Tentative 2011 plan for insect control

16 years ago

I'm going to try something I haven't done before to see if I can keep most insect pests away from my tomatoes next year.

In addition to spacing them ever farther apart, below is a list of flowers and herbs that I intend to plant among and between my tomatoes. It is not the usual list -- all varieties are relatively tall, between 24" and 78", intended to supply landing places for other insects (also to clean their feet of fungus spores if possible), and hopefully confuse insect pests that would wander from one plant to another.

Here they are, starting with the tallest first:

48"-78" Valerian, main pest is aphids

48"-70" Wormwood, no known pests, repels worms & produces a taste that is so bitter or putrid it drives many insects away.

42"-46" Cosmos, Double Click, few pests

40"-50" Zinnias, Benary's Giant, few pests

36" Strawflower, few pests but gets mildew, spray with fungicide to control, will treat tomato plants with it anyway

33"-48" Celosia, Pampas Plume, few pests except for aphids

28"-40" Asclepias, few pests except for aphids

24"-30" Pyrethrum, repels aphids, plant with flowers that attract them

I figure if I can keep most insect pests at bay, I'll be able to focus on the ever-present and more destructive fungus diseases that visit my tomatoes every year.

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Comments (7)

carolyn137
16 years ago
Which specific insects are a problem for you?

Carolyn
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi, Carolyn!

This year it's been armyworms, some flea beetles, some green loopers. If I can keep the majority of insect pests away, then maybe I can take better care of the fungus problems that always crop up. When both happen as they have this year, I feel like I'm in overload.
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susan2010
16 years ago
Maybe add a bird bath or other water source to attract insect eating birds? Wrens love bugs.
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Susan!

We have lots of Carolina wrens that perch on my trellises, but they don't always seem to get all the worms and caterpillars. Last year I was standing at the edge of my garden surveying it when a wren landed on my hat with a soft click. I thought it was a grasshopper, and nearly jumped out of my shoes when it gave its midday call and fluttered away. For such a tiny bird, they're awfully LOUD!

I do want to add a birdbath just because I could watch birds' antics in and around it for hours!

I'm going to see if I can rethink my garden, maybe have herbs and flowers primarily with vegetables interspersed among them instead of vice versa to see if it cuts down on insect pests that really love monoculture veggie beds.
susan2010
16 years ago
I'm very "bird focused" just now because I read a fun book about attracting birds to the yard. I bought one of those solar birdbath/fountains last year and it's about my favorite thing. They work really well in a sunny spot, and unless you get right next to it, mine looks like stone. (They are so easy, I highly recommend them.) Watching the birds is a trip. It does mean that I need to clean it out and refill it daily, but it's worth it!

I don't get many bugs (knock wood), and I don't know if it's the birds or luck ... or they just haven't found my garden yet.
tworivers1
16 years ago
I don't know if you have Japanese Beetles where you are but the zinnias will attract them. That's the reason why I don't grow them anymore.
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
tworivers

Thanks for the headsup! I haven't had a lot of Japanese beetles, but after reading your post, I did some internet searching. I've grown zinnias only on my deck, and no beetles showed up to claim them there in years past. Apparently they ARE all over zinnias though in most environments, and these won't be on the deck, so I think I'll replace them with something not so attractive to garden pests.