I agree with Dave, accept that some leaves will be nibbled by bugs and slugs but, for the most part, they won't make much if any difference in your harvest. I do plant tight and heavy though, to the point that once the greens, such as kale, chard, bok choy and lettuces begin to grow, you can not see the soil any longer. They produce their own grown cover, no need to mulch, no weeds and good water retention. They may not grow as large, though I don't see any difference, and you end up with more food per sq foot. I then regularly "pick" from each plants just enough for a meal OR take a whole plant out here and there, making more space for the others. My bok choy seems a favourite of the bugs this year (slugs?) many holes but I eat those leaves all the same, and still plenty left without holes as well, further up the plant. My bok choy has bolted now, will plant more soon, but have just found out the flowers and especially the flower buds taste even better then the leaves themselves, like broccoli, bonus! I also do as lacyvail says, planting herbs and flowers that beneficial bugs are attracted to. Predators such as wasps, are a great help in the garden, attacking the veg eating pests. I keep dill and fennel out of the actual veg bed though, as they aren't always the best companions of veg.

Henry, I'm not questioning your credentials or your family's credentials. I'm questioning your circle-running of Google search articles for things you want to prove...and how you use some of them. While you seem to have a mind for science, your application of certain paper's topics to what you're trying to prove can be lacking. The "discussion" about the economics of large acreage farming and farmer choice burnt me out. I'm not getting into any more of that stuff...it's a never-ending circle. I understand nature is complex... I spend my personal and professional life studying it. I know large scale cropping systems, specialized hybridizing (CMS/etc), plant breeding, genetics, and the economics of cropping system especially...I also know soil science (another degree I hold), but I don't get to apply it that much in my profession. Just because I know about "science" things...it doesn't make me an expert or knowledgeable about nuclear reactions in power plants or making new elements from atomic super collider reactions. The field of science is just too broad in scope. Hell, even close fields aren't the best of neighbors. Ecologists and Horticulturalists share some similar/same terms, but the final definition is going to be different depending on which one you ask. I'm not out there trying to have a discussion/argument on the best way to raise hostas...because other than micropropagating them, I know jack about them. Expects have to specialize at some point. I know what I'm an expert at and where I'm lacking. You gotta draw that line, especially when you're diving into material you don't fully grasp. I chose a profession which puts me on the ground floor of the industry, and on the cutting edge of the technology (both GMO and non-GMO). This industry goes on without me...it happens independent of me...farmers don't care if I exist. What's going on out there doesn't care what I think. What's going on out there is what I'm exposed to on a daily/weekly basis, though. No one's wishes can make the reality of the decisions made on the ground different. It's happening whether people want to believe it or not. I've been in fields in almost 20 states, I've seen/gathered/crunched-numbers of pest data, I've used the pesticides/herbicides, I've grown the plants in greenhouse and field environments, I've talked so many farmers in so many different climates... Sorry, I can't give you their phone number and I'm not going to play Google search tag (because it never ends). If you choose to dismiss the things I say, fine. Wishes and hopes don't change what's going down on the ground floor of this particular field (or many fields). This post was edited by nc-crn on Wed, Mar 13, 13 at 20:30

Jeri - yes we do, and I remember now - they are called bush tits. They are the size of a hummingbird, but the shape of a chubby sparrow. I noticed them first because of their really high, squeaky call - all of a sudden some large tree will start this very high pitched squeaking, and then I know they have arrived. The flocks they are in around here are really huge. The first time I noticed them a large flock descended into my front garden, and landed & were hopping & darting all over all of the rose bushes. I thought they were eating the roses, until I paid attention and realized they were eating the aphids! They left after about 20 minutes, and there was not an aphid in sight. Now they come every Spring when the aphids are at their height. ANOTHER reason not to spray or introduce poisons into the garden! Jackie

Got curious about compost tea. This is the second time I checked. Early this summer time I spent 1 hour researching but was disappointed. Here's one link from United Kingdom on compost tea (unbiased, NOT sponsored by compost-tea industry): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/11121288/Compost-tea-does-it-really-work.html " What did they find? In a glasshouse study on lavender and choisya, none of the compost teas had any effect on growth or on susceptibility to botrytis (grey mould) or spider mites. Sometimes plants treated with compost tea were taller, sometimes they were shorter, sometimes there was no difference. Sometimes plants treated with compost tea were of higher quality, but often they weren’t, and treated choisya plants at one nursery were significantly worse. In short, the effects of compost teas were “extremely inconsistent”. Other links from U.S.A: http://www.walterreeves.com/landscaping/compost-tea-does-it-work/ From University of New Hampshire: https://extension.unh.edu/articles/Does-compost-tea-really-work From University of Vermont: http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/composttea.html Excerpt from above link: " It’s not clear whether it’s necessary to aerate during compost tea production. Aeration can speed up the production time, but it may also add to equipment cost and complexity. There are claims that aeration helps kill off the organisms that can cause illness. Very few studies have compared aerated and non-aerated compost teas. Some recent research. A 2-year study by the Rodale Institute and Pennsylvania State University evaluated the use of aerated compost tea for disease suppression and crop stimulation in grapes, potatoes, and pumpkins. During year one, approximately 50% suppression of powdery mildew was observed in the compost tea treated grape plots. A slight reduction of gray mold, along with an INCREASE in the level of downy mildew, was observed in the compost tea treated plot during the first year at one of the vineyards. Compost tea failed to suppress powdery mildew on Howden pumpkins in year one, but reduced the number and size of pathogen colonies in year two. Compost tea did not reduce severity of late blight on Superior potatoes when disease was present in year two. " http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/composttea.html *** From Straw: FOR ROSES, just spraying with alkaline tap water alone is enough to suppress mildew, as testified by Roseseek (Kim Rupert) in CA and rosarian Dave Boyd in HMF. For mildew, just plain tap-water spray (alkaline pH over 8) is enough to contain mildew, as rosarian Dave Boyd in a dry climate (only 13" of moisture per year) testified in HMF: http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=3.4748