Nerdy Millennial

Top Menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Main Menu

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Nerdy Millennial

Nerdy Millennial

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
Gardening
Home›At Home›Gardening›Confusing The Bugs! Organic Garden Trick or Treat

Confusing The Bugs! Organic Garden Trick or Treat

By Pamela Kimsey
October 6, 2011
847
0

A well worth the effort method in organic gardening is planning your planting times to avoid the life cycles of those annoying garden pests that seek to kill and destroy your lovely vegetables. Although it is not a method that can stand alone, it is a tremendous benefit.

One of my favorite tricks is fooling the squash bugs and squash borers that can plague a southern garden. What I've found to work great is growing your summer squash in the fall and your winter squash in the spring. Although I never give up on some glorious and tasty summer squash growing in the spring, I know I will have to deal with the bugs. By planting summer squash in mid-July so to flourish in fall I find no bugs at all. You heard me right!! The squash bugs are all sleeping!! So I get the treat!!

Growing winter squash in the spring successfully is a matter of variety. Also, early bird always gets the worm, so if you can start them in pots to go in the garden quickly you may find you've beaten the squash bugs and borers for the early stages of plant development. You can bet that they shall still emerge from slumber to mate and lay eggs in your squash plants. You must monitor your plants carefully to detect any bugs and eggs and destroy them. It takes about 10 days or so for the eggs to hatch out and then you have an infestation on your hands. Another little trick I've found to work is simply to sprinkle a little Diatomaceous earth also known as diatomite or kieselgur and is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock. When insects walk across it, it actually cuts their bodies and kills them. For some that it doesn't work on as well, it at least seems to make them go elsewhere. You must be careful when using Diatomaceous earth or any other substance so that it doesn't do harm to any beneficial insects. One beneficial is the Wolf Spider for they eat squash bugs. Then, of course, you wouldn't want to bring any harm to your best helpmate, the bumblebee so they may be busy pollinating your flowers. I only sprinkle a little at the base of the plant when I've detected a problem.

The best winter squash variety that I've found to have the least problems with squash bugs are Butternuts. Some others to try are Acorns and Sweet Cheese for spring. I've found no problems what so ever with squash borers on these. They seem totally uninterested.

Be sure to have your beds well prepared in advance for your new seedlings and for direct sowing. The beds that contain the most organic matter and compost have the least problems with the squash bugs. Be sure your organic matter consists of plenty of green manure as well as brown. This will set them off to greater growth development at a faster rate in the beginning by having plenty of nitrogen and other nutrients. So don't give up on growing squash and by no means ever give up growing organically. With just a few tricks and learning your insects' life cycles, we can all have a splendid bountiful harvest.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Pamela Kimsey
Pamela Kimsey
Pammy is a organic gardener in Southeast Texas who believes diversity with natural habitats is the key to a successful garden. With a background as a commercial grower and manager for a large wholesale nursery, she became quickly dismayed with the over use of chemicals and the effects they have on life and the environment.
Pamela Kimsey
Latest posts by Pamela Kimsey (see all)
  • Wild Dagga Motherwort Medicinal Herb - November 11, 2013
  • Grow The Best Organic Lettuce - November 4, 2013
  • Spiced Applesauce Honey Nut Bread Recipe - October 27, 2013
TagsLife Cycle of Squash BugOrganic Garden MethodSummer SquashWinter Squash

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Send Me Blog Updates!

You Might Also Like...

  • 5 Empowering Tips to Ignore Everybody and Live Your Best Life
    CareerCollegeEntrepreneurshipFeatured

    5 Empowering Tips to Ignore Everybody and Live Your Best Life

  • Oil-Free French Fries: Seasoned and Oven Baked
    RecipesFeaturedNutritionSide DishesSnacksVegan

    Oil-Free French Fries: Seasoned and Oven Baked

  • Simple Rules for Growing Your Pinterest Account and Traffic in 2020
    Social MediaFeatured

    Simple Rules for Growing Your Pinterest Account and Traffic in 2020

  • Easy Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes
    FeaturedMain DishesVegan

    Easy Vegan Lentil Sloppy Joes

About Nerdy Millennial

Hello, I'm Vanessa

Creator and curator of Nerdy Millennial.

This blog all about millennials sharing their passion, ideas, and expertise about blogging, healthy living, self-improvement, education, parenting, and more!

Interested in contributing? Contact us to pitch your idea or submit an article.

Featured

FeaturedHealth and FitnessNutrition

Heart attack rates rise each winter: Nutritionist recommends these simple food changes to help reduce ...

Experts aren’t sure why people are more likely to have a heart attack during the winter than any other time of year. If you are inspired to take charge of ...
  • The 7 Money-Saving Strategies Every Parent Needs to Know

    The 7 Money-Saving Strategies Every Parent Needs to Know

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 23, 2020
  • Becoming an Online Counselor: The Pros and Credentials Needed

    Becoming an Online Counselor: The Pros and Credentials Needed

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • 4 Steps to Finding the Best Counselor for You

    4 Steps to Finding the Best Counselor for You

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

    The Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • What is the Difference between Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum, and Isolate CBD

    By Contributing Author
    August 11, 2020
  • How Lack of Boundaries and Dishonored Feelings Affect Your Mental and Physical Health

    How Lack of Boundaries and Dishonored Feelings Affect Your Mental and Physical Health

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 24, 2020
  • The Importance of Practicing Gratefulness During Times of Uncertainty

    The Importance of Practicing Gratefulness During Times of Uncertainty

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 16, 2020
  • 6 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

    6 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 14, 2020
  • Ways to Filter Your Facebook Feed and Posts

    Ways to Filter Your Facebook Feed and Posts

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 13, 2020

    Join Us on Facebook

    Latest Comments

    • Turn Your Love of Fitness Into a Career
      on
      November 26, 2020
      […] you might want to consider getting into some sport professionally, or even just on a ...

      9 Ways to Turn Your Fitness Into A Career

    • https://apnews.com/article/7799dc8a7083f61bb1c9f1f3dba8c30a
      on
      November 25, 2020
      Trackback [...]https://apnews.com/article/7799dc8a7083f61bb1c9f1f3dba8c30a

      Are Pre and Post Workout Supplements Worth It? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

    • Dr. Oz Answers
      on
      July 23, 2020
      Trackback [...]Dr. Oz Answers

      Are Pre and Post Workout Supplements Worth It? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

    • Some Careers That Challenge You Each Day - CareerAlley
      on
      June 9, 2020
      […] development might not be about saving lives but it’s certainly a career that challenges you ...

      How To Build On Your Career

    • 4 Surprising Benefits of Using Instagram for Your Business - Atelier Magazine
      on
      June 3, 2020
      […] More brands are combining Instagram approaches into their marketing strategies, and it leads to business ...

      A Guide to Creating Your Instagram Strategy

    Flickr

      • Home
      • About
      • Contact Us
      • Write For Us
      • Comment Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
      We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
      Cookie settingsACCEPT
      Manage consent

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled

      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

      Non-necessary

      Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

      SAVE & ACCEPT