I don't believe it to be a caterpillar at all. They look more like the larvae/pupae of a beetle...maybe a Colorado potato beetle? I wouldn't wait around for an ID, though. Yikes! Rather than experiment with a home made brew, I'd strongly suggest a spray of insecticidal soap directly on these little pests. Jean...what do you think these might be?

Unfortunately, it's challenging to impossible to get southern blight under control. The white you have *is* southern blight. See this at Oklahoma State http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/diseases/southernblight.htm Here is a link that might be useful: southern blight

My cucumbers and tomatoes seemed to be doing great - now the leaves are turning yellow/brown. My newest cucumber plant is growing tall, now the bottom leaves don't look right - it's like the leaf discolorations are more like the leaf has been peeled off, rather than bug bites or mildew This is the first year I've grown peas - pods are forming but not sure if the leaves are supposed to look they do. Can anyone offer any suggestions? I've used water/epsom salts and also fertilized. Don't know what else to do. Thanks in advance. Tomato Plant 1 and 2: Cucumbers below - first 3 pics are the newest tall one: Last but not least, my peas:

In most cases, gnats are more a nuisance of a more serious underlying problem than a threat to plants, but bad infestations can lead to root damage, as already noted. The 'more serious' underlying problem relates to soil choice and watering practices. Gnats are not usually a problem in soils that drain well or plants that are watered appropriately. For example, I water about every 4 days while plants are indoors and never have gnat issues because of the soils I use. When using more water-retentive soils, allowing them to dry down to appropriate moisture levels before subsequent waterings goes a long way toward eliminating the type of environment gnats prefer (moist and rotting plant matter). There are ways to eliminate most of the excess water that tends to refuse to leave the pot when it's only gravity putting on the pressure. For instance, after watering you can hold the plant over the sink and move it downward, then smartly reverse directions to upward. This uses Newton's First Law of Motion to FORCE water out of the drain hole every time you change direction from downward to upward. Try it - it will make a notable difference. More on how to deal with water-retentive media here. Also, a wooden dowel (5/16" diameter - from any hardware or big box store) sharpened in a pencil sharpener will serve well as a 'tell'. When stuck deep into the pot (like all the way to the bottom) and removed, it will show you when to water. If it comes out stained dark or moist, withhold water. Al