The (Bad) Bugs of Summer

 If only gardening was as easy as planting a seed and harvesting yummy food. Unfortunately, there's a bit more to it then that and one of the major culprits are destructive bugs. Just to be clear, the vast majority of insects that you see in your garden are either beneficial or just hanging out. However, there are some you need to be on the look out for. Here are some common pests I've delt with and what I do. 

Japanese Beetles. The only good thing about them is that they only hand around a few weeks and only on certain plants. Thank heavens because they destroy all the foliage on what they do like while they're around. They like my raspberries, zinnias, apricot, almond, cherry, grape vines and apple trees. I just pick them off and put them in soapy water. I've heard Neem Oil will work too if you need it. 

Mexican Bean Beetle larva (top little yellow thing) and eggs. You'll find these mostly on beans. The will chew your plants up. I mostly look for eggs to smash but you can treat the larva with Insecticidal soap. Be sure to thoroughly clean up debris when plants are done so the bugs don't overwinter. 

Squash Bug eggs. Copper colored and always on the underside of leaves. If you see them, remove them or squish them. If they hatch out you'll have tons of little white bugs with black legs that suck the life out of your squash plants. Eventually, they turn into adults that look like an XL version of stink bugs. 

Tomato Horn Worm (This one is sporting parasitic wasp eggs). Keep an eye on your tomato plants for damage and then hunt down and destroy these caterpillars before they destroy your plant. They are voracious but I've had success just by picking them off and destroying them (with tongs mind you, I aint touching that!).

Last, but not least are the squash vine borers. I don't have a picture. You don't really see them so much as the damage they do. They are the worst bug on this list. A little moth lays and egg on the base of your squash stem. When the egg emerges, the larva chew into your squash vine and kill it. You can try to keep it from getting into your plant by covering the base of your vines in foil. You can also sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth around the base of your plants to kill larva as they hatch. If you see holes in the base of your vines you can stick a wire up them to kill larva. This year I'm experimenting with different varieties of squash and companion planting with cover crops. 

What bugs have you had problems with in your gardens? How did you handle it? Feel free to post in the comment section below. 

Strawberries!

 Strawberries are SO GOOD! Who doesn't love strawberries? You can grow your own strawberries

My daughter and her friend picking strawberries.

organically and they are much more flavorful than any you will find in the store. Here's the basics. 

There are 2 kinds of Strawberries, June bearing which produce tons of fruit in June and then they're done for the year, or ever bearing which produce in June and then continue producing fruit into the fall. Ever bearing strawberries are best for container growing as they spread less vigorously. 

Strawberries are a perennial plant meaning that they will come back year after year. Hooray! However, they tend to only live about 3 to 4 years. The good news is that each year they send out runners (baby plants) that will establish and start growing. So the goal is to leave enough baby plants to keep the cycle of life going. 

If your serious about establishing a long term strawberry bed then you're going to have to do something hard. The first year, you must pinch off all the flowers till the end of June. It's murder, I know but it forces the plant to establish a better root system. 

Speaking of roots, Strawberry roots are shallow. In clay soil like mine, they only grow about 6 inches down. If your soil is looser then they may go up to 12 inches but no more. I say this to explain why you need to keep them watered, especially the first year. If there hasn't been much rain, be sure to give them a thorough soaking once a week. 

It's also essential that you mulch your strawberries. First of all, it will keep the weeds down and weeds are the bane of strawberries. Second, mulch will keep the soil moist for the plants. Finally, mulch keeps the berries off the dirt which helps keep bugs and mold off of them. 

Finally, there are a lot of potential pests and problems that can pop up with your plants. To avoid these, select a strawberry variety with disease resistance and keep your patch weed free and thinned out enough so there is good air circulation. I also dust with diatomacious earth (an organic pesticide) when the fruits are just about to ripen to keep bugs off. Finally, keep your beds clean of spoiled fruit as it's a magnet to bugs. 

Have you grown strawberries? Write about your experiences below!

