Fireflies are Beautiful Pest Control

Remember how much fun it was to chase fireflies when you were young? Once you caught a firefly, you would hold it in your hand to watch the flickering light for a few moments and then release it unharmed to fly away.

Fireflies at night, taken with a cell phone.

Interestingly, fireflies do more than generate entertaining childhood memories; they also help control some pests in the garden. On summer nights, glow worms (luminescent firefly larvae) often emerge from their underground homes to forage for food. A typical menu includes slugs, snails and caterpillars including cutworms. The larvae feed much like a spider by injecting a paralyzing toxin into their prey; then, injecting digestive juices to dissolve the prey and allow it to be more easily consumed. The adults probably feed on plant nectar to sustain their energy requirements.

There are several theories about why fireflies glow. One is that the flashing light is a homing beacon for the opposite sex. The male flies around flashing the signal to attract a female’s attention. A female on the ground or on low-growing foliage will signal back when a male visits her vicinity. To avoid confusion, each firefly species has its own specific signal to attract a mate.

Another theory is that firefly larvae use their luminescence to warn a potential predator that they taste bad. Larvae contain defensive chemicals in their bodies. When disturbed, larvae also increase their glow’s intensity and frequency.

Typical nighttime habitats for adults and larvae take place in rotting wood or other forest litter, or on the edges of water sources such as streams, ponds, marshes and ditches. The highest species diversity is in tropical Asia and Central and South America. Incidentally, some Asian species have tracheal gills that enable them to live under water where they feed on aquatic snails.

To attract fireflies to your property, reduce or eliminate lawn chemicals. Add low, over-hanging trees, tall grass and similar vegetation to give adult fireflies a cool place to rest during the day. Reduce extra lighting on your property because this light interferes with fireflies’ luminous signals, making it harder for them to locate mates in the area. Fireflies also determine the time of night they’ll flash by the intensity of ambient light. This is why you don’t see many fireflies flashing on clear nights with a full moon.

Butterfly gardens

A beautiful flower garden that will attract butterflies.

A flower bed or garden can be eye catching and, with the right kinds of plants, can attract some of nature’s most colorful creatures. Planning, planting and tending a butterfly garden are great ways for youth to create an outdoor classroom with lots of possibilities for learning. Here are a few tips to help get started.

Location is very important.  All insects are cold blooded and cannot internally regulate their body temperature.  Butterflies will readily bask in the sun when it is warm, but few are seen on cloudy days.  It is a good idea to leave open areas for butterflies to sun themselves, as well as partly shaded areas with trees or shrubs for shelter when it’s cloudy or too hot. 

Butterflies like puddles. Males of several species congregate at small rain pools, forming puddle clubs. Permanent puddles are easy to make.  Bury a bucket to the rim, fill it with gravel or sand, and then pour in sweet drinks or water

Different types of butterflies have different preferences of nectar color and taste. A wide variety of food plants will give the greatest diversity of visitors. Try staggering wild and cultivated plants, as well as blooming times. Groups of the same plants are easier for butterflies to see than single flowers. Aster, butterfly weed, purple coneflower and verbena attract many species of butterflies.  Overripe fruit is attractive to butterflies as well. 

Water your garden with soaker hoses whenever possible. Overhead watering can wash nectar from the flowers and reduce the amount of available food.

Another way to attract butterflies to your garden is to offer food plants for females to lay their eggs. Some females are picky about the host plants where they will lay their eggs. To attract a particular type of butterfly, you may need to know the plant needs for the adult and the larvae or caterpillar. 

Butterfly gardens are a great source for learning about your own backyard environment.  They also offer enjoyment, photo opportunities and an outlet for artistic talent. By creating a garden habitat, you can help conserve butterflies by providing food, water and shelter to some of nature’s most enchanting creatures.  

Weed Control

Weeds in a garden

Everyone looks forward to that first ripe tomato or ear of corn picked from their own carefully tended gardens.  But after some vigorous hoeing on a hot humid day, some may be asking themselves if it is all worth it. 

