You know what really grinds my gears?
It's our first year gardening in Georgia (zone7b) and it's been... interesting. So far this year, I've battled (and in many cases, lost):
squash vine borer
red aphids
cabbage worms
flea beetles
mexican bean beetle
tobacco hornworm
powdery mildew
But you know what, why NOT colorado potato beetle Japanese beetle? Let's just have a full-on orgy in my garden, shall we? Bastards. Major learning experience for next year and kind of feeling sorry for myself at the moment. BUT I'm going to get started on planning the fall garden and now I know to plant early varieties and pre-treat instead of waiting for pests to show up.
Thanks for reading! Want to see more?
Check out our main Fluster Farm site!
Fluster Farm on Twitter
Fluster Farm on IG
Just for you @flusterfarm 😁
Hahaha I love it!!
Hahah
That's not the Colorado Potato Beetle... I think it's worse, I am thinking that's the Japanese - I am pretty sure that's the Japanese Beetle bad guys.
Ah yes, you're definitely right!! My neighbor called these little buggers colorado potato beetles, so I always did too. I googled, I've never seen the actual colorado potato beetles (yet, but I'm sure they're up next). These are definitely japanese beetles. Fixing my post. Thanks for the heads up!
Shhhhh! I heard if you say their name aloud they show up the next day :0P
No problem lady!! <3
I actually just posted this today - your extension office could give you pointers on how to help your garden better!
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@farmstead/your-local-state-and-county-extension-services
I definitely plan on checking in with them, but thanks for the great reminder. We're there at the office all the time anyway between 4H and Cloverbuds :)
Oooh cool!!
You're right. Also known as the bane of every gardener's existence south of the Mason Dixon line. :)
Eeeek. I think we're supposed to report it to Extension if we see them here.
Warm weather means more pests, for sure.
I'm only a beginner at practical gardening but I've got lots of theory (from years of reading and dreaming).
So the theory goes that pest attack weak plants. It follows that strengthening the plants would make them less likely targets. What do you think of trying rock dust/azomite and remineralizing the soil?
Or terra preta to feed the mycorrhiza?
Good luck with your next set of plants in any case! @flusterfarm
I agree with you. I know our soil health is absolute crap, lacking in every mineral and basically dead. We didn't amend the soil much even though it desperately needs more organic matter and fungi because the current garden area is actually a patch of kudzu that we cleared. We didn't want to invest in adding a ton of great-for-soil amendments because we would be feeding whatever kudzu might still remain, in case we lose the battle and have to nuke the area with herbicide. We're attacking it aggressively and as the years wear on, I am hopeful that it will get better.
When we planted I added lots of organic material & mushroom compost just at each planting site, and have been carefully fertilizing with fish emulsion at the plant bases. This fall I hope to add some broiler chickens to our homestead and they'll be tractored around the garden area. I already have some chicken manure from our laying chickens that we'll spread out this fall, too. We have our work cut out for us to turn our nasty, pasty dirt into healthy, rich soil! Thanks for the well-wishes :)
Sounds like you've got a plan! I look forward to following your progress
Little cutie pests 🤣
We moved to our land a little too late to start battling the rocky soil for a garden this year, but I'm sure our time will come. We've been picking the japanese beetles off of a nearby sycamore sapling and been feeding them to the ducks and chickens.
There may have been some deep-throated cackles as we watched their demise.
Ugh we're in georgia too. It's a struggle