Figuring Out Why Your Plants are Sick

 Everyone who has a plant for any length of time will have to deal with it being less than perfect. Even the most experienced gardener will have to deal with plant problems. Most home owners are busy and just want a quick fix to make their plants all better. Here's what you need to know when your plants change color, loose leaves, wilt or make other signs of distress. 

Powdery Mildew on Zinnias

First, you must accurately identify the plant. Not all evergreens are pines. Red raspberries and black raspberries grow differently and can have different problems. Be sure you know what plant you're working with. 

Second, make a lot of good observations. What is the overall situation of the plant? What kind of light and water does it get? What is the soil like? What, exactly, is the problem? How long has the problem been going on? Is it affecting the plants around it? What time of year is it? You may want to take a picture of the plant and the problem as well. 

Third, do some diagnostic work on your own. Search online or get a good book on plant problems. 

It's helpful to know that, statistically speaking, plants suffer far more from abiotic problems then from biotic ones. This means there's a really good chance that you don't have a bug or pathogen problem but the plant is in the wrong spot or your just not taking care of it well. Once you know what kind of a plant you have you can learn all about what it needs to be happy and determine if it's getting it or not. 

It's also helpful to know that if you have a pathogen of some sort, statistically speaking, it's probably a fungus. Fungal problems are far more prevalent than bacteria or viral infections. That's good because they're easier to treat. Viral problems usually mean destroying the plant. 

Fourth, if you can't determine the problem on your own, then reach out to your county extension office. They are there to help you. Just know that there are so many potential problems out there that no one knows all of them right off hand and it will require a bit of investigating for anyone. 

Finally, always try the least toxic, most environmentally friendly solution first. A broad spectrum insecticide will probably kill your Japanese Beetles but it will also kill your pollinators and other beneficial bugs. 

I hope that's helpful. Right not it's February so we're not dealing with any of this now but before you know it, Spring will be here and we'll be busy in our gardens again. Do you have any tips for diagnosing plant problems? Feel free to comment below. 

What You Need To Know About Pesticides

 There are a lot of opinions about

Powdery Mildew on Zucchini

pesticides out there. There is also a lot of information about a lot of different kinds of pesticides. Just walking into the pesticide aisle at a hardware store can be daunting. If you have a problem with a pest and don't know what to do, here is some basic information you need to know. 

First, the best thing you can do to fight any problem is grow happy healthy plants. A tomato growing in full sun with good soil and consistent moisture is going to do much better at fighting off any problems then the same plant in partial shade and bad dirt. So be sure you know how to make your plants desirable. 

Second, be sure you accurately diagnose the problem. You can dump all the insecticide in the world on your plant but if the problem is fungal, then it's not going to solve your problem. In the meanwhile, you've wasted your time, money and energy and probably killed a lot of nice pollinators. Identifying a problem can be tricky. You can do some research on line or contact your county extension office for help. 

Third, use the least toxic solution possible to solve your problem. All pesticides have a trade off. Organic and narrow spectrum treatments will have a lot less side issues than more toxic options. For instance, you can use BT, an organic bacteria, to kill caterpillars and it won't hurt pollinators like a more conventional pesticide might. Assuming, of course, that caterpillars are your problem. 

Tomato Horn Worm - Yuck!

Fourth, if you buy pesticide, you must read and follow the instructions!!! I know it's not fun but absolutely necessary. If you put too much on, it can be toxic and damage plants. If it's too weak, it might not work. So be sure to read the instructions and follow them carefully. 

Fifth, 95% off all pesticide injury (to people) is from skin damage on hands and arms. So, if you wear safely gloves and a long sleeve shirt, your in pretty good shape. However, wear eye protection if the chemical in use recommends it. Don't skimp on safety. 

Finally, be a good observer. Is the pesticide working well? Are there bad side effects? Keep an eye on your plants and always be learning. 

Do you have experience with pesticides? Feel free to share your stories and questions below. 

Growing Squash Successfully

 It's currently late August as I write this so a lot of this information should be filed under "things to try next year". However, I've been trying out several new things with squash this year and I want to share while it's still fresh. Squash are just so delicious I can't imagine not growing them. So here are a few basics and some tricks and tips to help you enjoy your squash. 

