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market-farming - Re: Beneficial Insects

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "five springs farm" <fsfarm AT mufn.org>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Beneficial Insects
  • Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 12:47:51 -0400


Below is a reprint of a small article from our newsletter that has some
relevancy to this topic (originally from the Nebraska Sustainable
Agriculture Society Newsletter)

Jim and Jo
The Community Farm Newsletter
http://www.mufn.org/public/tcf


Herbs in Your Garden
By Tom Tomas
Your herbs will do more for you if you distribute them throughout the garden
rather than planting them all in one place. The flowers of many herbs
provide nectar and pollen as well as alternate habitat for beneficial
insects. Beneficial insects may prey on aphids or parasitize cabbageworms,
but they also must have the proteins from pollen to become sexually mature.
Herb plants can provide this pollen. By spreading your herb plants around
the garden, you can encourage beneficial insects to visit the vegetables and
fruits that need their help.
Plant dill around your cabbage patch. Plant caraway under your fruit
trees. Garlic chives fit well in any flowerbed. Beneficial insects frequent
oregano, summer savory and hyssop during their long blooming season. Low
growing thyme makes a beautiful and fragrant ground cover that can serve as
a living mulch under fruit trees where there is some sun.
Mint and catnip will provide flowers and harbor aphids that feed ladybugs
when they are in short supply on your lettuce. Remember, lady bugs need a
food supply at all times if they are to be ready when you need them to
control aphids on your crops.
Herbs provide needed biodiversity in your garden, even if you only harvest
an occasional sprig for your salad or mint julep. So improve the sex lives
of your beneficial insects while you enhance your culinary life. Plant herbs
here and there all over your garden.

From the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society Newsletter, Spring 1999.







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