As organic gardeners, we’re never on a mission to outright eradicate anything. Nor should a garden be “perfect”, free of pests or occasional plant damage! Yet following an unusually extra-wet winter, our garden has been overrun with more slugs than ever this spring. So in an effort to reduce their population, protect our plants from further damage, and avoid the use of chemical slug bait, we set up a few slug beer traps instead.

Why do slugs like beer? How do beer traps work? 

Because slugs like to party! Just kidding. Slugs are attracted to beer primarily because of the sweet, fermented yeasty aroma. That said, other forms of fermented yeast may attract slugs too, including watered-down sourdough starter! (Yes, we tried it, and it works quite well.)

Beer traps work by luring in slugs, and as they enter and drink the beer, they become intoxicated, can’t get back out, and drown. One limitation is that beer traps typically only attract slugs within the immediate vicinity, or about 3 feet away. Therefore, you may need to use several traps throughout the garden or a couple per garden bed. 

What other pests are attracted to beer traps?

In addition to slugs, beer traps attract a number of other garden pests including pill bugs (rollie pollies), snails, earwigs (pincher bugs), and cutworms. We often find a variety of insects in our beer traps – but thankfully never any bees, ladybugs, lacewings, or other “good guys”. Larger critters may also be attracted to the beer however. On occasion, our beer traps have been relocated and licked clean (including the slugs being eaten) by what we suspect is a raccoon or maybe an opossum. 

Are pill bugs bad in the garden?

Not necessarily! Pill bugs or rollie pollies are not usually bad in the garden. They primarily eat decaying matter, which actually helps improve organic matter and nutrient cycling in the soil. However, if there is a robust enough population of pill bugs and not enough other food sources, they can quickly become pests and turn to eating garden plants.

Pill bugs are especially attracted to ripe fruit, tender new seedlings and sprouts. That can be very frustrating, so we’ve used beer traps for rollie pollies when necessary too. Leaving a few unwanted leaves or bits of produce lying on the soil (e.g. melon rinds) can also give rollie pollies something to munch on – besides your plants!

What’s the best beer for slug traps?

Slugs and snails are not too picky about their beer. Any beer can work in a trap, though slugs seem especially drawn to light, yeasty beers like lagers, pilsners, hefeweizen, or blonde ales. Plus, slugs are a cheap date – no need to give them your premium brews!

What kind of container is best to make a beer trap?

You can make a slug beer trap out of any kind of upcycled container – as long as it has a wide opening and can hold a couple inches of beer inside. Most gardeners use wide shallow containers, though I’ve seen some beer traps that are more narrow and deep too (like a water bottle).  

Save and rinse out cat food cans, dog food cans, or tuna cans work great! Other ideas include plastic food storage (tupperware) containers, aluminum pie pans, used cottage cheese, yogurt, margarine, or sour cream tubs, cut water bottles, plastic cups, or similar. I’m sure you already have something on hand!

How to Make a Slug Beer Trap

Instructions

1. Partially bury the beer trap so the top rim of the container is about level with the surrounding soil – especially if your container is tall or has a curved rim. That way, slugs or pillbugs can crawl and fall right in the top. This is especially important if your goal is to trap rollie pollies. We haven’t found it necessary to trap slugs with cat food cans though. We set the cans right on top of soil or gravel, and the slugs easily crawl up the short straight sides and into the trap. 
   
   
2. Fill the trap about one-third to half full with beer, depending on the size of the container. Add at least an inch of beer in the bottom of the trap (up to 2 or 3 inches), but there’s no need to waste beer by filling a large trap with more than that. Also don’t fill the trap all the way to the top of the container, which makes it too easy to crawl back out.
   
   
3. Tuck the beer trap in the shade under slug-prone plants like lettuce, strawberries, or other areas with a lot of slug activity. Hint: look for shiny slug trails and place the beer traps nearby! Remember, beer traps will only draw in slugs, snails and pillbugs that are fairly close by (within 3 feet) so make several beer traps throughout the garden as needed.
   
   
4. For the best results, dump the slug beer trap contents, rinse, and refresh the container with fresh beer every couple of days. Warning: they do tend to get pretty stinky after a few days. Also keep in mind the beer will evaporate more quickly in hot conditions, so you’ll want to make the beer a tad deeper initially or refresh it more often.

And that’s how to make beer traps for slugs, pill bugs, and more.

Well folks, I hope this tip helps you control pests and minimize plant damage in your garden. If needed, you can also browse 10 organic ways to control slugs and snails here. Please consider sharing this post of leave a rating below if you found it useful! Now go crack open a brew and pour one out for the slug homies. Cheers!

Don’t miss these related organic pest control articles:

• 8 Organic Ways to Get Rid of Cabbage Worms & Moths
• Organic Aphid Control: 9 Ways to Kill or Get Rid of Aphids
• Homemade Pest Insect Soap Spray Recipe
• How to Use Hoops & Row Covers for Pest Control, Shade & Frost Protection
• How to Properly Mix, Emulsify & Use Neem Oil in the Garden
• Companion Planting 101 + Free Companion Planting Chart

Print

Homemade Slug Beer Trap (Pill Bugs or Rollie Pollies)

Got slugs? Come learn how to make DIY beer traps to attract and kill slugs, snails, pill bugs and more. Homemade beer traps are a cheap, easy and effective way to control slug populations in the garden when necessary. They really do work!

Keyword beer trap pill bugs, garden beer trap, slug beer trap, snail beer trap

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Equipment

• wide shallow container (examples: cat food or tuna cans, tupperware container, plastic cup, cottage cheese or yogurt container, aluminum pie pan)

Ingredients

• beer (light yeasty beer preferred, such as lager, pilsner, or blonde ales)
• or sourdough starter (mixed with water)

Instructions

• Choose a location with snail, slug or pillbug activity. Put the trap in the shade under plants if possible.
• Partially bury the trap container, so the rim is about level with (or just above) the surrounding soil level.
• Fill the container with 1-3 inches of beer, or about 1/3 to 1/2 full (depending on depth of the container) but not completely full. OR, mix a large spoonful of sourdough starter with water instead of beer.
• Beer traps will only draw in slugs, snails and pill bugs that are fairly close by (within 3 feet) so make several beer traps throughout the garden as needed.
• Dump the slug beer trap contents, rinse, and refresh the container with fresh beer every couple of days. (Keep in mind the beer will evaporate more quickly in hot conditions, so you’ll want to make the beer a tad deeper initially or refresh it more often.)

The post Homemade Beer Traps: Get Rid of Slugs, Pillbugs and More appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Instead, read along to learn all about tomato blossom end rot – including what really works to stop it, and what doesn’t! We’ll explore tips about fertilizer, irrigation, mulch, resistant varieties, growing tomatoes in containers, and more. Then you can sit back and enjoy a bounty of healthy, juicy, rot-free tomatoes this summer. 

What is tomato blossom end rot?

Blossom end rot (BER) is a disorder that causes black, leathery, rotten spots on tomatoes. It occurs on the bottom end of the fruit (opposite of the stem) where the blossom was once attached – hence the name. In addition to being unsightly, BER reduces the quality and quantity of fruit grown. As the condition worsens, mold may also start to grow on the sunken black lesions.

Blossom end rot can also affect peppers, eggplant and zucchini, but tomatoes are more susceptible. Plus, the primary cause of end rot in zucchini (or other squash) is usually a lack of pollination, which is not the case for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Learn how to hand-pollinate squash to prevent end rot here! Finally, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are also susceptible to sunburn or sun-scalding – where direct sun during extreme heat causes similar lesions on the fruit – which is sometimes confused with BER.

What causes blossom end rot in tomatoes?

Blossom end rot is a physiological disorder caused by inadequate nutrients, stress and growing conditions – not by a disease, fungus, virus, or bacteria. This can be good news, because it’s often much easier to control and adjust growing conditions than pests or disease!

The primary cause of tomato blossom end rot is the insufficient calcium uptake by the plants, exacerbated by inconsistent water supply, poor irrigation practices, and stress. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the soil is lacking sufficient calcium! It simply means the plants are not able to utilize it for fruit development as needed. Damage to plant roots (e.g. root pruning) and overly acidic soil can also lead to calcium deficiency and BER.

Consistent, even, deep watering enables tomatoes to uptake and distribute calcium throughout the plant’s vascular system. On the other hand, extreme fluctuations in soil moisture levels from drought conditions, underwatering, heavy rains, or overwatering prevents tomato plants from getting the calcium they need. Meaning, even if soil has adequate calcium (which it often does!) tomatoes may develop blossom end rot if they’re subject to irregular watering or root stress. Even brief changes in water supply can lead to BER.

Myths about tomato blossom end rot

• Crushed eggshells do not prevent blossom end rot. I’m sure you’ve heard the old “put crushed eggshells in your tomato planting hole” hack, right? Truth be told, that won’t help. First of all, the type of calcium found in crushed eggshells (insoluble calcium carbonate) is incredibly difficult for plants to utilize. It’s bound and trapped within the shells. Grinding eggshells into a very fine powder makes the calcium somewhat more available, but still won’t help prevent BER if the other causes aren’t being addressed – such as wonky irrigation practices.
  
  
• Epsom salts do not prevent tomato blossom end rot – and can actually make it worse! Like the eggshell hack, I often see recommendations to add epsom salts to the soil when planting tomatoes. Chemically speaking, epsom salts are made of magnesium sulfate and do not contain calcium. According to the University of Hawaii,  “the presence of excessive amounts of magnesium, sodium, or potassium in the soil interferes with calcium availability”. Therefore, adding epsom salts to soil can worsen calcium deficiency and BER! 

