-inch spacing. Tip prune any that may have suffered cold damage. Following summer harvest, prune off the old fruiting canes to the ground.

Pest/disease Control: Anthracnose, botrytis, root rot, and other fungal diseases can cause serious problems that may necessitate chemical treatments. Cane borers and crown borers are potentially serious insect pests. We have been very fortunate to have had no problems.

Propagation: Coming soon!

Comments:

I’ve never met another area gardener that can grow raspberries. We are just on the edge of growing them, they like cooler climates. But for whatever reason, for the last 10 years, I get a bumper crop. I often share with others. I believe it’s because I grow them in a raised bed!

PASSION VINE, Passiflora edulis—Kind, Care, Culture, and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Passiflora edulis

Kind:

Latin Name: Passiflora edulis

Common Name: Passion Fruit

Type: Deciduous climbing vine, grown as an annual in Raleigh.

Height: 10 to 15 feet

Spread: 3 to 5 feet

Pollination: Self pollinates

Fruit Health Benefits: Passion fruit is highly rich in Vitamin C, beta-cryptoxanthin and alpha-carotene that boosts your immunity. It also has iron which increases haemoglobin in our red blood cells. The rich content of riboflavin (Vitamin B6) and niacin (Vitamin B3) in passion fruit helps in regulating the thyroid activity in our body

Wildlife Benefits: In our region, passion vine is the host butterfly plant for the gulf fritillary, Agraulis vanillae and the variegated fritillary, Euptoieta claudia.

Origin of species:  Native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina

Cultivars: Coming soon!

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun

Water: Medium

Zone: 10 to 12

Years to bear fruit: One year.

Harvest Time: Late fall. First, make sure it's ripe! Then, cut in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fruit. Remember, you can and should eat the seeds.

There's a film between the skin and seeds that is edible, but it doesn't taste good, so we recommend not eating it.

Care:

Plant: Most species of passion flower should be grown in full sun to part shade, in average soil that is well-drained. A sheltered locations, such as against a garden wall, is recommended for many species. If you bring potted specimens indoor for the winter, give them bright, indirect light and keep them out of drafts.

Fertilizer/pH: 6.1 to 7.5

Mulch: Mulch the vine with a 3- to 4-inch-thick layer of organic mulch after it is several inches tall. Wood chips make a good choice, because they are less likely to harbor the snails that can attack passionflower vines in some climates. Shredded leaves are another common selection.

Groom/Prune: None

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. Nematodes and fungi may attack the roots. Destroy any plants attacked by viral diseases.

Propagation: Coming soon!

Comments:

It is said that the Passion Fruit was named by the 16th century Spanish Catholic Missionaries in the Amazon region of Brazil. They called it “flor passionis” (passionflower) or “flor de las cinco llagas” (flower of the five wounds) after its purple flower which they believed resembled the five wounds of Christ.

Passion fruit taste fruity! And tart! They also have a strong and characteristic perfume. You can eat them raw, if you don't mind the tartness. We recommend enjoying them with something sweet or creamy, like ice cream or adding a little sugar to the raw fruit!

For containers, use a well-drained, peaty-humusy potting mix. Containers need a support on which the vine can grow. Place containers outdoors in full sun after last spring frost date. This flowering vine appreciates high humidity. It also requires good air circulation to discourage fungal diseases. Water evenly and consistently during the growing season.

P. edulis f. flavicarpa is a yellow-fruited form commonly called yellow passionfruit.

Vines produce flowers on new growth, so they may be pruned as needed early in the growing season. Bring vines indoors before first fall frost date. Reduce watering somewhat from fall to late winter. Purple passionfruit may be grown indoors year round as a houseplant in a sun room or in a sunny south-facing window.

QUINCE, Cydonia oblonga—Kind, Culture, Care, and Comments

Kind:

Latin Name: Cydonia oblonga

Common Name: Edible Quince

Type: Deciduous tree

Height: 12 to 15 feet

Spread: 9 to 12 feet

Pollination: Consider growing more than one quince tree and more than one variety. While quince trees are capable of self-pollination, they produce more fruit when they are cross-pollinated. This is true from most self-pollinating plants.

