Ants in my Ground Cherries

[Guest guest]

I did a really dumb thing while I was transplanting my seedlings into the garden

bed this week because I'm just so darn frugal and didn't want to waste a

seedling. I found ant nests around the soil plug in which my ground cherry

seedlings were growing when I pulled away the peat pots...ewwww, startled me I

can tell you! But I just removed as much peat and soil and eggs and ants as

possible and transplanted the seedlings anyway. I'm assuming that was very

stupid...but it's done. Now what do I do about it? I didn't see ant nests in any

other pots so I guess they really love ground cherries, or else they just

happened to land there rather than in the next tray over.

Yes, I know peat pots will break down and provide nutrients for the soil so I

should have left them be. However, I've been removing them to avoid having peat

sticking out the top of the soil and removing water and also so I can break them

up into two or three separate plants. Also, I rationalized that these can go

into the compost so they're not totally wasted.

Several times while transplanting my seedlings, I found earthworms holed up in a

peat pot or plastic cell! I just threw them into the garden bed to make it

happy. In one plastic cell I saw what looked like a big grub sticking out the

bottom so I said " ew, gross " and pulled it out--turned out to be a big fat pale

earthworm. Then I saw another one sticking out of the other hole so I repeated

my action. Then I broke open the soil plug to make two plants and discovered yet

another big pale earthworm in there! Wow, THREE in one tiny little plastic

seedling cell!

Connie

http://www.home-and-school-solutions.com/

[Guest guest]

You are right about the peat pots sucking moisture from the plants. Just

tear off the little bid that will be above the ground and drop it in the

hole. I would have serious issues with a nursery that sold me a plant

full of ants. You should have sealed it in a zip lock bag and taken it

back to them. You might have gotten more than just a replacement.

ew

Ants in my Ground Cherries

Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:31:27 -0000

I did a really dumb thing while I was transplanting my seedlings into

the garden bed this week because I'm just so darn frugal and didn't

want to waste a seedling. I found ant nests around the soil plug in

which my ground cherry seedlings were growing when I pulled away the

peat pots...ewwww, startled me I can tell you! But I just removed as

much peat and soil and eggs and ants as possible and transplanted the

seedlings anyway. I'm assuming that was very stupid...but it's done.

Now what do I do about it? I didn't see ant nests in any other pots

so I guess they really love ground cherries, or else they just

happened to land there rather than in the next tray over.

Yes, I know peat pots will break down and provide nutrients for the

soil so I should have left them be. However, I've been removing them

to avoid having peat sticking out the top of the soil and removing

water and also so I can break them up into two or three separate

plants. Also, I rationalized that these can go into the compost so

they're not totally wasted.

Several times while transplanting my seedlings, I found earthworms

holed up in a peat pot or plastic cell! I just threw them into the

garden bed to make it happy. In one plastic cell I saw what looked

like a big grub sticking out the bottom so I said " ew, gross " and

pulled it out--turned out to be a big fat pale earthworm. Then I saw

another one sticking out of the other hole so I repeated my action.

Then I broke open the soil plug to make two plants and discovered yet

another big pale earthworm in there! Wow, THREE in one tiny little

plastic seedling cell!

Connie

http://www.home-and-school-solutions.com/

Home grown tomatoes: the ultimate taste of summer

--

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[Guest guest]

I haven't purchased ANY seedlings this year--that's expensive--and I don't

expect to! These seedlings are from when I " winter-sowed " in April to get a

jumpstart on the season. (Next year I will " winter-sow " before winter...) I

don't think I'll use peat pots, though. Probably just trays of dirt cut up like

brownies...

Connie

http://www.home-and-school-solutions.com/

 

You are right about the peat pots sucking moisture from the plants. Just

tear off the little bid that will be above the ground and drop it in the

hole. I would have serious issues with a nursery that sold me a plant

full of ants. You should have sealed it in a zip lock bag and taken it

back to them. You might have gotten more than just a replacement.

ew

Ants in my Ground Cherries

Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:31:27 -0000

I did a really dumb thing while I was transplanting my seedlings into

the garden bed this week because I'm just so darn frugal and didn't

want to waste a seedling. I found ant nests around the soil plug in

which my ground cherry seedlings were growing when I pulled away the

peat pots...ewwww, startled me I can tell you! But I just removed as

much peat and soil and eggs and ants as possible and transplanted the

seedlings anyway. I'm assuming that was very stupid...but it's done.

Now what do I do about it? I didn't see ant nests in any other pots

so I guess they really love ground cherries, or else they just

happened to land there rather than in the next tray over.

Yes, I know peat pots will break down and provide nutrients for the

soil so I should have left them be. However, I've been removing them

to avoid having peat sticking out the top of the soil and removing

water and also so I can break them up into two or three separate

plants. Also, I rationalized that these can go into the compost so

they're not totally wasted.

Several times while transplanting my seedlings, I found earthworms

holed up in a peat pot or plastic cell! I just threw them into the

garden bed to make it happy. In one plastic cell I saw what looked

like a big grub sticking out the bottom so I said " ew, gross " and

pulled it out--turned out to be a big fat pale earthworm. Then I saw

another one sticking out of the other hole so I repeated my action.

Then I broke open the soil plug to make two plants and discovered yet

another big pale earthworm in there! Wow, THREE in one tiny little

plastic seedling cell!

Connie

http://www.home-and-school-solutions.com/

Home grown tomatoes: the ultimate taste of summer

--

Be Yourself @ mail.com!

Choose From 200+ Email Addresses

Get a Free Account at www.mail.com