Are tomatoes with blossom end rot still edible? 

Yes, it is safe to eat the remaining good portion of a tomato that has blossom end rot. Simply cut off the affected black portion and enjoy the rest! However, if the rot is advanced and mold has infiltrated the center of the tomato, toss it in the compost instead. Since it’s not caused by a disease, tomatoes with blossom end rot do not pose a risk to your compost pile. 

7 Ways to Prevent Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes

Now let’s talk about 7 ways to prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes, followed by ways to treat or stop it once it starts. The following tips apply to preventing BER in squash, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, or melons. Keep reading below for tips on BER and potted tomatoes too!

1) Amend Soil Before Planting 

It’s important to grow tomatoes in soil that is both well-draining, but also rich in organic matter and has good moisture retention properties. It’s all about balance! Amend heavy clay soil with bagged potting soil, compost, horticulture sand, small volcanic rock, pumice, or other amendments that promote better drainage. On the other hand, add plenty of well-aged compost, worm castings, and organic matter to sandy soil to improve moisture retention. (Learn about our raised bed soil blend here.)

Before planting tomatoes, amend garden soil with a well-balanced, slow release organic fertilizer like this – which contains plenty of calcium, along with essential macro and micronutrients too. Sprinkle it over the soil surface, lightly scratch it into the top couple inches, and then water it all in. 

At the time of planting, we also like to add a small sprinkle of crab meal (high in calcium) directly to the planting hole below the tomato root ball, along with some worm castings and mycorrhizae – explained more below. Both help to support healthy root growth and nutrient uptake! 

2) Develop a Consistent Watering Schedule

Watering tomato plants consistently is the best way to prevent blossom end rot. Try to develop a regular watering schedule that will give the plants approximately the same amount of water and at a set interval of time. 

That doesn’t mean more water is better though! Nor should you water tomato plants daily. In fact, it’s better to water less often but deeply rather than providing short, shallow, frequent bouts of water. Deep regular water encourages tomato plant roots to grow deep into the soil, where moisture levels stay more consistent naturally! 

The amount you water your tomatoes will vary depending on your climate, soil type, and other unique circumstances. The goal is to water often enough to keep the soil evenly and consistently damp, not swinging between sopping wet and very dry. (See tips for watering potted tomato plants below.)

Using an automated drip irrigation system helps tremendously! For instance, we run our raised bed drip irrigation system for 60 minutes twice per week early in the season (when spring weather is fairly cool and the plants are still small) and increase to 75 minutes twice per week as the plants mature and require more water. 

If you can’t set up a drip system, I highly recommend looking into GrowOya self-watering clay vessels. Before we had drip, we’d bury a couple ollas in the center of our raised beds to deliver slow, even moisture – and offset the frequency we needed to hand water! Code “deannacat” will save 5% off.

3) Use Mulch

Mulch, mulch, mulch! (Louder for the folks in the back!) Mulch is essential in preventing tomato blossom end rot, especially in hot climates. Along with suppressing weeds and insulating roots against temperature swings, one of the key functions of mulch is to reduce moisture fluctuations. By covering exposed soil, mulch reduces evaporation, prevents the top of the soil from drying out, and keeps soil more evenly damp below. Mulch also reduces the frequency and amount you have to water!

To mulch tomato plants, apply an approximately 2-inch thick layer of mulch in a wide circle around the base of the plant – or mulch the entire bed. But avoid piling mulch up directly around plant stems.

There are a number of organic garden mulch options including straw, wood chips, compost, cardboard, newspaper, pine needles, and more. In vegetable garden beds, we prefer to use a combination of compost mixed with a fine woody “soil building conditioner”. Learn more about the pros and cons of 8 types of mulch here. 

4) Use Mycorrhizae

Have you heard of mycorrhizae? It’s amazing stuff! Mycorrhizae is a beneficial fungus that colonizes plant roots. It acts like an extension of the plant’s root system, increasing access and use of valuable resources within the soil – including water, nutrients, and even air. In turn, this helps plants grow larger, healthier, and more productive than ever! Plants with robust root systems are also more resilient to stress and drought. Because mycorrhizae can aid in calcium uptake, it can also help prevent BER.

Use mycorrhizae to prevent tomato blossom end rot by sprinkling granular mycorrhizae in the planting hole (or directly on the root ball) at the time of transplanting. Be sure to apply it in direct contact with the roots and water it in after! Another option is to water tomato plants with water-soluble mycorrhizae after planting. 

5) Test Soil pH

Overly acidic soil can impede calcium uptake, leading to calcium deficiency and BER. The ideal soil pH range to grow tomatoes and prevent blossom end rot is 6.2 to 6.8 (slightly acidic).  While it’s pretty uncommon for most garden soil to be too acidic for tomatoes, use a pH meter to check soil acidity levels when in doubt. This pH meter also measures moisture levels!

If your soil is below 5.5, consider using an organic lime product to slightly raise the pH and prevent blossom end rot. Wood ash also naturally raises soil pH and contains numerous beneficial nutrients, including calcium. 

6) Apply Mid-Season Fertilizer

Young tomato plants won’t need additional fertilizer for a couple months after transplanting, especially if the soil was amended prior to planting. Yet as they begin to mature and bear a lot of fruit, tomato plants will appreciate additional fertilizer to help them keep growing strong later in the season. 

For an added boost of nutrients, we typically feed our tomatoes with compost tea and/or alfalfa meal tea once a month (in the later summer months). Another easy alternative is to sprinkle organic alfalfa meal around the base of each plant, water it in, and repeat once per month. 

7) Grow BER Resistant Tomato Varieties

A final option is to select and grow tomato varieties that are resistant to blossom end rot. Better Boy, Celebrity, Early Girl, Big Beef, Mountain Pride, Fresh Pak and Jet Star are a few examples of popular BER resistant tomato varieties that may be available at local garden centers. They aren’t 100% immune, but are far less susceptible to developing BER than most heirloom cultivars. If you’re growing from seed, read plant descriptions carefully. Unfortunately, Roma and paste varieties of tomatoes are especially prone to blossom end rot.

Personally, I would focus on getting my soil, nutrients, and water situation figured out first (because there are SO many other fun tomato varieties to grow!) – but this is a great option for folks who consistently struggle with BER despite all other efforts.

Growing Tomatoes in Containers and Blossom End Rot

Growing tomatoes in containers poses a unique challenge for avoiding blossom end rot. Some containers dry out very quickly, while others are prone to staying quite soggy. In general, potted plants typically need more frequent water than those growing in-ground or raised beds. Larger containers are better at retaining even moisture, while smaller pots tend to dry out fast.

First, ensure that your container has holes and good drainage. Next, be sure to use a soil mix that is made for containers (such as potting soil, amended with compost and/or worm castings) to help promote even moisture retention. Then, all of the other tips we’ve explored today also apply to potted tomato plants.

To prevent blossom end rot in potted tomato plants, I highly recommend using a moisture meter to monitor soil and adjust your watering schedule accordingly. Clay self-watering spikes can also help slowly deliver water to potted plants over a longer period of time, reducing undesirable moisture fluctuations. Following the same idea, a small GrowOya self-watering vessel will fit in large containers (such as a 5 to 15 gallon pot, whiskey barrel or half wine barrel) and also offers slow, steady, even water.

You could also consider growing tomatoes in this handy self-watering tomato pot.

Treating Blossom End Rot

Can blossom end rot be stopped or fixed once it starts?

Yes and no. Blossom end rot cannot be reversed in the fruit that have already started to show signs of rot – but the plant itself can be saved! If the plant’s calcium deficiency and irregular irrigation practices are quickly corrected, blossom end rot can be stopped to prevent the next round of fruit from getting it during the same growing season. And after reading this article, you’ll also know how to prevent BER in the future!

How to treat blossom end rot once it starts

To stop and correct blossom end rot, first assess your watering practices. Do your best to develop a more regular irrigation schedule that will reduce extreme moisture fluctuations in the soil (as we already explored above). That alone should help stop blossom end rot significantly. And don’t forget to mulch!

Next, there are a few ways to correct calcium deficiency and reverse blossom end rot.
Options include:

• Amend the soil with a high-calcium organic fertilizer, such as crab meal or crustacean meal. Sprinkle it around the base of the plant, lightly scratch it in, and then water well. You can also create a mild liquid calcium fertilizer by soaking dry finely-ground eggshells in water for several days, then dilute by 50% and water plants with it.
  
  
• For an even faster, better boost of calcium, consider using a water soluble calcium foliar spray. Rather than waiting for the nutrients to travel through the soil and root system, foliar sprays absorb right into the leaves and plant’s vascular system. Learn how to make a calcium foliar spray with pulverized eggshells and vinegar here. The acid in the vinegar works to “unlock” the calcium in the eggshells, significantly better than water!
  
  
• Water struggling plants with water soluble mycorrhizae to increase overall nutrient availability and uptake. 
  
  
• Test and adjust soil pH. Since overly acidic soil (below 5.5) can cause calcium deficiency in plants, use an organic lime product to raise pH to the ideal range (6.0 – 6.8) if needed. 

Cheers to growing healthy, rot-free tomatoes!

