How do you keep your plants from getting eaten by bug? Most of my things have holes in them from bugs. I won't treat them unless it's a choice between that and nothing growing. You plants look very nice.
Thank you. The key is that I only photograph the ones that aren't infested. I'm largely kidding but I'll take pictures of a couple of plants that are getting some insect attention next time I have the camera out. I avoid major problems with bugs in a few ways.
First of all I try and plant my vegetables in many different places throughout the yard. For instance, I have Mibuna, a new green I am trying this year, in four different locations. I have only a few plants at each location. One of the four locations has been attacked by insects but that means only a few plants are being affected. The other three locations are not being attacked. Secondly I try and avoid times of the year when insects have given me trouble in the past. A good example is eggplant. For the past few years I've been putting them out as early as I felt safe doing so for frost reasons. Each year they were riddled with holes from flea beetles. This year I waited longer to put them out and no problem with the little bastards. So far I'm having similar luck with the borers that tend to get my squash plants.
I also think my compost tea helps. And that goes toward the idea of healthy soil leading to health plants which are better able to fight off pests.
I add insects to the mix. I have purchased ladybugs and nematodes before but I am noticing more naturally occurring beneficial insects in the garden these days. I know it sounds like HGTV to say that a health yard will promote a balance of bugs but its true. Each year I see more ladybugs, more praying mantis, more of the tiny wasps that lay eggs in the cutworms that eat my tomatoes. I do believe that mixing up the plants and having lots of different stuff in the yard provides a habitat that fosters balance and doesn't cater to swarms of troublesome critters.
borage, nasturtium, sedum, carrots, lettuce, beets
cauliflower
another offering from the broccoli plants
what the heck do i do with kohlrabi?
many, many salads later the lettuce finally goes to seed
another tub pic
How do you keep your plants from getting eaten by bug? Most of my things have holes in them from bugs. I won't treat them unless it's a choice between that and nothing growing. You plants look very nice.
ReplyDeleteThank you. The key is that I only photograph the ones that aren't infested. I'm largely kidding but I'll take pictures of a couple of plants that are getting some insect attention next time I have the camera out. I avoid major problems with bugs in a few ways.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I try and plant my vegetables in many different places throughout the yard. For instance, I have Mibuna, a new green I am trying this year, in four different locations. I have only a few plants at each location. One of the four locations has been attacked by insects but that means only a few plants are being affected. The other three locations are not being attacked. Secondly I try and avoid times of the year when insects have given me trouble in the past. A good example is eggplant. For the past few years I've been putting them out as early as I felt safe doing so for frost reasons. Each year they were riddled with holes from flea beetles. This year I waited longer to put them out and no problem with the little bastards. So far I'm having similar luck with the borers that tend to get my squash plants.
I also think my compost tea helps. And that goes toward the idea of healthy soil leading to health plants which are better able to fight off pests.
I add insects to the mix. I have purchased ladybugs and nematodes before but I am noticing more naturally occurring beneficial insects in the garden these days. I know it sounds like HGTV to say that a health yard will promote a balance of bugs but its true. Each year I see more ladybugs, more praying mantis, more of the tiny wasps that lay eggs in the cutworms that eat my tomatoes. I do believe that mixing up the plants and having lots of different stuff in the yard provides a habitat that fosters balance and doesn't cater to swarms of troublesome critters.