Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

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

• New Members 13
• New Photos 4