Japanese Beetles

I noticed last weekend that there were some beetles eating my basil. Then they went to the beans and the edamame. It turns out that they are japanese beetles.

Online, I read that you could use various poisons and then the good stuff:

strong coffee

catnip 

chives

soapy water

Somehow when we garden there is this thought that comes to mind - spray them. 

I mixed 16 ounces of water with 2 tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle. It does the trick. The japanese beetles fall right off after a minute or two.

Other gardeners have reported that they flick them to the ground or in a bucket of soapy water.

It all seems to work and since they are most active during the day - and a bright copper color - you can see them, spray or flick them and eat your food later. But it looks like if you leave them alone, they can do some real damage.

Lots of Greens

Clare and Helen came by this afternoon and harvested a big armload of collard greens. We took them home, washed, chopped, blanched and froze.

Note the lush garden in the background.