Caterpillars Attack Dill Weed

by

Dill weed plants on one side of the garden appear to have been mowed down overnight. Well, not exactly mowed to the ground, but these herbs quickly became half as tall.

The culprits were caught in the act —

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Eats Dill Weed
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Eats Dill Weed

I was worried that the plants wouldn’t recover, but once the offending critters were removed the plants were able to keep on growing. They aren’t as tall as the rest of the dill in the garden, perhaps just 2 feet tall, but they matured just the same and are now producing flowers.

The moral of this story is to be ever vigilant in your garden.

Never give up on your green friends. They may just surprise you like the dill herb did in this case. Happy ending! 🙂

Snow Peas Stop Flowering in the Heat

by

How long can snow peas flower when it’s 90 degrees outside? Not very long, indeed.

Snow peas are considered an early season garden plant because they do well in cool weather. They stop flowering when the heat becomes unbearable.

The first planting of snow peas was a bust. There was very little germination of seeds that were 3 years old, so more was planted with newer seed in the hopes that we weren’t too late to get a crop in while the weather was still on the cool side.

Read more