First off, there are basically two kinds of squash: summer and winter. Summer squash grows very quickly and has a thin skin like zucchini, pattapan, and yellow squash. Winter squash grows slowly and has a  thick skin like butternut and acorn squash. The growing tips I give you will be true for both unless I specify otherwise. 

If you've never grown squash before, I recommend buying seedlings from a near by garden center. They can be planted out as soon as all danger from frost has passed. No squash plant will tolerate frost. Squash need at LEAST 6 hours of sun a day and regular watering. Giving your squash plants great growing conditions will create stronger plants that can fight of pests and diseases much more effectively. It will also mean more and better quality fruit. 

One of the biggest problems I've had with squash are squash vine borers. A little moth lays an egg at the base of the squash vine and it hatches. The little grub eats into the vine and pigs out till the vine dies. If you're not paying attention the plant looks great until one morning when it has totally wilted. At that point, its too late. Last year I lost every single squash vine I had (including pumpkins!) to this pest. So, this year I tried a few different things. I wrapped aluminum foil around the base of the vines so the grubs couldn't bore into the vines. I periodically sprinkled diatomaceous earth around the base of the plant to repel the grubs. I also kept an eye out for the holes near the bottom of the plant and poked a wire up into the plant to kill any grub inside. These steps worked wonders. I only lost one plant to grubs this year. Yahoo!

Another big problem is fungus, like powdery mildew. Here in central PA, it's humid enough that fungus is just inevitable but I try to fight it off as long as I can. Some great ways to do that include: 1) When watering squash, don't get the leaves wet, just the ground. water creates a moist environment where mold and fungus thrive. 2)Selectively trimming out leaves as they yellow to keep it clean and allow more air circulation. 3) Look for mildew resistant varieties at the garden center. and 4)Use an organic anti fungal spray as needed. I use Green Cure. No spray can get rid of fungus already there but it can help prevent the spread of it. 

When growing summer squash, I learned this year that you can plant it much later than I thought and still get  a great harvest. I planted zucchini seeds on June 30 and by August 10th I was harvesting fruit. Also, because it was planted later, it never got hit with quash vine borers and it still doesn't have mold on it. I haven't treated it with anything. This also helps with succession planting and you can wait till your spring crops are done and then plant summer squash. Just remember that winter squash takes a lot longer to grow so you can't wait to plant that. 

Whew! It's been a busy year for squash but I just love it. Do you have any tips for growing squash? Feel free to post in the comments below!

Healthy Zucchini Plants

Powdery Mildew on Zunnias

Getting the Most Out of Your Tomatos

I am taking a slight break from my series of posts on the elements to bring some timely advice on tomatoes. Tomatoes have got to be the no 1 most popular thing to grow in gardens but they can be a bit tricky. As I"m writing this, it's getting towards the end of July here in PA. If you're growing tomatoes- in a pot, raised bed, or traditional garden -there are things you can still do to maximize your harvest. 

Let me be clear, it is too late to go buy plants and start growing them. Tomatoes require a fairly long growing period. So unless you go b

uy a fully grown plant in a five gallon pot (and that would be totally cheating, you might as well buy your tomatoes from the local farmers market which isn't a bad idea.) you can't start now. Try next year.

For those of you who are already growing tomatoes...

First, if you haven't already done so, mulch your plants. This accomplishes multiple things. It will keep the weeds down, help the soil to retain necessary moisture and will help prevent soil born diseases from leaching into your plants. Straw is a great mulch as is wood chips if you have them. This year, I'm using dried oak leaves from last fall. Dried out grass clippings work as well.

Second, all those juicy tomatoes require water. July and August tend to be rather dry here in PA  so I've been watering my plants about every other day. To help keep down fungus and mold, I only water the soil and not the plant.

Third, tomatoes are heavy feeders (they require nutrient rich soil) so side dressing (applying fertilizer to the soil around the plant, not on the plant itself) of fertilizer can be helpful however, an  over abundance of nitrogen will cause the plant to grow lots of leaves and not much fruit. An organic fertilizer heavy in phosphorus is your best bet. 

