Fire Ants, Aphids, other Problems, and more Direct Seeding

Today’s theme it seems is problem solving. As I walk around my plot to do my field observation ritual, I noticed the ants crawling on my beans and around the Chinese cabbage. Ants pose a big problem to crops because they bring aphids, which feed on the plants. We found the ant mound and used an ant killer product to hopefully get rid of them.

I looked for aphids on the beans and found some on top of the stems. I sprayed them with a soapy-oil solution in which the recipe can be found in the UH Master Gardener Program website.

After dealing with the insects, I noticed that the snow peas are turning red, and one plant looks dry and wilted. My coach suggests that the plant is deficient in some nutrients. So I will have to come back with a solution, hopefully, after I research the problem.

The tomato plant leaves look infected, but my farm coach advised that they are leafminers and they are not usually threatening to plants. I sure hope not.

At first I was disappointed that my plants were having all kinds of problems, but then I realized that having these problems allowed me to dig deeper into researching, learning, and finding solutions.

To end the farm visit on a positive note, I direct seeded kohlrabi, arugula, cilantro, and kale. I hope they do much better than their older neighbors.