Fruit Health Benefits: The fruit contains tannins including catechin and epicatechin, and has a very high concentration of vitamin C. Quince is also a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and copper. With a very low calorie density, quince can be enjoyed as part of a healthy eating plan.

Wildlife Benefits: Butterflies

Origin of species: Native to the rocky slopes and woodland margins in Western Asia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia, as well as, Northern Iran to Afghanistan.

Cultivars: We grow ‘Pineapple’, bred for it’s superior edibility.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade. Best flowering occurs in full sun.

Water: Medium

Zone: 5 to 8

Years to bear fruit: Quince trees from seeds should yield fruit within five years. Trees grown from cuttings will begin to produce fruit even sooner. We purchases ours in a one gallon container, and hope to see fruit in a couple to three years.

We just put in the tree February, 2020.

Harvest Time: Fall

Care:

Plant: Growing quince trees isn't that difficult as long as you can provide appropriate conditions. Choose a sunny location with fertile soil. Quinces adapt to wet or dry soils but perform best when the soil is well-drained.

Fertilizer/pH: Quinces prefer a slightly alkaline soil pH of 6.5-7.0. They grow in many soil types but do best in deep, very loamy soil.

Mulch:   Add compost before planting and a thick organic mulch applied every year.

Groom/Prune: Quinces fruit mostly on the tips of the shoots made the previous year. They do not form many fruiting spurs. Prune and train in the dormant season between late autumn and early spring.  

Pest/disease Control: Scales, Aphids, Lace bug

Propagation: Cutting, Grafting. Fruiting quince can take several months to root. Take cuttings in winter to early spring that are the same length as the flowering varieties. Use rooting hormone prior to planting the cuttings in moistened horticultural sand.

Comments:

Pineapple quinces can be eaten raw but are most often cooked in several applications. They are baked, poached or cooked down to make jams and jellies and are often combined with other fruits for sauces, juices, pies, and candies. The pale flesh turns to a dark purple when cooked and softens.

HARDY KIWI or KIWIBERRY, Actinidia arguta—Kind, Culture, Care and Comments

Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Hardy Kiwi, Actinidia arguta, PC John Buettner

Kind:

Latin Name: Hardy Kiwi

Common Name: Actinidia arguta

Type: Deciduous vine

Height: : 25 to 30 feet, in its native region, the vine can reach up 100 feet!

Spread: 7 to 20 feet

Pollination:  Species plants are dioecious, separate male and female plants, with at least one male pollinator needed for fruit set on female vines.

Fruit Health Benefits: The kiwiberry is considered an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B8 (myo-inositol), lutein, β-carotene, chlorophylls, enzyme actinidin, and antioxidants, as well as dietary fiber.

Wildlife Benefits: Coming soon!

Origin of species:  Temperate eastern Asia, Native to woodlands, mountain forests, stream-sides and moist locations in eastern Asia, China and Japan. 

Cultivars: We grow A. arguta ‘Issai’, which only reaches heights of 12 to 20 feet and 3 to 5 feet wide. During planting, we plant three plants—a male, a female, and a self pollinating ‘Issai’. This is the first year we have flowers.

Male flower in the Bee Better Teaching garden. First time for these flowers. Still no female flowers.

I consulted my friend, John Buettner to determining the sex of the flower. At first I thought it was a male flower, but he was able to zoom in to realize it is a female flower, “it has both the boy parts and the girl parts. Male flowers have only the boy parts. Though female flowers have both parts, in most varieties the boy parts are inactive and don't pollinate anything. If you are growing 'Issai', it is self fertile, meaning on the female flowers both parts are fully functional. There may be other varieties that are self fertile, its the only one I know.”

Male vs Female hardy kiwi flowers

To know if your hardy kiwi vine is male or female, look to the flower, if you have any Here is a pic of the difference between male and female flowers.

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun

Water: Medium

Zone: 3 to 8

Years to bear fruit: The age of the plants has an impact on fruiting. Hardy Kiwi takes a few years to produce fruit. Depending on the age of the vines you purchase, it could be one to three years before fruit is made

Harvest Time: Fall

Care:

Plant: Grow hardy kiwi vines 12 feet apart on well-drained, fertile soil, in full sun. Ideally plant on an east facing slope so flowers don't develop too quickly in spring and get subjected to late frosts. These vines love to grow. In fact, some consider them invasive further South.

