Several questions below. I'd love comments on all these problems
(just delete what you don't respond to).
I have half my veggies planted so far. Already many of my eggplant
leaves have become lace, and the potatos and beans somewhat... from
the flea beetles. I have already seen two squash bugs (look like
little yellow lady bugs). The strange disease or pest, mystery
killer, that hits everything has not yet appeared this year.
So what to do?
In previous years when the mystery killer (MK) hit my beans, I
used Raid, which helped. I never used it after any flowers or fruit
appeared on anything. Then I was told that heavy metals, etc., in
Raid are actually sucked up into the plants and into the fruit, from
the soil.
Then I used Sevin Powder which helped with the flea beetles, but a
neighbor is a beekeeper and posted to our neighborhood listserv to ask
that no one use Sevin Powder.
Also, I see the birds hoping about in the garden, and many frogs
and toads. Won't they eat the bugs dying from the Sevin or Raid, or
whatever, and die themselves?
I have long ago given up trying to grow anything where one
actually eats the leaves (except basil). They are always lace.
(Chard, lettuce, spinach, etc)
About twice a day I have been squishing the flea beetles. I
managed to catch and squish (eeeewwwww) two squash beetles, but they
are wary and get away a lot. Also, they eat much faster than I can
squish and there are lots of big holes in the bean leaves from the
squash beetles already... and these are only the first two leaves on
each plant.
Also I see some tiny green fly on everything, that is so wary, it
always flies (not hops) away before I get close. Are those hurting the
plants?
MK (the mystery killer) is the big problem. It has actually
killed in some cases, over two or three years of trying, my butterfly
bushes, a mulberry tree, beans, tomatoes (or that could be wilt), some
years basil, many kinds of flowers, my pomelo tree, spice bush, roses,
maimed my jade plant, etc. I took some samples to an Ag.Ext.Disease
workshop and showed the presenter and he said, "Wow". He then said he
didn't know anything about citrus (but my pomelo was only one of the
many hurt plants and the rest were all common) and moved on.
With Japanese beetles, I just flick them into a can of water with
dishsoap in it. No problem there and numbers have vastly decreased
over the years.
Also, someone here asked about a pepper plant problem a while
back. The leaves all became very distorted (like putting a hot iron
on rayon) and no fruit was produced. I've had a few pepper plants
with this. And now I am seeing it happen on a number of peppers that
are still in their little seedling pots. (I guess I won't even try to
put those in the garden). Generally peppers have been the only really
encouraging things I can grow.
Thanks for any help, and sorry for the verbosity.
Kira

Then I used Sevin Powder which helped with the flea beetles, but a
neighbor is a beekeeper and posted to our neighborhood listserv to ask
that no one use Sevin Powder.

If the beans or such aren't flowering, I doubt the sevin will be a problem
with neighbor's bees.

MK (the mystery killer) is the big problem. It has actually
killed in some cases, over two or three years of trying, my butterfly
bushes, a mulberry tree, beans, tomatoes (or that could be wilt), some
years basil, many kinds of flowers, my pomelo tree, spice bush, roses,
maimed my jade plant, etc.

I had a problem a couple of years ago with spider mites. They "sneak" up on
you before you realize they're damaging anything. They seem to have a real
affinity for butterfly bushes.

Baine

In article , Baine Carruthers wrote:

Then I used Sevin Powder which helped with the flea beetles, but a
neighbor is a beekeeper and posted to our neighborhood listserv to ask
that no one use Sevin Powder.

If the beans or such aren't flowering, I doubt the sevin will be a problem
with neighbor's bees.

MK (the mystery killer) is the big problem. It has actually
killed in some cases, over two or three years of trying, my butterfly
bushes, a mulberry tree, beans, tomatoes (or that could be wilt), some
years basil, many kinds of flowers, my pomelo tree, spice bush, roses,
maimed my jade plant, etc.

I had a problem a couple of years ago with spider mites. They "sneak" up on
you before you realize they're damaging anything. They seem to have a real
affinity for butterfly bushes.

Or try liquid sevin as it would not rub off on bees as much and not get in the flower either.

You may want to try spraying with insecticidal soap but you may have to spray more often.

I have had deformed peppers too that grew slowly and never put on much fruit. I assumed it was some
kind of wilt, but will look for spider mites.
Baine




--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

spam@www.spam.com is a garbage address.