Fourth, there are way too many pests, diseases, and fungi that love tomatoes to get into all of them. Honestly, I think it's just a matter of time before all tomato plants get infected with something. Some of those problems come from the soil so I like to cut off all leaves from around the bottom of the plant. It won't hurt the plant and will delay fungal growth. 

Fifth, if you have insects on your plant, you can usually see them with some careful attention. Everything from horn worms (see picture) to tiny aphids. Bugs can either be picked off or sprayed off with a hose. If your leaves are spotting, or turning yellow or brown, then you might have a fungus or mold. You can use an organic spray on your plants but be aware that you wont cure the problem- just slow it down. I like to use Green Gold powder but it's hard to find in person. You can also use a copper fungicide which is much easier to find.

Growing your own tomatoes can be tricky but they are SO GOOD! What are your tricks to grow awesome tomatoes? Please write about it in the comments below.

Here are a few helpful links for further reading:
Joe Gardener Podcast on Tomatoes
Mother Earth News Growing Tomatoes

Deer In The Garden

Many people have complained to me recently about the problems deer have caused in their garden. Some are about ready to give up on gardening all together. If you are  in this boat and really frustrated, don't give up just yet. Here is a primer to get you thinking how you can garden with deer around.

1. Fencing
It's expensive and often unattractive but this is the only completely fool proof way to guarantee that the deer are kept out. For smaller vegetable patches, covering with chicken wire fencing on the sides and the top is a very doable solution. However, for orchards or around foundation planting, the cost can be prohibitive. I've also heard of people using electric fencing but if you have pets or young children then that may not be doable either.

2. Sprays
There are many sprays on the market that supposedly repel deer with varying costs, toxic chemicals and efficacy. It's worth considering, but you should really do some research before buying. Also, most sprays will need to be reapplied periodically.

3. Hanging trash
Sounds weird but one running theory is hanging shiny things like aluminum plans from the branches of a tree in the thought that it will scare the deer away. If your orchard trees are out back some where then this might be a good option for you. However, the deer will adjust to anything so I'd recommend you don't put them out till the fruit is coming on in the summer and take it down after harvest. I suppose you could also put shiny objects on sticks to keep deer away from you plants but to me it looks terrible. To each his own.

4. Grow deer resistant plants
So, this approach is a partial admission of defeat. It means giving up on most fruit trees, blueberries and Hostas (and so much more). However, if you're just trying to put out some lovely landscaping around your house, then you CAN select plants the deer will leave alone. Loads of articles have been written on deer resistant plans like these:

Deer Resistant Plants

The Best Deer Resistant Plants for Your Garden

It's also good to note that most herbs are deer and rabbit resistant.

5. Have a Dog
Just this morning a lady told me that they never had problems with deer till after the family dog passed away. If owning a dog isn't for you, I've heard that just the smell of a dog can keep animals away. I've thought about borrowing the neighbors dog to let him mark his territory all over. If any of you have tried this, please comment about it below.

Have you tried any of these methods? How have they worked for you? Please share your story in the comments below.

5 Recent Lessons in Gardening

One of the best things about gardening is that there is always more to learn. I'm always making mistakes but I learn from them and get better. Here are some lessons I've learned so far this year.

1. Don't freak out about a few bugs. My green beans had something eating them early on and I thought about spraying them but they did well despite the bugs and I've been impressed with how many beans I've gotten off them. Vegetable plants are rarely perfect, don't sweat the small stuff.

2. Don't mulch your basil. I tend to mulch everything. Mostly because I don't enjoy weeding or watering and mulching reduces the need to do both. However, basil plants prefer dry soil and will turn yellow if they're too wet. Fortunately, I figured that out before my plants were killed.

3. Don't underestimate cute little furry things. Jeeze, those darn rabbits. My daughter thinks they're so cute but they need to stay the heck away from my garden. I figured on the lettuce, but can't they leave my little apple tree alone? Darn things.

4. Speaking of rabbits, don't try using moth balls to get rid of them. I'm cheap and lazy so putting moth balls under my shed to get the rabbits out sounded like a great idea. Yeah, now the shed stinks so bad you can't stay in there for more than a minute or so and the smell waifs out into the yard at times too. Sigh.