All in all, I hope this was insightful and helps to shed some light on the truth about what really causes and prevents tomato blossom end rot. If you found this article useful, please consider pinning or sharing this post! Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Finally, don’t miss out on our other related tomato-growing tips, recipes, and more! Thank you so much for tuning in today, and have a great tomato season.

You may also like:

• How to Make the Best DIY Tomato Trellis (Stake & Weave Hybrid)
• Organic Tomato Grow Guide
• Simple & Delicious Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe (Freezer Friendly)
• 6 Ways to Train, Support and Prune Tomato Plants
• DIY Tomato Cage Tutorial: Sturdy and Cheap!
• How to Freeze Tomatoes (plus defrost and use)
• Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (vegan)

The post Tomato Blossom End Rot: Myths, Prevention and Treatment appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

If you’ve also noticed white spots on the leaves of your zucchini, squash, or melon plants, don’t fret. Read along to learn about white markings on squash foliage (and other members of the cucurbit plant family) including what causes white spots on zucchini leaves, how to tell the difference between natural leaf patterns vs disease, and how to treat powdery mildew.

What causes white spots on zucchini and melon leaves?

White spots on squash and melon foliage are usually caused by one of two things: disease or natural variegation. One can be a problem, while the other is not! 

Fungal diseases like powdery mildew causes white spots on zucchini leaves and other plants. Powdery mildew is very common and may require treatment. On the other hand, some (but not all) cucurbit varieties including zucchini, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and melons have natural silvery-white spots, markings, or patterns on their leaves that are totally harmless. It’s just part of the leaf! 

For instance, our favorite mildew-resistant zucchini variety “Dunja” has heavily variegated leaves, shown below. I think it’s beautiful! Similarly, “Moon and Stars” watermelon has natural yellow spots all over the leaves AND melon rind.

How to tell the difference between natural variegation and mildew

White spots on zucchini leaves caused by natural variegation are usually fairly uniform, displayed in a mirrored pattern on all leaves and concentrated around leaf veins. The markings are flat (not raised) and only visible on the top side of the leaf. Natural variegation patterns typically appear when the squash or melon plants are still young seedlings.

In contrast, powdery mildew (PM) spots are more irregular and scattered than natural variegation – some big spots, some little spots, and some leaves with none at all. Mildew white spots are usually round, fuzzy, dusty-looking, sometimes slightly raised, and can be found on both the top and bottom of zucchini leaves and stems.

Powdery mildew generally shows up later than variegation, with the oldest leaves becoming most heavily infected. A severe mildew case makes the plant look like it’s been dusted in powdered sugar or flour! The infected leaves may eventually turn yellow and dry out too. Mildew white spots can also be wiped off (or at least appear to temporarily disappear) with a wet cloth or paper towel, whereas the natural leaf pattern would stay as-is. 

Powdery mildew vs downy mildew

Powdery mildew causes fuzzy, slightly raised, irregular white spots on plant leaves. The worse the infection gets, the more thick and “powdery” it becomes. On the other hand, downy mildew creates small yellow spots on leaves that eventually turn brown, thin, and crispy.  Learn more about controlling downy mildew in the garden here.

How to get rid of white spots (mildew) on zucchini plants

Once you’ve confirmed the white spots on your zucchini leaves are indeed a fungal disease (and not just a natural leaf pattern), you can proceed to treat the plant as necessary. The course of action to treat powdery mildew depends on the extent of the infection. Thankfully, powdery mildew isn’t fatal to plants except in extreme cases. Yet mildew does hinder overall plant health and can easily spread to other plants in your garden, so don’t let it go unchecked.

Powdery mildew can be prevented by if you choose mildew-resistant varieties, avoid overhead watering (use drip irrigation instead), sanitize garden tools regularly, and follow recommended plant spacing to reduce crowding and increase circulation.

Treat mild cases of mildew by pruning away infected leaves, apply a dilute neem oil spray after dusk, DIY baking soda spray, or our favorite method: with homemade potassium bicarbonate spray, explained below. I recommend removing and trashing (not composting) severely infected plants to avoid the spread of mildew spores in your garden.

See this article to learn even more about organic powdery mildew management.

Using potassium bicarbonate to treat powdery mildew

Potassium bicarbonate is a natural compound similar to baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) but is stronger and longer-lasting against powdery mildew. It changes the pH on the plant leaves, making conditions more alkaline and less hospitable for the fungus to thrive. It can be used as a preventative spray on young plants, or as treatment once white spots appear on leaves. Potassium bicarbonate is nontoxic to humans, wildlife, and the environment, though you should exercise caution not to inhale the powder or get it in your eyes.

To create a potassium bicarbonate spray for powdery mildew, thoroughly mix 1 tablespoon of powder and 1 Tbsp of liquid castile soap with 1 gallon of water in your favorite garden sprayer. (The soap helps the potassium bicarbonate spread and stick to the leaves better.) Shake well and spray the plant thoroughly, saturating both the tops and bottoms of leaves. Repeat treatment as needed, but no more than once every two weeks. As with all foliar sprays, it’s best to apply in the evening hours once the plants are out of direct sunlight.

And that’s the difference between mildew and variegation on plants.

I hope this helps put your mind at ease if you see white spots on your zucchini or other plants. Whether it’s mildew or just the natural leaf pattern, your plants will be okay. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below, and consider sharing this article if you found it useful!

Don’t miss these related posts:

• Squash Sex: How to Hand Pollinate Zucchini to Prevent End Rot & Increase Yields
• How to Grow Zucchini (Summer Squash): Planting, Pests, Pollination & More
• Easy Parmesan Zucchini Fritters Recipe with Healthy Yogurt Dill Sauce
• How to Freeze Zucchini (Summer Squash) Two Ways
• 13 Must-Try Zucchini Recipes: Clever Ways to Use Zucchini
• Rustic Zucchini & Walnut Sourdough Bread Recipe

The post White Spots on Zucchini or Melon Leaves: Variegation vs Mildew (Photos) appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

I’ve broken this article down into a complete list of all gopher resistant plants, as well as separate lists of gopher resistant California native plants and fruit trees/shrubs for easy reference. But first, let’s briefly familiarize ourselves with gophers, a few disclaimers, and non-toxic gopher control methods like gopher cages.

About Gophers

Gophers, also known as pocket gophers, are burrowing rodents native to North and Central America. There are over 30 different gopher species, and are mostly found in the western half of the United States as well as Florida. 

Gophers are known for their uncanny ability to destroy gardens, farms, and ornamental landscaping. They create vast networks of subterranean tunnels, and leave telltale mounds and holes at the soil surface. Gophers primarily eat plant roots, tubers, and bulbs, which can easily stunt or kill plants. They often pull entire plants underground! Our veggies wouldn’t stand a chance if they weren’t planted in raised garden beds with hardware cloth below. Learn how to build gopher-proof raised garden beds here.

Gophers are much larger than voles and moles, and significantly more destructive. Voles also eat some vegetation but less ravenously, and moles prefer non-plant food (e.g. insects, grubs, and worms).

What plants do gophers avoid?

Gophers tend to avoid plants with a strong scent, bitter flavor, toxic sap, or similar irritating traits that make the roots, leaves, or stems less appealing to snack on. Rosemary, eucalyptus, oleander, and gopher purge are prime examples. In many cases, gopher resistant plants are also undesirable to voles, deer, rabbits, or other rodents. On the other hand, some plants are simply irresistible to gophers. In our garden, gophers are drawn to fig trees, verbena, and artichoke plants like potato chips! 

Disclaimer and Gopher Cages

Gophers aren’t usually attracted to the “gopher resistant” plants listed below and should leave them alone for the most part. Meaning, these plants certainly won’t be their first choice when other food sources are available. However, gophers may eat just about any plant if they’re hungry enough! Young plants (of any type) are especially vulnerable to gopher damage. 

So, even if a plant is considered gopher resistant, it may be prudent to plant young or valuable plants (e.g. expensive trees) in gopher cages – particularly if you’re dealing with a very active gopher population. Cages may not be necessary with just a couple of gophers around. It’s also important to note that the gopher resistance can vary depending on the variety or cultivar of these plants. 

For example, we’re currently planting dozens of native gopher resistant plants – rock roses, catmint, yarrow, and sea daisies – but are still using flexible (moderately protective) gopher cages to offer the plants some level of protection while they get established. Roll-on mesh “speed baskets” (available in one gallon or 5-gallon sizes) are cheaper and much easier to work with than sturdier firm wire cages or DIY hardware cloth baskets, but they’ll degrade with time and gophers do occasionally chew through them. I would NOT use them for gopher-susceptible plants, but they’re perfect for this instance!    

When in doubt, use a gopher cage to protect your plants. 

Non-Toxic Gopher Control

Whatever you do, please do NOT use gopher bait or poison to control gophers. It puts ALL animals at risk of secondary poisoning and death – including domestic pets and wildlife! All too often, curious canines, cats, birds of prey, opossums, or other predators eat poisoned gophers (or rats) and become poisoned themselves. Learn about alternative non-toxic gopher control methods here, including pre-made gopher cages, DIY cages, raised bed protection, gopher repellents, natural predators, traps, and more.

Gopher Resistant Plants: Complete List

Here is a list of over 50 plants that gophers are not attracted to. An asterisk* denotes plants I have direct experience with and can personally confirm are not bothered by gophers – at least in our garden! And we’ve been gardening where gophers are rampant for well over a decade.

