Good morning, how surprised I was to see the first signs of Powdery mildew (PM). I was surprised because it usually does not start showing until the middle of August. What causes it to start showing at that time is hot days and cool nights along with high humidity. I guess these conditions are raising their head a little early. It has been a very strange year so why not add another surprise. Usually with PM there are some things that you can do to slow the spread. Most of these thing just slow the inevitable and the plants wither and die. I think the "whiting" of the plants inhibits photosynthesis, and the plant cannot supply itself with food.
I have discovered an organic control that actually stops the spread and prevents the demise of the plants. This wet able powder is called Milstop and has many out lets but I purchase mine from johnnyseeds.com.. I was impressed at how well this product works.
There are two other pests that also start to show themselves around the middle of August. Fortunately I have not seen them yet. Both of these pests are in the lepidoptera (moths and butterflies.). These two pests can reek havoc on squash and tomatoes. These are melon worms and tomato pin worms.
The melon worms are the larvae of a unique looking moth. this is a tropical moth that has to retrace its path each year because most of the US is too cold to survive year round. Ah, but this not the case of South Florida. Each year it takes several generations but it does arrive around the middle of August. The moth is a small 3/4 inch affair and has a very recognizable appendage jutting out from the rear of the moth. it is the caterpillars that do the damage. Mature ones are about an inch long with green and white stripes that run the length of the body. They first start with eating leaves and then move onto the fruit (I have only seen them on summer squash). When they move to the fruit they bore holes into. The number depends on population density.
The pin worms are "supposed " to die out in the winter due to cold. I am suspecting that they are similar to the melon worms, because of their late summer arrival. These guys can very easily go undetected and the unfortunate gardener will be lulled into believing that their tomatoes are tired and just doing the the end of season death spiral. It is paramount to notice that pin worm infected plants die from the growing points back word. A truly fading plant would wither from oldest to youngest.
Things to look for when you notice the fading. Observe the outer most leaves, you will notice what appears to be leaf miners, they are. You will need a hand lens and then you want to separate the area that appears to be mined. It is best to do this over some white paper (in case it falls out and you do not see it.) these guys are tiny around a 1/32 of an inch. Much smaller than the print on this email. they are darkish in color.
The cure is simple. Bt will work on both of these guys. other contact sprays will work too, but Bt will target these bugs specifically. With the melon worm, the squash need to be bee pollinated so covering is out of the question and spraying will need to continue as needed. As with the pin worm, once sprayed if the tomatoes are covered and then continue the spray program for at least 2 more weeks, this should take care of them. Of course keep a vigilant eye for more pin worms.
I encourage gardeners to google pictures of these bugs so that you will be ready for them.. Good luck and happy gardening.
Follows is a list of what I am growing, please email as to availability and prices. Chard, kale, green onions, carrots, lettuce, okra, tomatoes, chilies (several varieties), eggplant, butternut squash, garlic, beets, bulb onions, cucumbers, summer squash, sweet potatoes, and beans. Also, there is volunteer basil and dill.
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