5. On the plus side, I've learned that wild currants are delicious. Seriously, everyone should be growing them. Even my two year old couldn't get enough.

So, what have you learned this year in your garden? Feel free to share your thoughts - and your ideas for getting rid of rabbits, in the comments below.

Keep Mosquitoes and Ticks Out of Your Yard

After writing about pests for three weeks, I decided to keep on topic by writing about mosquitoes and ticks. Who does not hate mosquitoes and ticks? They can absolutely ruin your garden time and make cook outs miserable. If you're like me, then spraying a bunch of pesticide everywhere and bathing in DEET doesn't sound desirable. Before you grab the chemicals, try a few natural methods to reduce their presence in your yard from the get go. I'm not getting into personal bug spray here as that's not my area of expertise but rather going over ways to keep them out of your yard.

Mosquitoes

First, and most importantly, get rid of all standing water in your property. Mosquitoes don't need a lot of water, small puddles in discarded tires or old buckets are plenty big for laying eggs. Be sure you're not providing good reproduction habitat by getting rid of standing water.

Second, encourage the mosquitoes natural predators. If you have the space, and it's not against your zoning laws, you may want to install a bat box to encourage bats to your property. Bats eat lots of bugs. If that creeps you out, you can install a purple martin box as they too will be happy to eat your mosquitoes for you. If you really want to keep the pond on your property, then put in some Koi fish to eat the mosquito larvae. Dragon flies also eat mosquitoes but I have no idea how you'd attract them to your yard.

Third, try planting mosquito repelling plants around your patio and back yard. I've not tried this myself but many people swear by it. Plants that are most often recommended to repel mosquitoes include: marigolds, lavender, rosemary, basil, garlic, catnip, and geraniums. Actually, is kinda sounds like you just plant an herb garden which I highly recommend anyways. You can read more about growing herbs here.

Fourth, for special occasions, I don't mind burning a citronella candle  or the tiki torches. I wouldn't bother with them all the time for the hassle and expense but for a party of some sort, it could be a great idea.

Ticks

Oh, how I hate ticks. A hundred itchy mosquito bites are nothing compared to the vile grossness of finding a tick half buried in your skin. One of those nasty things got me last November and the memory of it still sets off my gag reflex, and even that is nothing compared to the awful diseases they carry. Here in PA, we are in prime Lyme's disease territory. Having had a few friends battle the disease has made a strong impression on me so keeping ticks away is a big priority.

If you have the option, chickens LOVE to eat ticks and are great and keeping them out. I've been told three wandering hens can clear an acre of ticks.

If chickens are not an option, then be sure to eliminate their habitat in your yard. Don't leave piles of old leaves lying around or let your grass get too long. I have no value for a perfectly manicured lawn but a shorter cut one won't attract as many ticks. Leaf piles are the worst.

Small rodents carry ticks so anything you do to keep them off your property will also keep the ticks away.

Ticks, apparently, don't like to walk on wood chips or gravel so if your property is connected to a woody area, try putting in a three foot buffer of either material to keep them out.

Wood piles can really attract ticks (and rodents) so if you have any on your property, keep them neatly stacked in a full sun area.

Finally, according to Rodale's Organic Life magazine, beauty berry bushes have been shown to repel ticks. Even if they don't, they're really pretty so why not plant a few?

So, there's my best advice on preventing bug bites in your yard. Do you have any natural prevention's you like to use? Feel free to comment in the area below.

Getting Rid of Pests Part 3

In the previous posts, I wrote about strategies to keep damaging fungus and diseases and also bad bugs out of your garden. In this third and final post on garden pests, I'm going to give you some strategies for preventing animal damage. Whole books have been written on this subject so my goal is to give you some great ideas to get started.

What do I mean by animal damage? Squirrels, rabbits, mice, voles, groundhogs, dear and more can get into your garden and eat it long before it's ready to be harvested. Nothing is more disheartening than seeing months of work destroyed over night by the local wildlife. To prevent this happening to you, consider some of the strategies below.

