Harvest Rainwater with a Rain Barrel
By Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC

With much of our region experiencing serious drought and some of the hottest weather still ahead of us, now is the time to look for more ways to conserve water in your landscape.

We've had some dramatic thunderstorms roll through our area, with the rain coming fast and furious for just a short time. We might get a half inch of rain in a half hour, but that doesn't provide as much water for our garden as rain coming in gentle, all-day showers. Downpours like the ones we've had hammer plants, tear foliage, and pack down the soil. Water runs off instead of soaking in, creating gullies and washing away topsoil. It's better than no rain at all, but only barely. That is, unless you have a way to capture and store some of that water for future use.

According to one source, an inch of rain yields more than 700 gallons of water running off the roof of a typical house. Rather than letting that water run off into storm drains, carrying pollutants with it, why not harvest some of it to use in the garden? It's easy with a rain barrel.

Rain Barrel Basics
The simplest rain barrel is a big trash can placed underneath the downspout of your gutter. But the features on purchased rain barrels make them safer and easier to use. Or, construct your own from food-grade plastic barrels. Here are some things to keep in mind:

-- A tight-fitting cover will keep out debris and prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in the standing water. It will also prevent curious children and animals from getting inside.

-- Use screens over gutters to prevent leaves and other large debris from entering the barrel.

-- Barrels made from dark materials block sunlight and discourage the growth of algae.

-- Although you can dip a watering can into the barrel, a spigot makes filling it much easier. Attach a hose to the spigot to deliver the water right to your gardens.

-- Raising the barrel up on a stack of pallets or cinder blocks will make it easier to get your watering can under the spigot. It will also increase the water pressure flowing to a gravity-fed hose or irrigation system.

-- Water is heavy! A full 55-gallon barrel weighs more than 400 pounds. Make sure the support under your barrel is sturdy and level.

-- A heavy downpour will quickly fill a 55-gallon barrel, so attach an overflow system to direct excess water away from your foundation.

Safety Concerns
Don't drink water that's been captured in a rain barrel. Contaminants from bird droppings to asphalt shingle debris are carried into the barrel with the water as it drains from the roof. Some roofing materials are treated with preservatives and algicides, too. In fact, some experts suggest that water collected from rooftops is unsuitable for use on edibles. Others dispute these risks, saying that washing produce is all that's needed to make sure it's safe.

To encourage homeowners to conserve water, some municipalities sell rain barrels at reduced cost. Start by contacting your state's conservation district; the National Association of Conservation Districts provides contact information: http://www.nacdnet.org/about/districts/directory/index.phtml

Insect Pest Primer

Insect Control Rule Number 1: Never spray an insecticide until you've identified the culprit! Not all insects are pests -- many are beneficial, most are benign. Don't assume that any insect crawling around on a plant is there to cause trouble. Case in point: Ants on peony buds are harmless.

If you suspect an insect is causing problems, examine the plant. Check the leaves, top and bottom, looking for insects, caterpillars, and egg masses. As you touch the leaves, watch for scurrying or flying insects. Jot down notes, take a photo, or collect a sample so you can research the possible culprits. Wait to spray until you've made a positive ID. Many insecticides will kill not only pests but also beneficial insects, including predatory insects that eat the pests and pollinators like honeybees.

If a plant is struggling, consider non-pest causes first. For example, if you see a wilted plant, check soil moisture. Gardeners sometimes mistake symptoms of nutritional deficiencies -- yellowing leaves, stunting, weak growth, poor production -- as indications of pests. If you see symptoms like these, consider testing your soil nutrients and pH levels.

Types of Insect Pests
Entomologists (insect specialists) often categorize insects by how they feed.

Chewing insects eat leaves. Symptoms include holes, ragged edges, and "skeletonizing" -- eating the tissue between leaf veins. Examples include weevils, caterpillars, flea beetles, and Japanese beetles. Look for the telltale frass (excrement) of the larger of these pests.

Sucking insects pierce a hole in plant tissue and suck out the fluids. Signs include stippling on foliage or silvery bronze leaves and discolored blooms. Examples include spider mites, aphids, thrips, and leafhoppers. These pests often leave behind moltings -- the outer skin they shed as they grow.

Other insects, such as wireworms, feed on roots. Cutworms feed at ground level, girdling young seedlings.

Monitoring
Once you've identified that you indeed do have a pest problem, determine whether control is really necessary. Is the damage located on the leaves of a plant you'll be harvesting in a week or two? Control measures may not be warranted. However, many pests multiply quickly so keep a close eye on pest populations.

Once you've identified the pest, research its life cycle and habits. Some pests, such as leaf miners that tunnel into plant tissue, will not be affected by sprays. Controls will be more effective if you catch the insect in the most vulnerable part of its life cycle.

Simple Controls
If you feel control is necessary, use the least invasive control first. Insecticides should be used only as a last resort. Here are some other options:

1. Use barriers to exclude pests. For example, row covers exclude cabbage loopers and flea beetles.
2. Repellents deter pests from attacking your plants. For example, neem oil may repel Japanese beetles, and garlic- and clove-based sprays have shown promise in deterring pests.
3. Hand-picking can keep certain insects populations in check. Learn to recognize pests' eggs and larvae and destroy them. You can use a spray of water from the hose to dislodge pests, such as aphids, from sturdy plants.
4. Trapping can be an effective, nontoxic way to control pests. For example, yellow sticky traps lure whiteflies away from your plants.

Insecticides
If you've tried barriers and deterrents and still have problems, you may feel the need to use a pesticide. Here are some options. Be sure to apply materials evenly and thoroughly, according to label directions.

Insecticidal soap can control some soft-bodied insects such as aphids. It can also affect beneficial insects, however, so use with care.

Horticultural oil also can be used to smother some insects, and it's especially effective on scale and mites.

Biological controls generally target one or a group of pests. Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, is a bacterial control for certain caterpillars, such as cabbageworms, cabbage loopers, corn earworm, and tomato hornworms. Bt doesn't affect insects from other families and is considered safe for use around pets and people. However, Bt will kill butterfly larvae as well as pest larvae, so use only when necessary.

Botanical insecticides, such as pyrethrum and neem, are substances derived from plants. These insecticides generally break down quickly when exposed to air and light, so they are effective for a limited time after application. This is important because it means that they don't persist in the environment as some synthetic pesticides do. But most botanicals are broad-spectrum, meaning they will harm both pest and non-pest insects.

You may find, however, that you can achieve adequate control using careful cultural controls, without resorting to sprays, even organic ones.

GARDEN and FLOWER NEWS
Air Pollution Reduces Flower Fragrance
April 10, 2008 - The decline of honeybee and native bee populations has been widely reported in the press, and a number of factors have been attributed to the decline, such as mites, disease, and stress. Now air pollution has been added to the list of possible causes.

Researchers at the University of Virginia found that air pollution from power plants and automobiles is destroying flower fragrance and making it harder for bees to find flowers when foraging. The result is that bees visit fewer flowers and gather less nectar. Researchers found that scent molecules could travel up to 1200 meters in the 1800s. However, with pollution, today’s scent molecules travel only 200 meters. When the scent molecules bind with common pollutants, such as ozone, hydroxyl, and nitrate radicals, the flower’s aroma gets destroyed. The bees can’t find the flowers so they go hungry and the flowers don’t get pollinated.