Article courtesy of Wally Richards, www.gardenews.co.nz
I feel that one of the worst problems that is going to face gardeners this season will be insect pests especially the potato/tomato psyllid.
I spoke to a lady gardener recently, from the Hawkes Bay area, and she told me that a number of her gardening friends were not going to grow tomatoes and potatoes this season because of the psyllids ruining their crops last season.
The lady also told me that her own later crop of potatoes came to nothing but her tomato plants produced the normal good size tomatoes. She felt the reason that her tomatoes did so well was that she had used the Neem Tree Granules around the plants for whitefly control and this she presumed also saved the plants from the psyllid damage.
My concerns are for newbie gardeners whom are starting to grow their own vegetables and if they are not aware of the possible problems, then have failures, they may lose heart and go back to purchasing the produce they consume.
It is a aspect of human nature that failures can result in disbanding a project with the negative thought that they are not capable. There are others who accept failures, not as their fault, but as a learning experience. They find out that they are not actually at fault, they just did not have the knowledge needed to succeed. There is a good saying in this regard, ‘When things get tough, the tough get going’.
There is only one gardener that I know of that can plant a seed and most of the time that seed will grow into a good mature plant with very little problem. That gardener is called Nature.
For all us other gardeners we have to learn to follow Nature and the natural patterns, because we are imposing our will, to obtain the results we desire, we need to be vigilant and learn the pit falls.
In regards to insect pest problems we need to start right at the beginning of the season and check all the plants and weeds in our patch for the first sign of a problem.
To do this all you need is a reasonably good eye and its best to do your checks later in the day, towards dusk, but any time will do.
Besides actually looking for insect pests there are a number of signs that indicate that they are there or have been.
Holes in leaves, distorted leaves, scarring of leaves such as silvery leaves on rhododendrons.
If there is a number of ants running up and down a plant then chances are there is some insect secreting honey dew which the ants are after. This can show later as black sooty mold on the leaves as the honey dew forms this mould overtime.
It is the new leaves that are the most succulent to pest insects and these are the ones to check the most. Old damage will take time to grow out of, new damage will usually be with the growth tips or leaves.
Excessive nitrogen from man made fertilisers make for soft tender growth that insects love.
If you find new holes in leaves and cannot find a caterpillar or other insect present then the damage maybe caused by any of the following, slugs, snails, beetles or birds.
(There is also some diseases that will cause small holes but often there is a discoloration around the damage)
It can pay to go outside with a torch after dark and check for the nocturnal pests such as beetles, slugs and snails. The later two can be seen in moist conditions more readily than dry times.
There is another problem that can face gardeners who are vigilant and keep their gardens free of pests on all plants and weeds and that is invasions from next door, especially from neighbours that do not garden and have no concerns about what happens in their patch.
In these cases it will be an on going battle through the summer and autumn to keep the invaders getting established on your plants.
Neem Tree Granules can help with some plants by simply sprinkling them on the soil in the root zone and repeating every 6 to 8 weeks with fresh granules. The main plants for this would be tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brassicas.
Regular sprays of Neem Tree Oil with Key Pyrethrum added to obtain complete coverage of the foliage and done later in the day, just prior to dusk will assist in control.
An alternative would be sprays of Professor Mac’s 3 in 1 for lawns, diluted and applied at the rate one 1 litre to 25 litres of water (200mls to 5lites of water)
All of the above sprays are natural and safer to use than chemical poisons.
Dependant on the problem; will depend on the frequency you need to spray to gain control.
If you wish to use a prevention program then likely a two weekly spray would be about right but if you start to see a build up of a pest insect then a weekly program should be applied (or more frequently) till control is gained.
In regards to growing potatoes and tomatoes and the psyllid pest I would suggest placing Neem Tree Granules in the planting hole and also sprinkling the same on the soil surface.
In the early part of the season an occasional spray of the foliage all over with Neem Tree Oil and Key Pyrethrum.
As the season progresses and the weather warms then maybe a two weekly spray.
Later once fully into summer a weekly spray maybe needed.
Early crops will be least affected where later crops will be greatly affected in any area where the pest has established.
Day Light savings begins on the 27th September this year which means you will have a bit more time in the evenings to get some gardening done.
I received a poster from an email friend of mine who's name is Running Bear (he is a North American Native, living in New Zealand)
The poster has a picture of an elderly Native American Indian and reads, ‘When told the reason for daylight saving time, the Old Indian said “Only the government would believe that if you cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”
Remember whether you are an experienced gardener or a new gardener, be vigilant and don't let insect pests ruin your gardening efforts.