Fencing
One of the most effective methods for keeping out animals is fencing. Of course, the type of animal you are keeping out determines the type of fence you put in. I've had great success keeping out rabbits with cheap chicken wire fencing from the hardware store. $10 for 50 feet. If you're keeping out burrowing animals (moles an voles) then the fence needs to go at least 6 inches into the ground. If you're trying to keep deer out, then it needs to be a taller fence. The only animal it won't work on is a squirrel.

Scare Crows
It's a long running tradition in gardening - scare crows. They may or may not work for you. My advice is to only put it up during the season so as to prevent the animals from getting used to it. An alternative to the traditional scare crow is a fake owl. Owls prey on lots of rodents, Another take on the same idea is to hang up shiny things, like aluminum plates or flashing tape as they are supposed to scare away animals away as well. However, to me that just looks like you have garbage hanging up in your garden so I'd be reluctant to trying it.

Encourage Natural Predators
There are only two ways I know to do this. First, if you live around a wooded area, then put up an owl box to encourage nesting. Seriously, you really want birds of prey in your area. We are really lucky to have lots of hawks around us but I don't know how you can set out to attract them. But you can put out a box for owls. Second, and I know this is controversial, is to get an out door cat. It's not the PC thing to say but my mother never had problems with rodents for decades, until she no longer kept barn cats. It's something to consider.

Trap and Release
If you're the compassionate sort with the time and means, then you can trap and release animals to another area. I've heard of people having good success with squirrels this way. Of course, you need to check with your local municipality to be sure it's legal where you live. Speaking of legality...

Well, those are my best suggestions. What has helped you to keep animals out of your garden?

Get Rid of Garden Pests Part 1

One of the biggest problems I get asked about is how to get pests out of the garden. Whether it's squirrels hiding snacks in your window boxes or fungus destroying you zucchini, pests can be so frustrating that many a gardener has thrown in the towel all together. Don't let this happen to you! If you can follow some common sense gardening practices we'll get into and embrace nature (i.e., things being less than perfect) then there is no reason to stress about a few pests.

I'm going to break this down into three posts. First, we'll talk fungus and disease. Second, I'll get into bugs. Finally, we'll tackle animals - squirrels, voles, rabbits,, dear, etc. As with all things gardening, no one person knows everything so I'll include a few links to further reading at the bottom of every post. If you have any questions, be sure to pass them along by emailing me or touching base on social media.

What is more frustrating than watching your garden die? Not being able to see the culprits because they are so tiny. Fungi, bacteria and disease can reek havoc with your plants. The shear magnitude of specific plant plagues that exist in the US alone makes addressing any one particular infection impossible but here are some great tips to protect your garden from disease in general.

First, buy healthy, disease resistant plants. Plant nurseries are generally pretty good at labeling which plants are naturally more disease resistant. Believe me, I would gladly pass on bigger, prettier flowers or vegetables that supposedly produce a higher volume of food in order to get the disease resistance. Also, and most nurseries are good about this too, check over any plant for signs of disease or insects (wilting, yellowing, spots, actual bugs, etc)  before bringing them home.

Second, provide a healthy garden environment for hardier plants. A cucumber plant growing in good soil with a nice layer of mulch and plenty of sunlight is going to be able to fight off disease much better than a cucumber trying to eek out a life in dry, scorched soil. Compost, mulch, water and light are your best friends.

Third, don't plant too densely. I am so guilty of this. Having limited space, I will cram in far more plants then I should. However, fungus loves damp, enclosed areas so thinning is essential. You really want the sun and breeze to penetrate into your garden so it's well aired-out.

Finally, rotate your plants every year. Quite often, specific disease will only thrive on one kind of plant and it can sit in your soil all winter just waiting for you to plant the same thing in the same place in the Spring. Don't indulge them! Come up with a plan to rotate your garden on at least a three year cycle. For those of you with extremely limited space, you may want to consider growing something different each year with the small garden you have.

If you've found other ways to get rid of harmful fungus and disease in your garden, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. For further reading, check out these links:

Understanding Plant Disease

Organic and Biological Treatment of Plant Disease

Treating Plant Diseases Naturally