Gardening

Everyone's challenges are different, but for me it's usually fruits being stolen by birds and squirrels, and pests eating up leaves before any of the fruits have been produces.

Only two things have worked for the pests: one is rotating crops. The pests show up, lay eggs in the spot where the plant is, and then they hatch the next season, so I try to plant in different areas each time. This doesn't work for tomatoes, who like being planted in the same spot each year, but I have a different solution for that.

Once I've got leaves coming up, and as soon as I see they're nibbled on, I take a piece of cardboard from a shipping box, and cut it about 6" square. Then on one side, cut up into the middle, and cut a circle about 1 cm in diameter. Twist the cardboard so that you can get it around the plant, and let the plant grow up through the hole. You'd think that 1cm would be large enough for the bugs to get through, or that they'd be able to fly around and above it, but I guess my bugs are just really fucking dumb. It's stopped the nibbling in 100% of the cases I've deployed it, so this is currently my favorite solution.

For the squirrels and birds I use bird netting. I usually stick PVC pipes about 3-4 ft. in height at the corners of my beds, and then drape the netting over them. The sides can be weighted down with stones/heavy objects, or you can tie it to fencing or whatever you have. I do have to move it aside when harvesting or weeding, but it's not a big time sink for me.

I honestly don't know if this is a super great solution but we set up birdhouses and a bird feeder. Now that some birds have moved in, they tend to hang out in the garden each afternoon and pick it clean of bugs.

I haven't found a reliable way to keep squirrels out though.

Although likely not a solution most are willing to implement, I always loved a philosophy a friend shared with me years ago. Plant your garden in a fenced-in area and then plant a second garden outside the fence.

The three main pests in my urban garden are rats, insects, and neighbours. :)

The first two years I grew food I killed almost 20 rats. The rats are not going anywhere so I had to change what I grow:

• I hang the strawberries
• I grow tall peas now instead of short ones
• I no longer grow carrots or beats
• I spread chili powder around the tomatoes

For insects:

• Raised garden beds to reduce slugs
• Flowers that attract aphids to attract lady bugs
• Umbellifer flowers to attract beneficial wasps

For neighbours, I haven't done anything yet. I may net the fruit trees.

I’ve been known to hatch praying mantis ootheca to have an army of predators to manage pest insects. Worked well for the most part, and preying mantids are very chill and neat

But I haven't gardened in a while so I'm not sure what I’ll need this year when I've rebuilt everything. Fortunately my chicken fence seems to finally have deterred deer (I live in town on a very small lot, but at separate times I’ve had a 12 point buck and several does just hang out in my yard all day) which was a major concern previously. I might put a fence around the raised beds to keep rabbits and such out, but only if I have to.

I’m planning to replace a lot of bushes and things that are growing on my property now, to make my landscape largely edible, with the full understanding that wildlife will probably get to much of it before I do. I’m adding stuff like serviceberry just for them, they can have the grapes and apples I can’t reach, too.

Birds will sometimes go after tomatoes just for the water inside them. Providing a source of fresh water, like a clean bird bath, can prevent some losses. I've also heard that red painted rocks by strawberries will prevent birds from eating the actual strawberries once they grow in, but I haven't tried that one myself.

I have a problem with squirrels. The only solution I've found that works is setting up some plastic construction fence (snow fence) around them. Interestingly, I only needed to use it as walls around the plant, not a ceiling. They wouldn't go in the top for some reason.

tomatoes don't attract insects as much, with them disease will be your main concern

for caterpillars and aphids, on other plants, we use a brush. For aphids, I tried black soap solutions but it was useless. Brushing them away while encouraging predatory insects works for us.

companion plants, i came to think, are a myth.

I’m still learning yet am definitely more advanced than a novice so I am hoping to help.

I too have tried marigolds, after a summer spent battling squash bugs. We grow a lot of squash (pumpkins, zucchini, delicata squash, butternut squash) and it was horrible. I don’t think the marigolds did anything aside from add a bit of colorful cheer to the garden. Nothing aside from manual removal and soap for the nymphs came close to controlling their population, at one point we used harsh pesticide (Seven I think it’s called?) and while it worked for the most part I really did not want to use it on the food I intend to eat again. Our solution: stop growing squash for two years as squash bugs will overwinter. This was the most extreme measure and this growing season is the last before we can plant again. Keep fingers crossed for us next year :)

I also battle: aphids, brassica moths ( I think this is what they’re called, they lay eggs and the caterpillars munch on leaves and stems), and squirrels.

For the aphids, a simple water/castille soap mixture does the trick but I need to check regularly for maintenance.

The brassica moths can be taken care of at the caterpillar stage with an eco-friendly pesticide, I’m sorry I can’t remember what it’s called but it’s food safe and only targets the caterpillars when they eat it. I’m sure a quick google search will find it for you if interested.

