PROTECTING OUR BEES

Everything is growing nicely in my garden. Every other day, I am in the garden scouting the growing plants for pests and beneficial insects.

While scouting, I usually handpick any bad bugs and destroy them. However, sometimes I find a large population of pests on a specific crop, to which I apply a weak toxic pesticide.

I find valuable beneficial insects on squash and honeybees on other plants in my garden. It is very important to protect these wonderful pollinators.

The following tips may help you protect bees and other benefactors in your garden this growing season:

· Keep in mind all insecticides are toxic to bees and other beneficial insects.

· Make sure a pesticide is really necessary; consider how many bad bugs are on your plants.

· Never apply pesticides when flowers on vegetables are in full bloom. This is when bees are most likely visiting the flowers.

· Apply insecticide in late afternoon or evening when bees are not active.

· Never apply insecticide directly on the blossoms or on sweet corn tassel.

· Try to use a bacterial or alternative insect control whenever possible.

· Do not apply pesticides when it is windy—the chemical could drift.

· Be sure to keep sprays from water that may collect in mud puddles, bird baths, depressions in black plastic mulch or any place dew collects. Bees are industrious in finding any drinking water on their own.

· Try watering your garden about 15 minutes or so before applying pesticides; hopefully, this will discourage bee activity while chemicals are being applied.

To conclude, remembering these helpful tips or hints may help protect bees and other beneficial insects from toxic pesticides while they are busy working in our flower and vegetable plants this summer.

By Maggie L. Moor-Orth

Delaware Cooperative Extension

Delaware State University

JULY GARDENING CALENDER

To ensure a bountiful harvest, the conscientious gardener should follow these guidelines during the month of July.

The First Week of July:

¨ Control the weeds in vegetable and flower gardens.

¨ Feed roses.

¨ Watch for mites on roses, shrubs, trees, and ground covers.

¨ Control Japanese beetles on roses, crepe myrtle, grapes, and other host plants. Keep in mind, baited traps attract Japanese beetles, so hang them away from the plant you want to protect.

¨ Harvest and hang herbs before they go to bloom. Tie in little bunches and hang in a ventilated warm space to cure. After drying thoroughly, put in sealed jars for winter’s use.

¨ Take cuttings from shrubs.

The Second Week of July:

¨ Pinch back chrysanthemums for the last time.

¨ Remove faded blossoms from annuals and perennials.

¨ Deadhead rhododendrons to increase next year’s flowers. Remember to only remove spent flower heads. Do not damage newly expanded leaves.

¨ Keep all newly planted trees and shrubs watered; soak thoroughly once a week, either mornings or early evenings.

¨ Increase the mowing height on your lawn mower during dry, hot summer days.

¨ Prepare to harvest onions. When seedpods start to form, turn tops down and allow another two weeks for the onions to ripen before harvesting. Dry harvested onions in the shade before storing.

¨ Harvest and hang herbs before they flower.

¨ Check vegetables for pests and diseases.

The Third Week of July:

¨ Remove faded blossoms on annuals and perennials.

¨ Stake tall perennials.

¨ Check tomatoes for late blight and fruit for horn worms. Treat with a product labeled for this. Hand pick and destroy horn worms.

¨ Water shrubs and trees planted this year if necessary.

¨ Control weeds in vegetable and flower gardens.

¨ Harvest vine-ripened fruits.

¨ Harvest and hang herbs.

The Final Week of July:

¨ Visit the Delaware State Fair Master Gardener Booth.

¨ Continue efforts to control Japanese beetles and other garden pests.

¨ Divide bearded iris when clumps are too large.

¨ Stake perennials.

¨ Continue watering trees and plants as necessary in dry weather. Conserve water by using soaker hoses or trickle irrigation.

¨ Harvest home-grown produce.