• Alliums (especially ornamental alliums) – gophers may eat garlic, onions or leeks but usually avoid them
• Amaryllis Belladonna
• Anemones
• Artemisia – including wormwood, mugwort and sagebrush
• Bearberry (groundcover manzanita)
• Bottlebrush*
• Breath of Heaven
• California Buckwheat (Eriogonum)*
• California Fuchsia (Epilobium)*
• Catmint*
• Ceanothus (California lilac)*
• Citrus trees* (once established, I would cage young trees)
• Coffeeberry (California buckthorn)*
• Columbine
• Coyote bush
• Currants (Ribes)
• Daffodils
• Day lillies
• Elderberry*
• Euphorbia species – cacti and succulents in this family, along with “gopher purge” (Euphorbia lathyris)
• Eucalyptus*
• Ferns*
• Fescue
• Fountain grass and deer grass
• Foxglove
• Grevillea*
• Hellebores 
• Indian Hawthorn 
• Lantana*
• Lavender*

continued below…

Gopher resistant plant list (continued)

• Manzanita*
• Marigolds*
• Monkeyflower (Mimulus)* 
• Mint family* – including culinary mint or perennial shrubs like Coyote mint
• Monterey Cypress trees
• Mullein (Verbascum)*
• Myoporum (ground cover)
• Nandina (Heavenly bamboo)
• Oleander
• Palm trees
• Pomegranate* (supposedly, with ‘Wonderful’ variety being the most gopher resistant)
• Penstemon* (to varying degrees)
• Pine trees and redwoods
• Pineapple guava (feijoa)*
• Rock Rose (Cistus)*
• Rosemary*
• Salvias and sage* – especially native perennial salvias and Mexican sage
• Sea Thrift (Armeria)
• Seaside Daisy (Erigeron)*
• Society Garlic
• Strawberry Tree* (Arbutus unedo, marina, and menziesii)
• Thyme*
• Toyon
• Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum)
• Yarrow (Achillea)*
• Yerba Mansa
• Willowherb (Epilobium)

Gopher Resistant Fruit Trees or Shrubs

If us humans like to eat something, gophers probably do too! Unfortunately, that means there are very few gopher resistant edible plants:

• Elderberries
• Citrus, once established
• Pineapple guava (feijoa)
• Pomegranate (supposedly with ‘Wonderful’ variety being the most gopher resistant)

It’s also been reported that gophers don’t like to eat mulberry trees, avocado trees, apricots or plum trees, but we’ve had a mulberry and avocado killed by gophers! In fact, they chewed right through the basket and ate all the roots down to a nub. To be safe, I suggest putting all edibles and fruit trees in gopher baskets where gophers are a known menace. 

Gopher Resistant California Native Plants

Landscaping with native plants packs a punch of benefits. Native plants support local biodiversity, wildlife and pollinators, are generally less maintenance, require no fertilizer, and here in California, have to be drought-tolerant. Even better, many California native plants are also gopher resistant! The ones that could survive constant gopher pressure here are the ones that have persisted and thrived.

• Artemisia – including wormwood, mugwort and sagebrush
• Bearberry (groundcover manzanita)
• California Buckwheat (Eriogonum)
• California Fuchsia (Epilobium)
• California grape
• California goldenrod 
• Ceanothus (California lilac)
• Coffeeberry (California buckthorn)
• Coyote Bush
• Fescue (California and blue)
• Indian Hawthorn 
• Manzanita
• Monkeyflower (Mimulus) 
• Penstemon (Penstemon clevelandii, spectabilis and more)
• Pine trees and redwoods
• Salvias and sage (e.g. Salvia clevelandii, Black sage, hummingbird sage and others)
• Strawberry Tree (Arbutus menziesii) aka Pacific Madrone
• Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum)
• Yarrow
• Yerba Mansa

Sources: Personal experience, California Native Plant Society, Mostly Natives, Tasty Landscape, SF Gate

And that concludes this lesson on gopher resistant plants.

If you too struggle with gophers in your garden, I hope this gave you some great insight on plants to consider growing! Let me know if you have any questions or insight to share in the comments below. Also please consider pinning or sharing this post if you found it useful. Thank you so much for tuning in today, and happy plant shopping!

You may also enjoy:

• Non-Toxic Gopher Control: How to Gopher-Proof Your Garden
• How to Make a Homemade Gopher Basket for Trees
• 17 Ways to Save Water in the Garden and Landscape
• How to Build a Raised Garden Bed: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Connect Drip Irrigation to a Hose Bibb (Spigot or Faucet)

The post 50+ Great Gopher Resistant Plants for California & Beyond appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

If you’re looking for an answer to “how to get rid of gophers?” the reality is, you may not be able to – or at least not completely and permanently. On our property, we’ve simply accepted their presence and learned to coexist to a certain extent. Yet by using many of the non-toxic gopher control methods below, we’re able to successfully protect plants from gophers and still grow a very healthy, productive garden.

Most of the gopher-proofing tips in this article apply to other burrowing rodents like voles and moles too!

Before we dig into our top gopher control tips, let’s briefly familiarize ourselves with the little rat-tooth monsters. 

About Pocket Gophers

Gophers, more formally known as pocket gophers, are burrowing rodents and part of the Geomydiae family. There are over 30 distinct gopher species native to North and Central America. They are known for their uncanny ability to destroy gardens, farms, and ornamental landscaping. In addition to wilting or disappearing plants, the telltale mounds they leave at the soil surface are a sign that gophers are present in your yard. 

Gophers create extensive underground tunnel systems, which are about 3 inches in diameter and usually found 6 to 12 inches below the soil surface. Their larger food storage chambers and nests are deeper, up to 6 feet below ground. A single gopher’s tunnel system can span several hundred square feet, and up to 2000 square feet. 

Yet gophers are territorial and lead solitary lives. Therefore, the damage you observe in a modest garden space is likely caused by just one gopher. If you can successfully get rid of the gopher, your garden may get a short period of reprieve… Until another one moves in, that is.

What do gophers eat?

Gophers are herbivores. They aren’t especially picky, and will dine on a wide variety of vegetation. They primarily eat subterranean plant roots, bulbs, and tubers, which causes stress or death to plants from below. They’re also known to peek above ground to graze on grass, clover, young stems, and other similar low-growing tender greenery around the perimeter of their mounds. Gophers may also consume larger choice plants, starting by gnawing at the roots until they eventually pull the whole plant down into their tunnel. I know many gardeners who have seen entire mature tomato plants sucked below ground!

There are no hard fast rules for what gophers eat and what they’ll avoid. In our garden, they absolutely love fig trees, tender seedlings, and most common garden veggies. Gophers are rumored to not eat woody aromatic shrubs like rosemary, salvia, catmint, lavender, rock rose, lantana, or citrus trees. That has been mostly true in our experience, yet other gardeners sometimes report gopher damage to those plants. So when in doubt, I suggest erring on the side of caution and protecting all types of plants where there is a known gopher issue. 

How NOT to get rid of gophers

When it comes to controlling gophers, I urge you to never use gopher poison. Using gopher poison is cruel in many ways. First, it results in a slow and agonizing death for the gophers. Even though they’re considered a garden pest, they don’t deserve that kind of treatment. Furthermore, gopher poison puts all wildlife at risk – plus domestic animals too! Curious canines, cats, birds of prey, opossums, or other predators can easily eat poisoned gophers and become poisoned themselves. Even if you don’t mind the idea of poisoning a gopher, I doubt you feel the same about beloved Fluffy.

I also don’t recommend fussing with fumigation or smoke bombs. Gopher smoke bombs emit toxic fumes that can be dangerous to humans and pets if used incorrectly, and are not suitable for an edible garden area. In addition to suffocating gophers (if successful), the fumes will harm snakes or other beneficial critters that may be sharing the gopher tunnels. Plus, gophers often act quickly to close off their tunnel and hide until the fumes go away, thwarting your efforts. 

Another commonly recommended gopher control method (that I don’t suggest) is to flood out their tunnels. Not only is flooding usually ineffective, but it can actually make the soil more gopher-friendly since it is easier for them to tunnel in damp soil. Overall, it’s a huge waste of water.

7 WAYS TO GOPHER-PROOF YOUR GARDEN

1) Use Gopher Cages or Baskets

One easy and non-toxic way to control gophers is to plant fruit trees, shrubs, and other susceptible plants within gopher cages or baskets. Made of wire material, gopher baskets are designed to surround and protect the root ball, effectively preventing gophers from eating the plant’s roots. Simply add a basket around the root ball at the time of planting. 

Gopher cages are ideal to protect a limited number of plants from gophers, such as a handful of shrubs or an occasional new fruit tree. However, on a larger scale, it can be very tedious and costly to plant dozens to hundreds of annual garden crops in individual gopher baskets. (That is where raised garden beds save the day!) This gopher control method obviously won’t help for lawn areas either.

TIP: When installing gopher baskets, it is important to keep the top rim of the basket protruding at least a couple inches above the soil line. Otherwise, they can easily hop right in and begin feeding within the basket itself. 

What type of wire is best for gopher baskets?

There are a number of pre-made gopher baskets available to purchase, usually made of chicken wire or other thin flexible wire. They can get the job done, though some gardeners complain that gophers can chew through them, or that they don’t stand up to the test of time. In my experience, these firm and sturdy gopher baskets are more effective (but more difficult to work with) than these mesh “speed baskets” (which I usually use for gopher-resistant plants only).

Another option is to make your own extra-sturdy gopher cages! We often make our own large gopher baskets for fruit trees using hardware cloth – which is the most durable, long-lasting and effective option. Unlike chicken wire, hardware cloth will not degrade with time. Also, gophers cannot squeeze through the small openings or gnaw through hardware cloth. Check out our tutorial on how to make DIY gopher baskets here.

