Experienced Vegetable Gardeners... Please Help

[Anonymous]

I ignore the aphids. The first year I picked them off but after that I didn't bother. I still get plenty of tomatoes and the plants are healthy. I don't use pesticides of any kind, and I haven't bothered with ladybugs.

Not sure what is up with your cucumbers, unless you have planted them too close together and need to thin them a bit.

[Anonymous]

As I said before, it is probably bacterial wilt and very common in this area with cukes.

Cukes are tough in this area because of BW, powdery mildew, downy mildew, mosaic virus, cucumber beetles etc. etc.

Often times, the plant will still produce even as it is dying.

There is nothing you can do to save any of these cukes once they get sick. If you get a yield, great. If not, rip -em out and start over.

Lucky for us, cukes grow fast and it is only June. Just remember to look out for cucumber beetles, they drop their larva in the soil (where they eat the roots of plants) and overwinter there.

All curcubits are challenging to grow in this area, not impossible, but challenging.

[Anonymous]

Cucumbers for me and my fellow community gardeners have been a busy for three years due to wilt, most likely due to beetles. I just rip it out each year after getting a few cucumbers per plant and stick in more kale or chard or greens that can stand the heat. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

^bust...not busy!

[Anonymous]

I have a hard time with cucumbers also but had a decent batch last year before the wilt set in. You say you're I won't do pesticides; I've found lots of solutions for different problems. Cucumbers need to be pollinated, so if you are not getting many bees, that might be your issue. Google paint brush. As for ladybugs, they may or may not fly away. I've used ladybugs in the past and they've really stayed around. You want to release them at night, as they don't fly at night, directly near the plant with the aphids. They'll spy the delicious aphids and, while they may fly off, they'll make note of where the tasty smorgasboard was located before they go. I've had good luck going this route. Make sure you get the right kind of ladybugs, though. I think the Japanese ones are crowding out the native ladybugs, but I might have the wrong "nationality" that there is concern over. Some nurseries carry lady bugs, also. Behnkes in Beltsville has had them in the past, but they sell out fast so call first.

Good luck! I recommend getting yourself a good organic gardening reference book, that will list each vegetable along with pictures of common maladies and what to look out for, what you can do to save plants, and when you need to cut your losses.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone! Seems like some great and useful advice. Appreciate the help.

[Anonymous]

make a mixture of soap (i used dr bronners) and water. put it in a spray bottle and spray daily. thats it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:make a mixture of soap (i used dr bronners) and water. put it in a spray bottle and spray daily. thats it!

this is for aphids btw.