flower sprouts

While topping the Brussels sprouts* on Wednesday evening, I happened upon an odd, exotic-looking object that was attached to the main stem of one of our plants.  It looked like something that would fit right in on the set of the movie Alien!  However, as I examined it more closely, I realized that it is something that is very good to find in one's garden -- that is, an ootheca, (i.e., egg case), from a mantid!  In our case, (no pun intended!), based on its size and shape, this egg case is from a Chinese mantid (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis). 

Ootheca (egg case) from a Chinese mantid, on a Brussels Sprout Plant

[photo - Susan Doctrow]

The Chinese mantid is the world's largest mantid, often reaching over four inches in length when fully grown.  They are brown, with green or yellow stripes on the sides of their wings, and they are widely sold through garden catalogs and garden centers because they are carnivorous predators that will often feed on other insects and creatures that are garden pests.

See our earlier post for a photo of the adult Chinese mantid that we discovered on our pole bean trellis:

http://www.robbinsfarmgarden.org/content/day-garden-september-8-2012

Here's a Chinese mantid creating an egg case: 

Chief Gardening Officer Mike Smith recently made us aware of Flower Sprouts, called the first new vegetable in 10 years, a cross between Kale and Brussels Sprouts.  (See Mike's post).  At Mike's suggestion we decided to try them in the Garden this year.  

Hi All,

I just received my 2012 catalog from Johnny's Selected Seeds, and in it they offer this new cross between Brussels sprouts and kale, called Flower Sprouts!  The first new veggie to be developed in about ten years, this sounds like it could be fun, educational and tasty to try!

This is a scan of the catalog page:

Some related videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Rtbm19-ec&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTbEet_KvF8

For more cultural info, go to http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8665-kaleidoscope-mix-f1.aspx  and click on the "Growing Info" tab.