I am having a lot of problems with rotting/wilting. I suspect some is from extremely wet weather here in Ohio (Cleveland). My spinach was a disaster. I also think I am getting problems with my cucumbers from cucumber beetles - lots. Worst issues my garden has ever had - despite a lot of work by me.
I am looking for organic fungicide and pesticide for cucumber beetles, cabbage worms, slugs and japanese beetles.
Ideas?
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GardeningCook
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- Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a
Bt will work on caterpillars but beetles and slugs are a different story.
You can use slug bait, but a chicken works better. Only problem is the chicken will eat the plants too. Toads also eat slugs. You need to provide a habitat to attract them. Otherwise sluggo, and copper barriers if you can clear an area of them.
For beetles, the only organic method I can think of are physical barriers like insect netting and hand picking. You can use beetle traps, but they also attract more beetles from outlying areas. Planting slightly of of season helps if that is an option. I may not be much of an option for people with short growing seasons.
You can use slug bait, but a chicken works better. Only problem is the chicken will eat the plants too. Toads also eat slugs. You need to provide a habitat to attract them. Otherwise sluggo, and copper barriers if you can clear an area of them.
For beetles, the only organic method I can think of are physical barriers like insect netting and hand picking. You can use beetle traps, but they also attract more beetles from outlying areas. Planting slightly of of season helps if that is an option. I may not be much of an option for people with short growing seasons.
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GardeningCook
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- Posts: 787
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 8:35 pm
- Location: Upper Piedmont area of Virginia, Zone 7a
While Safer insecticidal soap will not kill hard-shelled adult beetles, it WILL kill the larvae, which is the base of the problem.
Floating row covers are your best bet against most pests, but you have to apply it at first planting/sowing, otherwise you easily end up trapping the pests inside the cover & giving them a lovely enclosed buffet. And if using the covers over plants that require pollinating, as soon as you uncover it, the dinner bell has been rung.
Floating row covers are your best bet against most pests, but you have to apply it at first planting/sowing, otherwise you easily end up trapping the pests inside the cover & giving them a lovely enclosed buffet. And if using the covers over plants that require pollinating, as soon as you uncover it, the dinner bell has been rung.
Sluggo is very expensive but Natria and Cory's also use an iron based bait that costs less.
Some of the rot problems were probably from the rain and there isn't much you can do about that. If the bed floods and can't dry then roots will eventually rot and I have learned that the effort to save them usually isn't worth it, so I start over.
If I know rainy and humid conditions are coming, I will start my fungicides before the rain starts and as soon as the rain stops I will continue regular fungicide preventive sprays until the humid conditions stop. It is much easier to prevent than to cure fungal problems.
Some of the rot problems were probably from the rain and there isn't much you can do about that. If the bed floods and can't dry then roots will eventually rot and I have learned that the effort to save them usually isn't worth it, so I start over.
If I know rainy and humid conditions are coming, I will start my fungicides before the rain starts and as soon as the rain stops I will continue regular fungicide preventive sprays until the humid conditions stop. It is much easier to prevent than to cure fungal problems.
I hand killed over 1000 slugs, likely closer to 2,000 used sluggo sand etc. Unreal. I live next 2 woods and 3 sides.
All my cucs are succumbing to wilt, I suspect from cuc beetles, never lost ANY cucs to wilt (or anything else I can think of) going to be a rough year.
Hand killed 220 jap beetles - in one day. Up to about 1000 of them. shucks. Got several safer products and bituminous earth.
All my cucs are succumbing to wilt, I suspect from cuc beetles, never lost ANY cucs to wilt (or anything else I can think of) going to be a rough year.
Hand killed 220 jap beetles - in one day. Up to about 1000 of them. shucks. Got several safer products and bituminous earth.