Ugh! (frustrated)

[MoniDew]

Between the squash borers, the tomato hornworms, and the cabbage moths, there's not much left of my garden for the people to eat. I'm nearly in tears, because I put in so much work, and am not reaping a lot of reward. :mad:

How does everyone here solve their bug problems?! The Diatomacious Earth I had been using and which was working no longer seems to be helping. Did the bugs adapt? It's still all worked into the soil! I can see it! Do I need to reapply more often? Do I need to make sure it's rubbed into each and every leaf? Where did I go wrong?! :confused:

[Garden Green]

Oh now, don't cry. :(

DE is very useful as a killer of insects and you have to keep applying it to your plants. Applying it to the soil is great, you still have to put it on the leaves. I use a rose duster for this. It also helps if you have other plants around that attract all the birds and wasps and such that will help keep your garden a little more damage free. It takes a while to build this type of system. They have to find it, know its there and then go tell their buddies, I guess.

The bugs don't adapt the the DE. It isn't a chemical to which they can build a tolerance. If you look at the stuff under a microscope it looks like a bunch of sharp pointy blades. It basically shreds them and keeps them from being able to retain moisture. In effect, it dehydrates them.

There are other ways to keep your garden a little more pest free. For the squash borers you can plant onion, garlic. For the cabbage moths, you can repel with hyssop, mint, rosemary, catnip and sage. You can plant marigolds, borage, mint, basil, and pot marigold (different from a regular marigold) and these plants will help keep away white flies, nematodes, beetles, and tomato horn worms.

There is also a parasitic wasp that will use the horn worm as a vessel to lay it's eggs in, you'll see a little white mass on the worm, leave it alone and let the wasp kill it, when it emerges, it will find other horn worms to lay its eggs in. You can attract this wasp by planting lemon balm, pennyroyal, fennel, Queen Ann's Lace, coriander (cilantro), tansy, dill, yarrow and a bunch of others I can't think of off the top of my head.

Birds are your friend. I'd get some feeders out there and plant flowers to really get some birds coming to your yard to eat those worms and borers. Purple cone flower is a good one, it attracts all types of birds and they may even take up residence in it as I have had happen in the past. Others include bee balm, sunflower, 4 o'clocks, aster's, cockscomb, bachelor's button, snapdragon, larkspur, goldenrod, floss flower... huge list. You get some feathered predators in there, you'll see your worm population go down.

Don't lose heart. It takes time for all of the various critters to get things balanced out. With your bad insects there, beneficials aren't far behind because they each have predators that will move in and start killing them eventually. I know that isn't really make you feel better right but just know that it may take you a season or two to really see a difference now that you've started gardening.

I hope this helps!

Dana

[gardengirl72]

First, don't cry. It takes a season or two for everything to come into balance. For example it took a few years for the lady bugs to figure out I had a feast of aphids! I have never met a first time gardener, including myself, who had a bounty their first season. So tear it out and wait a day, then plant a fall garden!

Besides, my first year, with all the work I lost 20lbs, so you have already lost more weight then I did!

[MoniDew]

thank you both, so much, for your comforting words! I am so grateful to you both! I can't wait to try planting the flowers, adding bird feeders, etc.

And, I did tear out all the infested squash vines. (SO sad!) I actually had onions and garlic in the same bed with the squash, so maybe I can find some comfort in the knowledge that it wasn't as bad as it could have been (I did get one or two good squash out of it!) Then, I dumped a half-composted bin-full into the bed. As soon as I see that it's breaking down pretty well, I'll turn it in and plant the fall garden, just as you suggested. (GREAT MINDS, here!) LOL!

Thank you for encouraging me. I look forward to the future years of a great garden!!

[Cynthia]

there is a powdered form of BT called Dipel Dust - put this on the base of yoru squash plants next year and it'll stop the squash vine borers.

Liquid BT sprayed on your tomato plants will take care of worms. DE applied to plants will get the crawling insects - down here it is stink bugs that give me a run for my money.

There is a good product that includes Spinosad, which is very effective for pests - I like it.

Next season, post about the pests you are seeing before they take over. Maybe we can give you some ideas to head them off. Using organics takes effort and vigilance, you aren't doing a chemical spray that kills everything for ever - which is a good thing, but there is a learning curve with pests - I still learn something every month.

On the other hand, you are getting close to the end of your growing season and the bugs move in when its time for plants to die. That's been a hard lesson for me.

I agree with everything posted - it takes a year or two to get your bearings and to know your pests. Add some good compost to your beds and look forward to a better harvest next season.

Cynthia

[Garden Addict]

I always used BT but this year i saw a product called Captain Jack's dead bug by Bonide and asked the sales person at the local garden center about it. I was told it was organic and affected more bugs than BT. I have used it since spring and can honestly say it has worked great. I didn't spray my 2nd crop of corn so naturally i had the worms. My broccoli had no signs of loopers, my potatoes had no beetles yet i saw many ladybugs, spiders and a few mantis's. Check Bonides site for this product and you can see what it controls and how to apply it.

