It looks like I'm in the early stages of a nasty whitefly infestation. They're all over the place, especially near the house, but they only seem to be negatively impacting the chard so far. In thinking about a strategy to combat whiteflies, obviously I can't whip up an insectary over the weekend, but an insectary is something I'm interested in the longterm. Some key points in thinking about strategy: > This is my first six months in this house, and my first year trying to suppress a yard full of oxalis. 90% of the 75' x 25' yard is sheet mulched with cardboard covered with up to 6" of wood chips. This means that the annual exotic grasses, such as foxtail and wild oats (neither of which I would mind as they're easy enough manage), are also suppressed, so there's not much habitat for beneficial insects. Should I even bother with predator insects if there's hardly a place for them to settle? > I've got neem oil and yellow sticky traps on hand, and I've got Delphrastus pusillus and Encarsia formosa coming in the mail. I'm also thinking of getting some ladybugs. Should I apply the neem oil a day before I release any insect predator, as the neem oil could kill the predator in addition to the pest? Is there a strategy to placing yellow sticky traps? I think I placed one too high up and I caught a honey bee this morning. That's not good, although I did manage to set her free. > Whiteflies population is densest near the house, where they cover all kinds of inedible surfaces--the siding, the metal security gate. They were getting in the house when we left the backdoor open, but they seem to die in a day because there's nothing to eat in here (one Billbergia nutans and one ZZ plant, neither of which have whiteflies on them). Primarily they're going for the chard, the Bergenia, and the invasive morning glory which covers the fence. The chard was volunteer when I moved in and I wouldn't mind pulling it all out. The Bergenia I want to save. The morning glory I would be happy to be rid of, but I'd have to ask my neighbor as I think it's coming from his yard. Whiteflies are also around the compost and worm bin. What could they be eating in there? Worm bin is full of shredded phone book, used bunny litter, and far gone kitchen scraps. Compost is kitchen scraps, used bunny litter, and straw from the feed store. Thankfully, they're not going for the brand new Western Redbud, even though it's right near the worm bin. > I'm in Oakland, CA, where we've been affected by a four-year drought. The whitefly population has exploded all around the neighborhood after two weeks of heavy storms followed by weeks of warm, sunny days. I'm taking a multifaceted approach of sticky traps, neem oil/plant soap, and predator/parasitic insects. If anyone's got any ideas above and beyond that I'm all ears. I'd like to get this problem taken care before tomatoes go in the ground in six weeks or so. At that time, if need be, I may lay aluminum foil around tomato plants.

tmore: Interesting about a person losing their licence if they use a pesticide product off label--seems harsh. I believe medical doctors prescribe medications for "off label" uses often--for example, my doctor recently said it was a good idea to take an asprin a day for a variety of reasons that health research has uncovered recently, but this use is not "officially approved," and certasinly not on the label. Well, anyway, I don't have any pesticide licence, and few of us do, so.... Maybe you have a licence and if you assent to my use of liquid coppper fungicide to prevent fungal rot in trees here in this forum, you could be sanctioned (some "thought police" watching you)? Bill: I don't know about this foam insulation. It may trap in moisture and if fungus is already in the tree, it could promote its growth. And if fungus is in the tree, it will have free reign throughout the heartwood of the tree. At this point the tree cannot set up any barriers to stop that. Once the heartwood of the tree is rotted out, the tree can then begin to set up some barriers to slow its progress through any new heartwood that is formed from the present and newly growing sapwood. But the tree will be weakened substantially because of the loss of its present heartwood to rot. If you can't clean out the softened and rotted sapwood and then treat with the liquid copper fungicide--and then monitor the possible progress of any fungal rot after that treatment, topping the tree--something I hate to see--and then monitoring the progress of any possible rot, is maybe the best you can do to reduce the risk to your neighbor. But topping the tree will provide more entry points for fungus and the new growth that sprouts from the cut tops will be weak and present a new hazard of their own. This tree cannot be replaced by anything similar in any reasonable period of time, but if the situation is fatal (the dead area goes down to below ground level and/or fungus is already in the tree), maybe some kind of replacement would be best. --Spruce

A thought about the pH of tap water: it doesn't matter much. Most people's water will test between (say) 7.3 and 7.8 because, if the water is naturally acidic, the supplier will treat it to protect the pipes. What matters is the total alkalinity (a quantity) rather than the pH (a ratio). In most of the East and other areas where water is naturally soft, the total alkalinity is low even if the pH is 7.5 or whatever. There is just not enough stuff in the water to have much effect on soil chemistry. But hard water from limestone springs or wells will have higher total alkalinity that could impact the soil chemistry. Also, out west, the raw young mountains are still leaching lots of solubles into the runoff. This means that western rivers like the Colorado have high total alkalinity plus a load of salts that can build up in the soil with long-term irrigation. So there's probably no value in running out to check the pH of tap water. It will be alkaline, but the test doesn't tell you how the water will affect your soil.

With all my roses pruned, there is no activity nowadays. However, when I complained to my rose nursery that the roses this year were not healthy, he sent me another pack, most roses of his own choice, at 80% discount. I am dealing with this rose nursery since long and many a times he sents a few roses free of cost Penelope (Hybrid Musk, Pemberton 1924) Brandy, (HT, Herbert Swim 1981) Memorial Day (HT, Tom Carruth 2001) Elizabeth of Glamis (Floribunda, McGredy 1958) Black Caviar (Astrid Grafin Von Hardenberg, Shrub, Tantau 2001) Daftrausch (Senteur Royale, HT, Tantau 1986) Andre le Notre (Betty White, Meilland 2000) Niclole Carol Miller (Grandiflora, Meilland, 2005) Pink Peac, (HT, Meilland 1958) JFK, (HT, Eugene Boerner, 1965) Souvenir de Baden-Baden (Pink Enchantment, HT, Kordes 2000) Princess Alexandra of Kent An un-tagged rose I already have two bushes of Princess Alexandra but he sends me a third at his own. No problem. I am not paying . I am fascinated to have Penelope, Memorial Day, Black Caviar and Andre le Notre. Have heard good things about these roses. I spent whole friday afternoon planting these roses... On Saturday morning me and my sons went up Margalla Hills for hiking. Margalla Hills National Park starts less than a km from my house. Here is one of the biggest trees that I saw in many years.... growing on the foot hills of Margalla. Yes, this is one tree. It is certainly hundreds of years old and Banyan tree do spread like this over the centuries; each root that touches the ground becomes a tree. This was last week. This tree is not that old but it is located high up on the Margalla mountain. We reached this spot after 2 hours of hiking. And here are few photos of one of my favourite palms, growing in the wild in Margalla National Park. Phoenix rupicola is indeed makes a majestic bush when fully grown. Phoenix rupicola grows up in the Margalla mountains at medium ranges. Here is one majestic specimen, isn't it? Another specimen This one has been through a jungle fire. The trunk is old but the leaves on top are few. Look how majestic this one looks. I am quite certain that if I grow this plant in my house (which is just 2 hours walk and in aerial distance, around 5 km from this place where this plant is going naturally), it will perhaps never grow this well. This is what I try to discover during my hikes. In nature, what makes the plants grow so well. What is God's Recipe for this lush growth? I think Straw would be interested to know this.... So many Phoenix rupicola growing naturally near the top of the mountain. I am so lucky to have this place just two hours hike from my house (in distance, it would be around 5 km aerial distance). Since there are no rose pics to show.... I thought we can talk about Banyan tree and Rupicola Palms I guess All photos shown above have been taken by me during my hikes in Margalla mountains. best regards