Question:
The Basil I'm growing in a container is being eaten alive, except I don't see any bugs. My mother says it could be snails and gave me a roll of copper barrier tape to keep them out. Should the copper tape be wrapped around the box? Would one of the soap products be a better solution?Answer:
- Insecticidal Soap or any soap product is ineffective in controlling snails and slugs.
- Insecticidal Soap is an effective solution for controlling soft body, sucking insects such as Aphids, Mealybugs, Mites, and Scale. Also, It's not recommended to control those insects or pests that chew holes in the leaves of the plant(s), such as caterpillars, worms, or beetles.
- Insecticidal Soap is a contact spray, so the insects need to be present. They are safe for edibles because no residual is left on the plants. So, you avoid spraying when no insects are visible.
- Copper barrier tape is a solution that stops snails and slugs from progressing forward, but it will not kill them. It should be wrapped around the planter box to establish the barrier.
- You could place the tape under the lip of the planter, or any other inconspicuous location is preferable. The placement doesn't matter.
- The copper barrier tape should last about two years before it deteriorates.
- A long-term solution is the Copper Plumbers Tape, available at most home improvement retailers. The planter has a better chance of falling apart before the Copper Plumber Tape needs to be replaced
- Another option is Sluggo Plus. Sluggo Plus is an environmentally friendly Slug and Snail bait that is safe for edibles and kids. It is applied to the soil. Slugs, Snails, and Earwigs consume the bait at night, return to their habitat, and die. Sluggo Plus is reapplied monthly.
Question:
I have a plum tree that produced very little fruit this year. In the past, it's been incredibly prolific, with literally a thousand plums every year. The tree remains healthy. I didn't prune it much over the winter, so I don't think that's the issue. Did the heavy rains influence it, and will it rebound next year?Answer:
- You are correct that your lack of fruit wasn't a pruning issue.
- Plums bear fruit on the second-year wood, so pruning aggressively would have pruned off the fruiting spurs, and that didn't happen.
- Mother Nature is to blame for the poor crop this year.
- Apricots and cherries had a similar issue with the weather. With fruit trees, rainy conditions during the blooming period interfere with pollination, so there is little to no fruit.
- Bees are the chief pollinator and don't work in damp, wet conditions. However, it was a small price to pay to have our water supply replenished. Things should improve and return to normal next year if it's not raining during the blooming period. Also, I plan to prune to remove the excess wood.
- You could prune it this fall or wait until winter.