Preventing and controling bugs? (outdoors)

[Mountaineer]

I figure that most of us learn from mistakes .

Heres one of my mistakes .

I started seedling outdoors with next to no bug prevention .

Here are before / after pics taken just a few hours apart:

If I had only taken measures to prevent / control bugs , my seedling would still be healthy .

I share this in hopes that others don't make the same mistake .

Bugs are bad this year . This one of the worse years I had dealing with bugs .
I think it has something to to with the unusually warm spring .
Nevertheless , if I had only used some old screen wire around the seedlings , the damage could have been avoided .

 

[decrimCA]

Yes, bugs are bad. Learned that one in my grow room, and it's made me nervous every time to try an outdoor grow.

thanks for passing this on!

 

[Mountaineer]

Thanks for stopping by decrimCA

Don't let bugs discourage you from growing outdoors .

The seedling got its outer leafs eaten off , but it was my fault .

I didn't take the extra step to protect it from the bugs.

The surrounding area had been treated for bugs , but the seedling in the pot sat there untreated and unprotected , stripped of its first leaflets by bugs .
If i had only taken the extra step and put some window screen wire around the pot .
Something that I should have done in the first place , but I cut a corner and allowed the bugs to cut away at my seedling . I knew better , but I took a shortcut .

I hope others will learn from my mistake and not take shortcuts when it comes to preventing bugs and other pests .

 

[BOMBAYCAT]

I tried Neem on my peppers and kittys catnip as the bugs were nibbling on them. Surprised it works so well. I think Neem is pretty non selective as it kills most bugs. I am a little worried about the bees though so I don't spread it around too much. Slugs are a problem here so I buy cheap beer and bury part of a can. The slugs smell the beer and come from all over the yard to join the party.

 

[Rambro]

sevin dust on the plants, and lawn/yard pesticide granules all around the area.

 

[Mountaineer]

Thanks Friends ,

I treated the 8x8 area around the seedlings . . . dust , sprays , etc . . . but I'm not comfortable treating the seedlings too heavily . I did mist them lightly tho .

A couple of late seedlings isn't much of a loss for me , but could be somewhat devastating to the new grower with only a 5 pack of fem beans . That's mainly why I share this loss with everyone .

I want to encourage the new grower to use some window screen wire over / around their seedlings until they are well established , 3 to 4 nodes high , then the powder and / or sprays should suffice .

Bugs are out thick in my part of the world this year , and a late start will need all the extra protection you can give them .

Thanks again for chiming in everybody

Mountaineer

 

[MicroSpy]

Most of organic sprays are photodegradable in a short time, due to the UV effects, directly under the sun.The secret is repetition of treatment along the time.
Good Luck!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I have had a lot less problems with bugs outdoors than indoors so far for some reason. I do hose them down with Neem about every 2 weeks after the sun goes down (to avoid burn, I have seen the damage from wet plants and hot intense light, ouch). I had a couple bugs munch and I killed them and haven't had a problem since. I DID have to build a 7' tall fence for deer and elk though I think it helps that I had mine to about 3ft tall indoors and put them out around June 7th so they are nice and strong plants already. I love growing under the sun! This is only my second season but my first one went well. Good luck and happy gardening

 

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[Mountaineer]

Thanks for stopping by everybody

I would like to be able to start off indoors, but that just isn't an option for me. I have to start from seed, veg, take a cutting and do light deprivation to determine sex, and then clone. All of this I do outdoors.
I just can't afford to lose a home that I worked 30 years to buy because the feds fail to recognize my medicine for its medical value.

 

[MicroSpy]

Have you ever tried phyrethrum?
Pick up the flowers, dried them and then make a mince with water in reason of 1:10.
Let stand overnight then percolate through a strainer.
Repeat many times the treatment in spray way will take away lot bugs.
Anyway, these products are avaible in small garden markets often in full organic version!

 

[idiit]

i've been growing outdoors 20+ years in my environment ( se usa) and bugs will get thru any type of screens to the young seedlings per my experience. i've used a variety of bug prevention measures to no avail. here's the only one that works for me; transplant large established plants outside from a secure indoor area. i tp 18 in. plants down 6 in. into the ground so my tps at "planting" time are 12 in. tall. 100% survival from bugs.

i use diatomaceous earth on the foliage and around the base stalk. i also handpick off heavily infested leaves if a bug does lay its eggs on my plants.



coyotes, racoons, misc. furry critters will dig up a freshly planted rootball so i use other deterrents for that problem.

 

[DevilWeedSeeds]

Been growing a long time outdoors, nothing worst then bugs (well maybe getting ripped off). I feel you get better every year at learning ways to mange the bug/slug attacks. I've seen slugs chew a two foot plant to bits in one night.

 

[theclosetfarmer]

Try this mix some liquid dish soap, water, & a pack of tobacco for rolling cigs in a pan. Simmer for 20 min or so and strain the gunk out. Now just spray it on your plant and any bugs you see. People have used soap/nicotine as a pesticide for thousands of years & it works great.