Do you have any japanese beetles or similar bugs? I have June bugs, which are similar (rust red color) but only feed at night and they seem to love my pepper leaves and basil. The damage looks similar. My neighbors must think I'm crazy when I'm in my garden at 10pm with a flashlight, picking off June bugs!

No, I don't think we have them. I've never seen them, never even heard of them until I visited this forum.

I posted another thread about the issues, this one showing pics as the other didn't. I have slugs and snails, which I've been fighting decently, and that doesn't explain the damage to the beans. I did see a baby grasshopper (I think) a couple of days ago. Somebody mentioned flea beetles, but the damage doesn't match, and again, I never heard of them until this forum. We have squirrels that stole all my cherries, but have stayed out of the garden so far. I'm in Napa (Northern California), we just don't have the amount of bugs some of you do (it seems). I've gone out looking at night for bugs and I just don't see them, other than what I think are beneficial (flies, bees, potato bugs over in the compost, spiders).

I just don't get how my tomatoes and basil is doing great and these peppers aren't. And something that can fly or jump has started eating the beans.

The mulch is wheat hay (I know, the seeds!), can't get rice hay until Sept and then I have to race to get it so the wineries don't buy it all. Could I have brought a pest in? We got the mulch two weeks ago. Before that I had some old hay/straw and leave mulch I'd been using. I've only put Sluggo down, no other chemicals or fertilizers.

allhaileris and michelelc

GO TO THE PROFILE PAGE AND UPDATE WITH YOUR ZONE AND LOCATION. YOUR QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS HAVE NO MEANING WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION.

Gosh, you don't have to yell! I said where I was in the post above yours. I usually put the zone in and missed it with the huge amount of other info I posted.

I am jealous of your grapes - they look wonderful. I honestly wouldnt worry about the insect damage on those leaves. It is pretty minor, and unless it gets so bad that the plants are denuded, it wont effect the fruit production.

I dont have specific advice about the peppers. They do like a lot of warm weather and sun, and rich soil, so it could be a combination of the two. They are slow growing plants. I find the hot peppers and the mini sweet peppers much easier to grow than the big bells.

If you're having problems finding out what bug is eating your plants, I saw someone suggest using sticky traps to see what bugs are in the area. Might at least give you an idea.

lonmower, here is a link I think you will find very useful.

allhaileris, your grapes are so amazing and I am also jealous!

Here is a link that might be useful: internet etiquette

some kind of beetle. they are attracted to yellow. like - iamsupernove- said use sticky traps that are yellow. you said you have potato beetles in your compost pile. very good possibility of the culprit. try the sticky traps. they sell the sticky stuff at local nurserys.

you can also companion plant. using radishes to repell cucumber beatles etc....

michelelc...

"Shouting" is appropriate when the "shouter" is some distance from the listener and the message is important. For example...across a field one might shout: "Watch out, there is a grizzly bear behind you"

OK, the message I "shouted at you" must not have been received because at this juncture you still haven't updated your profile. Do you not understand how important this is...zone and location...how the questions and answers have little meaning if we don't know "where you are coming from"

The OP "Allhailerous" has an "excuse" that they included this information in one of their posts. Are they going to do that for each and every post?

Children sometimes get shouted at because they seem to ignoring the message. This is becoming tiring to me and I feel a SHOUT coming on!

The viability of this forum depends on information. EVERYONE...go to the profile page and update your information with zone and location

Sincerely thanking you (all) in advance!

Lonmower Zone 8 (Foothills of the Coast Range Mtns) Western Or.

lol on the all caps yelling!

Sorry that I do not have much to add (I am an amateur gardener), but your garden looks great! I enjoyed the photos. The corn and grapes look very healthy. Good luck!

The bug damage is minor and nothing to worry about IMO. You can always look over the leaves and squish the bugs you see. Sometimes there are predator bugs and it's good to let them be. Google the images of the common predator and pest bugs so you have an idea of what is what...

BTW, nice looking garden!

I'll do the yellow sticky traps just to see what comes up. We just moved in here in March, the garden was already established and we didn't have a lot of time to research things beforehand.

gesnipes mentioned my soil looks compacted. Well, yes in the walkways, but we added compost and tilled before we added, most of that area is covered with mulch now. How compacted is too compacted? Is there a way to help the peppers now? Fertilize? Get a long pokey thing and dig a little? Or just wait it out and see how they do?

The grapes do well because I'm in Napa. I actually haven't even watered them, our water table is so high and these are old vines, I haven't done a single thing to them. I would have to spray with sulpher if it had been a more moist summer, but so far so good. I even saw in the paper they expect an early harvest this year. I can't wait until they're done!

I'll look up the compost tea info in the event I do need it.

Thank you everybody for the compliments. First year of having a garden, and it's nice that it's not a mess.