The grasshoppers are totally destroying everything, including my Meyer Lemon Tree. It makes me sick every time I walk by it and have to pick a dozen of the most aggravating insects off the tiny little portions of leaves that remain.
It’s a 5′ x 5′ greenhouse from FlowerHouse.
Greenhouse
A month or so ago Vince bought this little greenhouse. I’ve been begging him to come up with a solution for keeping the grasshoppers from destroying the lemon tree and today, after about the third time he walked into the sewing room and found me sobbing because I miss Chad, Nicole and Addie, he said “Come help me put up the greenhouse”!
Lemon Tree
It probably isn’t going to last long in the Texas wind, sun, and occasional hail (notice I didn’t say rain!) but if it lasts a few seasons, I’ll be happy.
Tomorrow I plan to put some tomato seeds in cups and see if I can get those to grow enough so we can have fresh tomatoes through the winter. I should be able to keep tomatoes growing through the year in there. There are so few days that we need heat, that maybe I can haul them into the shop on the cold nights or . . maybe we’ll get the bigger greenhouse, which is 10′ x 20′, up before winter.
I’m so happy to have that greenhouse up and hope it offers some protection and I hope that lemon tree produces at least a few lemons so Vince thinks this little project was worth the effort and cost.
lynne quinsland says
i am sure that vince thinks it is worth it already. it has given you a bit of hope and a ray of sunshine when you were sad about chad et. al leaving. even if it doesnt “do” anything else it has already served a great purpose and vince has gotten his value out of it……cheering his dearest thing in life–YOU. and because that lemon tree is important to you, it is important to him……i think that man deserves a lemon pie and lemon squares with the first lemons from that tree……i am SURE it is going to bear fruit for years….
JudyL says
Pat yourself on the back . . there’s half a Meyer Lemon Tart in the fridge that I made while Chad was here. Maybe tasting that is what really got him in the mood to try to save my tree.
Susan says
Yours looks as good as the one in the video. Hope it does the trick, and hope it lasts more than a few seasons.
Dora, the quilter says
I’m so sorry the nasty little beasts were consuming your lovely tree and so grateful you have the greenhouse, and so hopeful that it works! It will be really lovely to have your own Meyer lemons, even if it has taken a lot of work to get them.
AngieG9 says
I wonder if an indoor greenhouse is workable. I know the manager of the apartment building wouldn’t allow me to put one outside, but a small one inside…..Nah, I’ll just get some grow lights and plant my little herb garden and maybe some tomatoes, and potatoes, and spinach, a squash plant, bell pepper. Yeah, really. I don’t even have room for my yarn stash, or the fabric I’m beginning to accumulate. I’m sure I could plant a garden in the living room. I WILL plant some pots of herbs though. I miss my fresh herbs. Feel better now?
Wendy says
Hope it works for you. If it turns out to be too hot. Maybe, one the insect type tents you can buy for going over a picnic table when camping might work. It would keep the bugs out, but still allow the air to circulate. Just an idea. Glad we don’t have to contend with grasshoppers here.
Erin says
Awe 🙁 the poor tree! But 🙂 the green house looks fantastic! I am praying it works and you can get tomato seeds started too! Now will the bigger greenhouse go in the same area? Those darn grasshoppers! Too bad they didn’t come out every 100 years!
Kay L Ford-Sollimo says
Ia there any kind of grasshopper-proof netting you can use to protect your precious plants from those evil things?
Joanne Caglione says
careful ! In the summer, it gets too hot in there for about anything in a greenhouse. I live in lower Alabama and had a greenhouse that I could roll the sides up on to keep it cooler and that didn’t even work well!
JudyL says
It has a reflective cover that we will put over it most of the day and it has doors on opposite ends that we keep open and just keep the mesh door open. We have a thermometer in there that measures the inside temp and the outside temp and according to what we’ve read, so long as it doesn’t get more than 15 degrees warmer inside than outside, the Meyer Lemon should be ok.
Deb K says
Vince is so sweet. We put up a similar greenhouse (just a tad bigger) to get plants through this past winter. It worked like a charm. It is under trees and so, it doesn’t get as much sun as yours appears to have to endure but it is holding up well. I am battling the grasshoppers also. My Meyer lemon, loquats, basil and tomatoes are being devoured by those nasty grasshoppers. Even the day lilies and bulb one are getting attacked. I seven dusted them and it hasn’t slowed them down much. Let me know if you find something that keeps them at bay without poisoning me in the process.
wanda ll says
Judy,
You can gets these nets at a feed store they can cover plants( will they eat it maybe I don’t know)and try them too. I’ve got a big fig tree and I’m trying to keep the birds off. I covered it all up, I left it open a the very bottom around the trunk and kiss my foot they climbed up from there now too. So off to get another one to go over the bottom. Looks like animals will find a way to get at our stuff. By the way I’ve got a Meyer Lemon tree too. I just got it this year it is like yours with a couple of big lemons on it. I’m trying to keep it watered along with blackberry, orange, and satsuma trees. So keep on trying to beat these critters that is about all we can do it looks like.
JudyL says
They eat through the netting. They ate through window screens last year. If the greenhouse trick doesn’t work, I’m going to get Vince to take some fence posts and get some heavy duty window screen and build a “cage” around the lemon tree . . something we can lift off to pick the fruit, but otherwise, it can stay on all summer.