I tell you what, spider mites are the bane of my garden. Last year, they got ahead of me. This year, I was determined. I started spraying neem oil, the only organic solutions that I’ve found to work at all, before I even saw the beasts. Still, every three to four days, they are on the bean plants and occasionally on the tomatoes. They will stay mostly on the bean plants until I get rid of them; beans are their favorite, I think. I didn’t realize they infested clover until this year. I had to pull up all the clover–a ground cover that helps the soil.

The neem oil works, but its use requires constant vigilance and spraying about every 3 to 4 days. Thus far the spider mites haven’t gotten completely out of hand, but it’s the first day of May. I read that one spider mite can produce 600 offspring. SIX HUNDRED. How am I supposed to keep up with that? If I miss even one…

So on cool days, I spray neem oil. I’m running out of cool days…

Last year I tried to use soap and water on the cucumbers to kill the aphids. The aphids laughed. Sure, soapy water kills on contact, but they seemed to wait until after I sprayed to come out in ever larger numbers. I don’t like using the neem around the cucs and watermelon because the bees don’t like the smell (or something.) But this year, the cucs are going to be neemed. Actually last year I finally gave up (too late really) and started using the neem oil. It’s a mad dance, this gardening.

We didn’t get a bumper crop of snap and snow peas. Barely enough for us to eat a few times a week. The neighbors had to suffer this year (and believe me, they do ask.) Two pea plants have already died and a third is following. No idea why. The spider mites haven’t gotten out of control, but it could be early damage from the late freezes. Or some other whim of nature laughing up her sleeve.

This won’t be the year of the onion either. The plants looked poor in the store so I ordered online. They looked just as bad. I might get a few, but they will mostly be green onions. Very small bulbs on what should be giant onions. Oh well, that’s the way it goes.

The best for last: I have several tomatoes out there! None ripe yet, but a decent amount on the plants. The Juliet (a grape variety) has two clusters ready to ripen. I check every day. Sometimes twice. Or even three times if I’m feeling particularly hungry.

Onward!!!