treating for aphids, more lettuce

Cut lettuce: plants still look crisp and healthy.

Began day by trimming cuttings and placing in cups of cinder rock in the aquaponics bed #1.
I took two cuttings of Stevia and eight cuttings of rosemary. The source plants are on my lanai.
I filled the second tray on aquaponics bed #2 with a layer of larger rock and then a layer of cinder rock. I then broadcast the remaining east-west mix, the remaining fukuda mesclun mix in two corners of the tray, the makai side of the tray was broadcast with bulb onion and manoa lettuce seed. Technically the cinder rock tray should serve the same function of a water table for starting seeds for the aquaponics bed. I'm not sure I have the right level of water in the tray.

Chickens are producing two eggs, if not daily, at least frequently.

Today being Wednesday I treated the garden for aphids, which were especially heavy on the yard long beans. However, the beans I treated last week were 90% aphid free.

I treated all the melons/vines with a baking soda/water mixture that should slow down the fungus. Several of the vines have tiny cucumbers or the beginnings of squash. The established pole beans close to picking. I snapped one today to check growth. They taste good and are a small number are nearly ready for picking, a much larger number are still in the first quarter of growth.

Trimmed the all branches showing any sign of the mosaic virus off of the tomato vines. The tomatoes on bed #7 had fewer infested leaves compared to the first time I trimmed them back. However, the tomatoes on bed #2 had several plants which were heavily infested while a few plants showed little sign of the virus. No sign of aphids on the tomatoes. The tomatoes are progressing, a few are beginning to turn red.

There has been significant damage from chickens the last two days. Several large yard long bean plants were scratched up and several tomatoes were damaged.

The bush beans under the netting are progressing well, easily six to eight inches high. I will soon be forced to remove the protective netting. A few of the bush beans are showing signs of leaf discoloration. It may be bacterial, due to the heavy rain.

The guys were pouring the new cement floor for the renovated pig pen. A pit was dug for a manure well. Unfortunately, two pipes were broken in the digging. So there is no water at the garden.

I have had no luck finding a vendor that carries the proline nitrifying bacteria concentrate. I did find another place to call, but had to leave a message. Also left a message at the slaughterhouse.

March 23 - 
Moved seedlings to aquaponics bed #2: 22 cups of manoa lettuce, 4 sage cuttings, three bell pepper plants and 10 leaf lettuce.

T. transplanted sweet potato and small tomato plants to the back corner. I've been asking her to move random tomato plants to the heco side of the farm path, the tomatoes shade out the weeds and grass. Got to look better then six foot high weeds.

On the tray in aquaponics bed #2 I put a layer of large rock and then cinder rock and broadcast soft white wheat seed. Hopefully, it will sprout.

Cut three of the leaf lettuce that is ready to harvest except that it is too yellow. I cut one off at base of plant, one was cut leaving three inches of root, the third I left all the intact root. I sprayed the roots with water, pulled all cinder rock out. Placed plants in a quart bucket on a layer of ice. Took it home and left it out on counter. By later afternoon all the ice had melted, I added a small amount of water, there is approximately a half inch of water in the container.

Seeded east-west lettuce and mescluen mix in three flats on my lanai. Spent a short time researching slaughterhouses, found the phone number for the state owned facility.

March 22 -
Snail traps in nursery are intact, caught a lot of roaches and centipedes. The snail traps in the garden, except for two, where all dug out and turned over. Probably by chickens. A few beans were also dug out.

Moved seedlings to aquaponics bed #2: 24 cups of leaf lettuce, 7 tomato plants, 4 bell pepper and 90 cups of manoa lettuce.

I made two traps for oriental fruit fly and hung these traps in the ulu trees around the house. I made an additional trap for melon fly to hang in the garden. There are not a lot of trees there so I hung it by the front fence. When I find another appropriate bottle, I'm going to make a trap to place at the other end of the garden, the fruit flies will hang in the grass. I informed etm, as well as Ta and T. of the location of the fruit fly traps.

Took six of the cuttings out of aquaponics bed #1 and planted three basil, two lemon balm and the eggplant in the garden, bed #8. Two basil were planted in bed #1 in the nursery. I also moved five bell pepper to nursery bed #1.

Moved a large lemon balm plant that I had in a pot to makai end of bed #8.