The smell of greens a cooking on the stove is getting closer and closer to us in the Winn Parish area. Many producers are getting their beds ready and have planted their transplants or seeds. Home gardeners in this area usually plant collards, mustard greens and turnips in the fall. Some will also plant radishes, carrots, lettuce and cabbage.

One of the main problems in raising these vegetables is that people plant them too close together and do not thin the plants out at the proper time. If the turnips are not thinned properly, the roots will not develop into a good rounded shape.

These plants do require some care because there are some insects that cause severe damage to these plants. The most common insect pests on these plants are aphids, caterpillars and beetles. Many homeowners and gardeners can use Malathion 55% EC at the rate of 2 teaspoons per gallon of water to control aphids. Remember that after applying Malathion you have  to wait seven to 14 days before you harvest and eat the greens of the plants. If you notice beetles or caterpillars on your plants, an application of Sevin dust 5% or 10% usually will do the trick. Sevin dust has a 0-14 day waiting period before harvest, depending on the application.

LSU AgCenter Publication No. 2341, Insect Management in Home Vegetable Gardens, is a good resource for the home vegetable producer to have in his or her gardening library.

For more information on vegetable production, contact Winn Parish county agent Donny Moon at 318-628-4528.