On the other hand, because it won’t degrade, hardware cloth gopher baskets may slightly constrict plant roots and growth over time. Other wire that slowly breaks down (like chicken wire) allows the plant to eventually “break free” – which isn’t always a bad thing, since young tender plants are most attractive to gophers. As plants mature, they’re typically less susceptible to gopher damage. Because of this, we usually use thinner pre-made gopher baskets for plants we know aren’t gopher favorites – like lavender or salvia. 

2) Grow in Containers or Raised Garden Beds (and add hardware cloth)

A second way to control gophers by exclusion is to use pots, containers, wine barrels, and/or raised beds in your garden. We love growing food in raised beds for a number of reasons, but the ability to block out pests and protect plants from gophers is near the top of the list! In fact, it is virtually impossible to garden directly in-ground in our area because the gophers are so prevalent and persistent here. Raised beds make it possible and easy!

When building new raised garden beds, we simply add hardware cloth to the bottom side of the wood bed before filling it with soil. I absolutely recommend using hardware cloth rather than chicken wire to gopher-proof garden beds long-term. (Whoever installed the existing raised beds at our new homestead used chicken wire, and there are now gophers inside.) Be sure to firmly attach the hardware cloth (e.g. secured with staples or wide-head cabinet screws), eliminating any gaps they can slip through and get inside.

Tip: You can also use hardware cloth to line pathways (under mulch, landscape fabric, etc) in areas with exceptionally high gopher traffic, minimizing soil disturbance and mounds.

3) Landscape Fabric

A final exclusion technique to consider for non-toxic gopher control is using landscape fabric or weed barrier cloth. In addition to hardware cloth, we always add a layer of landscape fabric under raised garden beds. It’s dual-purpose: it stops weeds from growing into the bed, and also provides an additional barrier to prevent gophers from getting inside the garden beds too. In our experience, gophers do not chew through the durable, heavy-duty contractor grade fabric that we use (Landmaster brand). When used in open spaces like pathways, flower beds, or orchards (under mulch), it keeps your landscape looking tidy and prevents gophers from making annoying mounds.

4) Grow Gopher Resistant Plants

Though gophers will eat just about anything if they’re hungry enough, a number of plants are considered “gopher resistant”. These plants typically have a strong scent, bitter flavor, toxic sap, or other noxious traits that make them less appealing for gophers to eat. Rosemary, lavender, salvia, eucalyptus, oleander, and gopher purge are all prime examples. Though no plant is 100% safe from gophers (I still use speed cages on these), they certainly won’t be gophers first choice to dine on. Even better, many California native plants and drought-tolerant plants are also gopher resistant!

See a list of over 50 gopher resistant plants to grow in California and beyond here.

5) Non-Toxic Gopher Repellents 

Another non-toxic gopher control trick is to put natural gopher repellents inside their tunnels. The goal is to make their environment uncomfortable or otherwise undesirable so they’ll move elsewhere. Depending on the repellent used, you can either put the material directly in the exposed holes, sprinkle or saturate the ground around visible mounds, or soak cotton balls and place them inside the tunnels (ideal for oils and liquids).

What smells do gophers hate? Quite a few! Basically, it boils down to the aromas of their predators, or other really pungent, bitter smells. Examples of natural, non-toxic gopher repellents include peppermint oil, castor oil, coyote urine, cat and dog poop, garlic, coffee grounds, and fish oil or fish carcasses. We’ve definitely been known to put cat poop down gopher holes a time or two – haha! I’ve also read they dislike scented dryer sheets. Finally, you can buy specialized non-toxic gopher deterrents to put in their holes OR sprinkle right on the soil surface over larger areas. 

One drawback to this non-lethal gopher control method is that they typically won’t move very far away. So if you have a large property, they’ll still be around unless you treat all areas. Plus, your neighbors might not be too happy with their newfound tenants.  

TIP: Having difficulty locating the gopher tunnels? Use a sharp skinny object like a garden stake or screw driver to slowly probe the soil in all directions around visible mounds. You’ll feel the probe “give way” once you hit and enter a hollow tunnel area. Then, you can carefully excavate a portion to add repellents inside.

6) Ultrasonic emitters

In addition to funky smells, small vibrations and high-pitch noises can also repel gophers. Devices like these solar-powered gopher spikes or these popular battery-powered sonic spikes emit ultrasonic waves that gophers find annoying. So much so, they often stay away. While reviews suggest varying success rates, it’s worth a shot! Especially if you’re looking for non-lethal, non-toxic gopher control methods. Place several emitters in prime areas of gopher activity. The spikes can also be effective at deterring voles, moles, ground squirrels, and groundhogs.

7) Encourage Natural Predators

Creating and maintaining a diverse, wildlife-friendly yard is a fantastic form of non-toxic gopher control. Gophers have a number of natural predators. Owls, hawks and other birds of prey happily hunt gophers that venture out of their tunnels. Savvy barn cats will also be ready and waiting to pounce. Coyotes, foxes, and badgers will dig gophers out of their burrows, while snakes and weasels can follow them into tunnels. 

Nature has a way of finding balance, including keeping various wildlife populations in check. Learn how to turn any size garden into a wildlife habitat here! Key components of a wildlife-friendly yard include places for shelter and to raise young, and a variety of food and water sources. For instance, consider adding an owl box to your property (be sure to get the right size and type of box for owl species common to your area). It is also important to follow organic practices and avoid the use of pesticides, including gopher poison! 

8) Gopher Traps

I understand that not everyone is keen on using lethal gopher traps. However, if your goal is to get rid of gophers (and not just deter them), then I think we can all agree that a quick death using a non-toxic trap is far preferable to a slow, cruel death caused by gopher poison or fumigation. (Not to mention the other risks and issues that those options pose).

The Gopher Hawk, The Black Hole, and The Black Box are among the most effective, highly-rated, and easy-to-use gopher traps available. Once caught, I know folks who put the expired gophers out for birds of prey or scavengers like opossums or coyotes. Like all the other non-toxic gopher control methods we’ve explored today, trapping takes continued persistence and patience to get rid of gophers – since others are likely to take their place.

 
And that concludes this lesson on non-toxic gopher control.

In closing, I think we can all agree that gophers are pretty frustrating little creatures. If you’re struggling with gophers in your yard, I’m sorry! I feel your pain. But I hope the tips and techniques we covered in this article will help get them under control, and keep the damage to your precious plants to a minimum! Do you have any other non-toxic gopher control tricks that we missed and work well for you? Please let us know in the comments below! If you found the information in this post to be valuable, please feel free to pin or share this article. Best of luck on your garden gopher-proofing adventures!

The post Non-Toxic Gopher Control: How to Gopher-Proof Your Garden appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along to learn six ways to protect plants during a heat wave. We’ll talk about steps to take when you see unusually hot temperatures in the weather forecast, along with best practices to proactively employ in your garden year-round – to make plants more tolerant to heat stress and drought in general. 

What temperature is “too hot” for plants?

Various types of plants respond differently to a range of heat. Vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, and other leafy greens or members of the brassica family generally prefer cooler soil temperatures (in the 50 and 60s). These cool-season crops may temporarily wilt or begin to bolt in temperatures over 75°F.  When a plant bolts, it prematurely forms a flower spike and then goes to seed. When temperatures hit over 90°F, these guys will likely fry and die. Learn how to prevent cool-season crops from bolting here. 

Meanwhile, summer garden crops like tomatoes, peppers, and beans will thrive in that 75 to 90°F range! That’s their jam. Yet even heat-loving crops may become cranky, less productive, or damaged in excessively hot temperatures. For example, tomatoes may experience flower drop and issues with fruit development when daytime temperatures are regularly over 95°F, especially combined with high humidity and sustained warm temperatures overnight. Similarly, zucchini and squash plants may slow production when it’s over 85°F for an extended period of time. 

No matter the variety, young plants are more prone to heat stress and damage than mature ones. Their tender nature and small, shallow root systems makes them far less heat-hardy, so keep a close eye on seedlings! Move any seedlings that are still in containers indoors or into the shade during heat waves if possible. Also, avoid transplanting new plants outdoors right before or during a heat wave.

Quick fixes versus long-term adaptations to heat

Thankfully, the issues with pollination, production, or wilting that some plants experience during short-lived heat waves usually results in only a temporary setback. They simply slow down a bit, like we all do when it’s uncomfortably warm. Use the tips below to protect your garden during a heat wave, and the plants should bounce back once the weather cools off and returns to normal. 

On the other hand, gardeners in areas with expected and prolonged excessive high temperatures may need to implement longer-term solutions to combat the heat. For instance, folks living in Arizona, the deep South, Las Vegas, or Hawaii may adjust their garden seasons and avoid growing tomatoes or squash during the hottest summer months altogether, and grow them during the spring and fall seasons instead. Other long-term adaptations include careful selection of plant varieties, planting certain crops in partial shade, using in-ground beds rather than containers (which more easily dry out  and succumb to temperature swings) or erecting shade structures that will stay up for several months. 

6 Ways to Protect Plants During a Heat Wave

The following six tips can help your garden survive during a heat wave. Wondering when to act? A good rule of thumb is that if it’s suddenly going to be 10 to 15+ degrees warmer than it has been and usually is, or if the weather networks issue an “excessive heat warning” for your area, implement a few of the steps below to help your garden survive the heat wave. It may not be reasonable or necessary to apply every single protective measure listed, so feel free to pick and choose as you see fit!

