by Tom Zink, Horticulturalist

Gardening, while incredibly rewarding, can be a challenge at times.  Pest infestations, disease outbreaks, and brutal weather conditions can all make or break a garden.  Some of these issues can be mitigated, while some are beyond control.

The goal with the uncontrollable is to minimize damage.  This article addresses common challenges in the garden and what can be done to overcome them.  Nothing is bulletproof, but preparation in knowing how to react can make the difference between a successful crop and a failed one.

As a first step, we encourage the development of healthy soils and selecting vegetable varieties adapted to your environment.

There is nothing worse than walking out to the garden and seeing it ravaged by insect pests.  All that hard work and time spent just to be an insect’s lunch!  The good news is that pests can be managed with a few techniques.

Prevention is the first step.  What can we do ahead of time to control pests before they are established?

Beneficial insects:
Developing habitat for beneficial insects helps. Various cover crops can help create habitat. Native plantings of wildflowers can create a more permanent habitat for beneficials. Another tool is to purchase beneficals if your population is low.

Early spring is the time to start building beneficial insect populations by releasing young adults into the garden to establish a breeding pool. Beneficials include lacewing, ladybug, praying mantis, assassin/pirate bugs and Trichogramma (parasitic wasps). These helpers will control most of the harmful pests and require minimal attention other than maintaining a healthy garden habitat. Keep in mind, it may take multiple releases to reach an effective population.

Along with establishment of beneficial insects, use floating row covers made of insect netting and small wire hoops. Netting comes in various micron sizes to target specific pests: 350 microns (thrips, aphids, flea beetles), 600 microns (cabbage root fly, leaf miners, whiteflies), 1000 microns (cabbage loopers, imported cabbage worms, flea ) and 1500 microns for larger pests (cucumber beetles, squash bugs).

Organic pesticide sprays:
Even with preventive action, sometimes pests start to get the upper hand in the garden. It is in this case that we must resort to organic pesticide sprays. Be sure to follow label directions and use appropriate PPE with any sprays. The level of infestation as well as the species of insect to be eliminated will dictate which type of spray is to be used.

For soft-bodied insects, Safer’s Soap® works well and does not harm pollinators. Safer’s Soap® is primarily used for controlling aphids, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies, and mealybugs. Another product, Eliminator® by Dr. Zymes, also controls these same soft-bodied insects, and acts as fungicide.

If the infestation is heavy, use a product called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) to take control. BT comes in multiple different strains, each used to control different pests in the garden. Strain kurstaki (Btk) is primarily used for controlling caterpillars–tomato horn worms, cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms, corn ear worms/fruit worms, cut worms, army worms, diamond back/gypsy moths and tent worms. For potato beetles and elm leaf beetles, use strain tenebrionis (Btt). If there is a problem with gnats, mosquito larvae or black flies, apply strain israelensis (Bti).

Horticultural oils like neem oil are another option for controlling soft bodied insects, but must only be applied in the early morning or evening when sun intensity is lower.

As a last resort, and if it is determined that the outbreak of garden insect pests is to such an extreme that there is danger of entire crop loss, Pyganic® spray may be utilized. This spray is a broad-spectrum insecticide with pyrethrins extracted from chrysanthemum flowers. Although effective on a large number of pests, it is harmful to bees and pollinators, so should only be used in dire situations.

Diseases:
Just like humans and animals, plants are also susceptible to disease and bacterial infections. Implementing preventive measures can help mitigate disease and lessen outbreaks or spread. The best thing to prevent disease is to establish a proper crop rotation. Never plant the same crop in the same space back-to-back. Plot out garden space and determine rotation in the winter months to be ready for spring planting (check our website for rotation tips!).

Cleanliness in the garden is also key in disease prevention. Remove damaged or dead leaves from plants and soil to insure a proper dry out period. Use garden fabric and drip irrigation in beds to inhibit splashing or pooling of water, as disease thrives in wet ground.

Sprays may also be applied to prevent disease spread. However, it is important to identify the issue properly. Use copper-based fungicides to combat fungal and bacterial leaf spots, downy mildew, and blights on vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes. Sulfur is effective against disease on blueberries and other acid-loving plants. Citric acid-based products control mildews, which are common in cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash.

Remember! Weekly preventive spraying could help eliminate a future breakout and all sprays may require multiple applications, especially if the issue has already established itself.

Garden location and row covers:
As stated in the introduction, some challenges in the garden are uncontrollable. All the prep work and planning done can be ruined by one bout of bad weather. While there is some sort of forward thinking, all possible weather conditions cannot be anticipated.

Knowing local climate and conditions is helpful in planning crop rotations as well as determining pest activity. Seasons like spring and fall may necessitate use of Agribon® or frost blanket to protect sensitive crops from frost damage. Suspend fabric on wire hoops or drape the blanket directly on top of the crops. This will act as an insulation barrier for the plants.

Agribon® is rated by thickness with thicker materials offering more protection. Long term coverage can cause damage, so as soon as air temperature is at a safe level above freezing, make sure to uncover plants.
In the summer heat, sensitive crops benefit from the use of shade cloth. Typical density is 30-40% shade, because going darker than that can cause deformations, paleness, and stretching in the plants.

Some weather conditions are hard to plan for. Torrential rain can wash away the whole garden in a matter of hours. The best way to deal with this issue is to lay garden beds out with the contour of land in order to prevent erosion of beds or garden space. Digging trenches between plots and raising beds in the garden plot is helpful in controlling the direction of runoff.

Strong winds are yet another weather force to be reckoned with. Building windbreaks through use of fencing, shade cloth, or a living cover made from climbing plants can limit damage to both crops and structures. Stake, cage, or trellis taller plants to give them extra reinforcement during wind events. Hopefully, selection of the optimal garden location as mentioned in the first Year One Garden article is also proving to be to an advantage.

Challenges in the garden are many and varied, but planning for them is the number one deterrent. Pests, disease, and weather come with gardening, so knowledge on how to prevent and react will make for a better gardener in the long term. Being active and thinking preventively helps to steer the crops in a more successful direction. If ready to take on anything, confidence can only follow!