Pepper maggots are a major nuisance. Some years they seem to get every pepper, other years they are barely noticeable.

Other insect pests include cabbage worms, carrot rust flies, cabbage root maggots, and squash vine borers.

My worst fungus/disease by far is powdery mildew. I can always count on it showing up. Most other fungus/disease problems seem to appear randomly.

Rodney

Time... too much to do, too little time to do it all. I haven't got my row covers over the squash beds yet, and today I saw a mature squash bug (which, of course I couldn't capture). So, perhaps this year, squash bugs will be a problem.

But, whether it's the row covers, or the tomato stakes on that row of extra plants I put in that I don't have enough twine for, or the tree I have to finish clearing before I can cut the rest of my grass/hay for mulch, or the pile of wood chips that I need to sift through before I get this year's pile delivered, or... or... or... it's time itself that is my biggest adversary.

Voles, squirrels, and chipmunks are my biggest problems, by far.

Deer

Squash vine borers. Absolutely.

Age is my biggest adversary and the reduced energy levels it causes. Too many things to get done and since we are already into the 90 degree weather, not enough energy to do them all.

Dave

Squash vine borers always found my zukes and my acorns; so I switched to butternuts - no more problem.

Mostly my biggest problem are gray squirrels that get to my ripe tomatoes, eat the seed bulbs out of my butternuts, raid my peaches, and in general make a pest of themselves.

I am hitting the same thing as digdirt, myself.

Time is my biggest enemy (two working parents, two energetic young kids), followed by overly ambitious planning, followed by aphids.

Groundhogs. Runner up would be weeds.

Squash vine borers were controlled for me last year with BT.

My biggest Adversary is also my biggest Ally-sometimes, that's weather. Been doing this for over fifty years so know what I want or need to grow and how to do it. Also, have learned when to abandon something that's a lost cause. Recent years, be it climate change or just a natural climate swing has been "interesting" to say the least. e.g. Last year we had six weeks of rain so the garden was kind of a disaster. My honeybees only produced about one super of honey among three hives and I had to feed heavily going into the fall and again in the early spring. For those of you who aren't aware the major nectar flow is spring into early summer as that was when the rain was.... If the bees were impacted in pollinating all the plants depending on them were also impacted.

Speaking of the weather... we are dipping into maybe even the 40s for several nights... in June.

I have learned the weather here is too unpredictable and subject to swings, so I can't grow anything that will be very finicky with the weather. My pepper and eggplant varieties can handle it.

Ours has been (I think) drought the last 4 years! Though we are on a well and can water as much as we want (well levels are checked and are in good shape), even though we use plenty of compost and all the goodies, the garden has been pretty wimpy the last few years!

This year we had near normal rainfall and have had earwigs and frogs move in like crazy! (the frogs are a good thing!)

Otherwise gophers are the problem around here. We line our beds with hardware cloth and use those gopher chatterers. People pooh pooh them, but they have been working for us for the last 5 years or so! Nancy

Bugs are annoying. Squirrels and chipmunks mildly irritating. Weeds can keep me scrambling. But if we're talking sheer adversarial power and impact, gotta be weather, hands down. Between the unstable temps, the wind, and the lack of summer precipitation with the sole exception of malicious T-storm hail, I have to fight long battles on multiple fronts long before the bugs and critters show up.

Cold and wind. Lake Michigan is a few hundred feet away and the cold and wind even in summer can be brutal. Today was in the low 50s with relentless north winds. Not pepper and tomato weather. Most of the summer is mild and beautiful, but it can turn on you in a heartbeat.

Another vote for squash vine borers.

Peter, did you spray with BT or inject the vines? I've read mixed reviews on each method.

Hard to pick just one, since I have to deal with so many. SVB certainly; I switched from zucchini to tromboncino because of that. I don't grow cabbage because of cabbage looper, or potatoes because of Colorado potato beetle.

Ditto Exmar's comment on the weather, wet Junes have kept me from planting more than once... but a good year is a blessing.

But in terms of things that just inspire true hatred in my gardener's heart, it would be

(1) deer

(2) ground hogs

(3) thistle and creeping jenny!!! Come to think of it, maybe they should be higher up (until the deer jump the fence). >:-(

Thank-you, Peter. I've been spraying weekly for a few weeks but I was thinking about increasing the frequency.

