Garden chat & photos for torts and people ♫ ♫

[Pearly]

Hello green thumbs! Wanted to know if any of you used neem oil or other natural ways to control Japanese beetle? Last year I had no problems this year horrific. I will probably buy a systemic but wanted to see if any of you guys and gals have any other idears

When I was a little kid I recall one year we had tons of them. The chickens LOVED them!!! They were fatter then usual that year Aside from getting flock of chickens, have you checked out any organic gardening sites for natural ways to control them? Or even on Pinterest?

 

[Yvonne G]

http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/japanese-beetles-control

 

[Pearly]

I see their grubs and adults in flight on spring nights. They are like moths, fly towards the light. But they have never done enough damage for me to worry about exterminating them

 

[Oxalis]

Thanks for bringing up the Japanese beetle. I googled it and now feel bad that I saw maybe 2 this past year; I would've killed them had I known what kind of beetle they were. I only kill insects when they're in my house or making Hubby crazy! Last year we tried praying mantis in our backyard. I don't think they had enough cover to "graze" on. This year would've been better but I hear it's too late to hatch an egg now. Maybe next year we'll try again and our plants will be even bigger then! Would a praying mantis egg be too weird to put on the wedding registry?

 

[Eric Phillips]

http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/japanese-beetles-control

Thanks Yvonne!

 

[Yvonne G]

One of my sansevieria is blooming.





I also have one in the corner of my bedroom, right behind my recliner. One night last year I was sitting there watching TV and all of a sudden I got this flood of scent. It was a very strong perfume. As you can see, right behind my chair, one of the windows is slightly open. I jumped up and grabbed my flashlight and ran outside, thinking there was someone out there who was wearing perfume. I checked all over outside and couldn't find anyone. So I went back inside. The perfume smell was still there, and quite heavy. That's when I noticed that the sansevieria behind my chair was blooming. It has a bud stalk on it right now too. It has no scent until the flowers open, which will probably be tomorrow night. At that time it will also be VERY sticky.




I thought my volunteer tomato would be a cherry tomato, but the fruit is already bigger than a cherry.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I didn't know they bloomed. My cornstalk got a bloom and died. Damn thing reached the ceiling. Then dead. Sucks

 

[Yvonne G]

I didn't know they bloomed. My cornstalk got a bloom and died. Damn thing reached the ceiling. Then dead. Sucks

A learning experience. Now we know (if you ever get another cornstalk) that if they start to set a bloom cut it out and don't let it bloom.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

When I was a little kid I recall one year we had tons of them. The chickens LOVED them!!! They were fatter then usual that year Aside from getting flock of chickens, have you checked out any organic gardening sites for natural ways to control them? Or even on Pinterest?

Box turtles

 

[Momof4]

Look at these pretty flowers!!
Not sure what they are.

 

[TardisTortoise]

A little lizard enjoying my pride of barbados.

 

[Yvonne G]

Look at these pretty flowers!!
Not sure what they are.
View attachment 178849

Aren't those the kind that N2Torts grows? Beautiful.

 

[Yvonne G]

A little lizard enjoying my pride of barbados.

View attachment 178860

When my kids were little and we went to the fair, my son was always asking me to buy him a "chameleon." They had those little green anoles displayed on a felt-covered board with a string around them and a safety pin so you could pin it on your clothes.

 

[Momof4]

Aren't those the kind that N2Torts grows? Beautiful.

I think you're right!!
I also saw this one! These are all around our hotel in Cabo.
I think this is a plumeria with a slight curl on the leaves. @N2TORTS

 

[Yvonne G]

I think you're right!!
I also saw this one! These are all around our hotel in Cabo.
I think this is a plumeria with a slight curl on the leaves. @N2TORTS
View attachment 178884

Plumeria! That's the word I was looking for.

 

[Pearly]

Look at these pretty flowers!!
Not sure what they are.
View attachment 178849

Crown of Thorns i think it's called, tropical plant. They use them a lot in S Florida landscapes

 

[Pearly]

One of my sansevieria is blooming.

View attachment 178484


View attachment 178485
I also have one in the corner of my bedroom, right behind my recliner. One night last year I was sitting there watching TV and all of a sudden I got this flood of scent. It was a very strong perfume. As you can see, right behind my chair, one of the windows is slightly open. I jumped up and grabbed my flashlight and ran outside, thinking there was someone out there who was wearing perfume. I checked all over outside and couldn't find anyone. So I went back inside. The perfume smell was still there, and quite heavy. That's when I noticed that the sansevieria behind my chair was blooming. It has a bud stalk on it right now too. It has no scent until the flowers open, which will probably be tomorrow night. At that time it will also be VERY sticky.

View attachment 178486

View attachment 178487
I thought my volunteer tomato would be a cherry tomato, but the fruit is already bigger than a cherry.

View attachment 178488

Sanseveria have very strong perfume like scented flowers and my flowers dripped this clear watery sap which was kinda pretty

 

[Pearly]

I didn't know they bloomed. My cornstalk got a bloom and died. Damn thing reached the ceiling. Then dead. Sucks

I think they are like Century Plants, do all that growing for all those years just to put out one big flower stalk and die after that

 

[Pearly]

A little lizard enjoying my pride of barbados.

View attachment 178860

My Barbados is blooming like crazy too and little green and brown Anoles are all over the place

 

[Pearly]

I think you're right!!
I also saw this one! These are all around our hotel in Cabo.
I think this is a plumeria with a slight curl on the leaves. @N2TORTS
View attachment 178884

No Sweetie, this looks like Desert Rose (Obesum ...something) think it's succulent family. Maybe wrong on that. Plumeria has similar looking flowers but the leaves are much bigger,