“If something is not eating your plants, then your garden is not part of the ecosystem.”

Bugs. We live in the south and they are EVERYWHERE! I used to fuss and curse over some bugs (and maybe still do sometimes), but at this point in my gardening journey I know they’re here and like me, they love some organic veggies! Over the last couple years, I have accepted the quote above as a positive way to view the bugs. They serve a purpose just like everything else. I have found ways to fight them organically and sometimes still lose plants despite my efforts. I think I’ve been to bug therapy at this point…what’s the saying…acceptance is the first step?

So after you’ve accepted there will be bugs and they most likely will be chowing down on your wonderful veggies and you might lose some crops to them, we can now talk about combating them to the best of our ability.

Tip # 1 - Strong, healthy plants. This is the first step in combating bugs. Make sure you are following my previous tips for watering and fertilizing in order to give your plants the best shot at growing big and strong. Healthy plants and soil make it easier for the plants to fight off the pests.

Tip # 2 - Monitor. The next step is to monitor your plants. If you pay attention to your plants, your plants will have clues written, or most likely chewed, on them. I have found holes. I have found withering leaves. I have found droppings…all these are clues to finding out what is attacking your plants. I usually do a daily check or at least every other day check of my plants looking for signs of bugs.

Tip # 3 - Detective. I bet you didn’t know that was in the job description of gardener, right? Well get ready to use those clues you’ve found on or around your plants to figure out what is attacking them. Sometimes it’s super simple, you see the bug and just need to identify it. Sometimes it takes a bit more work. Are there brown droppings on the ground or surrounding leaves? Most likely that’s going to be a caterpillar (or a caterpillar army!). Are the holes appearing in the morning but not happening during the day? That would probably be slugs. Are the leaves of your squash plant withering? You probably have squash bugs or a vine borer. In my first few years, pests were the thing that absolutely drove me crazy, but trying to figure out what was eating my plants was kind of fun…a puzzle to solve.

Tip # 4 - Companion planting. Say what? I can plant MORE plants and they can help with bugs? Yep, you read that right. There are several methods here. There’s companion planting for deterring, companion planting for trapping, and companion planting for inviting beneficial bugs.  Companion planting for deterring means strategic planting to keep pests away. For example oregano can help deter cucumber beetle. Companion planting for trapping means having a sacrificial crop, for example nasturtium. Some bugs will hang out on the nasturtium and chow down on those, leaving your main crops alone. Lastly planting more pollinators (do research!) can help draw in the beneficial bugs you need to attack your pests. Wasps are a great example of this. They are drawn in by the flowers and stay because of the prey! I have found a difference in my own garden by implementing all three of these methods.

Tip # 5 - Control. Covers, squishing, or trapping. Covering your plants with row covers is super helpful. Kale, cabbage, root veggies, do not need to be pollinated so can stay covered if needed. A lot of your summer veggies need pollinated in order to produce fruit. You can either cover and hand pollinate or use a different method of control. Squishing is, well, when you squish the little buggers! I would say squash bugs are my arch nemesis. If I haven’t stayed on top of catching the adults or finding the eggs in order to squish, I have a dance when the nymphs get out of control. 😆 Another method is trapping. Some people don’t like the physical act of squishing a pest, so they trap them. A common method is a bucket of soapy water. If I use this method, I’ll often leave the bucket out there for a couple days (depending on the weather) for easy access. To dispose of it, I typically just dump it in my grass or my yard waste pile (This is the pile I throw my weeds and large limbs on.).

These tips definitely should help you combat those pesky bugs. Just remember that each bug has a purpose. If we killed all of the bugs, it effects more than just our plants. If you’ve tried these methods in the past and still need help or just need help figuring out what is attacking your plants, feel free to reach out. We can work on our bug therapy together and hopefully control one of the biggest issues in the garden!

Next month I’ll be going over one of the other biggest issues in the south…disease! Due to our humidity levels, it’s common for us to fight more diseases than other areas, but there are ways to combat it, so make sure to check back in July!