Weeds compete with crop plants for water, nutrients and sunlight.  Some weeds, like quackgrass, can chemically inhibit vegetable plant growth.  Others host insect pests and pathogens.  All of these result in fewer fresh vegetables for your table. 

There are some preventive practices that effectively combat weeds.  Frequent hoeing or rototilling on a weekly basis helps eliminate weeds when they are small and easily removed.  By planting rows a little closer, vegetable crops provide more shade which also helps to reduce weed pressure.  After harvesting a crop, plant another in its place to continue using the space.

Mulching works very well in the home garden.  Use organic material such as grass clippings, leaves or straw to eliminate weed growth and build up organic matter to make the soil more fertile and friable.  Do not use grass clippings from a lawn that  was treated recently with the herbicide 2, 4-D.  Treated clippings can cause twisting of the vegetable plants and can even kill some sensitive vegetable crops.  Be careful about the kind of organic material you use.  Hay can introduce a considerable load of weed seeds into your garden. 

Black plastic mulch is of specific benefit to certain vegetables including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and vine crops.  In addition to shading out and eliminating weeds, plastic mulches conserve moisture and promote early crop growth by helping to heat up the soil in spring.  Landscape fabric has the added advantage of being water permeable and can be used for multiple years; although it is more expensive than black plastic. 

Most importantly, do everything possible to keep garden weeds from going to seed.  One red root pigweed plant can produce 100,000 seeds that can continue to germinate over the next 15 to 20 years. 

Last of the season's classes!

These are the last of the spring's classes.  To sign up, go to Hardin County, KY Extension Office.  In the upper right corner, click on "Register for Classes"

Sweet Potato varieties

How to Grow: Sweet Potatoes* - May 7  This southern staple can be grown successfully in Kentucky.  Learn the tips and tricks to harvesting full-sized flavorful roots.  Hardin County Extension Office beginning at 6:00 p.m. $5

Make your Own Mosaic Pot – May 20 and 22  In this two-part class, you will decorate an 8-inch terracotta pot and saucer with mosaic tiles in the first class. Then, come back the next day and learn all about grouting. All supplies are included. Class size is limited to 25. Hardin County Extension Office beginning at 6:00 p.m. $35.

Payment for each of the Gardener’s Toolbox classes are required TWO WEEKS prior to the class date.  You will be registered on a first pay, first registered basis.  Cancellations will be fully refunded TWO WEEKS prior to the class date. Please let us know as early as possible if you have to cancel, we probably have others on a wait list.

Asparagus: a Springtime Treat

Nothing quite compares to the flavor of fresh homegrown asparagus during the months of April, May and June.  Anybody who is an asparagus lover and has some garden space should consider raising it.

 

Early spears waiting for the grill.

Asparagus does not require a lot of special attention.  When planting, be sure to purchase crowns that are one year  old.  You might want to try the male hybrids like Jersey Centennial, Syn4-51, Syn4-56, and Jersey Giant that are on the market now.  They are much better than some of the old standard varieties.

Spacing is critical.  The crowns should be placed 18 inches apart in the bottom of the trench.  The trench should be about 6 to 8 inches deep, 12 to 15 inches wide with rows ideally spaced three feet apart.  It is also a good idea to double dig the trench to loosen up the soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches.

In the past, asparagus could not be harvested for the first three years but that has all changed.  During the first year the plants should be left alone.  For the second year, limit harvests to three to four weeks, then let the ferns grow.

This procedure is necessary so the root system will develop from its limited size and will store food reserves to produce growth next year.  Plants harvested too early after setting may become weakened and spindly.  During the third year the plants can be harvested all the way through April, May and June.

Harvest spears when they are 5 to 7 inches tall.  Break them off at soil level rather than using a knife, since cutting can easily injure the crown buds which produce the next spears.  It is a good idea to harvest early in the morning and use the spear

or refrigerate them immediately.

Each year in the spring, asparagus should be side-dressed with one pound of 5-10-10 per every 1000 square foot of area.  If good care is taken, the plants can supply tasty asparagus spears for up to 15 years.