GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Ralph Mowery · 06-07-2020, 10:47 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible

In article , says...
Were eating my beans up pretty badly , but I'm somewhat controlling
their numbers now . I sprayed the plants - blue lake pole beans - before
they flowered with some fruit tree spray (checked with my Plant Guru
first , she said it was OK) that has permethrin and neem oil and that
worked fairly well . Once they flower I can't use pesticides because of
the bees , so I'm drowning the bugs in soapy water . What I'm doing is
holding a gallon size ice cream container with an inch or so of soapy
water in it under the leaf they're on . I touch or shake the leaf , they
land in the soapy water and drown . Early in the morning is a good time
as is late afternoon/early evening - but you can find them just about
any time of day . I'm not preventing all the damage , but I'm reducing
it enough that it's not a big deal . And this year the beans are loaded
loaded with blossoms and teeny tiny beans . I am optimistic ...
Also , the tomatoes are doing very well , loaded with fruit and
blossoming like crazy . We've started picking cucumbers and a few
peppers (California Wonder red/green and Anaheims) and the bees are
doing very well , putting up lots of honey . Everything seems to be
going well this year - I think it's partly because I'm spending more
time out there and partly due to fertilizing with generous quantities
of rabbit droppings ...
--

I am in the middle of North Carolina. All I put out is some tomatoes,
squash,and cucumbers. Sofar nothing on them.

I have not seen any of the Jap beetles or even the June Bugs around
here. Not sure where all the June bugs got to. I grew up in a small
city of around 20,000 and there were always plenty of the June bugs
there. I did see a lot of the Jap beetles at my daughters new house
about 3 years ago on the bushes next to her house. They do not raise
any garden.

I have gotten 2 tomatoes, 4 cukes, and a bunch of squash.
The tomato plants are full but about a week or two too soon for picking.

I usuall have bad luck with the tomatoes, but moved the plot to where
they could get more sun this year. Sofar they are all looking good.
There are about 20 plants of several differnt kinds and some were
planted eairly and more about a month later, and I now have some that
will be ready to transplant in a few weeks.