get the memo

Since the whole romancing otter event two weeks ago, there has been little opportunity here on the nature channel to entertain you. To avoid reader disappointment I will again include a favorite video clip from the past. With any luck there be some newer activity to show you before I run out of favourite old videos.

When I went up to the greenhouse today, I discovered what could be a huge disaster. There are tomatoes which have obviously been under some sort of attack. Upon closer inspection, a few have white fly. Yikes. we could lose everything! I suspect the flies came in on some bedding plants I bought at Rona last week which are still sitting in the greenhouse waiting for the warm weather to arrive.

Before the fly infestation spreads too far I have sprayed everything. A mixture of grated homemade soap, warm water and a drop of vegetable oil shaken up in a spray bottle has always been my go to for aphids on roses but I was hesitant to use it on the tomatoes. After all, aren’t we always told not to let tomato leaves get wet? They are all sprayed now. Hopefully tomorrow I won’t go up to find everything dead.

In addition to the soap spray, I made a white fly trap… Yellow paper coated in a mixture of corn syrup mixed with an equal amount of water. I cooked it down until it was a glue and once cooled, I painted it on the yellow paper to dry. Tomorrow I will hang it in the greenhouse, with my fingers then crossed.

E has now redesigned his solar hot water project three or four times. Today, he rebuilt the first two boxes to add metal sheets painted black to the inside of the boxes, under the tubes. He still had extra materials so built and added a third box to the system.. It is an ongoing experiment…