Protecting Seedlings

[DancingLady]

A couple years ago we tried to grow several varieties of flowers from seeds. We got quite a few sprouts, and then they were all gone. We think the bugs ate them or something. Does anyone have an effective, organic way to protect seedlings from getting eaten?

 

[Chuck]

A couple years ago we tried to grow several varieties of flowers from seeds. We got quite a few sprouts, and then they were all gone. We think the bugs ate them or something. Does anyone have an effective, organic way to protect seedlings from getting eaten?

Sowing seeds in the ground can be frustrating. There are all kinds of bugs that find fresh young tender seedlings very tasty. I don't grow flowers but I do sow a lot of seeds on stuff like beets, spinach, carrots etc. and the best thing I have found to reduce the damage is to use Spinosad as a soil drench before I plant and when the seed are up I spray them with spinosad. If it is dry I also heavily dust with diatomaceous earth. My main culprits are pill bugs and this helps quite a bit

 

[DancingLady]

We definitely have a lot of pill bugs, that's probably what did them in. Are those both natural products? I don't recognize the names, but then I'm a total amateur here.

 

[Chuck]

We definitely have a lot of pill bugs, that's probably what did them in. Are those both natural products? I don't recognize the names, but then I'm a total amateur here.

They are both totally organic and safe for people and pets