I planted my fall garden the first week in August. Crowder peas tomatoes
Zipper peas and then in September broccoli cauliflower brussel sprouts in containers. The first of September I lost almost all the crowder peas in one plot which I believe we're caterpillars I treated it with dipel dust but in 2 days the damage was done
Then a similar thing happened with the broccoli and cauliflower. I never had these problems until now. What I noticed was butterflies. Although the garden is at my parents house so I only go by there after work.
-
JC's Garden
- Senior Member
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Mon May 12, 2014 10:43 pm
- Location: Moultrie, GA Planting Zone 8, Sunset Zone 31
Replanted, no more problems. Good varmint. 
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 31062
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Peas, beans, and broccoli, etc cabbage family are the first victims of groundHOG attack in my garden. Rabbits also love the peas and beans.
But if the chew holes were small then in August it could have been armyworms. They are already grown and march/crawl through and decimate everything in their paths. Cabbage butterfly and moths leave tiny holes at first then bigger ones as they grow. It would take more than two days.
Slugs -- I was weeding my bed of new seedlings yesterday thinking a significant number of spinach seedlings were missing...., and I casually looked over by the garden fence bordering the bed and there, in broad daylight, was a pair of giant (for this area -- about size of casshew nuts when in a lump and stretchs out to 3" or so) slugs on a heart-shaped violet leaf. I think they were... you know?
I was so annoyed I plucked the leaf -slugs and all- and walked it out to the front of the house and threw them into the middle of the street. Watched them fly in satisfying arcs onto the dry sunny pavement. They did land near an utility access that has grown weedy around the edge due to lack of use, so they may have a chance, but no way to get back to MY GARDEN....
But if the chew holes were small then in August it could have been armyworms. They are already grown and march/crawl through and decimate everything in their paths. Cabbage butterfly and moths leave tiny holes at first then bigger ones as they grow. It would take more than two days.
Slugs -- I was weeding my bed of new seedlings yesterday thinking a significant number of spinach seedlings were missing...., and I casually looked over by the garden fence bordering the bed and there, in broad daylight, was a pair of giant (for this area -- about size of casshew nuts when in a lump and stretchs out to 3" or so) slugs on a heart-shaped violet leaf. I think they were... you know?
I was so annoyed I plucked the leaf -slugs and all- and walked it out to the front of the house and threw them into the middle of the street. Watched them fly in satisfying arcs onto the dry sunny pavement. They did land near an utility access that has grown weedy around the edge due to lack of use, so they may have a chance, but no way to get back to MY GARDEN....
There always seems to be a season for bugs. They change throughout the year and cause everything from mild annoyance to hair pulling frustration. Snails and slugs are my bane, they are around year round and I have given up hope of every getting rid of them but I either have a lot of slugs or a lot of snails.
I plant my main spring and summer plants starting March 1. About a month later, the aphids would come out. Actually, my garden patrol is on it now so except for the citrus aphids I don't have a lot of problems with them on other plants.
When the weather gets drier around May and June the erineum mites start making galls on the hibiscus. It is one of the few plants I still use systemics on, but I do not let it flower. I use systemic rose care which lasts about 6 weeks and not a year. The spider mites also start to make an appearance and I use baking soda spray for them and it and the garden patrol keep most of the spider mites under control.
Street lights control the rose beetles in the front yard and the red rambler and baby blanket roses in the back yard apparently are not so tasty so they are rarely bothered. I have one tea rose in the back yard, Mr. Lincoln. It does get chewed on, but I look at that rose every day so I spot treat that one with neem.
I have seen a few butterflies but I don't really have much of a caterpillar or beetle problems. Garden patrol takes care of that. I do have a lot of birds, they are pests sometimes as they like to patrol my newly seeded pots and eat the seeds. I have a horde of geckos and skinks all around the yard and this year I found some green house frogs in the back yard for the first time. I hope they are friends and not foes. I hope they like slugs.
Fungal disease hit three days after the rain stops. I figured out that it is not really the rain that is the problem since even if it rains for a week straight, the fungal problems only start after the rain stops. The fungal spots appear during the humid days that follow the rain as everything literally steams off. If I fungicide within 3 days of the rain stopping, I have a better chance to get fungal problems under control. Better yet, if I know rain is coming, it helps to just start a regular spray program for all of the susceptible plants. I think when it rains constantly, the fungal spores get washed off and don't have a chance to establish themselves until the rain stops.
The best time to go slug and snail hunting is the morning after a heavy rain. They are out in plain sight and no flash light needed.