Spider mites. They thrive in this hot, dry climate.

Slugs and snails. Year after year they top the UK garden pest charts by miles.

I agree with Dave that age and heat are big adversaries. I can work outside for 15 to 30 minutes and then have to come in and rest, but I try for several sessions a day to get projects done.

Asparagus beetles have been my biggest battle so far this year especially trying to keep them under control on my new planting of Purple Passion and Pacific Purple.

Squirrels give me fits in the spring digging up their nuts and in the fall burying them but now that I have enough wire fencing to cover all of my beds I think I may have that problem solved.

Cabbage looper moths were seen this spring but BTK seems to have worked well keeping them in check and now all of the cole crops are done. The CL cause more trouble for me with the fall crops if I am not diligent with the BTK.

Moles have given me some problems tunneling in my raised beds but since they don't actually do much damage to the plants themselves I would classify them as a minor pest in my garden.

Squash bugs have taken out my melons and summer squash more times than SVB. I just planted my melons and squash in the last week so I am sure they will both show up any day now.

My problem in NY are slugs and snails. They decimate my 150 foot garden by deheading any sprout that is under 3 inches tall. I tried the organic snail killer last year and it worked but it affected my plants adversely. The plants got too much iron and they wrinkled up and got too dark green. They stopped growing for a month and didn't produce fruit until the iron was washed out of the soil. I'm buying beer today and trying that method tomorrow before I replant:)

This is my first year, so I don't really know, but something just ate the nice sized pepper me and my toddler have been getting excited about out of its container on my deck. I think it might have been my dog. :-(

With my garden, it changes from year to year..as soon as I get rid of one thing, I have another! I am very vigilant and look closely at everything every day. 3 years ago, I had grasshoppers, (I am organic, so limited in my options!...), used Semaspore bait and mowing a 6 foot perimeter, and it worked great. Last year were squash bugs...hand picked, netted this year...so far so good..this year it's flea beetles on my eggplant...trying diatamaceous earth...looks like it's working. Mostly, I net things...my potatoes are in a tulle tunnel, works great for tater beetles, my strawberries are netted against birds...looks like an armed camp! LOL, but I am just vigilant...the sooner you find an issue, the easier it is to deal with!

Squash vine borers are my sworn enemies. I have problems with groundhogs and rabbits here and there, but my dogs and my fence usually keep them in check. Wily little bunny got all my lettuce this year, but I will just be happy to beat the SVB in 2016. I've planted in netted tunnels for now but squash is outgrowing those fast. Surrounded everything with icicle radish and will spray preventatively with BT. I am also prepared with a syringe. I will win this year. I must.

Melon/Pickle Worm, White Flies, Hornworm, Leaf Miner Moth, Ants. Finally broke down and bought some BT concentrate. You can't grow squash or cucumber in Florida unless you first control melon/pickle worm.

Squirrels - take every single peach, nectarine & macadamia nut before they are ready. They never leave me any.

I think, I should only count what I didn't find solution for... So, my biggest adversary is inconvenience of growing everything barricaded because of..

Cucumber beetles - net house for cucumbers: I have to open every time I need to come in , and it has no door, just net fixed with clips, a lot of them.

Pepper maggots - net house: same issue coming in and possible aphids under cover that never hit open pepper for me.

Cabbage root maggot and cabbage moth: hoop tulle cover, opening requires remove a lot of clips.

Birds and chipmunks - strawberries : net, no way to grab a berry on my way through the garden.

Beans: metal mesh around against groundhog, picking is a nightmare for bush beans.

Lack of space: Have to grow on hill terraces, very difficult to get around on the rocks. Every simple task of care is climber's adventure.

lol Galinas...your garden looks like Fort Knox! I feel for you. Now that Allium Leaf minors have found their way into the US even growing alliums won't be safe. At least deer won't usually eat them.

Wow Galinas, nice garden.... thanks for the pictures :)

Thanks, guys)

Galinas, that's a work of art! So neat and tidy! Well done!

Linda