[Garden Addict]

I went out to check the garden and saw the first signs of late blight. I had sooo many nice tomatoes left on the plants and had to rip every thing out. Now i have a pile i need to burn but it's raining......I hope i can get rid of this for next year. Anyone else have late blight?

[valerieneal]

I realize this is an older thread, but I need some help. I had some volunteers pop up in my strawberry "tower" (it only has one layer of the tower at this point, it's a work in progress) and because we had not been able to break ground yet for my raised beds and my husbands rows (still converting him) we let them grow. Thank God we did 2 plants were my favorite tomato from last year we were unable to save seeds from (I forgot) the Amish Paste, and a couple of hubby's favorite tomatoes, 3 yellow pear and 1 Italian type) and 1 cucumber. The cucumber is the culprit, well the squash bug is really...... Things started off well, I have enough for 1 batch of bread and butter pickles now, and enough squash bugs to feed an army of birds. We finally planted a few beds and hubby's rows of peas (he just likes to drive the tractor I think) and he rowed some corn for me. My spaghetti squash is absolutely beautiful as is the 2 crook neck squash and 1 zucchini squash, but the squash bugs found them day before yesterday. I pulled them off that day, smashed them and made the decision to tear up the cucumber plant and burn it, but time ran out. Yesterday there were more bugs on my squash and even some cucumber beetles, I killed what I could, scrapped the new eggs off and tried to get some organic spray at Lowe's but hubby said wait. Last night there were even more bugs, I think hubby is ready to get something BUT he wants chemicals like Malathion. HELP, we have been diligent with the DE, we found it at our local feed store for $1 a pound, and it has worked with everything else even on the corn, well 90% of it, it's time to dust again. BUT what works with these stupid squash bugs and cucumber beetles. I have noticed I have garden full of lady bugs and those wasps mentioned above but like with slugs I'm not one to hand pick the bugs off (I use beer for slugs by the way).

Oh just a tip, I was sharing with my husband I was not crazy about our duster, and I wish we could find one that you just push a button and it sprays, he went and grabbed his hopper (he's a painter) that he picked up at Harbor Freight for about $100, plugged it in, filled it up with DE, checked the direction of the breeze blowing and in about 30 seconds he had dusted the whole garden area, it was beautiful.:)

[MoniDew]

this year I bought a biological insect control (as opposed to chemical) from Garden's Alive - an online organic garden place. It's done the trick! I have far fewer issues this year than last - when I originally posted this.

Check out Garden's Alive and run this past Patti as well. She's probably got a gah-zillion great ideas.

[gardengirl72]

What exactly did you purchase? Please give us more details. I released lady bugs this year, and due to my bee hive I can no longer use DE. I've had some slug issues and something hit my gooseberry bush for the first time ever. I wonder if it will come back.

[valerieneal]

I looked @ Garden's Alive too, found a few things to add to my list, but was not able to place an online order at this time. Please let us know what product you used!!! I have also been looking @ pepper spray recipes.

I knew you could not use DE when bees were active, but was hoping that you could use it in the evening without harsh effects when they come out in the AM, I finally have bees in my garden and want to keep them. I have noticed a surplus of lady bugs this year too, I thought about buying a "home" for them, but I am not paying $60 for one, I saw a "butterfly home" craft at our local craft store for $5 and am thinking I may try it for a lady bug home substitute. Last year I had major problems with slugs, I took tuna cans and placed them in my affected areas and buried them level with the dirt. I then filled them 3/4 of the way with beer (the more malt content the better), the slugs rush to the yeast, go in for a drink, and cannot get out so they drown.

[MoniDew]

This is the product I used (http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8756). It seems to be working well, without deterring bees and other beneficials.

[valerieneal]

Has anyone had trouble with grasshoppers? This year they were out in force, chomping on my sage and basil. I did grab some neem at Lowe's and that seemed to help. I also sprayed my squash with it and although I am still picking off those stupid squash bugs (it is official, I have declared war, they started to use my tomatoes as a place to lay their eggs) but I have noticed they are not eating my squash plants. Thanks Moni for the product referral, I'll have it in my arsenal for late fall and early spring next year!!!

[gardengirl72]

The presence of grasshoppers is a sign of an organic garden so bravo for that. I personally don't have grasshopper issues, but I am listening and looking out for them. It's a novelty to hear them singing at night considering I live in the middle of the city.

[valerieneal]

As I was de-bugging the squash this AM, a beautiful little frog hopped out of the plant, I was so excited!!! I have been using the NEEM once a week with success, and going out and spraying a little bit of water on the base of the plant, this causes the bugs to run for higher ground, but this morning I noticed the bees were not happy about me being out there, so I'll start doing this in the evening. I am down to 20 minutes of de-bugging (hand picking) instead of an hour.

I made a frog/lizard home this spring. I saw one in a catalog for $20, it was basically a flower pot, upside down, with an opening. I took an old terra cotta pot that was cracked, put an opening in it, turned it upside down and placed a flat rock over the water drain hole. Last year I had a lizard living in my Morning Glories so that is where I placed it. I have not seed any activity in that area, but there are plenty of lizards to be found in the yard. I was wondering however, if the DE affected them.