Input needed on pests eating my broccoli

mr_gentleman · January 20, 2012

I am somewhat new to gardening (on my 3rd year), but this is the first time I am having a big issue with bugs eating my garden. I will admit right off the bat that I have neglected keeping the weeds and piles of crud up in my yard around my garden, which I realize has compounded my problem. I am working on getting a hold of that. At the moment I have 10 broccoli plants about 8 inches tall so they are still young. I have come out to find the leaves on two have been devoured down to the ribs. After clearing away grass and weeds to about 3 feet from my raised bed I have been hunting at night to find out what is the culprit. I have killed around 15 cutworms feasting on the leaves of the grass, about 10 slugs that were putting around begging to be stomped, and squished earwigs that probably number in the billions (ok, probably in the hundreds *that I can see).

The hard part I am having is that I have not found any of stated thieves in the act of munchination!

My question is twofold. One, which of these is the most likely culprit to eat the leaves of my broccoli, and do you have any tips/advice on controlling them. Pesticides are a last resort, and by last resort I mean

. However, I do have some DE that I am thinking about putting in a spray bottle with water and coating the boards around my bed to mess up and creepy crawler worms that decide my garden is a place to hang out and chow. I also plan to start using different tactics of trapping the earwigs once I get a handle on their hideouts.

Questions, Comments, Advice, and Scolds are all welcome!

Thanks in advance!
Sincerely,
Chris

January 20, 2012	#1
mr_gentleman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Corona, CA Posts: 29	Input needed on pests eating my broccoli I am somewhat new to gardening (on my 3rd year), but this is the first time I am having a big issue with bugs eating my garden. I will admit right off the bat that I have neglected keeping the weeds and piles of crud up in my yard around my garden, which I realize has compounded my problem. I am working on getting a hold of that. At the moment I have 10 broccoli plants about 8 inches tall so they are still young. I have come out to find the leaves on two have been devoured down to the ribs. After clearing away grass and weeds to about 3 feet from my raised bed I have been hunting at night to find out what is the culprit. I have killed around 15 cutworms feasting on the leaves of the grass, about 10 slugs that were putting around begging to be stomped, and squished earwigs that probably number in the billions (ok, probably in the hundreds *that I can see). The hard part I am having is that I have not found any of stated thieves in the act of munchination! My question is twofold. One, which of these is the most likely culprit to eat the leaves of my broccoli, and do you have any tips/advice on controlling them. Pesticides are a last resort, and by last resort I mean . However, I do have some DE that I am thinking about putting in a spray bottle with water and coating the boards around my bed to mess up and creepy crawler worms that decide my garden is a place to hang out and chow. I also plan to start using different tactics of trapping the earwigs once I get a handle on their hideouts. Questions, Comments, Advice, and Scolds are all welcome! Thanks in advance! Sincerely, Chris