Re: [compost_tea] Thrips

From: <ezentrix_at_aol.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:37:37 -0500 (EST)

Hello Tatia
 
I have never done Brix testing on weeds, but there is no reason that it =
 
would be any different from food plants for humans. Brix is the measure of=
  
sugar and minerals in a plant's sap. It is easily tested with some
relatively inexpensive equipment. I use a $30 press made from vice grips =
and a
temperature compensating refractometer ~ $120.00 from many venders or chec=
k
Peaceful Valley or Pike Agrilabs. Brix over 12 is generally enough to det=
er
insects.
 
 The people that I learned from say that Brix is a single indicator of
plant health and that insects only attack unhealthy plants. That has been=
 my
experience in my garden and orchard. The goal then is healthy plants and=
 
this is achieved by looking at soil structure, chemistry, biology, moistu=
re
and energy. One thing that I have learned over the past years is that
biology is the digestive system of the soil, but it is only part of the
solution. It is not the magic bullet that some claim. If you want to put=
 in
some time, try Mainline Farming For Century 21 by Dan Skow, D.V.M. & Charl=
es
Walters or _Science In Agriculture_
(http://www.acresusa.com/books/closeup.asp?action=search&prodid=18&cati=
d=&pcid=2) by Arden Andersen both available
 from Acres USA.
 
Kind Regards,

Richard Jennings, Designer
Earthwrights Designs / Dirtwrights Technologies
30 Camino Sudeste
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508
USA
Phone: (1 505 ) 986 1719
www.earthwrights.com
 
 
In a message dated 1/22/2012 4:47:36 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,
damoclesone_at_gmail.com writes:

Hi,
I don’t get to follow everything on these posts and am still very =
much a
newbie, but am learning a lot on here. I grow milkweed in 1 gallon and 4=

pots to feed Monarch caterpillars. I have trouble (LOTS) with thrips. Th=
ey
also love the milkweed. I found in the summer there are plenty of
predators that take care of the thrips if I move the plants outside. But =
I have
to grow almost year round and find the thrips appearing at about 6-8 weeks=
 
on the plants (I grow from seed) in the greenhouse. I cannot use
chemicals so the plants are safe for the caterpillars, although I’v=
e tried some of
them too and they don’t work. I’ve done some soaping and th=
at helps (a
little), but I’m wondering about using compost tea as a foliar feed=
 if that
would help. Since part of the thrips’ life cycle is in the soil, I=
’m also
wondering if I should be adding worm castings or compost to the top layer =
of
the soil to help with any microbes that might attack them there.
I realize that I am not going to get rid of the thrips. But I’m t=
rying to
learn how to control them, so they don’t take over. Has anyone de=
alt with
 thrips successfully in a greenhouse?
Thanks so much for any insight you might have!
Tatia
Albuquerque, NM




Received on Mon Jan 23 2012 - 11:43:23 EST

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