CAUGHT IN THE ACT

It’s earwigs.

Safe from bunnies, some innocent seedlings grow.
But there is an earwig. I dusted this entire area and the seedlings with diatomaceous earth. Yet here we are. But, the seedlings are still intact, so maybe it helps? We’ll see in the morning.
They’re even eating the onions. Is this why people don’t use pure compost to fill raised beds? Is mulch the problem? WHY!!! (I’ll try putting the diatomaceous earth around the onions tomorrow too.)

Anti-cat defense fortress air flow adapter

Wes made a holder for one of the fans to attach to the shelf where we hide the tender plants at night from Gram right now on cool nights. Isn’t it nifty?

It is the orange part behind the fan.
He even made it so the towel can be tucked into a groove and not get stuck in the fan.

Wet plants need air circulation

It’s supposed to get into the 40s F tonight so we brought the tender plants in (peppers, ground cherries, tomatoes).

This requires covering to secure them from Cat Ideas. However, each tray has a good half inch plus of water in them and the soil is saturated from massive rain this afternoon and evening, and I don’t want any chances of mold.

Wes fixed up a second plant fan for me and I cut two holes in the box for one set. We opened two towel corners for the shelf tray.

The box covers the plants. The hole is for the air to move through the box. The empty oatmeal containers are to keep the cat from investigating the fan at the lower right corner of the towel. The metal bucket is to prevent the cat from moving the box.
The fan pushing air through the box.

Earwig defense

Well, a few more carrot seedlings disappeared under the bunny defense screen, so we put out some diatomaceous earth to try to stop the presumed earwig depredations (or whatever insect it is. I guess roly-polies are an option too but I haven’t seen any). We’ll see if it works.

A collard green seedling with its new powder. Also put it around carrots, parsnips, cabbages, mustard greens, and over the newly re-seeded rows of mizuna and bok choy.

Pepper potting

Paula rightly pointed out that the baby peppers needed more room to grow.

Thanks to some extra pots from Elyse and containers that Paula and I saved up, we were able to put all the big peppers and Peruvian ground cherries into larger containers. Now they are hanging out with the tomatoes and tomatillos all in their big containers.