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Bug, bugs and some rot
It’s that time of year when the gardeners all start sending in their vegetable questions. This year there seems to be a theme around three specific problems that home growers are having with their favourite tomatoes, lettuces, kale and flowering cucurbits.
APHIDS AND ANTS
A good aphid infestation often comes with a colony of ants to look after them. Think of aphids as garden cows, eating all of the greens, while the ants are the farmers, harvesting the secretions from the aphids. Sounds gross, right? Well, it kind of is! Aphids are one of my nemeses because not only do they go after my veggies, they invade my hibiscus blooms as well. I’ve tried several different solutions including storebought insecticidal soap, a high-pressure hose and even removing them by hand. So far, the cheapest solution has been to save the water from my morning shower and spray this on the plants every day. The average amount of soap and shampoo that you use each day is the perfect solution to make your flowers less tasty to the bugs, without doing damage to the plant.
TOMATO BLOSSOM END ROT
This special little disorder looks a lot like your tomatoes are rotting on the bottom. Often thought to be a fungal or watering issue, this disease is physiological. The plant is not getting enough calcium from the garden soil. Adding egg shells or calcium carbonate (available at garden centres) will help a little, but during times of high heat, the calcium goes into the leaves instead of into the fruit. Cannabis growers have popularized Cal-Mag which is a calcium/ magnesium blend that virtually works overnight on your tomato plants. Just make sure to remove the affected tomatoes, as they will never recover and it’s best for the plant to put the energy into new and healthier growth.
BEETLES
I have to admit, these little chewers have made lovely lacework out of my mustards, arugula and kale this year. Flea beetles tend to move into an area like a little swarm and chew perfect little holes into all the best leaves of your salad greens. Cucumber and squash beetles are currently terrorizing my raised beds, and the Japanese beetles have chosen the roses. There are several methods to catching all kinds of beetles including sticky traps, beneficial nematodes and traps with pheromone baits. I am also a big fan Diatomaceous earth, which is a powder made from grinding up fossilized hard-shell algae. This usually does the trick of removing the beetles in about 48 hours and it’s safe for human consumption. Once you know the beetles have been eradicated, then prune off any of the damaged leaves so that your plants will start to sprout new healthy growth.
Hope this helps with some of your garden questions. If not, please don’t hesitate to send me your outdoor problems. Chances are, if you are having them…someone else is as well!
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