Hello All, My name is Ed and I live in the Northeast and all winter long Ive been reading about raised gardens.This spring I built my first garden,In there Ive planted cucumbers,zucchini,peppers,early girl and brandywine tomatoes,all are doing well except my peppers.
Something is eating the leafs of the plant and I cant see the bug responsible,anyone know what would do this?
And is there an all NATURAL way to deal with this.Thanks for any ideas on my dilemma... ?:|

spinosad for chewing insects works in 1-3 days. usda organic certfied.

First thing is to decide if it's serious damage or just cosmetic. Then identify the insect. Do you have hundreds of tiny holes in the leaves, or big chewed areas?

Hello 1st Timer, Welcome!

Which ever critter(s) is eating your peppers will also be interested in other nightshades; such as tomatoes, potatoes, & eggplants, to name a few.

Here's some of the critters that could be the culprit & 'natural' controls:

>Tomatoe Hornworms:Spray with Bt. Till soil after harvest to destroy pupae.

>Japanese Beetles:Apply beneficial nematodes to soil. Milky spore disease provides long-term control. Japanese beetle lures and traps to reduce population.

>Earwigs:Hand pick or use traps.

>Potatoe Beetle: Spray Bt or Bt/Pyrethrin mix. Beneficial nematodes in soil take care of larvae. Release ladybugs (if you do this avoid sprays).

>Spider Mites: Release Lacewings. Spray insecticidal soap. Spray with water.

You'll need a proper ID, in order to control them effectively.
If you are not seeing them by day the critter could be a night feeder. Arm yourself with a flashlight and take a peek.
Keep us posted with updates.
Good Luck!

thanks for the replies...they are big chewed areas meaning about 3/4 of an inch on the leaves... I have found a few japanese beetles on the zucchini but nothing else...

It is important to find out how many insects you've got making holes in the leaves, because certain bugs do certain things, and they may or may not be worth dealing with.

If anyone is certified organic in California, even though spinosad is a naturally-derived insecticide and a “reduced-risk” compound, the
formulation registered for use in California in 1996 does not qualify as organic because it
uses a synthetic chemical to retard spoilage. The registrant, Dow AgroSciences, recently
received a federal registration for a new spinosad formulation without the spoilage
retardant that qualified as an organic pesticide under federal and state guidelines. While
not yet registered for use in California, this new spinosad product may be used to combat
major pest infestations under Federal laws that allow temporary pesticide
registrations (“Section 18” and “Section 24c”).

It might be considered organic in the future in all places, but it isn't yet.

As Peterfoss and Purplebean have said, identify the culprit first. Never, ever apply "something" to control anything unless proper ID has been made so you know what you are controlling and you can be sure that what you are using will target that problem and not kill off a lot of beneficial insects.
Some things to consider that might be eating the leaves and do so at times you would not see them are snails and slugs or cutter bees (not something that needs control).

Ok all my peppers are doing well but know my Zucchini are under attack I think its what they call a cut worm... Its body is all white with a black head...I actually took a picture if anyone wants to see it... My question is how do I kill it and be safe for my kids???

The cutworm is a dirty gray or brown larva of a moth that dwells in the soil and comes out at night in the spring and cuts you seedlings off at about ground level. I'd not expect to see any at this time of year. A picture could aid in identification, but if there are just a few hand squishing is the most effective means of control.

I would love nothing better than to quish them,the problem with that is they bored into the stalk of the zucchini and you cant see them unless you destroy the plant.1 down 5 to go

1st Timer, welcome to the forums.

Given your decription, and what you said in your last post, I would say, that for your zuccini vines, that they have what is called teh Squash Vine Borer. Evil little things that they are. Best way to get the plant back into action is to bury part of the vines, so that they root. The Borers dig into the vines, and suck on the juices of the plant, causing it to wilt, and therefore, die. The added roots, if you were to bury the stems (but leave the leave, and stuff above ground) will allow for more water absorption. I can't remember how to exactly kill them, but I think it was BT, or diamataceous earth, or something along those lines.

If you read purplebean's post, and read the Japanese Beetles part, don't use teh traps! They attract more beetles than they kill.

HTH
Chris J.

Chris sounds right to me. squash vine borers. BT will take them out and letting the stem root sounds good too, although I never tried it. this is the first year where the borers took out my zukes after several years of prolific zukes.
Bummer!

Hey I uploaded an image at Imageshack here is the link...
what do you think it is and how do you kill it... without hurting my litle kids. Sorry if links are not allowed if not please tell me and I will remove it promptly.

Links are fine. And helpful!

Welcome!

I did hear somewhere that someone let his squash vines root along the stem and that the plants did much better, weren't bothered nearly as much by the borers. Never tried it myself, but then DH loves squash...when it's on someone else's plate!