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Garden Gate:  Potato Beetles  |
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Woodswoman
True Blue Farmgirl
512 Posts
Jennifer
Altamont
NY
USA
512 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 15 2008 : 5:16:05 PM
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Hello!
In addition to my own garden, I help run a community organic garden at the school where I teach. Most of the food gets donated to our regional food bank. At the community garden we have two small fields of potatoes that are being wiped out by potato beetles.
We've tried having people pick them off by hand, but there are so many we can't keep up with them as well as the weeding, harvesting,etc.
Does anyone know of an organic method of getting rid of them? We've also tried a soap mixture. All that did was give us very clean beetles!
Thanks so much!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2008 : 5:39:46 PM
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It is discouraging isn't it? I haven't grown potatoes for years but I remember how awful the potato bugs were. we used to squash some of them, I used a couple wooden shingles , and leave the shingles in the garden, and kind of smear them on the plants, that seemed to help a little. The only other thing I remember was trying to keep the dirt hilled up really high. I have never used any bug stuff, and I'm sure this just sounds like the ravings of an old lunatic, but I couldn't help but post, just to offer my sympathy, at least...
karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2008 : 7:08:38 PM
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We just had a few this time, Jennifer, and I called my local extension office, explaining that I wanted organic methods in dealing with them. They gave me 2-3 different solutions, one of which was Neem (don't know if that's how it was spelled)...noone around me carried it, so I just plucked em' off with tweezers. Try giving them a call, though. They might have a good solution for you.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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Garden Gate: Potato Beetles |
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Potato Beetles
