Gjcore asks: " Any ideas on how to achieve the right balance in our brews for the 3 stages of plant life?" The key to getting the right nutrients to the plants at the right time relates to what is being fed to the microbes when making Bug Juice. By having the right nutrients being fed at the right time the plant can respond the way the gardener desires. As an example: Early growth Adding fish emulsion or a seed meal (alfalfa, soybean, or other high protein (nitrogen) source will result in good fast growth for the plant. Mid growth Adding bone meal, seaweed, or other high phosphorus nutrient will ensure good root growth as well as stem development. Flowering/fruiting growth Adding seaweed, potash, greensand, or other high potassium source will insure good fruiting and weight to harvests. And too, adding calcium at any given stage will insure plants will have the right ratio to adsorb all the nutrients being fed to plants. While using any given tea will always aid in plant growth IMO, having the nutrients in the soil to feed microbes is always important. While some will advocate having a soil test to know what is needed within soil, the ability to measure organic nutrients in said soil is extremely expensive and unrealistic throughout the growing season. Plants are smart enough to know what they need and when they need it; we are responsible to make sure all the nutrients are in the soil at the right time. Talk of pollution from overfeeding plants is all well and good, however, soil endowed with ample organic matter and compost/humus will store nutrients until needed by plants. To my knowledge, no soil test has been developed to measure what is stored with soil compost/humus levels yet, thus to mime about testing something that is "untestable" leaves much to be desired. Better to maintain high levels of compost and humus in the soil, make sure all the nutrients are in the soil for plants to be able to absorb said nutrients, and the gardener at the ready to harvest and consume said harvest are the best way to get healthy food to the table. Full spectrum amendments (loaded with all the nutrients we need for our body) added to the soil in the form of fertilizer or compost tea remove all doubt of weather the nutrients are there; we know they are there because we put them there. This includes all the nutrients a so-called "soil test" never tested for in the first place. I am not saying to never get a soil test; what I am saying is I never waste my money on a soil test; we test our soil at the dinner table. Blutranes

Clearly gardengal has never had Asian beetles in her house. In the last house we lived in, this time of year was miserable. In one room of the house, there were always thousands. Inside. I could literally vacuum up every stinking one and 5 minutes later there would be at least 50 new ones already. It was the most awful thing I had ever seen. That house was about 35 years old and was built of natural limestone. It had a working fireplace in the room. It had a west window where the sun shown in brightly. We worked and worked and worked to try to seal up every opening, but it was impossible. They came down the fireplace, around the windows, and seemed to literally come through the walls. The deluge stopped about December every year. We sold the house about 3 years ago. And I was just sitting here in my new house, watching a single Asian beetle trying to get into my screened in porch, and wondered how the new owners were dealing with that issue. I really thought they'd complain, but I haven't heard a thing. :)

I have found newbalance running shoes are lightweight, well ventilated, excellent arch support inserts and their very robust cushioning allow me to be on my feet all day... if they get wet or muddy I just hose them off, take out the inserts and let everything dry overnight in the garage. Don't laugh, but i change from my clean clothes to my garden clothes in the garage, work in the garden, hose off outside, remove all the dirty garden clothes in the garage and change back into the clean clothes before going inside. Just wish I had installed a sink and shower in the garage! I never tried it , but as a boy scout was told eating the tips of blue-tip matches would help keep the bugs away (something about ingesting the sulfur and the subsequent odor via perspiration). Maybe I will look for something like long sleeve surgical scrubs that are lightweight cotton that can be sinched at the wrist or ankles to keep the bugs out and yet still be comfortable in the heat . I have noticed my raised bed garden close to the house has fewer bugs than the garden area further away or closer to the tall grass/woods areas. The raised beds are easier to garden as you don't have to bend down all the way!

Been discussed here before and I do believe someone posted a link about how to be safe and eliminate the bugs. I don't have time to search for the thread but I remember responding that I had asked our exterminator about bedbugs and they use the heat/steam method to get rid of them. I've also read/seen on the news where you can leave an item in sub temps for a certain time period to kill them - if feasible of course. I love antiques and do not intend to quit buying them. I will take precautions. Our exterminator also explained to us how to look for and find bed bugs. tina