The middle of May has arrived bringing both warmer and cooler weather. For gardeners who aren't in flooded areas, the rain has given the plants a good boost. We haven't had to water as often compared to when the temperature was ninety.
The peas, turnips, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, beets, strawberries and early tomatoes are doing well. The squirrels dug up the corn, sunflower and green bean sprouts twice already. A squirrel feeding station of grain placed a distance from the garden may keep them distracted enough to lose interest in the vegetable seedlings.
Bugs that adversely effect vegetables are difficult to contend with, especially during the hottest part of the growing season. Maintaining the lifecycles of the beneficial insects and bugs is important for organic gardens as they help plants to produce. Following is a list of plants to grow as bug repellents that don't harm the helpful ones.
Cucumber Beetle -This is the pesty bug that lays hundreds of eggs at the base of their preferred plants that you may find sleeping in the open zucchini and squash flowers in the mornings. As they feed they can spread the mosaic virus that will eventually destroy the plants they feed on. The leaves become mottled and distorted looking. Another variety of this beetle has black spots instead of stripes.
Oregano and any variety of mint are known repellent plants for this bug, however both are envasive and it may be a good idea to keep them in containers. Radish also acts as a good deterent. The plants the cucumber beetle likes to feed from are corn, zucchini, cucumber, squash and tomato.
Squash Vine Borers in the moth stage have red bodies with black wings and lay eggs near the bottom of zucchini and squash plants. The eggs hatch into worms that bore to the inside of the branches eating the plant from the inside. The once strong stems become weak and brittle, eventually browning in color and are easily separated when pulled on.
Garlic, onion and marigold are known for repelling the vine borer from zucchini and other squash plants.
White flies can take out every green bean plant in a matter of a couple days in the summer. Marigold, thyme and mint are plants that repel white flies from green beans.
Squash Bugs can multiply at a fast pace in the heat of the summer and weaken the once hardy watermelon, pumpkin and squash plants. The eggs are laid on the underside of the large leaves and can be seen when the leaves are turned over.
Radish, marigold and petunias help to repel the squash bug.
Petunias also deter bean beetles.
Tomato Hornworms blend in with the stems of the tomato plant and aren't easy to spot and can damage the tomatoes.
Basil, sage and marigold repel the tomato hornworm, and garlic with tomatoes help against aphids.
Corn Earworms wreak havoc to the ears of corn. Marigold plants help to keep them from either wanting or noticing the corn.
Spider Mites and Cabbage Moths are repelled by dill.
Cabbage Loopers are repelled by onion, cabbage butterflies by oregano and cabbage worms by sage and borage.
Potato Beetles are kept at bay by green beans, nasturtium and cilantro. However, be sure to keep distance between onion and garlic to green beans.
Flea Beetles can harm cabbage so plant radish, onion, sage and/or garlic with cabbage.
Carrot Flies are repelled by onion and root maggots by garlic.
Deciding how plants are best grouped together when growing organically can be very confusing. It may make it easier to sketch a design on paper showing how the plants should be positioned in the garden. As long as they are periodically fertilized with compost, are getting enough water and the weeds are kept to a minimum, the plants should produce a harvest.
Organic gardening also yields forth a hefty harvest of patience. Getting a good understanding of the most effective procedures to grow healthy vegetables may take a couple years of trial and error, but it does get easier.
Sageymania
The peas, turnips, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, beets, strawberries and early tomatoes are doing well. The squirrels dug up the corn, sunflower and green bean sprouts twice already. A squirrel feeding station of grain placed a distance from the garden may keep them distracted enough to lose interest in the vegetable seedlings.
Bugs that adversely effect vegetables are difficult to contend with, especially during the hottest part of the growing season. Maintaining the lifecycles of the beneficial insects and bugs is important for organic gardens as they help plants to produce. Following is a list of plants to grow as bug repellents that don't harm the helpful ones.
Cucumber Beetle -This is the pesty bug that lays hundreds of eggs at the base of their preferred plants that you may find sleeping in the open zucchini and squash flowers in the mornings. As they feed they can spread the mosaic virus that will eventually destroy the plants they feed on. The leaves become mottled and distorted looking. Another variety of this beetle has black spots instead of stripes.
Oregano and any variety of mint are known repellent plants for this bug, however both are envasive and it may be a good idea to keep them in containers. Radish also acts as a good deterent. The plants the cucumber beetle likes to feed from are corn, zucchini, cucumber, squash and tomato.
Squash Vine Borers in the moth stage have red bodies with black wings and lay eggs near the bottom of zucchini and squash plants. The eggs hatch into worms that bore to the inside of the branches eating the plant from the inside. The once strong stems become weak and brittle, eventually browning in color and are easily separated when pulled on.
Garlic, onion and marigold are known for repelling the vine borer from zucchini and other squash plants.
White flies can take out every green bean plant in a matter of a couple days in the summer. Marigold, thyme and mint are plants that repel white flies from green beans.
Squash Bugs can multiply at a fast pace in the heat of the summer and weaken the once hardy watermelon, pumpkin and squash plants. The eggs are laid on the underside of the large leaves and can be seen when the leaves are turned over.
Radish, marigold and petunias help to repel the squash bug.
Petunias also deter bean beetles.
Tomato Hornworms blend in with the stems of the tomato plant and aren't easy to spot and can damage the tomatoes.
Basil, sage and marigold repel the tomato hornworm, and garlic with tomatoes help against aphids.
Corn Earworms wreak havoc to the ears of corn. Marigold plants help to keep them from either wanting or noticing the corn.
Spider Mites and Cabbage Moths are repelled by dill.
Cabbage Loopers are repelled by onion, cabbage butterflies by oregano and cabbage worms by sage and borage.
Potato Beetles are kept at bay by green beans, nasturtium and cilantro. However, be sure to keep distance between onion and garlic to green beans.
Flea Beetles can harm cabbage so plant radish, onion, sage and/or garlic with cabbage.
Carrot Flies are repelled by onion and root maggots by garlic.
Deciding how plants are best grouped together when growing organically can be very confusing. It may make it easier to sketch a design on paper showing how the plants should be positioned in the garden. As long as they are periodically fertilized with compost, are getting enough water and the weeds are kept to a minimum, the plants should produce a harvest.
Organic gardening also yields forth a hefty harvest of patience. Getting a good understanding of the most effective procedures to grow healthy vegetables may take a couple years of trial and error, but it does get easier.
Sageymania
