Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

Hi Everyone,
Again, Jim is right on. When we had a big outbreak of CMV (cucumber
mosaic virus) which affects over 1200 varieties of flowers and vegetables, the
virus expert that came to our garden from the Co Op Extension at U. C.
Riverside said that composting is where a lot of diseases come from. She
advised us to stop composting and I did. We did not ban composting but did put
out the word.

I just heard about a hint but have not tried it out. It is supposed to
work on the squash bug. Am going to put it out to the group and if it works,
let me know so I can put it in our arsenal of bug cures. I don't know
what the magic is here but anything is worth a try.

Get a tin pie plate, add a water and slice a cucumber into the plate.
Place near your squash that is infested. They say the squash bug enters and
that is the end of it. I hope this works, garden friends.

Joanne





____________________________________
From: jbkennard@foodforeveryone.org
Reply-to: MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com
To: MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 2/17/2012 11:35:35 A.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: [MittleiderMethodGardening] Controlling Bugs - The Mittleider
Solution

Group: Here's my answer to Veda's earlier question.

Q. Controlling Bugs - My worst gardening problem is bugs - and all their
relatives!!! Somehow (see my answer below - JK) I have gotten an infestation
of squash/sting bugs in my garden, and for the last two years they have
destroyed my cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash!!!! I try to garden organically
(compost piles? See below - JK) and not use pesticides, and have tried
pulling up all the damaged/old plants, soapy water; smashing those little
stinkers, and nearly any other thing other than resorting to some sort of
pesticide. I am considering renting a burner to burn anything near the garden so
I could kill any residual hibernating eggs. If anyone has a plan to get rid
of these, please share! We are losing ALL of our beautiful plentiful
cucumber crops (Mittleider Method grows a ton of cucumbers), and I am desperate
to get rid of these things. (We live in the mid southeast.)

I also had a beetle that took out my green beans that was not a Japanese
bean beetle. I heard that it was a beetle from South America that had
migrated - looked like a yellow lady bug. Other than bugs, everything has grown
like gangbusters! Veda

A. So many people beg for answers on controlling bugs, while at the same
time providing bug hotels to assure they live healthy, prosperous lives –
among the proliferation of leaves on their plants, in the weeds so often
ubiquitous (everywhere) in their gardens, and in the piles of decaying plant
parts filling their compost piles, which harbor them and give them a place to
over-winter. Certainly burning "anything near the garden" could be a good
idea, if you have any habitat that is bug friendly.

The best offense is a good defense, and the cultural practices employed in
growing a Mittleider Method garden go a long way to assuring bugs are not
a problem. NO compost piles are allowed, unless they are composted at over
140 degrees 24 hours per day for 3+ weeks (not one in 100 compost piles
gets this treatment). NO weeds are allowed in the garden or even on the
periphery. Excess and old leaves, plus any touching the ground are pruned and
immediately removed from the garden area.

Water is applied only to the root zone of the plants, leaving aisles and
periphery dry. Plants are fed and watered often to assure fast healthy
growth and greatest resistance to bugs and diseases.

Daily inspection of plants and removal of all evidence of bugs, including
eggs is essential. Look for eggs on the underside of leaves and on stems.
Rub off all eggs and nymphs, and remove adult bugs as soon as they appear.

Floating row cover is NOT recommended unless it is removed regularly and
inspections are conducted as described above.

Growing vining plants vertically can help reduce bug populations, by
getting them off the ground and up where inspection and control are easier. And
even shorter plants can be staked, to keep them off the ground.

Planting resistant varieties can be helpful also. As an example, yellow
squash and pumpkins are more susceptible to squash bugs than are butternut
and acorn squash.

Jim Kennard

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