I looked at pictures from the garden in past years. I noticed that while I have tried a few new plants here and there, but I plant practically the same thing in the same place year after year. I only change strategies and plant something different for a while when I start having problems. I did not have basil for three years because of basil downy mildew. And I had yellow leaf curl on tomatoes so I did not have them for a year ( I planted snow peas and beans instead). Last year I planted broccoli and brussels sprouts around this time of year. I did not anticipate them lasting so long so this years' corn crop was late getting in and I only got two rounds planted instead of three.
I plant my main spring and summer plants starting March 1. About a month later, the aphids would come out. Actually, my garden patrol is on it now so except for the citrus aphids I don't have a lot of problems with them on other plants.
When the weather gets drier around May and June the erineum mites start making galls on the hibiscus. It is one of the few plants I still use systemics on, but I do not let it flower. I use systemic rose care which lasts about 6 weeks and not a year. The spider mites also start to make an appearance and I use baking soda spray for them and it and the garden patrol keep most of the spider mites under control.
Street lights control the rose beetles in the front yard and the red rambler and baby blanket roses in the back yard apparently are not so tasty so they are rarely bothered. I have one tea rose in the back yard, Mr. Lincoln. It does get chewed on, but I look at that rose every day so I spot treat that one with neem.
I have seen a few butterflies but I don't really have much of a caterpillar or beetle problems. Garden patrol takes care of that. I do have a lot of birds, they are pests sometimes as they like to patrol my newly seeded pots and eat the seeds. I have a horde of geckos and skinks all around the yard and this year I found some green house frogs in the back yard for the first time. I hope they are friends and not foes. I hope they like slugs.
Fungal disease hit three days after the rain stops. I figured out that it is not really the rain that is the problem since even if it rains for a week straight, the fungal problems only start after the rain stops. The fungal spots appear during the humid days that follow the rain as everything literally steams off. If I fungicide within 3 days of the rain stopping, I have a better chance to get fungal problems under control. Better yet, if I know rain is coming, it helps to just start a regular spray program for all of the susceptible plants. I think when it rains constantly, the fungal spores get washed off and don't have a chance to establish themselves until the rain stops.
The best time to go slug and snail hunting is the morning after a heavy rain. They are out in plain sight and no flash light needed.
I looked at pictures from the garden in past years. I noticed that while I have tried a few new plants here and there, but I plant practically the same thing in the same place year after year. I only change strategies and plant something different for a while when I start having problems. I did not have basil for three years because of basil downy mildew. And I had yellow leaf curl on tomatoes so I did not have them for a year ( I planted snow peas and beans instead). Last year I planted broccoli and brussels sprouts around this time of year. I did not anticipate them lasting so long so this years' corn crop was late getting in and I only got two rounds planted instead of three.
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Hi River - welcome to the forum.
Exactly what kind of damage are you seeing? Leaves chewed on the outside, holes in the leaves, plant tops cut just above soil level. If the young plants are cut just above soil level is the top still on the ground or has the entire plant disappeared? Your growing conditions are similar to mine in Lafayette, LA. There are so many pest that you really have to research the damage and hopefully actually find the pest. If caterpillars are the culprits you would see them. You won't see slugs or snails except at night. If the seedlings are being cut off just above the soil line you may have cut worms. They hide in the soil. You can find them by taking a pencil and stirring up the first inch of soil in a 2" to 3" diameter from the stem.
If caterpillars - pick them off by hand.
If slugs/snails create a ring of crushed egg shells around the base of each plant and set out beer traps. Shallow pans with cheap beer. The slugs/snails are attracted to the yeast. They will slither into the pan and die happy.
If cut worms you need a collar. A toilet paper roll half buried in the soil. Plant the seedling in the roll. The cut worms can't get to your tender plants.
Try to identify the pest.
Good kuck
Exactly what kind of damage are you seeing? Leaves chewed on the outside, holes in the leaves, plant tops cut just above soil level. If the young plants are cut just above soil level is the top still on the ground or has the entire plant disappeared? Your growing conditions are similar to mine in Lafayette, LA. There are so many pest that you really have to research the damage and hopefully actually find the pest. If caterpillars are the culprits you would see them. You won't see slugs or snails except at night. If the seedlings are being cut off just above the soil line you may have cut worms. They hide in the soil. You can find them by taking a pencil and stirring up the first inch of soil in a 2" to 3" diameter from the stem.
If caterpillars - pick them off by hand.
If slugs/snails create a ring of crushed egg shells around the base of each plant and set out beer traps. Shallow pans with cheap beer. The slugs/snails are attracted to the yeast. They will slither into the pan and die happy.
If cut worms you need a collar. A toilet paper roll half buried in the soil. Plant the seedling in the roll. The cut worms can't get to your tender plants.
Try to identify the pest.
Good kuck