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Nashville, TN

Ok, been absent for over a year. But a lot has changed for me! A new school, with wonderful opportunities to explore Ag chem with my honors students in a greenhouse and atrium... (Yeah, got a greenhouse all to myself - and didn't even have to build it!!! We-hew!! Nice when the dep head has been searching for a teacher who'd USE/maintain it for YEARS.... **rubs hands in glee**)

So, I'm now back growing a couple of GP cross plants here at the farm...

But there's an environmental issue looming that effects each and every one of us as gardeners - and we can actually help to 'solve' this problem (as much as can be solved)..

The frogs are dying off. You see, the primary problem is a fungal infection. Of course, everyone here knows the importance of having good healthy frogs around. So here's what needs to be done: Build a tadpole pond. - It can be as small as a five gallon bucket in the ground. Make sure it's not getting pesticide ladden runoff into it. Make sure it doesn't directly run over into a creek. Now, if the fungus is in your region - look up the dosage and keep your 'pond' treated with Malachite Green. (Found at fish stores - or your local chem/bio teacher) This will treat/cure those frogs/toads which choose to use your pond for breeding. You can even catch some tadpoles from natural pools and throw them in for a jump start.

It doesn't take much effort - but if thousands of small gardeners do this - we can rescue many of our native frogs from extinction!

7/19/2009 9:32:34 AM

Bloomington, IN

Theres quite a few sink holes in and around my neighborhood. Use to be whenever it rained they would hold water for a while like ponds. Then about 10 years ago someone decided to install drainage pipes in all of them and now the only time they hold water is on the rare occasions we get a flooding rain. Before those installations were made there use to be loads of frogs in my area, gradually decreasing to none afterwards. Last year for the first time in a great many years I walked out my back door to find a little frog hopping around some bushes, thats the last one I've seen. I think it was because that spring was our wettest in many years. Thanks for the post! I might just give the bucket in the ground method a try some time.

7/19/2009 4:22:52 PM

Medford OR.

I am building a deck for a buddy of mine in sams valley,oregon,(very hot and dry)he has a nice little pond with a waterfall.There are hundreds of frogs out there.Those are the first frogs I have seen in a while.

7/19/2009 9:01:40 PM

Ohio

welcome back teach!

7/19/2009 9:39:07 PM

Nashville, TN

I actually made use of some of the rubbermaid troughs I no longer used. (quit boarding so many horses, now I'm using some of the old paddocks for the patches)

It doesn't take much, just dig a hole, through it in, fill it with water, maybe add a water plant or two for color, a guppy (not a goldfish, they'll eat the frog eggs/tadpoles) to control mosquito larva.

I've had one small forty gallon one for six years now. Don't do anything to it but add another guppy each spring and make sure it's topped off during dry spells. The water lilly I bought on sale - fills it so much that you can't even see the water now! I've been splitting apart that lilly to put in the new one. Now I have tiny tree frogs and tiny toads EVERYWHERE!

7/22/2009 6:38:22 AM