Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["bruce smith" <cityhomesteader@gmail.com>]

No it is the fact that Nothing grew there for years until they placed a "garden" in it.. Seems that the saying "If you plant it, they will come" is working very well here.  Mono-cropping is probably the issue..Is there any companion plants with the squash, as in Corn, beans, cosmos, etc., to confuse the insects?  More than likely not..  We have our gardens all a mix and within beds with pathways and within the entire garden area are other types of plants that draw beneficial insects to the kitchen garden area.. Most folks till up a big huge area and plant in rows with nothing but dirt and great lines of mono-cropped vegetables begging to be devoured.. Nature teaches us the need to mix things up with herbs, flowers, certain weeds, and edibles and non-edibles shoulder to shoulder.. The soil being enriched by the plants dying and rotting and forming a mulch.. Most folks just weed like crazy and grow everything in lines.. Not natural..Of course it will draw insects..Then they make the mistake in spraying all the insects in a great war and creating a vacancy that is filled by more insects to be sprayed..  

If I go out to the kitchen garden in my yard I will see aphids right now on my newly planted tomatoes, but since my peas have been growing in that bed and were already targeted by aphids, I also have predators and parasites  at work in the aphids.. There are aphids hulls with trap doors cut out of their backs and more tiny parasitic wasps mating and laying more eggs on the new brood of aphids, there are spiders, lace wings larva, lady bug larva, ground beetles and many more because I don't spray and have been using compost and feeding the soil for 11 years now..

On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 8:35 PM, <uriel@nasalam.org> wrote:

Personally, I think it's weak plants that allow the beetles to attack.
I think guineas would take care of them.

Uriel

Bobby G wrote:
> Everyone,
>
> We just planted out several trays of winter squashes, a melon, and
> gourds into a new area which had only cattle on it for many years,
> and is clay which is now real rich in organic matter judging by the
> 'tilth' of it.
>
> But almost instantly the yellow-&-black cucumber beetles and what
> looks like squash beetles started in on the plants.
>
> After an evening's research on the net, i've concluded that the only
> good control is to use floating row covers over the young plants
> until they start blooming.  Other methods are mentioned as much less
> effective.
>
> Anyone else have any suggestions?  Bobby G
> Central Wisc.


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-- 
Bruce Smith

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A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul. ~Author Unknown