I am getting older. I have 3 kids. I work. I am busy! With all that I finally found something that relaxes me. Gardening. This is my second year with an in-ground garden. I’ve done a few years with a few pots and last year I dug through grass and rocks to take my new found hobby more seriously. It flourished! Pounds upon pounds of potatoes, more okra than I could eat, juicy watermelon after juicy watermelon and beautiful sometimes mis-shapped tomatoes. The gratification that I got from growing something and then being able to eat it was everything!

During the winter I mapped out exactly where I would plant in the spring. My husband and teenage son helped me double the size of growing space. I planted my potatoes and onion bulbs and counted down the days until I could add more!! I just knew this summer would be even more successful than the last. I even decided to add a few roses in the front of my house that I purchased from the same place I got many of my transplants. The spring came in hot and hard! However my potatoes were growing beautifully. I would occasionally dig up a few new potatoes for dinner. I noticed that the leaves were turning yellow. The heat maybe? Then my tomato plants looked a bit spotted.

I watered; I neemed. The problem was still getting worse. I decided to pull my potatoes early. Sad that I wouldn’t get the massive harvest I was so excited for. The next day I went to water my roses and noticed how badly they were struggling. Covered in webs. A slow painful death. I checked my tomatoes and what do you know? Webbing! Spider mites… tetranychidae… ass holes… so many names, one culprit. I asked for advice. Some told me neem and moisture. Some said pull the whole plant. Continue reading →