2023 Gardening Thread

[ctom87]

I use Sevin. Does a good job.

[Man]

I use Sevin. Does a good job.

That stuff is the debil

[eradicator]

What do y’all do about squash bugs, or nettles, or worms, or whatever they are?


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Well, I quit growing squash

[CoolHandLuke]

I use Sevin Dust for worms and caterpillars.

[eradicator]

Cukes

[eradicator]

Maters

[eradicator]

Strawberries

[SaltwaterSlick]

What do y’all do about squash bugs, or nettles, or worms, or whatever they are?


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Dale, I used to use Sevin Dust or liquid Sevin, but it's so hard on the pollinators (bees/butterflies) that if the plant is blooming, I try not to use it. If the pest is a hard bodied bug like a squash bug, that's about all you can use to control them with any degree of success. However all these bugs start out as a caterpillar/worm and you CAN control them without the Pyrethrin that is in Sevin. There are two (that I know of and now use almost exclusively) that are organic death to caterpillars/worms. That's "BT" and Spinosad. They are organic liquids that you can spray the plants with and it will not harm the pollinators. With the BT, the caterpillar has to ingest it for it to kill them. With the Spinosad, it is a contact killer with residual. If it gets sprayed on them or if they crawl through it on a plant that has been sprayed, they're dead. I use both but prefer Spinosad. Pre-treating for those caterpillar/worm infestations is about the only thing I pre-treat for when the plants are small. This will also control/kill the squash vine borer as it is a little white maggot looking worm. If treated with Spinosad or BT and an egg hatches from any caterpillar producing bug, soon as the caterpillar hatches and eats, he's a goner. Trouble is neither of these have a very long residual... We spray one week with BT, the next week with Spinosad... This regimen has worked well for us this year.

[CoolHandLuke]

Dale, I used to use Sevin Dust or liquid Sevin, but it's so hard on the pollinators (bees/butterflies) that if the plant is blooming, I try not to use it. If the pest is a hard bodied bug like a squash bug, that's about all you can use to control them with any degree of success. However all these bugs start out as a caterpillar/worm and you CAN control them without the Pyrethrin that is in Sevin. There are two (that I know of and now use almost exclusively) that are organic death to caterpillars/worms. That's "BT" and Spinosad. They are organic liquids that you can spray the plants with and it will not harm the pollinators. With the BT, the caterpillar has to ingest it for it to kill them. With the Spinosad, it is a contact killer with residual. If it gets sprayed on them or if they crawl through it on a plant that has been sprayed, they're dead. I use both but prefer Spinosad. Pre-treating for those caterpillar/worm infestations is about the only thing I pre-treat for when the plants are small. This will also control/kill the squash vine borer as it is a little white maggot looking worm. If treated with Spinosad or BT and an egg hatches from any caterpillar producing bug, soon as the caterpillar hatches and eats, he's a goner. Trouble is neither of these have a very long residual... We spray one week with BT, the next week with Spinosad... This regimen has worked well for us this year.

I never thought about the sevin and pollinators! I just know it works and that is all we have ever used to control them. I will be purchasing Spinosad and BT.
Thanks Slick...

[czechgrubworm]

Do you buy the spinsosad in concentrate ?

[SaltwaterSlick]

I never thought about the sevin and pollinators! I just know it works and that is all we have ever used to control them. I will be purchasing Spinosad and BT.
Thanks Slick...

IF you have to use Sevin liquid or dust, just put it out at night and try to keep it off the blooms. Put it down low on the plants when they're small...

Do you buy the spinsosad in concentrate ?

Angie, I use the Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad. The concentrate is unbelievably expensive and I've found it not necessary.
Here's what I buy on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Monterey-LG6135-Garden-Spinosad-Concentrate/dp/B002BP12LI/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3NJYNSHZ2AY3G&keywords=spinosad&qid=1684251945&sprefix=spinosad%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-6

[SaltwaterSlick]

Pollinators, I really struggle in our garden with having enough natural pollinators. I had a nice bee hive in an old hackberry tree down in my pasture. We had plenty of bees back then. When Harvey came along, we got just a tad over 50 inches of rain and the water inundated the entrance to the hive as it was in a hollow that was at the base of that old hackberry... It got the bees and nothing has returned to it since. My best pollinators now are actually bumble bees. I don't know how many hives I have on or near the property, but I know where one is... It's on the side of a right of way I keep mowed that leads to the back of my property and into the woods. I found it shredding one day about 3 or 4 years ago... I've been mowing around that spot since. No telling how big that hive is by now, but it is still very active. Berry vines (wild blackberry and dewberry) have grown up around it, but we don't need berries bad enough to pick those!!
I'd love to get me a couple hives and put them down in the pasture a short distance from the house... Anyone do this and is it something that is time consuming and is it safe from being overrun by too many bees?

[eradicator]

Pollinators, I really struggle in our garden with having enough natural pollinators. I had a nice bee hive in an old hackberry tree down in my pasture. We had plenty of bees back then. When Harvey came along, we got just a tad over 50 inches of rain and the water inundated the entrance to the hive as it was in a hollow that was at the base of that old hackberry... It got the bees and nothing has returned to it since. My best pollinators now are actually bumble bees. I don't know how many hives I have on or near the property, but I know where one is... It's on the side of a right of way I keep mowed that leads to the back of my property and into the woods. I found it shredding one day about 3 or 4 years ago... I've been mowing around that spot since. No telling how big that hive is by now, but it is still very active. Berry vines (wild blackberry and dewberry) have grown up around it, but we don't need berries bad enough to pick those!!
I'd love to get me a couple hives and put them down in the pasture a short distance from the house... Anyone do this and is it something that is time consuming and is it safe from being overrun by too many bees?

Hey Salt, I plant cilantro every fall in/around the garden. You can see some in the pics I posted above. It flowers every spring about the time my tomatoes are starting to flower. It gets absolutely covered in bees and helps my tomatoes get a jump start until the marigolds, zinnias, lantanas, etc start blooming. I just let it go to seed naturally and save some for planting in the fall just in case.

[eradicator]

Buckets

[eradicator]

And so it begins...