Well, join the crowd - my green beans have only been up about a week and already something is dining on them. I put Sevin dust on them this evening. And the zucchini, planted the same time, is already showing signs of rust, sprayed them with a copper-based fungicide. Nothing wrong with the sugar snap peas - YET! This past summer was a complete failure - wilting diseases and bugs, I hope this fall won't be so bad. Maybe I need to do what the local organic farm said to do - spray them with a solution of Tide and water. But they sure grow some great squash and beans and peppers. I asked them what they do about weeds and they just laughed - they don't weed! Their farm is too big to weed.

I haven't heard about Tide & water- Dawn & water, yes. That seemed to work for awhile but couldn't stop the caterpillars. I want to take preventative measures this time.

Ah, yes well organically as possible = hand picking daily + Bt. There is no other way but to stay on top of it. The worst offenders for me are the cats, cutworms, and stinking stink bugs! Even with daily picking I get some damage, but not enough to make me want to quit!

The Bt helps with the cats but cna't possibly control them. There are far too many moths around here for that.

Good luck! My green snaps are flushed with blossoms and baby beans now, hopefully yours will pull through as well. Unfortunately my black turtle beans are 80% eaten, and not by me so I do feel your pain.

Here is a link that might be useful: Barb's Blurbs

Im in Tampa myself, I boiled alot of garlic, hotpeppers, cooled it and sprayed the plants. All but the catapillars avoided it.

Do you grow any herbs?

erika

Erika, You mention boiling garlic and hot peppers and spraying that, have you tried the Hot Pepper Wax Spray, by Bonide..... I asked for it at Willow Tree Nursery, here in St Pete, and she ordered some in.... it seems to work, marginally.... and it's pricey, $15. per bottle..... sounds like a similar concotion except it has parrafin-wax to help it stick..... I also tried Neem Oil, it is not much better, also kind of expensive but you mix it up...... I wonder has anyone else tried these sprays, and if so, what their opinion is.... what works best, in the way of 'organic'....... sally

Barbs Blurbs.... totally unable to read due to the odd colors used. It may be cutsy to you but for color blind people its just a brown empty page.
Lou

Hmmm - I'm not colorblind & those colors are problematic for me as well - can you say 'eyestrain'?

FWIW, woody mulches are not recommended for vegetables - hay/straw is a much better choice & if it's weathered/spoiled, all the better. I've also started using shredded palm leaves & fronds. & if you can get to the beach, seagrass/seaweed is terrific as well. You can do a search @ the Soil & Compost forum for more detailed info....

HTH

Here is a link that might be useful: FL veggie gardening guide @ UF/IFAS

I think the problem is the font isn't contrasted enough, it makes me think I need new glasses, - don't forget, lots of tired eyes viewing this forum - eyes that have been exposed way too long to the hot Florida sun!

Getting on the soap box for a moment...

Cypress trees are too valuable to shred into mulch. It sells, so companies make it available. Please don't use it anywhere in your yard.

More info from the Suncoast Native Plant Society is available from the link below.

In a veggie garden, if you turn over your soil (I don't) your mulch only needs to last a growing season or two and then gets turn under to help build your soil. Wood and bark mulches are too heavy and last too long to be very useful. They also will compete with your plants for nitrogen if turned under. If you are using them keep them exposed to air so they can use a little atmospheric nitrogen to help break down.

Better ideas are leaves, coastal hay (it's seedless), compost (you'll get weeds, but they'll be easy to pull), or any other vegetative waste. Or once your plants are established, grow a complementary green manure that will suppress the weeds and maybe fix a little nitrogen, and turn under at the end of the season to help grow your soil. Check with your local County Extension agent for some ideas.

There is almost always an organic remedy for your problems. Though they work more slowly, if you keep poison out of your garden, you'll probably have more "natural helpers" to take care of your pests when they appear. And you won't be poisoning your family and the earth.

Happy growing,
Michael

Here is a link that might be useful: Mulch alternatives

We mow our own lawn and have a grass catcher. I use the grass clippings as mulch in my veggie garden. My soil there is black now and has tons of worms.:o)

Good info from Michael!
I do not turn my soil either - in fact, I broke my back double-digging my 1st veggie garden years ago & then found out from County Extension folks that it only helps bring more nematodes closer to the surface where your plants' roots are = (

It also taught me that gardening advice & 'tips' from up North aren't always applicable here in FL.