PLANT DOCTOR
Ants on Plants
Ants in the house are a problem because they turn up in your pantry, in your cat and dog food that you’ve put out, or just hang around the kitchen bench.Sometimes they’re in places like the bathroom, leaving you wondering what on earth are they doing there?
Ants in the garden are another matter, however, it's pretty common to see ants running up and down on your plants, and one or two shouldn't be a cause for concern.
It's when the ants are present on your tree or shrub in large numbers that you should start to worry because they can signal other pest problems occurring on your tree, shrub or even seedlings.
Why Are Ants On Your plants in the First Place?
- Whitefly, aphids, mites are all sap suckers.
- It’s not just the presence of scale pests that ants are attracted to. These are all sap suckers and produce honey dew which ants like to farm.
- Juvenile scale which is the crawler stage, are very small and you may not notice them, although the ants will know that they are there.
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| Ants farming aphids |
- Sometimes it’s just the sweet nectar of the flowers that bring in the ants.
- Ants can live in your containerised plants if the potting mix has become very dry or hydrophobic. The dry soil becomes a perfect medium for the ants to build a home in.
- Watch to see what the ants are doing-going to the flowers only or running all over the plants.
Solution:
Horticultural or Neem oils can be sprayed to smother the aphids and controlling mealybug. Spring is the best time to control spray for scale, but you can still spray in summer.
PLAY: ANTS ON PLANTS_24TH March 2021
If you have any questions about ants on plants, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.
Apple eggplant is actually Thai eggplant.
It’s quite a small rounded dark green looking eggplant like you’ve never seen before.
Best sown in spring in all areas.
Interestingly you can eat it raw in relish or in a stir-fry, which I think, most chefs would grow it for.
Unlike other eggplants, these little gems don’t need soaking to remove any bitterness.
Another tropical or subtropical plant, but why not try growing it wherever you are perhaps in a large pot as it grows to 1-2 metres tall.?
Plant it any time of the year in frost-free areas, and in spring in cold areas. Best growth occurs at 25-35°C.
Each plant grows one large tuber with smaller hangers onners.
The leaves are attractive, similar to Alocasia or elephant ear plant.
Taro has a sweeter taste than other carbs, and is loaded with fibre.
Jerusalem artichokes, are in the sunflower family with tubers that look a bit like ginger roots.
These are high in iron
Plant the tubers in spring by cutting them into 2 or 3 sections, each one with an 'eye' then cover with 10cm of soil.
Full sun is best.
Celeriac some of you might know because it occasionally gets a mention in the veg heroes section.
Unlike celery or parsley, you eat the bottom bit that looks like an ancient looking sphere that perhaps belongs on a show about aliens.
All that aside, the flavour is quite nice, especially as a mashed potato substitute.
The flavour could be described a lighter mix of parsley, celery and nuttiness.
Celeriac is slow to grow so plant early in spring (after the frosts have passed) for mid-autumn harvesting
Romanesco broccoli is another that might a bit familiar.
It looks like a pointy cauliflower that turned bright green.
Grow it the same way as you would broccoli or indeed, cauliflower.
Daikon, bitter melon, romanesco, and saldify are just a few of the thousands of unusual but highly nutritious vegetables grown around the world.
Adding some of these veggies to your diet will not only expand your palate and add flavour to your dishes but also potentially boost your overall health.
Don’t be afraid to try these unique vegetables if you spot them at farmers markets or your local grocery store.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY
VEGETABLE HEROES
TOP 10 UNUSUAL VEGGIES TO GROW
More people are getting into growing produce and possibly are overlooking the more unusual vegetables.
Perhaps they’ve never heard of them, or they are wondering how to grow them or been even a little afraid.
Perhaps they’ve never heard of them, or they are wondering how to grow them or been even a little afraid.
Winter Radishes
Because we’re leading up to the cooler months, I’ll start with winter radishes, yes there’s more than one.
The one often used in Asian cooking is Daikon. Then there’s black Spanish radish and watermelon radish.
Daikon is a Japanese variety that has long white cylindrical roots.
Daikon grows quite large so give it a bit of space.
This one’s good for pickling.
Black Spanish radish comes in two varieties, a long and a round.
