Natural Solutions to Things That Bug You (89 page)

New growth becomes stunted and crinkled,

flowers wither and die…………………………………….              Cyclamen mite

Dry brown areas on lower leaf surface in spring,

leaves get brown and die………………………………..              Spider mites

Leaves rolled up and webbed together with silk,

small holes, look for tiny caterpillar……………………..              Leafroller

Ripe fruit has large holes, some leaves eaten…………Cutworms

Deep holes in berries with dried slime around…………Snails & slugs

Holes in fruit with oval bugs in them…………………….Sowbugs

Tiny holes in ripening fruit, no slime around…………..              Earwigs

Plant wilting and dying in spring or fall,

whitish caterpillar in crowns……………………………..              Strawberry crown moth

Leaves have scalloped look, smaller roots eaten…….              Otiorhynchus root weevil

Honeydew and black sooty mold……………………….              Strawberry aphid

Berries have deep furrows or twisted shape,

deformed areas, large hollowed seeds…………………              Lygus bug

Plants wilt in warm weather even when

watered, cottony deposit on roots……………………….Ground mealybug

TOMATOES

TO FLOWER OR NOT TO FLOWER

    If you would like early tomatoes, purchase plants with flowers. Don’t be upset if the flowers fall off while you are planting them. They are in their reproductive stage and more flowers will appear shortly. If the plants are young and without flowers they will bear fruit later but will give a better harvest,

SPEEDY PLANTING

The easiest method of planting tomatoes plants is to use a bulb planter. It will result in a deep hole and will not take a lot of work.

MOOOOOOO

Dry cow manure is the best fertilizer for tomato plants. It will give you a higher yield. Use about 100 pounds per square feet in plants that are spaced about 3 feet apart.

TOMATO PEST PROBLEM SOLVERS

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY                                         

Worms in ripe tomatoes………………………………….              Tomato fruitworm

Worms tunneling in fruit………………………………….              Potato tuberworm

Leaves mined and folded, tiny worms tunneling              ………Tomato pinworm

Leaves eaten and only stems remain, fruit small……..              Hornworms

Fruit surface eaten or hollowed out…………………….              Snails & slugs

Yellowish cloudy spots on ripe tomatoes,

soft spots…………………………………………………..              Stink bugs

Leaves totally eaten off young plants…………………..              Vegetable weevil

Lower leaves and stems are bronze color,

plants losing leaves……………………………………….Tomato russet mite

Leaves yellow and slightly curled, insects fly when

disturbed, greenish scales on underneath side of

leaves………………………………………………………              Whiteflies

Leaves curled downward, fruit with shiny spots……….              Aphids

Seedlings or transplants with holes in leaves………….              Flea beetle

Poor yield plants, yellow leaves, swelling or

beads on roots…………………………………………….              Root knot nematodes

Irregular yellow blotches on leaves……………………..              Powdery mildew

TURNIPS

TURNIP PEST PROBLEMS

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY             

Distorted plants, curling, wilting, insects

on underneath sides of leaves…………………………..              Aphids

Holes in leaves, chewing on buds and roots…………..              Vegetable weevil

Irregular holes in leaves, seedlings destroyed………..              Caterpillars

Deformed leaves with yellow spotting,

possible wilting……………………………………………              Harlequin bug

Tunneling in roots of seedlings, wilting…………………              Cabbage maggot

FIGHTING PLANT DISEASES

HELP! MY BLOSSOMS ARE ROTTING

Blossom-end rotting; is usually caused by too little water or too much water. This problem is common on tomato, peppers and melon plants. If drought is the problem the plants will need at least 1-inch of water per week and keep the plants well mulched. The other cause of blossom-end rot is lack of calcium in the soil. The soil Ph should be about 6-6.5, which can be controlled by using limestone.

MY POTATOES ARE SCABING

To stop potatoes from developing scab, you will need to plant a new breed of potato called the scab-free potato or rotate your crop. If you rotate your crop, do not plant them in a field that has been growing turnips, carrots or beets since these vegetables tend to develop scab as well.

    
FIRE BLIGHT – CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Blight in an apple orchard is not uncommon. The best method to combat the problem is to spray with a 50:50 solution of apple cider vinegar and water. Make sure you spray after each rainfall, especially if you see burnt leaves.

BLIGHT PREVENTION

Celery is very susceptible to blight and the best method of avoiding the problem is to soak the seeds in very warm (120
F) water for about 20-25 minutes before you plant the seeds.

GENERAL VEGETABLE SEEDLING PEST PROBLEMS

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY                                         

Seeds will not germinate or emerge……………………              Birds, seedcorn maggots, wire-worms, garden symphylan, seedrot,

New seedlings emerge dead or fall over………………              Damping-off disease, summer high              Heat

Seedling stems chewed off at soil line                                          Cutworms

Both seedling leaves & stem chewed off………………              Earwigs, snails and slugs, sowbugs, pillbugs, caterpillars, darkling

beetles, vegetable weevils, rabbits

Roots of seedlings chewed off…………………………..              Wireworms, maggots, gophers

Leaves have small round holes…………………………              Flea beetles

Yellow spots on leaves with tiny black spots………….              Thrips

Twisting white lines in leaves…………………………..              Leafminers

Pear-shaped insects on leaves…………………………              Aphids

Plant has disappeared…………………………………..              Gopher or rabbit

Thin, spindly plants………………………………………              Competition from weeds or other

plants too close

CHAPTER 18

PLANTS FOR PEST CONTROL

PLANTS FOR PEST CONTROL

    
AGAVE