My garden is dying

[Burlykatz73]

I started my garden back in March...zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, to.atillos, potatoes, peppers. To date, I have only had a handful of tomatoes! Everything looks like its dying.
My 1st issue was chipmunks digging holes and stealing all of the young zucchini. Next came the vine borers in my pumpkin... which killed the big beautiful plant. My tomatillo and pepper AND basil plants look like lace from something chewing holes in them. There r white flies on my cucumber plant, and my tomato plants look as tho they are dying also after I FINALLY got rid of the horn worms. I have used neem oil, have blasted the plants with strong water from the hose to get rid of the white flies, used blood meal and miracle grow plant food. I have put a small FORTUNE into this garden that WAS bringing me so much joy. Now I'm feeling totally defeated.
Any help is GREATLY appreciated. There are still tomatoes growing on the higher vines, and I do see small cucumbers, but, overall, my garden does NOT look healthy. HELP ME!!!

 

[Tjohn]

Sadly, most of us seem to be going through the same thing... this has been a year of bad weather(snow in June) worse weather (the hottest July on record),an explosion of mice and insects (some of which have never been seen this far north),and now torrential rains.. All we can do is hope next year is better.........

 

[Chuck]

I started my garden back in March...zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, to.atillos, potatoes, peppers. To date, I have only had a handful of tomatoes! Everything looks like its dying.
My 1st issue was chipmunks digging holes and stealing all of the young zucchini. Next came the vine borers in my pumpkin... which killed the big beautiful plant. My tomatillo and pepper AND basil plants look like lace from something chewing holes in them. There r white flies on my cucumber plant, and my tomato plants look as tho they are dying also after I FINALLY got rid of the horn worms. I have used neem oil, have blasted the plants with strong water from the hose to get rid of the white flies, used blood meal and miracle grow plant food. I have put a small FORTUNE into this garden that WAS bringing me so much joy. Now I'm feeling totally defeated.
Any help is GREATLY appreciated. There are still tomatoes growing on the higher vines, and I do see small cucumbers, but, overall, my garden does NOT look healthy. HELP ME!!!

Well, I cannot help with the chipmonks but I can with everything else. The vine borers are the worst problem you have but thankfully they usually are only a problem for a certain period and you can, with diligence, take care of them. The first thing is to KEEP a dusting of Dipel dust on the first 2 feet of vine. The moth flies in and lays its egg, the egg hatches a tiny little worm and the worm eats its way into the stem of the plant. In most cases the Dipel will kill the worm before it can chew into the middle of the stem, but, in case it does you must keep a close watch for it frass. Frass looks like sawdust. When you see the sawdust get a large hypodermic needle and fill it up with Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) aka Bio Worm killer, and inject all over the area of the sawdust for about 6 inches before and after where the sawdust is. This will kill the worm. Then place dirt over the area of the sawdust.. For all of the rest of the bugs you are having problems with use a spinosad based product, preferably Spinosad Soap. And use a good fertiizer, not Miracle Grow junk. In the future use Bt worm killer for the hornworms when you first see them. Neem is a good product but not for the issues you are having. It is best used to kill eggs and bugs such as spider mites. It is also a fairly good fungicide.

 

[Burlykatz73]

Well, I cannot help with the chipmonks but I can with everything else. The vine borers are the worst problem you have but thankfully they usually are only a problem for a certain period and you can, with diligence, take care of them. The first thing is to KEEP a dusting of Dipel dust on the first 2 feet of vine. The moth flies in and lays its egg, the egg hatches a tiny little worm and the worm eats its way into the stem of the plant. In most cases the Dipel will kill the worm before it can chew into the middle of the stem, but, in case it does you must keep a close watch for it frass. Frass looks like sawdust. When you see the sawdust get a large hypodermic needle and fill it up with Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) aka Bio Worm killer, and inject all over the area of the sawdust for about 6 inches before and after where the sawdust is. This will kill the worm. Then place dirt over the area of the sawdust.. For all of the rest of the bugs you are having problems with use a spinosad based product, preferably Spinosad Soap. And use a good fertiizer, not Miracle Grow junk. In the future use Bt worm killer for the hornworms when you first see them. Neem is a good product but not for the issues you are having. It is best used to kill eggs and bugs such as spider mites. It is also a fairly good fungicide.

THANK U!!!!! What type of fertilizer do u use?

 

[Burlykatz73]

THANK U!!!!! What type of fertilizer do u use?

Sorry. And what brand of Spinosad Soap?

 

[Chuck]

THANK U!!!!! What type of fertilizer do u use?

I only use OMRI labeled organic fertilizer. Right now it is Medina 3-2-3

 

[Chuck]

Sorry. And what brand of Spinosad Soap?

Spinosad Soap is a fairly new product and right now the only manufacturer is Ferti-loam. Many manufacturers make spinosad concentrate but IMO the soap adds a little extra. Spinosad is totally harmless to people and pets and will control just about any insect or caterpillar you will encounter.