Software
Houzz Logo Print
calebs_patch

What type bugs should I look for

17 years ago

I am a newby, and have a raised bed with the following veggies: Tomatoes, cukes ( jap and pickling) Bell Peppers (red and green) Yellow Onion, spinach, Artichokes, eggplant, and sweet corn. Are there some all in one techniques to keep the pests down? anything I should really look out for? or some really good preventative techniques?

Comments (3)

  • 17 years ago

    Are there some all in one techniques to keep the pests down?

    Sure if you want to get into some of the really strong chemical pesticides and spray everything on a weekly basis just in case there are some bad bugs there while killing all the good guys in the process. ;)

    Seriously, the best approach to pest control is to first, see if you have a particular pest problem, then identify the pest, then use the least toxic method available for controlling that pest.

    All the vegetables you list have different pests so different controls are needed. Some of those pests are best controlled by the beneficial bugs in the garden and 90% of the bugs there are beneficials.

    So the first step is to learn which are the most common bad guys for your particular plant and then do daily pest patrols in the garden looking for them. For example, for tomatoes it is hornworms while for corn it is corn ear worms. Cukes = cucumber beetles and eggplant = flea beetles. There are low toxic controls for all of them without bringing out the "big guns". ;)

    A good place to start is to Google 'common ______ pests" (insert name of vegetable) and look at the pictures of the common pests and the recommended controls.

    You can also search this forum for things like 'aphid control', 'squash bug control', etc. for many past discussions on specific bad bugs.

    Enjoy your garden.

    Dave

  • 17 years ago

    "Are there some all in one techniques to keep the pests down?"

    Based on that question I'd like to pass on one piece of advice...strive for pest management, not pest elimination (unless it's a borer-type pest, squash/corn/etc.)...

    If you try to keep it all pristine and 100% bug free you'll drive yourself mad. You want to start to take care of issues when you see them, but striving for a 100% pest-free garden is way more work than it's worth.

    For instance, aphids are bad, but your plants can live with small infestations and in many cases predators will show up eventually to help you out. Generally you want to start dealing with when you see them, but you don't have to pour over every single leaf in your garden with a focused eye.

  • 17 years ago

    Your all-in-one technique is to grow healthy plants.

    Then remain alert for potential problems, catch them early on, then deal with them in an appropriate manner.

    It has already been suggested to learn about the common pests in your region for the plants you want to grow.

    Your county's Extension Service office is a good source for locally pertinent info as are large independent garden centers.