Fickle things: Ladybugs

I've been slowly taking indoor plants into the screened sunroom where the air and slight light change will hopefully acclimate them to the outdoors before I thrust them entirely out there to fend for themselves.

One plant that I've been aching to chuck out is my ornamental pepper, Black Pearl.

Out of all of my plants, the ornamental peppers have suffered greatly from an aphid infestation that I couldn't shake this winter despite repeated neem sprayings until I simply killed the Tricolore garda and then the Purple Calico soon thereafter (which I think got water logged and rotted too... my bad, I had a container that was spiffy and thought I'd be good at not overwatering.  Crud.)

The Black Pearl has held out pretty well out of all of them and was attacked last.  I didn't know of the infestation for quite a while I think because the new leaves on it are this lighter green the aphids hid in.  Later when they moved on to the darker purple leaves/stems did I CLEARLY see them.

Learning from my prior neem frenzy with the now dead other ornamental peppers (and there was poor light, and it's been cold in the house! They were weakened I say! Weakened!)  I just started snipping off the severely infested bits and made a good effort to check every day and squish any aphid stragglers.  Ick, that was a sticky mess.

So, as the weather appears to be more regularly now, I moved it into the sunroom and lo and behold, there was a a LADYBUG on the screen area, basking in the sunshine.

I promptly snatched it up and thought, "Haha! Now I've got you, you stinking aphids! Meet my leetle friend!"

Then placed the ladybug onto Black Pearl. AND, like all ladybugs it tried to fly away.

So I put it back on the plant.  It attempted to fly away again, but hit a leaf above it (brilliant bug, obviously).  Either ladybugs have a bad sense of smell/sight because I placed it on a plant with a veritable feast in front of it, and it didn't care.  After this long and starved winter? What gave?!

Luckily it appeared to start sniffing around and moving its mouth parts like it was really getting at stuff and began to explore the territory.

"PERFECT!  It's like my own aphid ROOMBA!" I sort of cackled in my head and rushed off to get a pic of this momentous occasion.

When I got back the ladybug had decided to fly off and thus, no pic could be got.

Then I found a small stem COVERED in aphids and got a bit huffy and chucked the Black Pearl outside in a sheltered location.  Here's where I do a little prayer hoping that the aphids will not like the weather and just melt down or something (like be discovered by smart ladybugs) and allow my Black Pearl to continue growing merrily along.

In the mean time, I've started some new Tricolore Garda and Purple Calico ornamental peppers from seed again.  Luckily for me, those things really put out little pepper fruits!

Chilis! (for when it's not Chilly)

As you may have noticed, if you've frequented my blog before, I have a thing for chili peppers.  More the spicy and ornamental kind, though I do like the sweet bell ones too, the versatility and variety of the spicier versions (the ancestor of the sweet bell types types, btw) really excites me.

I've been slowly building up (and killing) my stock of ornamental and regular chili peppers.  Peppers are quite perennial if you live in the right locations or can offer good cover/shelter/conditions when unseasonable times arrive.

I had a jalapeno growing well for 2 years straight producing fruits in the winter for my use (it loved me I think) until I've begun playing aphid invaders and the aphid squish game this winter.  My calico, tricolore garda and black pearl chili plants have been attacked and luckily they've all fruited and set seed and I've saved seed of them for re-starting if need be, there's nothing like having a mature, well established plant.  One established plant of each variety I'd like to add because I have a tendency to not want to get rid of a cool plant and then it takes up space... but then some lucky person can have my cast off!

The reason for this post however is to address a recent Herb Companion article on Chili Rellenos, because plants and food for me go hand in hand nearly always.

I have tried in the past to grow poblano/ancho/mole chilis for the past few years will little success, partially due to bad locations, another time because swallowtail butterfly caterpillars decided that they wanted to snack on it. (I suppose it was near the dill and parsley plants...)

I've only been successful in growing 2 of the peppers (really sad) and once I discovered that my local Mexican mart sells them dried for the obscene cheap, I said "screw it" and decided to just buy them in the bags as they last forever.

This recipe reminded me of the joys of fresh poblano chilies again and as I don't usually plan in advance what I'm going to eat, and instead wing it, or just run out into the garden to see what's good, I would love to be able to have on hand fresh poblanos (and I guess have some ready in the freezer as was done in the article)  I might attempt to grow these again.

Since I don't want to pay for seeds (as usual) I still have dried poblanos in the pantry, I will attempt to grow them from the seeds in the dried ones from the bag.  I hope it works!  With luck, I can dig up a good plant before the winter and keep it inside (where with luck it will keep giving me more fruits) and make deliciousness in the winter too! Woot! (and not have to re-grow the plant again next spring).

Hmmm... as usual, where am I putting this....? (You see, there is a problem with having planned your garden ahead!)