The long grows to 25cm and is cylindrical, while the round is a turnip shaped.
Both have very dark almost black skin and white inner flesh.
Sow it in late summer and autumn.
Watermelon radish have round white skins and a deep pink inner flesh. They are usually best around 8cm in length.
Jicama is a turnip shaped root vegetable that tastes sweet and crisp and can be eaten raw or cooked.
The flavour has been described as resembling snow peas but slightly sweeter.
It’s actually the root of a vine Pachyrhizus erosus.
Easy to germinate from seed, although soaking overnight will speed the process up.
It can be sown all year in tropical areas but best in spring in temperate and sub-tropical regions.
Rich in vitamin C.
Because we’re leading up to the cooler months, I’ll start with winter radishes, yes there’s more than one.
The one often used in Asian cooking is Daikon. Then there’s black Spanish radish and watermelon radish.
 |
| Daikon radish |
Daikon is a Japanese variety that has long white cylindrical roots.
Daikon grows quite large so give it a bit of space.
This one’s good for pickling.
Black Spanish radish comes in two varieties, a long and a round.
The long grows to 25cm and is cylindrical, while the round is a turnip shaped.
 |
| Black Spanish radish |
Sow it in late summer and autumn.
Watermelon radish have round white skins and a deep pink inner flesh. They are usually best around 8cm in length.
Jicama is a turnip shaped root vegetable that tastes sweet and crisp and can be eaten raw or cooked.
The flavour has been described as resembling snow peas but slightly sweeter.
It’s actually the root of a vine Pachyrhizus erosus.
Easy to germinate from seed, although soaking overnight will speed the process up.
It can be sown all year in tropical areas but best in spring in temperate and sub-tropical regions.
Rich in vitamin C.
Apple eggplant is actually Thai eggplant.
 |
| Thai eggplant |
Best sown in spring in all areas.
Interestingly you can eat it raw in relish or in a stir-fry, which I think, most chefs would grow it for.
Unlike other eggplants, these little gems don’t need soaking to remove any bitterness.
Ethiopian cabbages cope better with variations of temperature and moisture. Looking a bit different from your regular cabbage, because instead of around ball, their leaves are open.
Growing to a height of 1.5m and 1m width. they still produce tender leaves that have a buttery and mustardy taste if you can imagine that.
Available from www.australianseed.com
Growing to a height of 1.5m and 1m width. they still produce tender leaves that have a buttery and mustardy taste if you can imagine that.
Available from www.australianseed.com
- Taro root for carb lovers not avoiders.
Another tropical or subtropical plant, but why not try growing it wherever you are perhaps in a large pot as it grows to 1-2 metres tall.?
Plant it any time of the year in frost-free areas, and in spring in cold areas. Best growth occurs at 25-35°C.
Each plant grows one large tuber with smaller hangers onners.
The leaves are attractive, similar to Alocasia or elephant ear plant.
Taro has a sweeter taste than other carbs, and is loaded with fibre.
Jerusalem artichokes, are in the sunflower family with tubers that look a bit like ginger roots.
 |
| Jerusalem artichoke tubers |
These are high in iron
Plant the tubers in spring by cutting them into 2 or 3 sections, each one with an 'eye' then cover with 10cm of soil.
Full sun is best.
Celeriac some of you might know because it occasionally gets a mention in the veg heroes section.
Unlike celery or parsley, you eat the bottom bit that looks like an ancient looking sphere that perhaps belongs on a show about aliens.
All that aside, the flavour is quite nice, especially as a mashed potato substitute.
The flavour could be described a lighter mix of parsley, celery and nuttiness.
Celeriac is slow to grow so plant early in spring (after the frosts have passed) for mid-autumn harvesting
Romanesco broccoli is another that might a bit familiar.
 |
| Romanesco broccoli |
Grow it the same way as you would broccoli or indeed, cauliflower.
Daikon, bitter melon, romanesco, and saldify are just a few of the thousands of unusual but highly nutritious vegetables grown around the world.
Adding some of these veggies to your diet will not only expand your palate and add flavour to your dishes but also potentially boost your overall health.
Don’t be afraid to try these unique vegetables if you spot them at farmers markets or your local grocery store.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY
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