Grow Your Own Vegetable GardenPests & Problems..(and remedies..)It is inevitable, at some stage in your vegetable garden, you will encounter garden pests and/or diseases that even the most experienced garendener has to deal with.
This is by no means intended as a comprehensive guide to vegetable garden and fruit pests, primarily because there are just so many, but also, because some don't cause problems in every climate zone, let alone country.
So the following list (that will continue to be added to) reflects those that I have to deal with in our temperate climate.
The following list is divided into three sections, the pests - those that crawl & fly, chew & suck or just plain peck, the insects and birds and the problems that occur caused by disease. The final section, a guide to remedies that I have or do use. If there is an environmentally friendly alternative, I'll list it, but, you need to consider all of the information here as a guide. Disclaimer: You should complete your own investigations as to the most appropriate solution for you. Grow-your-own-vegetable-garden.com assumes no responsibility for any outcomes that result from any information listed here. PestsSnails and Slugs: - The GastropodsSnails and Slugs are basically the same animal, with slugs being the common term used to refer to a gastropod with a little or no evident shell. As such, they are treated the same way. Both are considered to be the most common and widespread vegetable garden pest and can wreak havoc in the garden in a very short period of time. Overnight, newly planted seedlings are irresistable and if not completely devoured, are more frequently than not damaged beyond saving. So what can you do? Prevention: Snails and slugs can only survive in relatively damp to moist conditions. Obviously you can't maintain a vegetable garden in dry soil, so the best thing you can do is minimise hiding spots. Snails and slugs are primarily nocturnal and find themselves cooler, moist places to hide from predators and the heat of the day. Look around your garden and make sure you limit these sorts of places. Physical solutions such as barriers are another option, but I must say, I have not had a lot of success with these. It has been reported that snails and slugs won't cross over sand and dry sawdust, crushed egg shells, wood ash and lime , so you can try putting a barrier all the way around your beds, but these only work when kept dry. The other alternative is a nightly patrol, around 2 hours after dark. Here armed with a torch and good pair of shoes, you go hunting, removing the pests as you find them and squashing them or drowing them in a bucket of water. You must however, be vigilant. Baits and Traps: Some of these are not favoured by those that prefer organic principles, but none the less, they are listed. Snail pellets are the more commonly used approach by many gardeners, but these have their risks. Pellets are generally made using either metaldehyde or methiocarb amongst additives to make them less appealing if consumed by animals and children. If you keep free ranging poultry, neither of these baits should be used as they are highly toxic to them. A better organic solution that was made commercially available about 12 years ago and is based on an iron concentrate. This has the added benefit when breaking down, to add small amounts of nutrient to the soil. In all cases, pellets should be used very sparingly as close to the plants as possible. Repelling snails: You can also try using repellants. Commercially available sprays, that are based on garlic and or Wormwood are made from these natural sources and can be quite effective, assuming that you are not experiencing frequent rain (you have to reapply when it rains). You can also make these at home. Trapping snails:
Cover the container to provide a cool dark space. We've used a piece of bark, but half a plastic pot will also do well.
DiseaseBlossom End Rot
Blossom end rot, as seen here on some of my early developing tomatoes, is normally blamed on a calcium deficiency in the soil. This is however, not the sole cause and the problem can be exacerbated by a combination of a couple of factors.
it first appears as a small dark spot on the bottom of the fruit where the remains of the flower are and grows in size as the fruit develops and rots from the base up. The fruit will always end up as inedible and should be removed from the plant.
The three main factors that cause this problem are calcium deficiency in the soil, excessive fertilising with nitrogen and inconsistent moisture levels. In Australia, soil calcium levels are notoriously low and this combined with the potential for high moisture stress in hot temperatures usually cause the disease. In our case, this was the cause. New beds that had insufficient calcium added before planting combined with a couple of extreme temperature days resulted in some fruit affected as you see here.
The high levels of transpiration (water evaporation from leaves) can cause localised deposits of calcium in the leaves instead of the fruit and therefore a shortage (when calcium is available to be taken up in the first place)
Excessive nitrogen results in rapid foliage growth, which in turn increases the transpiration and the result is the same.
NB: excessive moisture can also cause the problem, so don't be tempted to over water either.
Remove the affected fruit and dispose of it.
Apply a dresssing of either dolomite lime and water in or use a liquid gypsum and apply both as per the manufacturers dosing rates.
Alternatively, apply a commercially available tomato food as per recommended dosing rates on the packaging.
Ensure the plants are watered evenly and regularly to prevent mositure stress.
Mulch the plants to help minimise the evaporation from the soil.
Avoid excessive pruning of the plants as this also exacerbates the problem. Powdery Mildew
White Powdery Mildew is a fungul disease caused by fungul spores that are present in the air. Its attack on plants is exacerbated by a few environmental conditions, namely limited air flow around affected plants and high levels of localised humidity. These two conditions provide perfect conditions for the development of the spores. The mildew shows initially as white "furry" spots and if left untreated rapidly spreads to completely coat the leaves of the plant. It typically affects plant in the cucurbit family (pumpkins, melons, zucchini, cucumbers) and also peas, but can affect any plant exposed. The mildew can severely affect the growth and development of the plant and considerably reduce the development of fruit.
Firstly, ensure adequate spacing between plantings. Overcrowding, reduces the airflow around the plants and provides the first of the ideal conditions for the spores. Secondly, never water plants from above. This artificially increases the humidity levels, providing the second condition. Contrary to popular belief, dry climate areas are not immune to the problem as localised humidity can result from warm days and dew overnight. Cure There are a number of commercially available fungicide sprays available if you choose to use them, but, most if not all are poisonous and I'm not one for spraying poisons on food crops, irrespective of witholding periods. A mixture of milk and water sprayed over the affected foliage has proven to be effective. Ratios from 10-50% have been reported to be effective. Action should be taken as soon as an outbreak is spotted, then repeated at 5-7 day intervals. In addition, removing affected leaves (within reason), including all affected, fallen leaves and disposing of them (not composted)will also help.
Things that grew in the night!
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