Experienced Vegetable Gardeners... Please Help

[Anonymous]

Decided to try container gardening on our deck this year. Have cucumbers and tomatoes planted in earth boxes. Both plants seem to be growing well and have lots of blossoms -- esp the cucumbers, the tomatoes are just starting. However, the older leaves on the cucumbers are turning yellow then brown in patches and drying out (new growth is health and deep green) and the tomatoes have aphids. I've tried googling these issues and there seems to be a lot of conflicting information. For example, some people say you *must* use pesticides and that you have to get rid of aphids on tomatoes. Others seem to think it's ok to just wash most of them off and leave the rest. I can't seem to get any sense at all of what the problem is with the cucumbers. Help!

[Anonymous]

Buy a container of ladybugs and dump them on the plants at night. They eat the aphids and stick around and do not harm them. Let them out at night. We got a container for about $10 this week.

[Anonymous]

*do not harm the plants. They totally harm the aphids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Buy a container of ladybugs and dump them on the plants at night. They eat the aphids and stick around and do not harm them. Let them out at night. We got a container for about $10 this week.

Thanks. Where do you get them?

[Anonymous]

You can get them on Amazon. There are also organic insecticidal soaps.

[Anonymous]

When you water the cucumbers just water the dirt not the whole plant, cucumbers can be particular about the solid ph too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can get them on Amazon. There are also organic insecticidal soaps.

Thanks.

Anyone have any thoughts on what might be happening with the cucumbers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you water the cucumbers just water the dirt not the whole plant, cucumbers can be particular about the solid ph too

This is true for many different plants. Tomatoes especially. Try to water the soil and keep the leaves dry.

[Anonymous]

OP here. The leaves never get wet from watering when you use an earth box. You water through a tube that feeds directly to the soil. So I don't think that's the issue in this case, unless rain has this same effect?

I'll check the soil ph.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy a container of ladybugs and dump them on the plants at night. They eat the aphids and stick around and do not harm them. Let them out at night. We got a container for about $10 this week.

Thanks. Where do you get them?

We got them in merrifield but I bet Johnson's has them in Tenleytown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy a container of ladybugs and dump them on the plants at night. They eat the aphids and stick around and do not harm them. Let them out at night. We got a container for about $10 this week.

Thanks. Where do you get them?

We got them in merrifield but I bet Johnson's has them in Tenleytown.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Buy a container of ladybugs and dump them on the plants at night. They eat the aphids and stick around and do not harm them. Let them out at night. We got a container for about $10 this week.

Thanks. Where do you get them?

We got them in merrifield but I bet Johnson's has them in Tenleytown.

Also American Plant (both locations) on River Road carry them.

[Anonymous]

The ladybugs you buy will be in your garden for about 10 minutes and then fly away.

You can blast aphids off with water, just do it in the morning. If that doesn't work, try an insecticidal soap such as Neem or Spinosad.

Your tomatoes should be fine, but try to plant some flowers (zinnias) and flowering herbs (dill) that attract insects that will eat the aphids.

The issue with the cucumbers is more complicated. It sounds like you may have bacterial wilt, often brought on by cucumber beetles.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/bacterial-spots/bacterial-wilt-of-cucumber.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The ladybugs you buy will be in your garden for about 10 minutes and then fly away.

You can blast aphids off with water, just do it in the morning. If that doesn't work, try an insecticidal soap such as Neem or Spinosad.

Your tomatoes should be fine, but try to plant some flowers (zinnias) and flowering herbs (dill) that attract insects that will eat the aphids.

The issue with the cucumbers is more complicated. It sounds like you may have bacterial wilt, often brought on by cucumber beetles.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/bacterial-spots/bacterial-wilt-of-cucumber.aspx

You are supposed to put the lady bugs in the fridge first so they are groggy and don't fly. And I think you should let them into the garden at dusk. There are garden forums on this topic--google it.

Cucumber beetles decimated my zucchini and squash plants last year. I tried 3 organic pesticides and none did the trick. You need a row cover but then you need to pollinate the veggies yourself. Unless cukes are self pollinating? I've never planted them.

[Anonymous]

14:30 is right, the ladybugs will fly away. (Please don't put them in the freezer, poor little ladybugs!) The soap is a good idea too.

Also, OP, I would try row covers or tomato cage:
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/row-covers

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/super-sturdy-tomato-cages