The first thing you need is a bowl of popcorn and a lawn chair. Its movie time " Pest Invaders of the Worst kind". Sit back and watch the show. You'll really like the part where the heroes save the day Heroes being birds, toads, snakes, lizards, insects,cats, dogs. You only have to take action against the "One big Pest". The one that tears up the ground, spreads crap all over, eats all the ripe fruitl, and gets upset when things aren't perfect. We call that one the gardener. Put him on a leash if you catch him. He can really make a mess out of a garden if he gets loose.

Working to make the soil into a good, healthy soil would be a good start.
What is that soils pH?
How much organic matter is in that soil?
How well does that soil drain?
How well does that soil retain moisature?
What kind of soil do you have?

What plans do you have to attract beneficial insects to your garden? Is your environment attractive to birds, snakes, toads, etc?

The pH was high - it was 8.0. I was told adding elemental sulphur, chicken manure and mushroom compost would help that - I added the manure and compost but haven't added the sulphur yet. I need to test again to make sure that it's a little lower.

Before I did anything to the soil, when we took the sod out and turned it over by hand, I noticed that there were LOTS of big earthworms in it. My house sits on a plot of land that used to be farmland, and I've noticed that my flower beds in front do very well - it's the same kind of dirt. If anything, it needed the peat moss to break it up a bit because it seems to compact if you water it and let it sit. But once you dig into it, you find that it's very dark and rich.

Last year I had lots of container plants, and I had a terrible time with pests and mold. We had a wet winter beforehand, and this year it has been wet again and the summer is just now getting started. Usually by this time we've had some hotter weather.

Based on some of the tests and info I've found on the forum, I think the soil drains well but also retains enough moisture that I don't have to water constantly.

We have birds but no snakes, toads, etc. (I do have a dog that I will have to keep out of the garden). Last year the birds weren't a factor. I know very little about what was harming my cucumbers last year, though. I gave up when I saw that the cucumbers were growing in deformed and the leaves were starting to yellow and die. This year I want to try to be proactive, but also pay more attention so I can start to gain the knowledge to have a garden every year. It gets easier, doesn't it? :S

I know that lady bugs are beneficial... but that's about it! They sell them at the garden stores around here, but I'm hesitant to buy any until I know that I have an environment that will encourage them to stick around for a while!

My advice is to kill off all the pests you can the year before so that few over-winter in your garden area. I don't mean dosing bug spray everywhere. Like all things, bugs have there own habits...so know your enemies and learn their habits.

Cucumbers and other cucurbits [similar vine crops] are easily the most difficult to keep disease free after the first year especially.

Hey bluethumb, you're off to a good start because the secret is in the soil. You've already done a lot of amending, though maybe you didn't need quite so many to start with. Good soil yeilds strong plants that can survive most pest infestations with minimal intervention from the gardener. My advice is to spend the first year observing and learning - you might just find that pests aren't much of a problem anyways, so why worry? Watch what happens in your garden and take notes on when particular bugs emerge and how much damage they do. You should watch out for the big three: cutworms, potato beetles and japanese beetles. For cutworms, place a collar around the stem of your cukes at planting time. For the other two, my favourite control is a 12 year old boy with a big pail of soapy water. Cucumber beetles can also be a problem, particularly because they are faster than potato and japanese beetles - but I kinda ignore them, or squish them when I can. As for the pests you're seeing in your trees, keep in mind that pests have their favourite foods, so just because they're in your trees, doesn't mean they'll like your tomoatoes. Finally, I assume you've got a compost pile started - turn that into your soil next spring and you won't have to go out and buy the other stuff. Happy gardening!

Thanks for the great info - and the laughs - everyone! Brumby, I don't have a compost pile. :( Ever since I started trying to learn about gardening, it seems overwhelming to me. Part of it is the wealth of info on the web. For instance, when it comes to compost, I get mired down in what kind of compost container to get, what goes into it, what doesn't go into it. A friend told me that really all I had to do was pick a spot in my yard and start to throw grass clippings and most fruit/veggie waste into it, then give it a stir every once and a while. Another site I read went on and on about worms. I have to constantly remind myself to keep it simple. It's great to know about cutworms, potato beetles, and japanese beetles. At least I have 3 to read about, to concentrate on, and to watch out for!

I see what you mean about the bugs in the trees. It's a great relief to hear some voices of reason!

:)

Killing off the bugs is not something an organic gardener would do because the vast majority of those insects are beneficial, pollinators and predators or just there, and very few are actually insect pests. Part of being an organic gardener is understanding your environment and part of that is understanding the role insects play in that environment.
Of the some 8,000,000 insect species in our enironment only about 8,000 are considered pests with the rest beneficial in many ways.

Thanks, kimmsr! There is so much to learn! It is overwhelming at times. I went out this morning and found this on my cucumber plants. There are ants on them. So that will be my first challenge.

