I did my garden check this morning and I was surprised to see all my cucumber plants being invaded by cucumber beetles. I haven't seen a single one until this morning so it was strange to see so many. They haven't caused any damage yet but they are doing unspeakable things together on the leaves lol. I am going back out in a bit once it dries and dust some diatomaceous earth on them and hope that helps. This is the first time I've tried it, usually I use that white dust crap from the hardware store but I want to do organic from now on.
The cucumber beetle invasion has started
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Meadowlark
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Picture please.
I have grown cucumbers here for decades and have never seen or experienced them that I'm aware of...but I always rotate growing location and always follow up with a legume cover which may or may not help with the cucumber beetles but works for me!
I have grown cucumbers here for decades and have never seen or experienced them that I'm aware of...but I always rotate growing location and always follow up with a legume cover which may or may not help with the cucumber beetles but works for me!
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I rarely see them but they are often in my friends gardens. I attribute this to being totally organic but can't say for sure. I might see two or three a year and I just do the old thumb and forefinger trick. So far this year I have only sprayed once and that was with Bt on my corn ears for ear worm protection. I will spray Bt again this coming Friday and possibly again in two weeks but so far no insects or caterpillars have shown up on anything. I have picked 2 tomato hornworms off of my tomato plants but haven't sprayed anything.
It was hard to get a pic because they seem to be very inactive during the morning and don't fly away. But later on they fly as soon as you get close to them. Maybe they also don't like the d.e I put on because there wasn't as many. I wasn't able to get a good pic because I couldn't get close but I got this. You can also see they started eating the leaves.
I don't want to jinx myself but I've never had a problem with tomatoes. But cucumbers and other vine things like pumpkin, squash etc always get invaded every year by these little buggers. I do always rotate to help avoid fungi but it doesn't help stopping these beetles. I didn't even bother growing pumpkins or anything else like that other then cucumbers this year. I am going to miss frying up the summer squash slices though this year. Corn is impossible for me to grow because of racoons, they tear apart the plants before it's even close to ready.
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My theory, born out of decades of experience, is that most harmful insects have preferences for food...take away those preferences and they either die or leave. That is one reason I not only rotate but follow up with a legume fixing plant. I also subscribe to the NO synthetic fertilizers approach.
Cucumber beetles do not like clover, vetch, peas, alfalfa as far as I can determine. Root knot nematodes hate Elbon rye and I had a huge problem with them until I rotated Elbon rye into the program...now not any to be found for years and years. Just my thoughts.
Oh, if it is a choice for me between fresh sweet corn and racoons, well that is an easy choice for me.
Cucumber beetles do not like clover, vetch, peas, alfalfa as far as I can determine. Root knot nematodes hate Elbon rye and I had a huge problem with them until I rotated Elbon rye into the program...now not any to be found for years and years. Just my thoughts.
Oh, if it is a choice for me between fresh sweet corn and racoons, well that is an easy choice for me.
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I don't grow pumpkins but I do grow melons, cantaloupes, cucumbers and 2 or 3 types of squash each year. I have racoons too. My garden now is right out of my front door so my dogs let me know if anything is out there. I keep my .22 mag semi-auto rifle loaded and ready.
My thoughts on plants and insects is that insects do have preferential plants but I think they are mainly attracted to weak or stressed plants and for the most part leave healthy plants alone. For instance, this year I started my okra way early by growing transplants. A few of the seedlings never were as strong or healty as the others but I planted them anyway. These weak plants were attacked and severely damaged by caterpillars early on. I did not spray as the caterpillars did not bother the big healthy plants. I later planted more seeds next to these weakened plants and the newly seeded plants have already outgrown them by quite a bit. What plagues me now are grasshoppers and even they like the weakened plants more. I just sent off for a bag of kaolin clay to take care of them.
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It's literally impossible for me. They break down the stocks and eat the head before the moment it starts to look like a head of corn. I would have to grow a lot of corn stocks just to maybe get enough to eat that they don't destroy. Kind of pointless when I can buy local peaches and cream corn from the local farmers for pocket change lol. It's really cheap so I don't bother.
I don't like owning pets so a dog is out of the question, I would love to unload my winchester on them but the cops would be at my door before i could count to 10 lol.
Aside from the corn the cucumber beetles are just bad here, it's on Ontario thing I guess.
That didn't sound how I ment it. I didn't mean I'd like to unload my Winchester on pets, I ment the raccoons lol. Pets I love, just not for me owning them. They die, I cry.. I'd rather save myself the heartache and enjoy other people's pets. And wildlife. Just not raccoons, skunks and groundhogs.
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It's all about taste for me (and nutrient density). Not money. I can buy corn on the cobb all day long for 6 ears for a dollar in summer...but money can't buy or even remotely duplicate the taste of my organically grown corn...see my lunch today below:
That looks yummy! When I do corn I like to soak it with husks on in water for an hour then toss it on the BBQ husks still on. The corn will steam and caramelize inside the husk even though the husk burns. This is not my pic but a general idea..
But as far as coons go I've got them here like the plague. I am not joking when I say it's impossible to grow here because they eat it before the cobs are even get 3 inches long. I would have to plant 100's of corn stocks just to have enough that the racoons don't tear apart. And that's if I'm lucky. I would much rather grow my own but most of the local farmers here do it organic and just grow enough for them, family friends and to sell some for extra beer money their wives won't notice missing lol. I am not talking about the Walmart crap.
Lol don’t forget squirrels, rodents and possum
The squirrels here and I have an unwritten agreement that I let my eat all the walnuts, chestnuts and butternuts they like as well as access to the bird feeders in spring and fall and they in part stay the heck out of my garden lol. We don't have possums here.. I thought they eat big bugs and stuff but I have no idea... It's the sharp teeth that made me think that. Are they hard on the garden? Here groundhogs and the odd rabbit are the biggest rodent problems. Skunks, raccoons if you grow something they want to eat or dig up.
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That is the way I do corn on the cob too and it is how I freeze it also.