can you diagnose my garden please??

staciz 6/9/2010, 6:25 pm

Almost everything seems to be growing well (except a few cucumbers and hot peppers that were transplants) BUT I'm having leaves being eaten and some dark spotting.

Any ideas on what the problems are and how to fix?? About a week ago, I took some of my bitten leaves to a local gardening store...they sold me some organic pesticide called "Concern". I used it then, but feel like things are still being munched on.

TIA!!

lettuce
can you diagnose my garden please?? Lettuce

can you diagnose my garden please?? Lettuce

basil

bell pepper- this one has holes AND some kind of black pattern on it- looks like dirt, but it's not
can you diagnose my garden please?? Pepperleaf

same bell pepper- see the dark stems? normal??
can you diagnose my garden please?? Pepper

staciz 6/9/2010, 10:46 pm

anyone?

martha 6/9/2010, 10:54 pm

Staci, I searched and searched and SEARCHED on the 'net and couldn't find anything that seemed to be a perfect match. I know I have seen those black dots on plants before, but before SFG, I didn't try to fix problems, because it seemed like such a losing battle.

I did read somewhere someone having a stem that looks like yours, and the suggestion was to make sure it wasn't really dark purple, in which case it would be normal.

The only other question I have is, what has the weather been like for you lately?

Jola 6/9/2010, 11:04 pm

As for the holes - growing organically holes happen. There will always be some earwig, caterpillar, slug, which will get to your plant. Unless it is really serious problem I would just carefully observe, and try to hand pick the culprit if I see it. As for the black spots - hard to say, looks like some kind of fungus. Purple stems on peppers are normal, like martha said.

staciz 6/9/2010, 11:11 pm

ok, i think it might be dark purple. so glad to hear it's normal!!

should i tear off the leaves that have the black spots on them?? it's not all of the leaves on there. and the peppers are growing, so i am REALLY wanting to save them!

as for the critters...i read on here about people wanting earthworms and ladybugs....i saw a worm all curled up the other day...it was white and fight and in a circle. i didn't know if it was a good critter or a bad on though!

so much to learn...

oh, martha- our weather has been gloomy. we had a week or so of sunshine and now it's just gloomy and around 68 every day all day. very little rain. i'm in socal.

Chopper 6/9/2010, 11:24 pm

1. Most flies/wasps/bees any size good.
2. Most beetles bad, except ladybugs.
3. Any worm but an earthworm bad.
4. Moths bad.
5. Things that are slimy (see earthworm exception) bad.
6. Anything with its little mouth filled with your veggies (family excepted) bad.

There's the list. can you diagnose my garden please?? Icon_smile

staciz 6/9/2010, 11:31 pm

thanks chopper! helpful list. now an even more elementary question...if i see one of these, what do i do with it?? to throw it out of the garden makes me think it will just come back. so does that mean i have to kill it?

boffer 6/9/2010, 11:32 pm

Thanks, I think I can get all of that on a large plant marker so it's handy.

PB 6/9/2010, 11:35 pm

Yep, laminated and handy.....
Thank you Chopper.

Chopper 6/10/2010, 1:13 am

staciz wrote:thanks chopper! helpful list. now an even more elementary question...if i see one of these, what do i do with it?? to throw it out of the garden makes me think it will just come back. so does that mean i have to kill it?

I am afraid so. A lot of people drop bugs they find into soapy water. I either squish them with my fingers or step on them. Hate to do it, but they have everything else in the yard to munch, they can't have my vegetable garden. Sorry guys. Although with hornworms I usually just walk them to the trash b/c that goes over my internal gross meter.

Otherwise, most bugs respond to Neem Oil, but it will kill beneficials too. Bt is another gardner's friend.

PB 6/10/2010, 9:54 am

I thought if you sprayed Neem early in the AM or late in the PM when the bees and such werent working it was safe for the beneficials. Only sucking and chewing bugs were affected. I am really trying very hard to do this thing organically, but If it keeps on I am temped to go Sevin dust.....

**donnainzone5** 6/10/2010, 10:59 am

I wouldn't worry about an occasional hole or two.

Those tiny black specks are probably the eggs of a cabbage moth. Quick, spray those leaves with something organic, before they hatch into caterpillars!

Jola 6/10/2010, 11:15 am

staciz, you should remove leaves if you think it is fungus, but only affected leaves. The list you got from Chopper is great. I knock the bad guy to a bucket with soapy water, trying not to touch them (I have caterpillar-fobia, so it is hard for me to even look at them).
If you have any problem try more natural approach, before you reach for chemicals. There are several "organic" kill-something recipes, and you can find them on the internet. I use many of Jerry Baker's recipes. I have small yard so it works fine. For example I spray my whole yard once a week (or so) with mixture of liquid dish soap, antiseptic mouthwash, and tobacco juice (not on tomatoes though), it repels bugs. I feed my grass beer and sugar from time to time, etc.
You might try to spray that black spots on peppers, if you see them again, with the mixture:
1 Tbsp of baking soda
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil (any)
1 Tbsp of Murphy's soap
in 1 gallon of water. Spray lightly once a week.

ander217 6/10/2010, 11:34 am

I would add ground beetles (carabids) to the list of good beetles along with ladybugs. They eat bad bugs and larvae.

They are the long, black, hard-shelled beetles, although some kinds have iridescent shells, and a few are even brightly colored. They eat everything from potato bug larvae to slugs to cutworms.

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