The Town Common
Vegetable Garden Tips
Potato Beetles
There are two ways to help beat the potato beetle: 1. Walk the rows and squish every beetle, and check the underside of the leaves for yellow clusters of tiny eggs. Squish out the eggs. Very time consuming…
- Straw! Spread a thin covering (very loose, scattered everywhere) around your plants and in the trough between plants. Water the straw. You’ve just created a great home for spiders and other beneficial insects. Be sure to water the straw when you water your plants, or sprinkle the straw occasionally to provide some moisture. With spiders and beneficial insects, your potato beetle population goes from crazy to barely visible. Remember, only resort to using store-bought products such as Neem oil if you’re way behind the infestation and in danger of massive plant damage. Why a solution of last resort? Because even Neem oil will damper or kill-off your beneficial insects. As a side note, Neem oil is a great product for squash plants! Don’t grow zuccini or summer squash without checking out Neem oil. ♦