Tell us the whole story. Are you starting those cucumbers inside? Are those peat pots? Are you watering from the top or the bottom? What are you using for soil? Any fertilizer? this is my first year of starting everything inside (small greenhouse).So I'm curious about what problems you are having. It was kind of a rough start for me.

I read that growing purple, pink and yellow flowers would attract beneficial insects. I wouldn't buy the ladybugs. Once they eat the bad bugs they will move on. Earthworms would be great for the garden.

There is far more to comapnion planting then simply growing certain color blossoms. The gardens at Mount Vernon are good examples of companion planting, with herbs and flowering plants growing along with the vegetables and each one contributing something to help deter insect pests from the other or even helping each other grow better.
Providing a food source, other than the insects, as well as a good environment can help keep these predatory insects near your garden. Lady Beetles, and all of the other predators, will leave your garden if there is no food, water, or shelter for them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Companion planting

Thanks for that link, kimmsr. I am going to read it tonight. myluck, sooo.... here is the story.

I started the cucumbers from seed and peat pots - inside. I tried to water from the bottom as much as possible - but I think I overwaterd because they started getting a white mold or fungus on the surface of the dirt. Could this be the reason the mosaic developed? The soil I used was a bagged soil and compost mix, with a little perlite thrown in. No fertilizers so far. Everything seemed to be going well when they were under the grow lights but then I moved all my plants outside last week. That's when they started having issues with what looks like mosaic and pests. Even the tomatoes now have a pinpoint white spot on some of the leaves. ???

Yesterday I had the garden rototilled - finally! I spent the better part of the evening transplanting what looked like the strongest plants. There were three cukes I felt were worth saving (the others didn't make it) so I put them in mounds and also - for the heck of it - but a row of cuke seeds in the ground.

This morning I woke up and went out to the garden first thing. One of the cucumber plants was totally chewed up - small, tiny pinpoint looking holes. The other two are in shock and I'm not sure if they will make it.

Same story with the tomatoes and my only tomatillo plant. Some look okay and others look like they are being chewed up. I made a chamomile tea for the cucumbers last night and sprayed it this morning. I also puffed some DE around the plants for what it's worth. What happens if I accidentally get DE on the leaves of the plants?

Ants around my house have always been a problem, inside and out. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to keep them out of the garden.

:(
:(
:(

I feel defeated already. I don't know if ANY of the plants are going to make at this rate. One good thing (I think?) was that I saw a giant earthworm tunneling into the dirt next to one of the tomato plants.

It sure sounds like you have good soil, and the fact that you've got earth worms is an excellent sign. And you added great stuff to it. So . . . I'd say try planting some seeds and see if things do better when they start outside instead of having to make the transition. Squash and cukes do great when planted by seed, and there is still time for them to fruit.

Also, I often have funny looking things happen to some of the "older" leaves on my plants, but the new leaves take over and look great, and everything turns out alright. No reason to feel defeated already. In fact, I have some zucchini plants that I thought were dead as doornails, and I nearly pulled them out, but got lazy and didn't, and now they are producing!

Very important: don't worry while you're in the garden. Think positive.

Thanks, elisa_Z5! I actually went out just a minute ago to water and I noticed that ALL of the cukes have perked right up! This is the one that has the most damage. I am anxious to see how the cukes do from seed. I will also take your suggestion and try some squash. What the heck!

I'll try not to worry. I am a bit obsessive when it comes to projects... and since I've put so much time, effort and money into my garden, it's hard not to want to go out there every five minutes! :)

Note to self: Play "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin while gardening!

Solarization works on pest & weeds/seeds.
If that is to much, tilling will kill up to 90% of the over wintering pest in the soil, this moths witch will lay egg that become worms, not nematodes with live in the soil all the time.

Here is a link that might be useful: solarization

Bluethumb, it does look like things are a little wet around your place. I use the "let them wilt a little" before you water them rule. Then I give them a quick shot of water to get the dirtless soil soaking up water then go back thru and give them a good, make it run out the bottom, soaking.
I also had trouble a few years back with fungus on cucumbers and squash plants from water splashing off the ground in the garden. So now my cukes are in cages and I spread half composted leaves on the ground under the plants.
Do it on my tomatos too. Haven't had a problem since.

Allowing your plants to wilt a little before watering puts them under stress that makes those plants more attractive to insect pests. Plants need a soil that is evenly moist, not too wet and not too dry, and in the absence of soil moisture plants cannot uptake necessary nutrients. Keeping the soil evenly moist is a big reason to mulch.

Hey Bluethumb, I was offline for the weekend, too busy in the garden. But I'm really glad to hear that your cukes perked up again. Like others have mentioned, I suspect that they were suffering from overwatering while in the peat pots. Then the stress of transplanting made them weak, which is exactly when the bugs move in for a munch. Now that they are perking up, try not to overwater. A good test is to dig a small hole in the ground with your finger - if the soil is moist down to 1 inch, you're good, no need to water. I agree with kimmsr that letting the plants wilt puts them under stress, but it is definitely a sign that they're ready for a drink. Many plants will wilt in the midday sun whether the soil is moist or not, so don't be fooled by that. Water deeply rather than frequently - once the plants are established, one inch of water a week should be fine.