1) Water deeply and routinely (all season long) 

Start now! This is a tip to preemptively protect your garden from heat waves, and to develop healthy, strong root systems – which is alway a good thing! When you routinely water your garden throughout the growing season, provide plants with long and slow water that will saturate deep within the soil. That is better than watering for quick bouts and more often, or only wetting the top few inches of soil. 

The more moist the soil is deep within your garden bed, the more it encourages roots to grow deeply too. Did you know most plants can grow roots underground equally as long as the plant is tall above ground? That means a tomato plant can grow roots over 4 feet deep, peppers and eggplant around 2 feet deep, squash over 1 foot deep, and so on. 

Having deep roots enables plants to access more nutrients and water, and makes them more resilient to drought and varying soil temperatures. Plus, deeply damp soil maintains more steady temperatures and is less likely to dry out. So, set your plants up for success with routine deep watering from the start! 

Given all the unique variables in every garden or climate, it’s hard to say exactly how much to water and how often. However, all plants benefit from a consistent watering schedule, be it twice per week or four days per week. A good goal is frequently enough to maintain the soil modestly damp at all times, but not soggy and never fully dried out. When you water deep, you can water less often.

Read more tips and information about DIY, non-toxic and efficient garden irrigation options here. Or, come learn how to set up automated drip irrigation for raised garden beds here.

2) Water before a heat wave – but resist the urge to overwater 

Give your garden a good deep drink of water either the evening or morning before a heat wave is due to hit. Providing water well before the peak heat of the day will give them ample time to soak up the water, and also keep you out of the sun too!

However, resist the urge to continue to pour water onto your plants all day long. Plants may wilt under high heat and strong sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they need more water.  Even here where temperatures rarely reach the 80s, our summer zucchini and collard greens can look pretty sad and limp in the middle of an average warm afternoon – but they always perk back up that night! Yet if they look droopy in the morning? Then they may be thirsty.

Before offering more water, check the moisture content of your soil by probing an inch or two below the soil surface. If it feels moist or if you just watered in the last day or two, it probably doesn’t need more water yet. 

3) Avoid wetting plant leaves 

Avoid overhead watering and wetting your plant leaves during hot sunny conditions. You know how humans can still get a decent sunburn (if not worse) in foggy conditions? Moisture amplifies the sun like a magnifying glass! Similarly, lingering water droplets on plant leaves in direct sunlight can magnify the intensity and heat of the sun, and increase the chance of sunburn or scorching the leaves. As a best practice, we always try to water the soil around the base of the plant rather than the plant itself, but especially so during heat waves. 

4) Don’t skip the mulch!

Did you know that plants are more irked and influenced by temperature swings in their root zone and soil than they are by ambient air temperatures? For instance, a plant can usually survive and rebound after getting a bit frosty or fried above ground, but are far less forgiving if their roots are distressed. So, be sure to mulch your garden to offer a protective layer for the soil and roots! 

Mulching is always a fantastic idea (a must, if you ask me!) and especially important to protect plants in heat waves. Mulch is a layer of material that goes on top of exposed soil, which helps to buffer against temperature extremes and promotes more steady soil temperatures overall. It also reduces evaporation and runoff, protects the living soil food web, prevents soil from drying out, and reduces your need for water!  

Apply about 2 inches of organic mulch material (even more for light mulch like straw) on the soil surface around the base of plants or over the whole garden bed. Examples of organic mulch include straw, small bark or wood chips, shredded leaves, pine needles, and aged compost (our favorite). Some gardeners use a layer of newspaper, cardboard, or plastic sheeting. Pop over to this article to read more about the pros and cons of 8 different types of garden mulch, or this guide on mulching best practices. 

5) Provide shade

Shade is an incredibly effective tool to keep things cool and protect plants during a heat wave. By reducing the intensity of the sunlight and heat beating down on plants, the soil stays cooler, retains moisture, and generally reduces the impact of excessive heat. Even more, shade can prevent sun scalding or sunburning of fruit, commonly seen as whitish yellow patches on tomatoes or peppers. The damage caused to the skin often causes the fruit to prematurely rot. Blocking the hottest afternoon sun is particularly important.

There are a number of ways to create shade in the garden: by draping bed sheets or specialized shade cloth over hoops, stakes, or other supports, using large patio or beach umbrellas, or even erecting large shade canopies over an entire garden area rather than individual beds or plants. Really, anything that will block the sun but still allow good air flow will work! If the shade structure will be up for an extended period of time, it’s best to get shade material that allows some sunlight through (partial UV protection). For a shorter period of time (a day or two), you could completely block the sun using a solid pop-up canopy. Or, make use of shade that already exists in your space – like by moving potted plants into shadier locations.

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6) Promote overall good plant health

The final way to help your garden survive a heat wave is to grow the healthiest plants possible! Like the first tip regarding routine deep water, this is something you can work on all season long. Stressed or compromised plants are more sensitive to the heat, just as some older people or those with health issues may be (no judgement – I get sick in the heat too!). Also just like humans, plants have immune systems that help them respond and rebound to various environmental stressors, including pests, disease, drought, frost, heat, toxicity, and more. 

In our garden, we encourage the most robust and hardy plants possible with organic inputs such as worm castings, mycorrhizae, homemade aloe vera fertilizer, well-aged compost and/or compost tea. All of these goodies feed the living soil food web, enable plants to better utilize nutrients, and improves their resilience to pest pressure, heat, and more. That’s not to say our plants don’t still struggle with miscellaneous ailments from time to time… but these things sure do help!

And that is how to protect plants during a heat wave.

Alright friends, I hope this leaves you with plenty of ideas and methods to help your garden survive the next heat wave that rolls in! As you can see, there are several things you can do now and always in preparation – and a few tools or materials you may want to keep on hand too. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Or, if there are any great ideas that I forgot to mention. Stay cool and comfortable out there!

Don’t miss these related articles:

• Using Hoops and Row Covers: Pest Control, Frost Protection & Shade
• 7 Ways to Protect Plants from Frost Damage
• Garden Mulch 101: When, Why and How to Mulch Your Garden
• What is Bolting? How to Prevent Plants from Bolting or Going to Seed
• The Benefits of Using Mycorrhizae in the Garden

The post 6 Ways to Protect Garden Plants in a Heat Wave appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

What is bolting?

Bolting is a horticultural term for when a plant prematurely develops a flowering stalk (in a natural attempt to produce seed) before the crop has been harvested. The plant shifts its energy from growing the desired crop to reproduction instead – its final hoorah, if you will. Bolting may also be referred to as “going to seed”. Usually, a small flowering bud will form in the center of the plant or stem, and then grow increasingly tall very quickly. Bolting is especially common in heat-sensitive vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, bok choy, and other leafy greens. 

New gardeners are often surprised to learn that ALL annual garden vegetable crops eventually flower – even carrots, radishes, potatoes, beets, cabbage, spinach, onions, and lettuce! That is their way to naturally reproduce near the end of their life cycle: by forming flowers and seed. However, those crops usually flower at the end of the growing season, after many months of providing food or a good harvest first. Yet sometimes plants are triggered to start that process too early (aka bolt) and skip right past the stage you’re hoping for. Bummer!

On the other hand, plants that produce seed-containing fruit (e.g. tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, or eggplant) produce flowers and seed sooner and throughout the season, and are welcomed with open arms! They’re simultaneously offering you their bounty and fulfilling their goal to reproduce. 

What causes plants to bolt or go to seed?

A variety of things can trigger a plant to bolt and begin to flower. Namely, it occurs when the plant is stressed or otherwise unhappy with the conditions it’s provided. The most common causes of bolting include temperature swings, heat waves, warm soil, and crops grown during the wrong season (e.g. planting cool-season vegetables during summer). Plants that receive too little sunlight or too much shade, inconsistent watering, inadequate nutrition, or those that are root-bound as seedlings may also be prone to bolting.  

How bolting effects plants

When a plant bolts, it grows a flower spike and seeds at the expense of the rest of the plant. Most plants become increasingly bitter in flavor, especially lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens. They sometimes become more tough too. Therefore, you may want to harvest as much as possible when your greens first show signs of bottling. Though I personally don’t find the slight change in flavor to be a deal-breaker! We happily continue to harvest and eat greens from our bolting kale, bok choy, basil, and arugula – sometimes for many months. 

Another noticeable change is that new leaves become smaller and more pointed, as seen in the photos of our bolting bok choy and cilantro below. Some plants may fail to form a harvestable crop at all. For example, a bolting broccoli plant may not form a nice tight head, and instead turn into a tall and loose flower stalk. The long-term storage of crops may also be impacted, such as when onions form a tough flowering stalk in the middle of the onion bulb. You can still eat the onion, but not cure it for dry storage.

Is it bad if a plant bolts or goes to seed?

I recently saw something that referred to bolting as “the bad kind of flowers” – and I have to disagree, at least in part! While it can be unfortunate when plants go to seed before you’re ready for them to, it isn’t allll bad. Crops are still edible after they bolt, even if they’re not in their prime. Not to mention, the bolting stems and flowers themselves are edible! Older flower stalks can be a little tough sometimes, but make the perfect addition to soup, stew, roasts, and more.

Also, pollinators love the flowers on bolting plants. Our bolted brassicas (such as kale and bok choy) are always absolutely buzzing with bees! We often leave bolted plants in the garden long after we need them, just for bees to enjoy.

