84pagirl
Full Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 6:07 pm
Location: SW PA

some bug is eating the leaves of my blackberries?

I would like to stay organic with them, what do I put on them?

MaineDesigner
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Posts: 439
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 am
Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b

Would you fire a shotgun, blindfolded, in a crowded room in the hope of hitting a criminal?

To supply a responsible answer to your question we need to know:
1 How severe the damage is, what percentage of the plant's leaf surface has been eaten over what period of time?
and
2 What does the bug look like? Ideally provided with a good photo to aid identification.

I'm sorry to be so blunt but there is no magic spray, organic or otherwise, that kills or stops feeding only of "bad" insects and is otherwise 100% harmless.

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hendi_alex
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Posts: 3604
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

I noticed a little bug damage on my bell pepper plants yesterday. No big deal, the plant makes enough share, and a little bug damage is not problem. Will monitor the damage, inspect for critters, and will pick and squish if the problem gets worse. That is my approach for all of the plants that I grow. A little damage is merely cosmetic and hurts nothing. When the Japanese beetles arrive or when the flea beetles arrive, it will be time for action, as the critters will defoliate a plant and severely weaken or kill it. Even in that situation, I've always been able to control via 'pick and squish'. At each walk in the garden/yard I take time to inspect, pick, and squish any pests that are present. There is still some damage, sometimes a good bit, but rarely enough damage to really endanger the plant. My approach is the same with squash bugs, bean beetles, and cucumber beetles. All can be controlled via hand picking on the small scale of a typical home garden. Be very careful if your tomatoes ever get attacked by the slate gray colored blister beetle though, when handled those can give very nasty blisters on the skin.



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