Market Farming

[Marcie Rosenzweig <fullcircle AT jps.net>]

Hi Joan,

Unfortunately, these guys will keep pushing to flower (bolting) so 
you're going to have to start again in Summer for the Fall.

It was the warm spell that did it.  Crucifers go to bud stage and 
stay edible as long as their night time temps stay below 45-50 
degrees.  Two to three days above that after having been in the cold 
weather and their biological clocks start ticking down to 
reproduction.  It's the warm following the cold that does it.

Striped cucumber bettles - here in the West they're Acalymma 
trivittata -are almost impossible to kill organically and have few 
natural enemies.  the fertile adults over-winter in trash, so 
prevention is the best strategy.  But you've got them so now what.

If you're making a new planting, cover it with row covers until the 
plants get their female flowers.  Older plants can withstand some 
feeding.  I've found diatomaceous earth to be minimally effective if 
you can dust it right on them and dump some at the base of the plant. 
Pyrethrum also works marginally.  They like it cool and moist, so if 
you can make it drier, you've go and edge.  If you're not organic, 
there's a product called (I think) Admire.  It's a micro-encapsulated 
cabaryl with a cucuritacin bait.  The beetle must puncture the 
capsule to feed.  Because it's encapsulated, it has low beneficials 
impact.

Marcie A. Rosenzweig
Full Circle
3377 Early Times Ln
Auburn, CA  95603-7900
(530) 885-9201