Tag: garden pests

 

 

One of the areas of gardening I still have a lot to learn is in how to deal with diseases and pests in my garden.  I have learned a great deal through reading books and blog posts.  And through that reading I became convinced that organic gardening, eco-friendly controls, works best.  And I have found the evidence for this in my garden results.

But I think my veg garden still is a hot bed for pests and problems that I have yet to control particularly with tomatoes.  I have posted about companion planting which really has been very beneficial in my veg garden, but I still have issues with tomatoes.  I think veg gardening is such a gamble because you never know what pest will infiltrate and destroy a whole crop, like the voles destroying most of my beans this year.

But in my determination to learn more and find answers, I found a great book that I wanted to share with you.  I have read several similar books, but this my favorite.  I will be linking in with Holley’s Garden Book Review on the 20th.

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Protect Your Garden: Eco-Friendly Solutions for Healthy Plants

 

Author:  Rosenthal, Ed

Paperback:   208 pages

Publisher:  Quick American Archives; 2 SUB edition (April 9, 2013)

Amazon Price: $18.34 (paperback)

 

 

 

 

 

 

In A Few Words

This book is easily summed up in the author’s own words:

This book is a troubleshooting guide for indoor and outdoor gardeners.  It is meant to take you over the bumps and help you solve garden problems….you will have no need to worry that the cure may be worse than the disease.

 

The book is split into 5 sections:

• Section 1-covers pests in your garden such as aphids, ants, beetles, deer, slugs to name a few.
• Section 2-details many of the diseases that attack plants like wilt, powdery mildew and black spot.
• Section 3-is chock full of information about the nutrients plants need and how to identify deficiencies.
• Section 4-lists environmental stresses and how to alleviate them.
• Section 5-gives a more detailed guide to the controls found in the preceding sections; these are referred to as eco-friendly solutions.

 

 

What I Liked

One of the first things you see when you open the book is a colorful guide to the most common pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies which is a great way to eyeball any of the pests you will likely see in your garden that might be giving you headaches.

Each section has loads of info that helps you understand more about the problem.  I like this because once I have a deeper understanding, I can utilize the solutions better, diagnosis a problem quicker, prevent more problems and apply the solutions to other similar situations.

In the Pest section you learn:  how common they are, what they look like, what plants they attack, where they are found on the plant, what they do to the plant, exclusion and prevention of the pest, controls, beneficial biologicals and interesting facts.  For example I still have problems with ants in one of my veg beds.  They suggest sprinkling the surface and/or brewing a tea from spices such as cayenne, cinnamon, lemon balm or mint to name just a few.  I have lemon balm growing all over and there are clumps near the other beds.  I think I will grow some near this bed and scatter leaves on the bed then wash it all down with a lemon balm tea.  I’ll let you know what happens.

The sections on Diseases and Nutrients were of particular interest to me as I continue to have tomato issues.  I believe some are from diseases like wilt, but some also are from a lack of nutrients.  Both sections give loads of details to help diagnose what is going on.  The author uses lots of pictures of tomato leaves with these issues which is very helpful.. I guess I’m not the only one with tomato problems.

While the Disease section goes into great detail much like the Pest section, the Nutrient section teaches you about the symptoms, mobility, role in plant nutrition, how to correct the deficiency and how common it can be.

I really liked the details of the eco-friendly solutions including beneficial insects like the one in the first picture.  And the resources guide at the end was an added bonus to introduce you to more companies that specialize in safe products.

 

 

Not So Much

There is nothing I disliked about the book.  But I am always wary of so-called “safe” products.  So I caution you to do a thorough check of all companies and products, as I have found some that appeared safe actually loaded with poisons and chemicals.

 

Final Thoughts

This book is beneficial for all gardeners (in many different places around the world) whether you have just started or you have been at it for 20 or more years.  The solutions for troubleshooting problems in your garden work for flowers and vegetables.  I think one of the biggest reasons I like this book is that Ed Rosenthal gives you so many safe controls for pests so you can be assured you are not using harmful chemicals….and these are not just safe for you and pets, but safe for those very special critters (especially pollinators) in your garden.

****Run your cursor over the picture to find out what the problem is****

Blogger friend Judith@Lavender Cottage also reviewed this book.  I learned about this great book from Judith.  Check out her book review and blog.

 

Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.  ~ Henry John Kaiser

 

 

 

 

 

Summer is waning and fall will be here soon.  I hope you will join me for Seasonal Celebrations starting September 1st.  Read more about it below.