My garden is off to a decent start (photos)

[TomNJ]

My garden is doing generally well this year, but had a few problems with weather, critters, and bugs.

We had a late freeze in early May this year that killed my potatoes and beets (beets were just germinating). The potatoes never recovered and I replanted the beets.

Groundhogs are usually my biggest problem - I shot one this year and have not seen any more since, so hopefully they are gone But now it appears a rabbit has now found its way in and started on my beans, corn, and cantaloupe. I just placed a radio in the garden tuned to a 24 hours talk station which worked well last year, so we'll see if it deters him.

Last year my eggplant was devastated by flea beetles and Colorado potato beetles, so this year I planted them under a row cover. So far so good. I am also growing my broccoli and cauliflower under row covers to keep out the cabbage worms and they look great.

Without potatoes and eggplant to feed on the potato beetles are now after my tomatoes! NOBODY MESSES WITH MY TOMATOES! I have been plucking them off and crushing their egg clusters, and sprayed with neem. Seems to be under control, but I am remaining diligent.

The garlic and onions look great and the onions are starting to bulb. The sweet peppers look stunted and are producing small peppers, but they have a long way to go so will hopefully start moving soon. Have been harvesting the snap peas and will start the oregano and lettuce this week.

Here are some pictures. The garden is 50' x 50' and completely mulched with grass clippings.

[SQWIBB]

Beautiful, (Big) Garden. That's an incredible view as well.


I battled Aphids and they decimated my apple trees, I was spraying every other day, then they started in on the pepper plants, and pond irises. Then they went after my back up seedlings. I was spraying the seedlings everyday. Eventually I saw a few lady bugs, then a few clusters of eggs and said to hell with it, let mother nature sort it out.


The last few weeks the ladybug larvae are everywhere, I never saw anything like t.
The apple trees are putting on new growth, the seedlings are recovering and they seem to be leaving the pepper plants alone.


Seems like you had a hell of a battle on your hand.

[KarenO]

Gorgeous gardens!
KarenO

[PaulF]

Very nice, Tom.

[cjp1953]

Nice looking garden and what an incredible view!

[GoDawgs]

Beautiful! Still loving that view!

I've never experienced potato beetles on tomatoes, thank goodness. It makes sense in that the potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant are all in the same family but I've just never heard of anyone else have that problem. It sounds like your row cover is the solution.

[kr222]

Beautiful garden Tom!

[garden patch]

Wonderful garden!!! So impressive!!!

[tjg911]

Tom are you aware that there is a variety of BT for Colorado Potato Beetles, it is not the same as BT for caterpillars. I never heard of CPB going after tomato plants!

Flea beetles are in the soil so under floating row covers may not stop the problem. I put my eggplants in 5 gallon buckets on the driveway 100' from the garden and never saw a single flea beetle and they loved the heat! I had to stop growing Asian greens cuz the FB would just eat them all.

Great garden and spectacular views.

[TomNJ]

I already hit the tomatoes with neem for the potato beetles and the adults essentially disappeared, but the larvae are still feeding. I have been crushing them by hand, along with the egg clusters. Next I am going to try spinosad soap which is organic and supposedly effective. If not I'll seek out the special variety of BT.

I have never had any insects attack my tomatoes over the years, but they are in the Solanaceae family and so susceptible to potato beetles. Below are photos of the adult beetle and their egg clusters.

As for flea beetles, they found and started on my eggplant when I was hardening them off a good 100' from the garden! It's like they can smell them! I shook them off before planting and immediately covered the plants with a row cover, which I am leaving on. So far they are looking good.

[b54red]

Tom that is one beautiful garden in a beautiful spot. If you are not totally organic you can take care of your flea beetles fairly easily with a spray of Permethrin in a solution with Dawn dish washing liquid. I have already had a major problem with them this year. They were devastating my beans, squash, cucumbers and even starting on my tomatoes and bell peppers. I gave them a fine mist spray making sure to hit the underside of the leaves and the mulch around the plants and haven't had another bout of them in a month.

Bill

[TomNJ]

Thanks Bill, but I'll stick with organic insecticides for now. I understand some of them like neem oil, spinosad, and pyrethrin are effective against the Colorado potato beetle.

[QAGuy]

Nice garden! I wish I had that much room.

[tjg911]

Oh Tom, it just dawned on me, IIRC the BT that is effective against the CPB only kills the larvae not the adults. You might want to confirm that in case it is true. It's been several years and I just can't remember but I think that is true.

[Whwoz]

Originally Posted by tjg911

Oh Tom, it just dawned on me, IIRC the BT that is effective against the CPB only kills the larvae not the adults. You might want to confirm that in case it is true. It's been several years and I just can't remember but I think that is true.

BT is generally effective against caterpillars and the like rather than the adults. Would depend upon what was feeding on the sprayed foliage