Finally, bolting plants provide you an opportunity to save seeds. Seed-saving is a whole topic in it’s own right, and the method can vary from crop-to-crop. In most cases, it’s best to allow seeds (and/or seed pods) to fully develop and dry out while still on the plant to produce viable seeds. You’ll have the most success in saving seeds from open-pollinated heirloom varieties over hybrid cultivars, which may not “breed true”.

Aside from looking on the bright side, I get it… bolting can be frustrating, especially when you have a limited amount of garden space or plants! So, let’s dive into six different ways to prevent plants from bolting. 

6 Ways to Prevent Plants from Bolting

1) Choose climate and season-appropriate plants

Before planting crops, do your homework to see what type of conditions and temperatures they prefer. Attempting to grow something that thrives in cooler weather during the summertime is only setting yourself (and the plant!) up for failure. Instead, grow heat-sensitive plants in spring and fall. Or, consider a winter garden! Folks in frost-free zones can grow a plethora of crops right through the wintertime, and with a little extra ingenuity and frost-protection, so can gardeners in colder climates! Thankfully, most heat-sensitive crops are tolerant of light frost. Use your Homestead and Chill planting calendar to determine the best time to plant a variety of crops, for any zone.

2) Provide shade and good hydration during heat waves

Even with the best planning, and despite growing the “right” types of crops for a particular season, an unexpected heat wave can come through and thwart all your good efforts. So, be prepared for heat waves and offer heat-sensitive plants some extra love and protection when one arrives. I’m working on an article all about how to protect your garden during a heatwave (coming soon!), but here are a few tips in the meantime: 

• Offer heat-sensitive crops extra shade by putting up temporary shade cover, such as shade cloth supported on hoops or stakes, or even a patio umbrella. 
• Water your garden extra long and deep the day or morning before the heat wave hits.
• Mulch the soil to reduce temperature swings in the root zone.

3) Select heat-tolerant or bolt-resistant varieties

While “lettuce” or “broccoli” are generally cool-season crops, there are specific varieties of every vegetable that have superior resistance to heat and bolting. Look at plant descriptions for those characteristics, especially if your area is prone to unpredictable weather patterns. For instance, our favorite variety of bok choy (Joi Choi) is described as “tolerant to heat” and is much slower to bolt than others, allowing us to grow it from spring into early summer, or during our warm fall weather into winter.

You can find heat-tolerant cultivars of radishes, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and more! Some of our go-to slow-to-bolt favorites are Belstar broccoli, Coastal Star romaine lettuce, Sparx green leaf lettuce, Sora radishes, Red Giant mustard greens, Red Splendor mustard greens, Georgia collard greens, and Peppermint Swiss chard.

4) Provide regular moisture and mulch 

Did you know that plants are more sensitive to temperature swings around their roots and in the soil than they are to air temperature? It’s true! So, help maintain steady soil temperatures by using an inch or two of mulch around the base of plants, such as compost, wood chips, straw, or shredded leaves. Mulch insulates the soil to buffer against temperature swings, and also helps maintain more even and steady moisture levels. Read more about popular types of garden mulch here. 

Damp soil also promotes consistent temperatures. Develop a regular watering schedule to further reduce plant stress and prevent bolting. Slow and deep water a few times per week is better than watering a small, shallow amount every day. It promotes deep root growth patterns, which further protects plants from heat or drought stress. Check out this article all about garden irrigation for more ideas and tips.

5) Provide the recommended amount of sunlight 

Plants may bolt if they don’t receive enough sunlight. When plants are craving more, they grow tall and lanky (aka leggy) – stretching in search of the sun. The lack of light also reduces their ability to photosynthesize, use nutrients to grow or produce well, and generally creates stress. If a plant senses that it doesn’t have enough light and energy to produce a good edible crop, it will attempt to produce seed instead. Therefore, follow the recommended sun exposure for any given plant as much as possible!

Most vegetable crops prefer full sun, which is defined as a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day. When in doubt, provide as much as possible. (That is, unless afternoon heat is a concern. In that case, some afternoon shade may be preferred.) This goes for indoor-raised seedlings too, which need even more light! Seedlings should receive at least 12 hours of bright direct light, and will greatly benefit from the use of a grow light indoors.

6) Avoid stressed seedlings 

The final tip to prevent plants from bolting is to do your best to support their overall health, and reduce stress as much as possible. Whether you’re growing from seed or purchase started seedlings from the nursery, planting healthy, happy seedlings will help set them up for success from the start. When seedlings are stressed (such as being root bound in small pots, receiving too little light, or poor nutrition) they will be more prone to bolt after transplanting rather than flourishing in your garden. 

Therefore, avoid these 9 mistakes when starting your own seeds indoors, including hardening off seedlings before planting them outside. If you’re plant shopping at the local nursery, remember that bigger isn’t always better! Select the most tender, dark green, compact and healthy-looking seedlings over bigger ones. Large seedlings are more likely to be wiry, tough, root-bound and ready to bolt. Consider adding mycorrhizae to each seedling’s planting hole; it helps to reduce transplant shock and strengthen the plant’s resilience to stress. 

Learn more of our top tips for transplanting seedlings here! 

Can I cut the flowering stem to stop bolting?

You may be wondering if you can stop the bolting process by simply cutting off the flowering stem. The answer is no, unfortunately there is nothing you can do to halt the plant from bolting once it starts. It has already made that gear shift internally to seed production; there is no going back now.

However, cutting the early flowering buds or stem can slow the bolting process down a bit! In fact, it’s common practice to routinely pinch back the flowers from annual herbs like basil to extend your harvest. I find that removing the flower stalks from plants that produce dozens of small leaves (e.g. arugula or basil) is especially effective at prolonging the plant’s life. Yet cutting off the flowering stem from something like broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower will not force the plant to grow a new large head. Instead, those may produce small side shoots, or more flowers.

And that is the scoop on bolting plants!

All in all, it isn’t ideal when your plants suddenly go to seed on you. Yet I hope you can see that there are many easy and creative ways to slow or prevent plants from bolting as we explored in this article. Plus, all is not lost if the pollinators get a little food out of the deal! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below, share your favorite heat-tolerant veggie varieties, or chime in if I forgot any tips that work well in your garden! If you found this information to be valuable, please spread the love by sharing or pinning this article. See you next time!

The post What is Bolting? How to Prevent Plants from Bolting appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Read along to learn how to organically control powdery mildew in your garden, with tips for prevention, ways to reduce its spread, or treat it when necessary.  Let’s start with a quick overview of the disease in general. Understanding how to identify PM, its favored conditions, and what plants are most susceptible (or resistant!) will help shape your response to manage the disease in your garden. As with all garden pests or disease, you’ll have the best success by checking your plants often and intervening early.

What is Powdery Mildew?

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that can affect a wide variety of edible crops, flowers, and ornamental plants. It is quite common and can be caused by several different species of fungi. True to its name, powdery mildew (often shortened to “PM”) looks like white powdery mold spots on plant leaves. A few spots aren’t usually a big deal, though advanced infections can cause stress and damage to plants. Yet the good news is: it is possible to prevent, control, or get rid of powdery mildew organically!

Ideal conditions for PM and how it spreads

Powdery mildew can be found in virtually every growing zone, though it thrives in climates with prolonged periods of warm dry weather. Just like here on the temperate Central Coast of California, where PM can be fairly rampant in our garden if left unchecked! However, just like any good fungus would, powdery mildew loves a touch of humidity too. The dampness of humid air (or evening dew) encourages the fungi to grow, and the warm dry air during the day helps the spores spread.

Powdery mildew spores primarily live on plants, but can also survive or overwinter in soil, compost, mulch, or other plant debris. The spores spread from plant to plant (or, are initially introduced into your garden) by wind, insects, splashing water or direct contact from infected plants. Crowded conditions, lack of airflow, and shade also increase the risk for powdery mildew.

Identifying Powdery Mildew on Plants

Powdery mildew appears as light grey or white, dusty-looking spots or blotches. They’re usually round, fuzzy, and sometimes slightly raised. You’ll first notice the tell-tale spots on the tops of plant leaves. Upon closer inspection (or as the infection progresses), you may find mildew on stems, the undersides of leaves, on flowers, and sometimes on the fruit or vegetables themselves. A severe powdery mildew case makes the plant look like it’s been dusted in powdered sugar or flour. The infected leaves may eventually turn yellow and dry out too.

Once you’re familiar with powdery mildew, it’s pretty easy to spot and identify. However, it may be confused with other types of fungal diseases like downy mildew (which causes darker spots on leaves instead). Even more tricky, natural patterns on plant leaves can sometimes look a lot like mildew too! Check out the photo of our zucchini plant below for example. Depending on the variety, some zucchini, squash, and melon plants have natural white spots or variegation on their leaves. 

The key difference is that a natural leaf pattern will be flat (not fuzzy or dusty) and appear more uniform, likely “mirrored” across both sides of leaf veins. On the other hand, mildew spots are far more irregularly dispersed, and usually on both the top and bottom sides of leaves. PM can also be wiped off (or at least appear to temporarily disappear) with a wet cloth or paper towel, whereas the natural leaf pattern would stay as-is. 

How does mildew harm plants?

The good news is, powdery mildew is rarely lethal to plants! But just because it isn’t fatal, doesn’t mean you should let it go unchecked. At first, a few minor spots aren’t going to do much harm to the host plant, but it can spread spores to other plants or linger in your garden soil. As the disease progresses, the fungus feeds and robs nutrients from the plant, making them stunted or less productive. 

