Natural Solutions to Things That Bug You (87 page)

Carrots do not break soil…………………………………              Seedling pest

Roots hairy or misshapen………………………………..              Root knot nematode

Carrots curled around each other……………………….              Planted too close together

Roots have surface tunnels with rusty excrement…….              Carrot rust fly

White growth on leaves…………………………………..              Powdery mildew

    
RADISHES TO THE RESCUE

Radishes have stronger sprouts and can break through the soil easier than carrot sprouts. If you plant radishes with the carrots they will break through the soil crust and allow the carrots to sprout more easily.

CAULIFLOWER

BROWN OUT

It is a common practice to tie the leaves up around a cauliflower plant as it grows to bleach the heads. Instead of the old method, try gathering up the leaves and then place a brown bag over the head. The air will still be able to circulate and will prevent rotting that is common when the leaves are tied.

COLE CROP PEST PROBLEM SOLVERS

(Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower)

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY

Irregular holes in leaves, seedlings damaged…………              Caterpillars

Small holes in leaves, stunted plant growth……………              Diamondback moth caterpillar

Deformed, curled leaves, gray-green insects

on leaves, possibly honeydew…………………………..              Aphids

Plants wilted, with misshapen leaves, browning………              Harlequin bug

Tunnels through roots of seedlings, wilting…………….              Cabbage maggot

Stunted plants, wilting, yellowish leaves……………….              Cyst nematode

Heads split prematurely………………………………….              Heavy watering after dry spell

CHIVES

A WARM CHIVE IS A HEALTHY CHIVE

If you start seeds in the late summer and keep them inside where they can get adequate sun, you will have a nice supply of chives during the winter months.

CORN

    
DON’T HURT THOSE LITTLE SUCKERS

Corn suckers are the small shoots that grow out from the stalk at ground level. Many people remove them, but the latest research shows that they will not reduce yield and if there is a drought they will send nutrients to the main stalk. If you do remove them and don’t remove them properly you may cause diseases to enter the stalk.

CORN PEST PROBLEM SOLVERS

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY

Worms eating kernels or tassels………………………..              Corn earworm

Holes in leaves……………………………………………              Armyworm, corn earworm, beetles

Ears only partially developed……………………………              Earwigs

Sticky or shiny leaves, small plants stunted……………Aphids

FIGS

PUT A PLASTIC BAG ON JACK FROST

Figs do not like frost and the best method to protect them is to cover the branches that will bear fruit with a plastic bag before a frost appears. If you tie small cans filled with a few stones each to the bottom of the bags they cannot blow off.

GRAPES

GRAPE PEST PROBLEM SOLVERS

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY                                                       

Pale-colored stippling on top of leaves, leaf

may die and turn brown, older leaves die first…………              Grape leafhopper

Yellow stippling on top of leaves spreading

through main veins, webbing-underside of leaf……….              Spider mites

Pale reddish swelling on young leaves upper

surfaces, underneath has plant hairs…………………..              Grape erineum mite

Honeydew and black sooty mold, black speckling

of grapes, flies fly up when disturbed…………………..              Grape whitefly

Honeydew drips from clusters, black mold…………….              Grape mealybug

Scarring and reduced growth of new shoots,

grapes have dark scarring surrounded by halo………..              Western flower thrips

Brown bumps on new growth, honeydew present…….              European fruit lecanium

Whitish bumps on trunks and canes……………………              Grape scale

Lower leaves folded together early in season,

berries webbed together and eaten…………………….              Omnivorous leafroller

Pencil-sized leaf rolls, berries eaten later in

summer, reduced foliage………………………………..              Grape leaffolder

Leaves and berries webbed together…………………..              Orange tortrix

Underneath side of leaf eaten, then skeletonized…….              Western grapeleaf skeletonizer

Buds eaten away, new shoots chewed…………………Cutworms

Tiny round holes in leaves, whole leaves eaten………              Achemon sphinx moth

Large amount of leaf tissue eaten………………………              Grasshoppers

Young leaves and new shoots eaten when

shoots are 12-14 inches high……………………………              Hoplia beetle

New shoots wilt or break off in wind, holes in

crotch, tunnels filled with sawdust………………………              Branch & twig borer

Premature yellowing of leaves/stunted growth………..              Grape phylloxera

Slower than normal growth, galls on roots…………….              Nematodes

LETTUCE

LETTUCE PEST PROBLEM SOLVERS

THE PROBLEM                                                                                    CAUSED BY

Curled, distorted leaves, honeydew present……………Aphids

Damaged seedlings, crowns chewed…………………..              Armyworms, corn earworms

Ragged holes in leaves, holes in head…………………              Loopers

Skeletonized leaves              ……………………………………..              Armyworms

Small holes in leaves or skeletonization……………….              Vegetable weevil

Black areas on borders of inner leaves………………..              Hot weather

Torn areas on leaves, small pieces missing…………..              Birds, rabbits, kids

OKRA

GET OUT THE HAMMER AND CHISEL

Okra seeds have a very hard outer coat, which can hamper germination resulting in an uneven patchy garden. There are a number of ways to avoid the potential problem:


     
Barely nick the seed coating with a sharp knife.


     
Place the seeds on a piece of fine sandpaper and rub them with another sheet.


     
The seeds can be soaked in tepid water at room temperature for 24 hours.


     
The seeds can be placed in the freezer for about 12 hours, and then soaked in hot tap water for 30 minutes just before planting.

ONIONS

ONION & GARLIC PEST PROBLEM SOLVERS

              THE PROBLEM                                                                      CAUSED BY

Tunnels and cavities in bulbs & stems,