About your compost pile, your friend is right, there's no need to get fancy or to worry too much about carbon to nitrogen ratios and all the other technical stuff you'll read. Pile it up good, turn it once in a while, and be patient. I don't know how much space you have, but I like to use a 3-pile system, so that I have one pile ready in early spring, one in the fall and one on the go. I usually start a new pile or two every spring and add to it over the spring and summer. The bottom layer of that pile will be ready in the Fall. I skim off the top of the spring/summer pile that hasn't decomposed and use it to start a new pile in the fall and add to it all winter. The top of the winter pile gets turned into the spring pile, and so on. I'm not that scientific about it, I just use what's ready and turn what's not. You should try to have a good mix of browns (e.g. Fall leaves, small twigs, dry grass) and greens (e.g. grass clippings, kitchen scraps, weeds that have not gone to seed) so that your pile is never too wet and turns into a sloppy mass - but even that I don't worry about too much. Just turn regularly and use whatever looks closest to dirt. If you can recognize what the material is, it's not ready to use. If it smells earthy and looks like dirt - use it!

The idea that plants need 1 inch of water per week comes from the turf grass school and may, or may not, apply to flowers and vegetables. How much water flowers or vegetables may need depends on amny factors such as is the soil mulched, how much leaf surface is there to transpire moisture, how much wind is there to help plants transpire moisture, how hot is it since higher temperatures help plants transpire more moisture the hotter it is.
Using that inch of water per week guideline might be a good place to start, however.

How big are the dying trees?

Cut them down or at least the diseased parts.

I had two trees with trunks that I cut off at the ground and covered the stumps with eucalyptus mulch. The wood ants went away.
Get rid of the tree by any means, it is only going to get worse.

Thanks for checkin' on me, Brumby! :) And thanks, kimmsr and RpR and everyone for your insight!

I agree about the trees. Not only do they block the sun at certain times of the day, but the leaves are constantly falling and yesterday it was very windy here in Nampa. I got home to find some of the plants blown over and most of the leaves on the ground from the trees COVERED in bite marks. Same kind of pinhole pattern as what is on the cukes, but I'm not sure if it's the same bug. Two cukes are officially gone. One has been completely chewed down to the stalk. The other has most of its leaves missing. :( The two marigolds (about 3 inches high) were chewed down to the stalks. The tomatillo's leaves were chewed up too. I don't know if it's going to make it because it's still a seedling. I'm thinking of going to a nursery and just getting some starts to put in the ground, but I don't want to do that until I have the pest problem under control. I sprinkled DE but that only lasted until I watered and didn't seem to do much good. Also sprayed some chamomile tea for mosaic. I think soap and water is the next thing I will try.

I do have a question about watering. Once a week seems like not enough for my plants since they are so small. It seems that they need to be watered more often or else they droop badly... I assume that they need to be watered more often when they are younger because their roots are shorter... is that correct?

A lot of people have trouble with watering, as kimmsr stated above, there are a lot of variables, I have a lot of clay, areal pain to get loose enough for water to drain thru, but can retain a large amount of water for a long time. Yours will be different. When I transplant a new plant into my garden, I don't water it in, I leave it and check on it in th evening. If it is still doing alright, I leave it until morning, if its ok leave it until evening ,if its drooping put a pint of water right at the root ball, start process again. That way you know you are dry and it needs water. If you start out wet and it droops because its drowning and you add water, it drowns more, and its a lot easier to add water than it is to take it away.
I think letting them be a little dry force the roots to grow down and out.It might slow the growth at first but in the long run I think it helps

If the soil is wet and the plant is droopy, you add water???

Lately the weather has been very dry and with a hot searing wind on tall corn that is perfectly well watered, some of the stalks cannot rehydrate fast enough to prevent some curl/wilt in mid-day.

wayne5, you would not believe how many people ask me whats wrong with their tomato plants and when I go out to look at them I sink in to my knees in the mud, And when I pull it up and there is one tiny little root barely attached to it they get mad because I killed it.

companion planting for insect repellant is a theory to investigate. there is alot of different list and alot of different opinion on the internet. So far I'm trying nasturtium for squash bugs and white cabbage moth, marigolds all over the garden, catnip for flea beetles by the turnips and radishes, and sage by the brocolli.

I have had some success with planting daikon radishes as a trap crop for flea beetles, and garlic around roses to deter japanese beetles. I have tried many other things, including marigolds, but I really don't know if they work or not, I just think they look pretty in the garden. You will benefit generally from planting a diverse array of veggies, herbs, small fruits and flowers throughout your beds. For more information, read up on permaculture - it's a fascinating method and way of gardening.