The tropics is not for sissies.

My little seedlings had all shot up overnight and when the sun came out over the weekend I thought they might enjoy it, but they all flopped over like skinny 18th century ladies in a  faint.   Well, they need to toughen up a bit to survive the tropics.  The tropics is not for sissies.  Anyway I put up the shade cloth that will give the little seedlings a bit of shade during the day.

My hubby spent hours cleaning out my potting table area, and we cut down an old picnic table to add a shelf underneath it.  It looks nice and tidy now, I will have to try and keep it that way.


I heard that with a long big wet season such as we are just coming out of, that the insect population explodes.  Well they are not wrong about that.  Every lettuce seedling is now just a few little stalks!  I suspect grasshoppers, so am going to brew up a batch of chili garlic spray, because this year I am going to grow lots of vegetables, come hell or high water.  

I wonder what beneficial insects I can attract?  I looked up dragonflies and discovered that they eat mosquitoes - yeah!  I have seen lots of dragonflies around, and our mosquito problem has definitely eased.  I thought it was the stones I laid in the wet areas, which I am sure has helped somewhat.  I have planted marigold, calendula, nasturtium and cosmos seeds, so there should be some colour mixed in with the veggies.

Now after months and months of rain we have not had any rain for 6 days - sometimes a bit of a sprinkle overnight I think, but not enough to have to empty the rain guage.   Now I cant wait to be harvesting vegetables.

Comments

  1. DesireeThu Mar 24, 05:38:00 PM

    I loved your description of your seedlings keeling over in a faint :)

    Your garden is looking GREAT! And I'm holding thumbs you'll have a wonderful vegetable growing season. You have enough tenacity and enthusiasm to pull it off, for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AliThu Mar 24, 07:21:00 PM

    Oh I love the 18th century ladies too... they have swooned in my garden too, all my lovely tomato seedlings have just disappeared, baked to a crisp. Oh well, next!

    ReplyDelete
  3. veggiegobblerThu Mar 24, 07:34:00 PM

    We had stacks of dragonflies around our place about a month ago. More than I've ever noticed before. I can't believe your hubby spent hours cleaning up your potting table! Mine just makes messes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Steve AsbellThu Mar 24, 10:16:00 PM

    Great description of the sissy plants! I've found that dragonflies really like bamboo sticks inserted into the dirt so they have a place to rest. I love dragonflies.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AmiFri Mar 25, 02:50:00 AM

    Last year we had lots of dragonflies visiting the garden. Beautiful creatures, and eating mosquitos is surely a very welcome bonus! Seems you will have a good harvest season!

    ReplyDelete
  6. africanaussieFri Mar 25, 09:27:00 AM

    Desiree,
    Honestly they were quite pathetic! You can see I dont have much patience with that kind of thing.
    Ali,
    Oh no will you plant more? or is it too late for you now?
    Veggiegobbler,
    well he doesnt like to look at the mess, and I say I am going to do it, but then I get carried away with other things...
    Rainforest gardener,
    Oh yes I have some sticks ready to stake the eggplant and tomato plants - will get them in this weekend....
    Ami,
    Yes I was pleased to hear that about the dragonflies - now I just need to find out what eats those little green grasshoppers.....

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousFri Mar 25, 09:44:00 PM

    Ah well, I'm a bit of a sissy so I'd probably end up like those poor seedlings!
    We even have a few more drangonflies around this year...because we have more mozzies around, but I'm sure nothing like what you are contending with up north!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousSat Mar 26, 04:44:00 AM

    Not only is the tropics not for sissies...old age ain't either :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. africanaussieSun Mar 27, 10:00:00 PM

    Gippsland gardener,
    oh well we are entering my favourite season here. Dragonflies are definitely my best mozzie repellants yet.
    Old Geezer,
    right you are!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Diana StuderThu Mar 31, 07:49:00 PM

    I think it is the dragonfly larvae in your pond (you have a pond?) that eat an awful lot of mosquitoes. And we have bats, do you?

    ReplyDelete

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