Fertilizer/pH: Hardy kiwi likes it on the acidic side with a pH between 5 and 6.5.

Additional fertilizer not required with good soil, covered with organic compost. The compost will break down to nature the vine.

Mulch: Composted leaf mulch, wood chips, pinestraw.

Groom/Prune: Hardy kiwi is an aggressive vine. Feel free to prune back any time to manage size.; best to cut back when dormant during the winter.

Pest/disease Control: No serious disease or insect problems

Propagation: In areas where the kiwifruit will grow, scions of the hardy kiwi can be grafted directly onto kiwifruit rootstock. Otherwise, one must either root their own from hardwood or greenwood cuttings or buy established plants.

Comments:

It tastes similar to, though slightly sweeter than, its larger-fruited relative, the true kiwi, Actinidia deliciosa, which can not be grown north of Zone 8.

The following first appeared in Triangle Gardener a few years back, by Helen Yoest

As a budding fruit grower with limited space, I’m very careful as to how I use my real estate. Since I’m also a wildlife gardener, none of my fruit can be sprayed; everything has to be disease resistant, or with problems the garden and I can tolerate.

The latest addition to my garden is the hardy kiwi. This kiwi is much different in appearance from the traditional fuzzy kiwi. 

Hardy kiwi is sweeter, grape-sized, and fuzz-less.

Since I’m so new at growing hardy kiwi, and frankly I didn’t know it existed before visiting my friend John Buettner’s garden, I reached out to John to share his expertise.

Hardy kiwi is an excellent choice for Triangle gardens. The vine is attractive, not fussy, and grows fast. Maybe too fast. According to John, “My only rule about kiwi vines is that you never go near them without pruners. They will take over the world if you let them ramble.”

Give it a lot of space. Hardy kiwi can grow 15-feet in one year. Try growing it over an arbor in a sunny location.

Fussiness is a term often used to suggest high maintenance, including spraying and feeding. Kiwis are not fussy. As John attests, “I have never sprayed my kiwi vines. Occasionally I will see some foliar disease and sometimes the fruit gets what appears to be sunburned on its skin, but those problems are very minor and not worth spraying.” John added, “I also don’t feed them a lot, maybe once a year when I’m feeding everything else in the garden. I use wood chips as the mulch under the vines, and it breaks down into compost which gives them a slow feeding over time.”

Hardy Kiwi takes time to produce fruit. I don’t expect to see any fruit from my fledgling plants for three to five years, or more! But it will be worth it.

Like many fruits, hardy kiwi needs full sun and constant moisture to thrive, though it does not tolerate wet soil. Plant it in a full sun location with rich, well-drained soil. It will suffer in times of drought unless watered. Deer may browse the vine, but will soon it will be out of the deer’s reach.

For my hardy kiwi, I built a trellis from limbs after removing a crape myrtle tree. Soon it will be covered, creating a beautiful display on the south side of my garden.

Hardy kiwi fruit will reach full-size by midsummer, but will not ripen to its full sweetness until late summer. To test, pick a few and allow them to ripen on a counter or on a windowsill for a few days. If the kiwi becomes sweet and soft, it’s time to harvest. 

Hardy Kiwi vine trellis in the Bee Better Naturally with Helen Yoest garden

To extend the harvest, store hardy kiwi in the refrigerator to keep them from ripening. Take out of the fridge to ripen as needed. In addition, hardy kiwis can be picked and eaten straight off the vine. Another tip from John, “They are sweeter if you wait until the fruit starts to wrinkle.”

Most hardy kiwis need a pollinator so I asked John about the ‘Issai” vines, known to be self-fertile, and do not require a male pollinator. “I did get a good crop of fruit from them,” John says. Even with this advice, I bought one self-fertile ‘Issai’, and a male and female just to be certain

John’s garden has five hardy kiwi vines: two female Actinidia arguta ‘Annas’, one male A. arguta of unknown variety and one A. purpurea ‘Ken’s Red’. I’m growing Actinide arguta.

If you too are a budding or hopeful fruit grower, starting with hardy kiwi is a good place to begin.

Naturally,

Helen