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Pest Report- April 23, 2021

Hello and welcome to the first Pest Report of 2021!The Pest Report is a compilation of short discussions of pests, diseases and practical growing considerations relevant to the time of year. The Pest Report is not prescriptive – just a warning of current issues in the broader Northeast region that may or may not reach

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Garden Springtails

Pest: Garden Springtails (Collembolla) Pest/disease identification and lifecycle, most common symptoms and crops affected: Springtails are a very diverse group of soil dwelling arthropods, that largely feed on decaying organic matter. As such, most springtail species are playing a beneficial role in a healthy soil’s food web. That knowledge may be of little relief, however,

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Sunscald/Windwhip

Pest/disease identification and lifecycle, most common symptoms and crops affected: Plants that have not yet been hardened off thoroughly, or can’t get all the water they need, can suffer from something akin to a sunburn. The damage usually shows up first as a bleaching of exposed leaf surfaces, typically higher up on the plant, though

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Blueberry Pie

Today is National Blueberry Pie Day! At the end of April, you ask? Why not?! Maybe there are some frozen organic wild Maine blueberries taking up residence in your freezer from last summer that need to be used up in a delicious pie! If you are hankering for blueberry pie, but don’t have the fruit

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10 Things Every Beginning Gardener Should Know About Growing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are often considered an essential crop to grow for both new and experienced gardeners. No supermarket specimen can compare with a garden-fresh tomato. Growing tomatoes in your organic garden also allows for a much wider fruit selection: from cherry, pear and grape tomatoes, to plum and paste varieties, to heirlooms, slicers and beefsteak tomatoes,

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Flea Beetles

Pests: Crucifer Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae) and Striped Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta striolata) Pest/disease identification and lifecycle, most common symptoms and crops affected: Crucifer and striped flea beetles feed on brassica crops as well as weeds that are in the same family, such as yellow rocket or wild mustard. Larvae feed on the roots and flea

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Asparagus Beetle

Pest: Asparagus Beetle, Common (Crioceris asparigi) and Spotted (Crioceris duodecimpunctata) Pest identification and lifecycle, most common symptoms and crops affected: Common Asparagus Beetle (Crioceris asparigi) Blue-black, shiny, smooth and about 6 to 9 millimeters (1/4 inch) long, with three large yellow, squarish spots with red margins along each wing cover. Eggs are black, laid standing on

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Edema

Pest: Edema Pest/disease identification and lifecycle, most common symptoms and crops affected: Edema usually shows up on tomato seedlings when they have been waiting through lots of cloudy cold days. It is also a common problem in plants in the cabbage family, and some house plants. Blisters or bumps appear on the surface of the

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Climate Change, Resilience and the Future of Food

By Holli Cederholm The weather instability that farmers are dealing with today is truly “unprecedented,” according to Laura Lengnick, a soil scientist and the founder of Cultivating Resilience, LLC, in Asheville, North Carolina. Farmers have always had to assess weather-associated risks, but not like this. “Never before in the history – the 10,000 year history

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