Author Archives: hillstreetgarden

The more healthy your plants, the better they are able to withstand bug attacks. Plants can withstand a small amount of bugs – so keep an eye out, but don’t get worried by a little damage. Some good bugs: wasps, ground beetles, dragonflies. Attract the good ones by plants a variety of flowers and herbsContinue reading “Bugs! Good ones keep the bad ones away”

Healthy soil will help to keep your plants healthy and strong. Stronger plants can better withstand bugs, disease and water stress. Ways to keep your soil healthy: Make sure you have mulch on it all year Never walk on it. Make paths and stay on them. Don’t turn it over. This destroys the natural layers thatContinue reading “Healthy Soil: helps plants stay healthy”

Are your cucumbers, squash, melons or zuchnini getting eaten? Look for cucumber bettles (yellow with stripes or spots). The adults eat the leaves and they aren’t too bad, but the main problem is that they lay their eggs near the roots of the plants and then the larve suck nutrients from the plant. There isn’tContinue reading “Cucumber Beetles”

Raised beds are notorious for drying out faster than regular gardens. There is more exposure and places for the water to evaporate. Plants then get stressed, more water is used, and it take more of your time. What to do? Mulch, mulch, mulch! By covering the soil with a ‘insulating layer’, less water will beContinue reading “Mulch and Water Conservation”

Bushy tomato plants are lovely, aren’t they? However, it is important to sucker your tomatoes as a bushy plant will actually have less tomatoes. A sucker is a non-bearing branch that grows out of the stem at a 45 degree angle off the branch that will have tomatoes (these grow straight out). Pinch these off asContinue reading “Tomato suckers”

If anyone wants to reap the benefits of rape, sai sai, roquet, etc. I suggest the investment in garlic and pepper spray as a natural/organic deterrent and a shade-cover system to send them packing. (They are not a flea at all but are named such for their jumping ability) These tiny black jumping beetles areContinue reading “Roquet and Flea Bettles”

These are ripe when:– you see a colour change– they have a hard skin (can’t puncture with fingernail)– they sound jollow when knocked– the stem is hard and dry To harvest, cut off the vine leaving as much stem as possible. Wash them to remove bacteria that might cause them to rot (spray with peroxideContinue reading “Harvesting Squash and Pumpkin”

When there is lots of rain and high humidity squash, pumpkin and cucumber plants are susceptible to powdery mildew. You’ll quickly see the white spots on the green leaves to know if you have it. This will continue to spread, so take action as soon as you notice the signs: 1. Cut off the mostContinue reading “Powdery Mildew on plants in squash family”