Pests, Helpers, and Other Solutions

"There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder." ~Alfred Austin

So I looked out at my garden the other day. Quiet, serene, leaves rustling in the wind. The peaches were beginning to become ripe and fragrant to the point where you could smell them when you walked outside. Zucchini flowers were coming like tiny banners of bright yellow. The tiny tomato flowers were everywhere like little stars sprinkled throughout the garden. I saw a tiny spider climb up a snap pea plant which was dying back (as they do when the weather gets hot). The spider jumped onto another leaf, and I leaned down to watch it move. Then, without warning, it lunged and grabbed a tiny spider mite and began to devour it. The spider mite had been eating my snap peas. And suddenly I realized this garden was much more than a garden, it was a battleground!

I remember the first time I discovered aphids on one of my plants. I noticed the plant wasn't looking too good, and I wondered why. I remember checking the leaves. Nothing there. I checked the tiny peppers that were just appearing and the new flowers. Still nothing. Hmm... What could be wrong? And suddenly, as I stood back and looked at the whole plant, I realized the stems were COVERED in aphids! There were so many you could hardly see the stem! I couldn't believe I hadn't spotted them before. And this is what tends to happen with pests: If you focus too much on one part of the plant, you might miss the obvious. Since discovering the aphids some time ago, it's happened to me time and time again with different pests until I begin to recognize what to look for. So I'm going to show you what's in my garden, specifically aphids and spider mites, as well as some other common pests and predators to look out for.

And just in case you don't like bugs, a quick word. The bugs I'll mention really aren't THAT bad. The bugs you might see with indoor plants are small, and can often go unnoticed. Up close they look scary, but really they are mostly tiny specs when you see them on plants. They don't go after people, and really are only interested in the plants. So with that...

Aphids

They can be green, white, black, red, brown, yellow, or orange. They go after young leaves and are often found on stems and buds, too. Pesky little things that essentially sink their tiny mouths into the plant tissue and in this way feed. You can rub them off with your fingers or even spray a strong jet of water on them. It will dislodge them, and often control the issue. Ladybugs, spider, lacewings, and several other "good bugs" can often times do the work for you. So planting flowers that attract "good bugs" or even introducing them into your garden (see www.naturescontrol.com for more info) are both good ideas.

You can also make a homemade spray involving rubbing alcohol or some combination of soap, water, garlic, hot pepper, and/or a variety of other ingredients. There are some good recipes for sprays online, and also some similiar commercial non-chemical sprays like "Veggie Pharm". Though a word of caution about sprays. They will kill the pests, but also can kill/discourage your predators. And in the long run, I think you are better off with good predators for long term protection. Though if you have mostly potted plants and lots indoors, you're probably not going to get the predators you need, so the spray may be the best option. Don't use sprays when the sun is shining on your plants... it will fry the leaves!

Spider Mites

Just a picture of a leaf, you say? Well, notice those small pockety, yellow discolorations. That's what spider mite damage looks like. And here's what the little critters look like:

Yep! See those tiny black and tan dots?! Yeah, they don't look like much, but they are pesky little things. They create tiny little "webs" on the underside of plants' leaves, and basically slowly take the life out of the leaf. They don't like moisture, so sometimes a continual misting of the plant may help. Biological controls (similar to that used for aphids) and also soap sprays.

Other Pests
Thrips, scale, mealy bugs, and white fly can often go after indoor plants. If you have lots of warm weather vegetables, you might also have challenges with other pests such as the squash vine borer, cucumber beetle, tomato hornworm, or the cabbage looper. They sound daunting, but really, they can be controlled fairly easily if you practice vigilance, maintain healthy soils and a full ecosystem (with "beneficial insects"), and keep your plants from being too stressed (due to lack of water, nutrient deficiencies, overcrowding, etc...).

If any of you have any thoughts or suggestions on how you've dealt with any of these pests, I'd love to hear it.

And the garden keeps growing!