SVB FOY -- removed 10 eggs from the one untulled zuke (hydro bed) -- Kaolin didn't deter SVB moth

Ah, so kaolin wasn't effective in keeping the SVB from laying her eggs on the one untulled zuke.  Found and removed 10 eggs from this plant today.

Kaolin'ed the late-start untulled zucchini bec it's being eaten by cucumber beetles

Removed one beetle yesterday and one today.  The newer leaves show signs of being chewed, and some browning.  The last thing I need is another zucchini plant, but for whatever reason decided to kaolin it anyway.

No sign of cucumber beetles over past several days

After removing those first ~6-7 beetles, and then applying the one coating of kaolin on June 26th (and it has rained several times since then), I haven't seen any other cucumber beetles yet, neither on the cucumbers, nor on the zucchinis (the zukes are all tulled other than the two late plantings which only have a few leaves so far).

Kaolined the cucumbers after having removed total of 6 cucumber beetles

Decided to jump on the kaolin clay now.  Same batch/bottle from earlier in the season.

Kaolin clay in Ontario -- reference websites

Ontario:

https://agrinews.ca/those-organic-farmers-are-spraying/

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/english/tender/diseases-and-disorders/sunburn.html

http://omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/09-039.htm

https://www.ontario.ca/page/weather-risks-strategies-mitigate-risk-excessively-hot-temperatures

https://www.mgoi.ca/resources/Newsletter-Archive/Newsletter06Winter.pdf

Canada:

https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/ongc-cgsb/P29-32-311-2020-eng.pdf

Flea beetles have arrived -- only a few so far, so kaolined sparingly

A few flea beetles seen on the weaker of the central tomatoes, and in the potato bed.

Kaolined select tomatoes and potatoes.

Kaolined 2 cucumber plants (diluted recipe compared to last year)

The two west-most cucumbers.  Just because.  Will see if they burn or crisp up in the coming days, compared to the un-kaolined cucumbers.

Used this recipe (diluted compared to last year):

1/2 cup kaolin

5 cups water

Aphids on cucumbers (FOY)!!!! Sprayed cucumber plants with kaolin

Oh no!  Spotted a little green insect here and there in the last few days, made a mental note but not any real concern... Then while looking at the cucumber plants today, oh no, the more I looked, the more I saw, mostly on undersides but also top sides, and some teeny and others a bit bigger.  Not yet at the infestation level I had last summer on the asparagus and lupins, but, I imagine it would get to that degree with time.

So, re-applied kaolin (which I hadn't in quite a while and there has been a lot of rain).  The rain will come back on Wednesday, but for now at least hopefully this is something...

Here's an article about kaolin on aphids (though not specifically cucumber aphids):  https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effect-of-Kaolin-Particle-Film-Formulation-Against-Alavo-Abagli/20f7c744e281f36324d1601aa32aa3a8282e9329

Flea beetles were a total non-issue this year, maybe thanks to early kaolin applications?

Really happy with how that worked out!  Though next year I do want to dilute the kaolin more, as I definitely burnt leaves with it.

SVG eggs found on a/c ronde; kaolin washed off untulled zukes/rondes a few days ago

Some kaolin left on the undersides and stems but otherwise they're bare/exposed.  More rain on the way so I haven't bothered re-applying.

Kaolin re-applied after yesterday's today's rain -- and mixed up a new batch / new spray bottle

Even with all of yesterday's and today's rain, there was still some kaolin left on the leaves.  But I didn't want to risk anything, so applied a good new coating today to all the exposed zucchini/rondes and the cucumbers.  Applied some around 4pm, the rest at 6pm, so sun burn shouldn't be an issue.

The old spray bottle (noname window cleaner bottle) clogged up, which might have been because the kaolin was the first batch which started in a pail into which some plants were dunked and bits of soil mixed into it.  So, mixed up a new batch in the dollar store clear spray bottle:  3 cups water to scant 1/2 cup kaolin.

All zucchinis, rondes, and cucumbers now kaolined or under tulle re: SVB and cucumber beetles

Funny that my FOY sightings for both these insects was today.

Will be interesting to see if the kaolin deters egg-laying.

SVB moth (FOY) seen at zucchini!!!!! Found eggs on several!!!!!

Here we go!  Saw the moth fluttering at 12:15pm, around/on the not-yet-covered-nor-kaolined zucchini in the north bed.

Found ~5 eggs on the not-yet-covered-nor-kaolined air conditoner ronde, and a few on other not-yet-covered-nor-kaolined zucchini/rondes too.

After the sun passed, I kaolined that north bed zucchini's stems (in case I missed an egg) then covered it in tulle.  Also kaolined all remaining zucchini/rondes.  

Kaolined half the cucumbers (removed their tulle) and k'd another zucchini

Preferring to minimize tulle as much as I can to avoid trapped insects, so removed it from the cucumbers and instead sprayed half the cukes with kaolin (at 4pm, after sun passed for the day).  Will see how they react, then spray the rest if ok.

Also sprayed the eastmost of the central zucchinis.  So, now, 4 zukes (/rondes) are under tulle, 2 are kaolined, and 4 have no protection.

(Still no sign of cucumber beetles yet.)

Kaolined a fourth tomato and the lower leaves of a fifth (re: flea beetles)

The ones already kaolined look fine still, and don't seem to have flea beetles on them.

1 new leaf on the kaolined potato is crispy

Just the one leaf is looking not so good.  So far everything else that's been kaolined still looks fine.

So far, the kaolined plants look fine

^^^

Kaolin application #2 given on half ground cherries and tomatoes, 1 zucchini and 1 potato pot

Only the second application so far.  Re-applying because of presence of three lined potato beetle eggs on ground cherries, and starting to gradually see flea beetles so want to hold off a major flea beetle invasion before the plants are more mature.

Diluted it a bit more than the first application by adding more water to the bottle.

Applied it at 4pm (i.e. post-direct-sun) to 3 of the 7 ground cherries, 3 of the 6 tomatoes, 1 zucchini (the one in the back by the compost bin), and 1 of the pots of potatoes.

I'll wait a week or so to see how the sprayed ones do, before spraying the others.

No flea beetles lately, and have applied kaolin only once so far

However, now that the tomatoes and ground cherries are back to living outside full time, I imagine the flea beetles may reappear, especially as there's now a lot of new green growth uncovered by the kaolin.  It has been very dry, hardly any rain at all, so the original kaolin application is still largely there.  I won't re-apply kaolin for now, will just monitor, and when I do re-apply it, I'll dilute it more, because I do wonder if it had a harmful effect on the plants to some extent.

Kaolin update: Hardly any flea beetles, and, stays on with light rain

We've had a few showers and wow, the clay stays on much better than I thought it would. Haven't had to reapply yet, though haven't had sustained heavy rain yet.

I'm seeing the occasional flea beetle on new growth or areas that weren't covered well, and removing them.  But wow, wayyyyyy less than in past years, so far.

(Haven't seen any cucumber beetles yet.)