How to Protect Your Plants from Slugs, Snails, Weevils and Disease

Seeing holes in your plants? There are several common causes this time of year.

Slugs and snails may not be seen during the day, but can cause problems in shady and mulched gardens in particular. Sluggo is a great organic product to control these pests.

Another culprit leaving half-circle notches on the edges of your leaves at night, are several species of weevils. Recommended products: Dr. Earth Veggie Insecticide for Organic Control or for a chemical control, try Sevin Insecticide.

Cabbage and other lupers (inch worms) don't just feed on cabbage plants, but a wide variety of garden crops. An excellent organic control is Bonide Bt Thuricide.

Watch for early blight on your tomatoes! Early stages appear as yellow to brown spots on lower leaves. The leaf then whithers and dies, progressing from the bottom leaves up. Apply mulch to the beds so that soil does not splash up, water at the base of the plant instead of the foliage. If problems persist, prune bottom leaves and try Dr. Earth Fungicide.

Please remember that we're in a dry period and most established garden plants need an inch of water per week, it's better to water deeply and less often. Water in the cool of the morning if possible, less water is lost with evaporation and it gives the foliage a chance to dry off before nighttime, crucial to preventing diseases.