Oddly, the squirrels are the biggest nuisance in my garden in the past 5 years I’ve been gardening in this home. They dig up seedlings like it’s a game, and they take bites out of random plants. For example, I’m growing asparagus (have been for 3 years now) and for some reason this year they just love to take bites out of the tops (the most tasty part too, grrrrr). They’ve also bitten my strawberries, which is super annoying because they just take one bite and leave the rest which can’t be eaten by anyone else. Best solution: motion activated sprinkler pointed at the crops they disturb. We also sprinkle ground coffee on the ground and it does seem to create an area they avoid…for now. Squirrels are incredibly smart and crafty.

My biggest takeaway: check your garden every single day for pests, see it as just as important as watering to maintain your crops. Diligence, an open mind, and creativity are your best tools. Best of luck op, and thanks to you and anyone else for reading all of this. Posts like this help us learn together.

Basically it boils down to three main methods:

1. Planting plnts in between that deter pests like leeches (also onion, garlic) and herbs etc.
2. Using herbal infusions from plants like burn7ng nettle or those containing mustard oil.
3. Attracting pest predators. This goes all the way from buying eggs of vertibrates (careful to not introduce invasive species) to just making your garden bird and bat friendly.

My yard backs up to a canyon, so I have all kinds of critters running around. The rabbits are easy to keep out with a chickenwire fence. I grow marigolds and green leafy plants to attract green lynx spiders. The spider gal last year put in a lot of work protecting my garden. It’s also attracted a few mantises here and there, which is helpful.

Rats are a major problem for my tomatoes. I grow the tomatoes in an Earth Box, so I used green fencing that the rats couldn’t get through and just wrapped it around the whole thing. Thankfully, this year should have fewer rats because the neighbors got rid of their giant bird of paradise where they were nesting. There is also no pile of wood between the houses, another nesting place.

Some sort of fencing for things like rabbits.

I usually just look for signs of pests and then treat with something appropriate which could just be manual removal with a last resort of Captain Jack's deadbug brew.

I always grow marigolds but I'm not sure if they work or not. The pests I get tend to vary every year but they mostly go after my kale. Agree with someone else that disease is your main issue with tomatoes.

I've never had anything go after my tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers, though I don't have any wildlife besides birds where I live. The only pests I have are aphids on my kale. I regularly buy ladybugs and they deal with the aphids.

Look up companion planting for what you’re growing. Some plants others have mentioned are good to deter certain bugs/pests for certain plants. It’ll also give you ideas for plants that attract other bugs that eat the pests. It’s nature at its finest!

Inter-planting instead of nice tidy rows seems to help a bit. At least where I live, caterpillars will start devouring tomato plants. When I start noticing eaten leaves, I just find the (usually huge) caterpillar and throw it far away for the birds or whatever.

squash bugs, get a bernzomatic hand torch(type you use to sweat copper or a brulé torch would work too) and burn them and their eggs off. be diligent about it and you may triple your harvest. it helps to have all your squash growing on trellis and off the ground. I inspect mine 2-3 times a week. I check under each leaf and stem. the plants usually wilt a bit from the flame but are generally unfazed by being torched. on rare occasions the infestation was too much and I just cut off pieces and burned them.

seven dust with a squeeze bulb applicator takes care of the squash bugs, tomato caterpillars, ants, etc. I also have one with diatomaceous earth. this is also helpful to squirt some inside the hollow tubes of squash plants.

light applications of fungicides early when you see it. if that doesn't work, trim and/or burn the plants with it. as with any fungus, dampness and humidity helps it grow/spread, this means water directly and not over the leaves. as a last resort you could probably mix up a light copper acetate mixture which is used as a fungicide on treated lumber. just keep the solution under 3% and wash your produce well after harvest. also don't do this unless you know exactly what you're doing as it can kill your plants, poison your soil, and make you sick if you do it too close to harvest.

I have also heard that a 1/1 mix of water and vinegar can stop white mildew.

if chemicals aren't your thing, use some oils like mint and eucalyptus. spray around the plants not on the plants. the oils can close up stomata and suffocate your plant. a mist spray is more than enough. I usually do a mix of 1 gallon of water 1 teaspoon of oils(combined) and 1/3 cup of liquid Castile soap. this can help deter some insects and pests like squirrels, rabbits, deer, etc.

I have also had some success using predator urine to keep deer out. it works if you're vigilant, but wears off quickly. best way to stop the deer is to sit outside at night with a slingshot and clay shot tbh. after a couple weeks they'll not come back for a few months until they forget.

We had to build a full enclosure of 1/4" hardware cloth - including the top. Chipmunks were the worst, but birds, squirrels, and deer also attacked the plants. It needs to be tended to keep it effective or something will find a way in. We call it the plant prison.

As for insects, my wife won't use anything"artificial", so it's neem oil and diatomaceous earth. It doesn't work very well so we loose most of the zucchini.