Pesky Pests and What To Do About Them: IPM The best pest management is preventative, employs nature as an alley, and “pest control” (even organic) is used as a last result. This is called Integrated Pest management (or IPM ).

Pests Target Weak Plants, which means that making sure your soil stays consistently moist and is rich in nutrients, high in organic matter, and loose are the cornerstones of pests management.

Plants lacking key nutrients emit a different spectrum of light (visible to insects). (FYI: Greensand, granite dust, azomite, and Sea 90 are great sources of micro-nutrients).

Chemical fertilizers grow susceptible plants. Plants with too much nitrogen in their systems

release it from their pores. Predatory insects smell-out these plants, feast and/or lay their eggs on them. Also, chemical-based fertilizers imbalance plants’ immune systems, which transforms a

mutualistic, symbiotic relationship between plant roots and fungi into root rot, a disease. Stay away from Round-Up and other herbicides because they damage plant and soil health.

Grow in season (See What Can you Grow in a Square). Weather stressed plants are weak plants. This is true if you’re trying to grow cool season crops in the summer or summer crops in winter. Plant diversity (i.e. more than one crop), and, if you can, interplant your crops. The less your

food garden looks like a caterpillar’s version of an all-you-can-eat wings night, the better. (Here’s why: pests tend to be crop specific. For example: caterpillars eat tomato plants, but not pepper

plants. Slugs eat pepper plants, not tomatoes. Thus, if you alternate tomatoes and peppers, you can, best case scenario, dissuade them from choosing your garden or, at least, contain pests to single plants or sections. Flower Power. Integrate flowers, grains, and herbs in and around food crops. Some repel pests (marigolds, onions, chives, etc.); others (like zinnias, alyssum, clovers, alfalfa, wheat, buck wheat,

holy and African blue basil, marjoram, sage, comfrey, & yarrow) provide nectar, pollen, and habitat to beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, assassin bugs, preying mantes, wasps, and bees. Some flowers are even edible and taste great in salads (Johnny jump-ups, nasturtiums). Don’t Panic! Take a look. When you find a few holes in your plants, lift up the leaves to look underneath for signs of caterpillars or other munching insects. Many times the culprit was a

grasshopper or leaf hopper, and they’re long-gone, so there’s not much to do. Besides, if the

holes are in, say, okra leaves, which you don’t eat anyway, take a deep breath. It’s all ok! And, even if the holes are in, say, your collards greens, it’ll still be okay. Lift the leaf, and keep reading.

Pesky Pests and What to Do About Them. In spite of your best prevention efforts, certain pests will still show up. Here are the five most likely N. Florida food garden pests & what to do. •

Caterpillars may show up on your greens and tomatoes. If you can only find one, pick it

off, kill it, end of story. If there are more than 5-10, and your plants are turning into lace, the answer is BT, sold as a liquid (named Thuricide) and dust (called Dipel). BT is a bacteria

that makes caterpillars “so sick they pop.” If you’ve got a hand or pump sprayer, the liquid is best. Mix 2 teaspoons to a quart of water (or 2-4 tablespoons to a gallon). Spray in the

early evening everywhere you think the caterpillars are and might be (esp. under leaves). When they feed, they’ll eat the BT. After a day or two, assess & reapply if necessary. •

Aphids (tiny, slow-moving, plant-sucking, pear-shaped insects) love lettuce, greens, and

the growing tips of other crops including tomatoes and okra. Here’s your recipe: 1 tsp. soap (dish or agricultural) & 1 tsp. oil (cooking or ag.) in a quart of water. Add 1 tsp of cayenne powder if you have it. Pour into spray bottle. Shake lightly. Spray on aphids. •

Powdery Mildew is a problem for the cucurbit family (squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe) &, sometimes, green beans. Prevention is key. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering (water the soil, not the plants) & water in the morning, so the area can dry out before nightfall.

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Squash Vine Borers attack squash, zucchini & other members of the cucurbit family. To

ward them off, interplant marigolds near the base of cucurbits, especially those that “bush.” Additionally, heavily dust the inner portion of your plants with wood ashes or diatomaceous earth. Reapply after rain. For vining cucurbits (like pumpkins), cover the vine periodically with extra soil. This causes it to send down extra sets of roots, i.e. borer insurance. •

Leaf-footed Bugs/Nymphs are what many people call “stink bugs.” They discolor

tomatoes and distort okra by injecting their saliva into the fruit. Aside from a glassful of

soap water and a mean “thump” to drown them 1-by-1, the best solution is diatomaceous

earth used as a dust. It’s a physical irritant like wool on a hot day. Beware: don’t breathe it. You can also plant sunflowers away from food crops as a “catch crop” to lure them away. Good Additional References: Down to Earth Gardening Down South (book), “Native

Nurseries Pest Solutions” chart (find it online via Google), and The Organic Manual (book).

Man in Overalls helps you #GrowYourGroceries

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