Bugs can be your best friend.

Garden pests can be, well, PESTS! It's hard to like a garden bug. Caterpillars eating the cabbage. Aphids infesting tomato plants. Root maggots munching on the carrots. How to stop the bugs getting the reward of all our labor?

Before rushing to the store for insecticides that may leave something equally nasty in the soil, consider this. That bug spray doesn't just kill the bad guys, it's often indiscriminate, wiping out anything it hits. Some of those bugs could actually be helpful!

  Nature has a way of keeping checks and balances. Too many of one kind of bug and a hungry predator is bound to show up to spoil the party. Attracting or buying organic pest controllers can not only save the gardener work but also reduce the need for insecticides that may leave harmful toxins in the soil.

          Consider the ladybug for example. An adult will eat around 5,000 aphids during it's lifespan. Attracting or buying ladybugs to add to the vegetable patch will help keep aphids and other unwelcome bugs under control for the whole season. On the other hand an insecticide can be applied that will kill off the aphids. How many of us have sprayed only to find that a few weeks later another infestation has taken hold? The first spraying not only got rid of the aphids the ladybugs left too as there was nothing for them to eat. By letting the ladybugs go off to pastures new we lost an ally in the aphid wars and gave ourselves a whole lot more work!



The Trichogramma wasp is a tiny predator with a big appetite. By laying it's eggs inside the eggs of moths and butterflies it prevents the caterpillars from hatching and eating the crops. Hitting the caterpillars at the egg stage will significantly reduce the amount of damage inflicted on plants. The caterpillars that do survive this initial attack often succumb to other predators, birds for example, later on. Using this tiny wasp as a first strike the gardener will greatly reduce the caterpillar problem.




Nematodes are neither cute nor cuddly. They are however very good at pest control. When deployed in sufficient numbers, over an infested area they will quickly go into action against over 200 varieties of soil dwelling garden pests. Applying the nematodes isn't at all messy. Just spread them over the area to be treated and add water. Within 24 hours the nematodes will go into action. Destroying root maggots, cucumber beetle, black vine beetle, Japanese beetle larvae to name but a few of the pests this garden soldier will deal with.


Predatory bugs can be the gardener's greatest ally in the annual war against pest. By allowing nature's predators to do their job we can reduce insecticides and make our lives a lot easier in the vegetable garden. What's not to like about these bugs?

For further information try these links:

http://www.beneficialinsects101.com/using-beneficials.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneficial_insects

Companion Planting

Good Friends/Bad Friends.  We all know folk we love to spend time with, and some we'd rather avoid. It's life. Some folk benefit us and some drag us down. So it is with plants. Being aware of this can give the vegetable gardener a huge advantage! Knowing which neighbors benefit from being close and ones that really can't stand each other can boost success in the raised vegetable bed.


What is it that makes a plant a good neighbor? For some it may be pest control. For example caterpillars love nasturtiums. They also like cabbage and lettuce, as vegetable gardeners' know only to well! Thing is they much prefer nasturtiums and so planting them near to the leaf crops can distract egg laying insects. Marigolds, planted close to crops that suffer from aphids can not only repel the insect but also attract aphid predators such as the hover fly, thus delivering a double whammy. Horseradish can increase the disease resistance of potatoes when planted nearby. Peppers can benefit from the shade of tomato plants. Although the pepper plants needs direct sunlight to grow, it's fruit can be damaged by the sun. Tomatoes love the sun and can shade the peppers. All good neighbors.


        Another thing that makes a good neighbor is sharing. At times we've all enjoyed the hospitality of neighbors whom, having extra food, have invited us round to share. Probably done the same thing yourselves. Well Plants have left overs too. For example, most varieties of bean will enrich the soil with nitrogen. They take nitrogen from the air and release it to the soil through their root system. Planting beans close to nitrogen hungry plants such as carrot, potato, strawberry and corn will benefit them a good deal. Native American Indians used to allow beans to grow up through their corn, like a trellis, thus the bean gained support and the corn gained nitrogen. Good neighbors.


Psst! Wanna know a not so secret, secret? Not all neighbors get along! Similarly, some plants just can't live next to each other. Take Alliums, for example. While some plants flourish with onions next door, others, it is said, suffer as a consequence of living next to the onion family. Carrots, lettuce and cabbage are fine but peas and beans tend to do less well. . Other poor neighbors include potatoes and tomatoes. They should be kept apart as they both can suffer from blight and may contaminate each other. Lettuce and cabbage don't get along as the latter can damage both the growth and flavor of the former.

                      There is much the raised bed, vegetable gardener can gain from considering which plants are good and bad companions.  The very nature of planting in beds, where the plants are much closer together makes companion planting an essential tool for the gardener to employ. While planning your beds for the coming spring keep companion planting in mind. As it is with a dinner party, who sits next to who can make a big difference to the outcome of the event! With good planning and good neighbors comes a raised bed full of happy, productive plants.

For further information on good companion plants try these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants

http://www.companionplanting.net/ListofCompanionPlants.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/COMPANION-PLANTING-Plant-Guide


cheers
Steve

How Can I help You?

First off, thanks for taking the time to visit. This blog is about you and your gardening needs. So please let me know what you want to know about raised beds and vegetables. I will get you the answers, if the answer is out there. If not we'll put our heads together (via email, comments ect.) and figure it out.

Wouldn't it be great if this blog could become a resource for like minded raised vegetable bed gardeners to come for tips,  ideas, solutions and just to find out what other enthusiasts are doing.

We can make that happen!

Leave a comment and let me know what you need!

cheers