Vegetable pest protection

14 years ago

Hello,

i am planning to plant a vegetable garden.

It will be

1)companion planted

2)mulched with straw

3)shaded for protection if needed

I would like you to tell me if i need to do any preventive treatments of organic pesticides

FOr instance should i use Bordeaux mixture some times? How often?

Should i use stimulators like propolis and strength mixtures?

If a disease or pest comes should i use Bt or pyrethrin pesticides or accept the losses?

Kind regards

Panagiotis

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Comments (8)

zzackey
14 years ago
I would use the natural pesticides.
digdirt2
14 years ago
I would like you to tell me if i need to do any preventive treatments of organic pesticides

No. Treatments, even organic ones, can kill just as many beneficial insects as they kill pests. The beneficial insects outnumber the pests 9:1. So you never spray until you know for sure that you have a pest problem and what the specific pest is.

There is no blanket treatment for ALL pests so the guidelines are first ID the pest and second, use the pesticide that is specifically recommended for that pest.

Should i use stimulators like propolis and strength mixtures?

No. Those have no role. Why would you use those in a vegetable garden?

Dave
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nisidotatos
Original Author
14 years ago
How about only the use of bordeax as prevention?

Does this chemical also kill insects? I know that it only kills in high doses.

Regards
laceyvail 6A, WV
14 years ago
If you are developing an organic garden, plant flowers--dill, yarrow, among the best--to attract good insects. It takes a while for a healthy ecology to develop. The first few years in my garden, I had a real problem with aphids. Once lady bugs and lacewings settled in, I never had a problem again.

Use row covers to protect against the butterflies that produce the "worms" on cole crops. The only preventative that I know of.

Good luck from an organic gardener with almost 50 years experience.
marymd7
14 years ago
Bordeaux is a fungicide -- a main ingredient is copper which is highly toxic to many insects, including bees. What are you worried about fungus on?
digdirt2
14 years ago
Agree it is just a fungicide. You asked about pests and it has no pest protection role. It can be quite lethal to beneficial insects.

Dave
Belgianpup
14 years ago
You can't protect against everything, all the time, under all conditions.

The healthier the plants, the more they will be able to 'shake off' disease and pests. The healthier your soil is, the healthier your plants will be.

It's gardening = no guarantees.

Sue
planatus
14 years ago
When applied repeatedly, the copper in Bordeaux mix builds up in the soil, reaching levels that are toxic to earthworms. When applied once in the wrong weather (humid heat), Bordeaux can defoliate a garden.

In a very rainy year, you would be justified in spraying copper preventively for late blight, but otherwise save your Bordeaux for preventing disease in grapes. That's what it's for.