The Rusted Vegetable Garden

Monday, July 4, 2011

What is this Insect? Yep a Squash Bug

Anyone know what this is? Is it good or bad? I hope it is a predator.

As I said in an early blog... I am not lucky enough to have cool predator insects in my garden. This is a Squash Bug. I actually didn't know they are many kinds of squash bugs. Here is the link to where it was tracked down. http://www.cirrusimage.com/bugs_leaf_footed_Acanthocephala.htm

Leaf-Footed Bug - Acanthocephala terminalis
Family Coreidae (Leach, 1815) -- leaf-footed bug, squash bug, clown bug, tip-wilters / Genus Acanthocephala

The Hemiptera family Coreidae includes leaf footed bugs and squash bugs. Leaf footed bugs are named for their leaflike expansions of the hind tibia and femora. They have four-segmented antennae, large compound eyes and one pair of ocelli, or simple eyes.

Copied From the Above Link
All species of Coreidae are phytophagous, that is, plant-feeders. Like all true bugs, the adults are equipped with a beak, or rostrum, a hypodermic needle-like device carried under the head, which it uses to pierce the plant tissue and suck out liquids. They do not simply "suck out sap", they inject a tissue-dissolving saliva and vacuum out the resulting slurry. Bugs cannot ingest solid food, and widespread damage to the plant is a result of these liquefying enzymes. [1]

Some Coreids live in leaf litter, but most nymphs and adults live above ground on their host plants where they may feed on seeds, fruits, stems or leaves. Many occur on an astonishing variety of plants, while some are restricted to a single host. Most Coreids do not appear to have the numbers to become serious agricultural pests, however some become a problem through their feeding on a single variety of plants; the most destructive of these is probably a squash bug, (a common name applied to bugs in the genus Anasa) Anasa tristis, which is a pest of cultivated cucurbits. [3]

Visit My Video How To Website: My Tomato and Vegetable Garden. Construction began July 2011 and it will host How to Garden Videos for all things gardening. The website differs from my blog: The Rusted Vegetable Garden in that it is primarily video content with few articles. The site will grow quickly.

What is a Garden Soaker Hose?: Drip versus Spray

A soaker hose is a drip or spray hose. There are hoses that look like drip hoses but they actually spray water. I don't recommend the spray hoses because they can spray a stream 12 inches high or more which will soak the bottoms and middles of your plants. You are just making a better environment for disease to grow versus the drip hose.

You can use a spray hose on parts of your garden where disease is less of a worry like on lettuces, radishes, carrots, beans, etc. For tomatoes, peppers, vine crops, and the like, I recommend a drip hose.

So what does a drip hose look like?

A Garden Drip Hose: Gary Pilarchik

You can see how the water is delivered in the above picture. It slowly seeps out of the hose. You will have to experiment with the length of time you leave it on. I would imagine 1-3 hours a day works based on the demand of your plants.

In the picture below you can see the dark soil. That is the delivery area of the hose. Some people recommend keeping the hose close to the base of your plants. I don't fully agree. It needs to be close the base but you want to encourage root growth. Stronger roots often means stronger plants. Keep in mind a transplant or new plant needs water where it is. You can move the hose as they grow larger.

A Garden Drip Hose and Soaked Area: Gary Pilarchik

Weaving A Garden Drip Hose Through the Garden: Gary Pilarchik

These plants are established and have good root systems. The hose can be tricky to work with because it is coiled. I placed the hose so it would lay flat and cross the root path of the plants.

You can see the hoses aren't expensive and when you consider the time they will save you, they are a steal. You can find these hoses at all your local stores. Price shop... you can find good deals at the stores.

Visit My Video How To Website: My Tomato and Vegetable Garden. Construction began July 2011 and it will host How to Garden Videos for all things gardening. The website differs from my blog: The Rusted Vegetable Garden in that it is primarily video content with few articles. The site will grow quickly.

Powdery Mildew: What Does it Look Like?

We have diseases that are bacteria, like Septoria/Leaf Spot and Early Blight. They can infect more then tomatoes. Their life cycle is spores. We have mildews and the main mildew, in our area, is Powdery Mildew. Toss in the beetles, whiteflies, mites, aphids, and bad insects... it is a wonder we can grow anything. Ah... don't forget the slugs!