When powdery mildew coats a significant portion of leaves it can inhibit photosynthesis. This is essentially like a slow starvation for the plant. A change in photosynthesis can also impact crop flavor since the plant will be producing less sugars. Last but not least, powdery mildew infections cause stress to the plant, and a stressed plant is more susceptible to other diseases or pest damage. 

Can you eat vegetables that have powdery mildew? 

In general, powdery mildew isn’t harmful to people. Meaning, it is not toxic or poisonous. Although, some folks are sensitive or even allergic to mildews and mold, so it’s wise to proceed with caution. Since mildew is quite common in our garden, we’ve definitely eaten our fair share of crops with a few spots of mildew! (I hate the idea of wasting food). We simply wash the produce well before eating it, but do avoid consuming severely infected parts.

What plants get powdery mildew? 

Unfortunately, many plants are prone to powdery mildew – including a plethora of common vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants you may grow in your garden. Plants that are especially susceptible to get powdery mildew include squash (both summer squash like zucchini and hard squash such as pumpkins or butternut), melon, cucumber, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, kale, peas, beans, lettuce, mustard greens, cannabis, carrots (the greens), apple trees, zinnia, calendula, roses, sunflowers, begonias, bee balm, peonies, phlox, and hydrangeas. Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and collards may get a little PM, but not nearly as bad as the aforementioned plants.

Plants resistant to powdery mildew

Powdery mildew can inflict over 1000 different plant species, though many types do not develop it as readily or severely as the susceptible plants listed above. Despite having plenty of PM in our garden, we’ve never seen powdery mildew on our citrus, figs, avocados, passionfruit vines, and rarely on herbs – including basil, sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill and more. Other plant species that are less likely to get powdery mildew include arugula, bok choy, swiss chard, onions, radishes, garlic, fava beans, turmeric, ginger, guava, strawberries, salvia species, and succulents or cacti. Thank goodness, because those are all some of my low-fuss favorites to grow! (Click on any of the highlighted crops to visit our corresponding grow guide)

Additionally, humans have selectively bred plants that are otherwise usually prone to powdery mildew to develop hybrid resistant varieties. For instance, you can find varieties of powdery mildew-resistant zucchini, melon, tomatoes, zinnia and more. Look for powdery mildew resistant varieties in the descriptions on seed packages, nursery plant label, online or in catalogs. Choosing resistant cultivars is an excellent way to prevent powdery mildew in your garden! 

8 Ways to Prevent Powdery Mildew 

One of the best ways to get rid of powdery mildew is to prevent it from occurring in the first place! Ha. If only it were that simple, eh? It’s a never-ending battle in our garden; there is always a low-grade PM infection somewhere. Yet these 8 tips to prevent powdery mildew on plants definitely help to keep it under control! So much so, that we rarely need to resort to treatment (described next).

1. Choose plant species and varieties that are naturally resistant to powdery mildew, especially if PM is a known issue in your garden. For instance, we’ve found that Dunja zucchini rarely gets mildew, while many other types of zucchini that we grow will. While they may not be completely immune, it should help! Also refer to the list of less susceptible plants above.
   
   
2. Practice good plant spacing. PM thrives in humid, crowded conditions. Prevent powdery mildew from spreading between plants by reducing overcrowding. Follow spacing recommendations for each type of plant, and prune plants as needed to increase airflow and reduce touching between them. Mildew also grows most readily in the shade, so provide susceptible plants plenty of sunshine.
   
   
3. Don’t compost diseased plants. Instead, put them in the trash or municipal green waste bin. Powdery mildew spores can survive in your compost and will spread to other areas of your garden when you use the compost later.
   
   
4. Clean your garden tools! It’s always a good idea to routinely sanitize your garden tools (e.g. pruning shears), especially when you’re working around diseased plants. To prevent powdery mildew from spreading, use rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, dilute bleach, or another sanitizing agent to wipe down your tools before moving on to the next plant.
   
   
5. Wet the soil, not your plants! As much as possible, avoid watering plants overhead. Constantly damp leaves or splashing water from an already-infected plant encourages the growth and spread of powdery mildew. Instead, water the soil below the plant. We used to have soaker hoses below an inch of mulch in all of our raised garden beds but we have switched to other types of drip irrigation now.
   
   
6. Use wise companion planting and polyculture. If you know you struggle with powdery mildew, don’t plant a bunch of plants that are highly-prone to PM all together in one bed. Buffer and interplant them with resistant species. Learn more about companion planting here – printable chart included!
   
   
7. Promote overall healthy plants and immune systems. By providing plants the nutrients and conditions they need to grow big and strong, the more resilient they are to fend off disease – including mildew. To keep our garden feelin’ funky fresh, we routinely amend our garden soil with organic fertilizers and well-aged compost, and water with homemade compost tea and aloe vera extract. Develop a consistent watering schedule and avoid drought stress too.
   
   
8. Preemptively treat plants with neem oil. As described more below, neem oil is one common treatment option for powdery mildew. In addition, you could use neem spray as a preventative measure where mildew development seems inevitable. PM is a big issue for our cannabis, and we have very little tolerance for it there. While I don’t mind eating a tiny bit of mildew, I definitely do not want to smoke it. So, Aaron sprays our young cannabis plants with neem oil on a weekly basis as part of their organic pest control routine – but only up until they begin to form flowers, because we don’t want to inhale neem either.

5 Ways to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew 

There are all sorts of tricks to get rid of powdery mildew, ranging from hippie-dippie to toxic fungicides. Case in point: have you heard that you can treat the infected plant by spraying it with milk? The rumor is that mixing 1 part milk to 10 parts water creates an organic fungicide. Maybe that works for some folks (good for you!) but when we tried it, we just ended up with very, very stinky plants. 

Your choice of treatment method depends on the severity of the issue, what resources are most available to you, and personal preference. Perhaps you’ll need minimal intervention at all. Either way, the following 5 ways to treat powdery mildew are considered safe for organic gardening – and work!

1. Cut and remove infected leaves. If caught early enough (and as long as the plant can survive without the infected part) the simple act of pruning off a few infected leaves can often halt or drastically slow the spread of powdery mildew to the rest of the plant. Just be sure to clean your pruning shears well before and after!
   
   
2. Spray the plant with baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) changes the pH on the plant leaves, making conditions more alkaline and less hospitable for the fungus to thrive. Mildew and blight like a more neutral pH (around 7). Thoroughly mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda per 1 gallon of water. Also add 1 tablespoon of liquid castile soap or other dish soap, which will help the baking soda spread and stick to the leaves better. Spray the plant thoroughly, saturating both the tops and bottoms of leaves.*
   
   
3. Use potassium bicarbonate. This is the most effective treatment for powdery mildew we’ve found! Potassium bicarbonate has a very similar method of action to baking soda (described above), but is stronger and longer-lasting. One time we treated young seedlings that developed mildew very early on, and they stayed PM-free for the entire growing season after only one application! We used to rely on a product called Green Cure, but they recently stopped production. Now we switched to this similar product. Mix 1 Tbsp of powder and 1 Tbsp of liquid soap in 1 gallon of water. Add it to your favorite sprayer, shake it all up, then spray everything down – coating all parts of the plant.*
   
   
4. Neem oil spray – In my experience, neem oil slows down the spread of powdery mildew, but doesn’t usually completely eradicate it. That is, unless you start treating your plants early and often throughout the season (see prevention section above).  I personally don’t love to use neem oil directly on tender foliage that I’m going to eat (like kale leaves) or veggies with a lot of nooks ‘n crannies (such as broccoli) because it can leave an oily residue that isn’t always easy to wash off. However, it’s great for for the leaves of squash plants! Like the bicarbonate treatment options, neem oil must also be diluted before application. However, because it is an oil, it is even more tricky to mix with water (heeeey middle school science!) Learn exactly how to properly emulsify, mix, and use neem oil spray here.
   
   
5. Trash infected plants. If all else fails, it is best to completely remove significantly infected plants from your garden to stop the spread of disease. Use caution as you do this. Avoid shaking the plants about, dragging them over other plants or prime soil, or anything else that would cause the fungi spore to go flying! Remember, don’t add these to your compost heap. After removing severely infected plants from your garden, it’s wise to replace (trash) the mulch in that immediate area. (If you’re using mulch… I sure hope you are!). You could also spray down the soil surface with baking soda, potassium bicarbonate, or neem.

*For any type of foliar spray treatment, I always recommend waiting to apply it until the evening hours – once the plant is out of direct sunlight. Bright sun on wet leaves can cause scorching. Also, beneficial insects are typically less active during the evening to dusk hours. Though all of these treatment options are considered safe and organic, it’s best not to directly spray beneficial insects with them.

And that concludes this lesson on organic powdery mildew management.

All in all, don’t worry if your plants get a few spots of mildew. It’s almost to be expected! We’ve learned to accept and peacefully co-exist with the relentless fungi in our garden, yet do try to be proactive about keeping it to a minimum. I hope this article gave you plenty of ideas of how to do just that. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. Or, share you experience with controlling powdery mildew in your garden – especially if I missed a helpful tip! Please also spread the love by pinning or sharing this article if you found it useful. Thank you for reading, and best of luck on your battles against PM!

The post How to Prevent or Treat Powdery Mildew Organically appeared first on Homestead and Chill.