Omelet wrote:
> In >,
> > wrote:
>
>>> Very good, thanks!
>>> I want to try growing more chard again and the cabbage worms go after it
>>> too. It's my favorite green.
>> Yeah, I have a lot of Rainbow Chard here as well, plus good 'ol English
>> Spinach. Those, along with Kale, are pretty much a staple here.
>>
>> I don't have any insect problems with the chard or spinach - they might
>> take the odd nibble here and there, which isn't a problem IMO... in
>> fact, a little bit of insect attack on *organically grown plants*is
>> beneficial to both the plant and humans as it encourages the plant to
>> produce all sorts of chemicals as a defense - many of which are known to
>> fight cancer cells, etc. Plants sprayed with pesticides have no need to
>> produce these chemicals, so they don't.
>
> That is interesting! I've never heard that before. Do you have a cite
> for it? Not arguing, just curious about reading more about it. :-)

I'll do my best - I've needed to find a reference to this previously and
had no luck locating anything online.
Plus, my connection is being a right PITA today (the joys of satellite
Internet).
But I'll do my best later to find it, as I could use the reference myself.

> The only "pesticide" I would ever use on edible leafy greens would be
> BT. I used to get home from work at dawn and just hand pick the little
> *******s off of my plants.

Yep, hand picking is the way to go and I too wouldn't use anything else
other than BT, although for other problems you can make some safe
soap-based sprays.


--
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism
by those who haven't got it - George Bernard Shaw