Keep in mind the above invaders to our garden don't just attack vegetable plants. They live on all plants. And try as you might... you can't eradicate them. You can build a greenhouse and grow plants in sterile material. This might be as close as you can get to a 'clean enviroment'.

Powdery Mildew will grow on flowering plants. Here is a picture of the mildew on a flowering plant in my brother's yard I took during vacation. It is not on his vegetables - yet. The pro to flowering plants is they may show you it (disease) is in the garden and time to preventatively spray. Different leaves are better hosts for diseases.

Powdery Mildew: Gary Pilarchik

Click To Enlarge the Powdery Mildew Spots: Gary Pilarchik

If you click and double click the photographs they will enlarge and you will see white. It looks like powder. It stays put and doesn't puff. It is time for preventative spraying of all the plants.

You can use wettable sulfur as I do. I have also had success with baking soda. Sulfur, I use 1 heaping tablespoon per gallon. If you are going to use baking soda, I would recommend 2-3 heaping tablespoon full per gallon as a preventative. Please test the leaves of your plant before using anything you create. You want to make sure you don't damage them. Spray a group of leaves on several plants and wait 36 hours.

If I see a plant with Powdery Mildew on a few leaves, I remove the leaves and over soak the plant with preventative spray. Powdery Mildew will be on your plant - everywhere; top leaves, bottom leaves, stems, and even fruit in some cases. I might spray every day with the preventative for 3-5 days. My goal is to keep the leaves of the plants inhospitable to the invader.

If you have a bad case of mildew, it is worth buying a store made spray. You can select what you feel is best for your gardening practices. Use the store bought sprays on the visibly infected plants. Use the preventive spray on everything else.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Finding Squash Bug Eggs: Seek and Remove!

If it isn't the diseases, it's insects. Now is the time of the Squash Bug and other beetles, like the vine borers. I wish we could just plant and forget but we can't.

It is time to lift the leaves of your squash, zukes, and even cukes to look for eggs. Any egg is a bad egg. Well I suppose there is a chance that the eggs are some awesome good insect. I am however, not skilled enough to know the difference or lucky enough to have them in my garden.

Here are some pictures that sum up... Seek and Remove!

My Zucchini Plant a Target of the Squash Bug: Gary Pilarchik

The Eggs of the Squash Bug: Gary Pilarchik

Bend Each Leaf Over and Look For Eggs: Gary Pilarchik

More Squash Bug Eggs: Gary Pilarchik

Squash Bug Eggs are on the Underside of Leaves: Gary Pilarchik

Look for Squash Bug Eggs Under Every Leaf: Gary Pilarchik

Squash Bug Eggs Leaf Number Four: Gary Pilarchik

A Close Up of Squash Bug Eggs: Gary Pilarchik

Another Close Up of Squash Bug Eggs: Gary Pilarchik

More Squash Bug Eggs: Gary Pilarchik

5 Leaves of Squash Bug Eggs from 2 Plants: Gary Pilarchik

You can see the I put up a lot of pictures of Squash Bug eggs. Why so many? I wanted to hit home the point that they are here and they are on your plants. You have to take the time to look for them. They will damage and destroy your plants. Remove the leaves, or tear the leaves to get the eggs and put them in the trash.

I also drop Sevin Dust on the base of my plants. It will target the main access point of the plant by beetles.

Good Hunting!

Visit My Video How To Website: My Tomato and Vegetable Garden. Construction began July 2011 and it will host How to Garden Videos for all things gardening. The website differs from my blog: The Rusted Vegetable Garden in that it is primarily video content with few articles. The site will grow quickly.

Not Quite from the Garden: Waterfalls From My Vacation

I thought I would share some pictures from my vacation. I was gone 5 days and the garden grew. Time proceeds without us. We are both trivial and significant. The garden is a bit beat up but held up pretty well. A few neighbors watered my container plants and they look healthy. Tomorrow I will groom and tend to the plants.

But first... here are some pictures from a park in New York. Gardens brings a level of tranquility and peace to many people and so does Nature, all in all, when we take the time to embrace it. Waterfalls always seem to be peaceful. I do write poetry. At the end of the pictures is a poem I recently wrote. Inspired by many things and finished off with my walk through this gorge of small waterfalls.