Potato Patch Pests
Posted 05-19-2008 at 11:39 AM by Farmergal508
Potato Patch Pests are usually six legged. Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)might be the worst ones.
CPB in my log book. These nasty beetles feast on potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and petunias. CPBs in adult and larval stage eat the leaves and stems of the plants, not the roots. This cuts down on how well the plant can photosynthesize and gives you reduced potato yields.
CPB adults are yellowish orange with black spots behind their heads and 10 black stripes on their wing covers. (Get out your magnifying glass, look close and count them!)
They spend the winter as pupae in the soil and emerge in late spring and WALK to host plants. CPBs lay clusters of yellow, oval-shaped eggs. The larvae hatch and feed for up to 3 weeks before they pupate in the soil. These prolific critters can have 3 generations per year in the South.
The easiest way to prevent damage to your potato crop is to make a barrier between the pest and the plants with a lightweight floating row cover. Place the row cover over the potatoes after planting and leave it on until you are ready to harvest.
If you don't use a row cover, inspect those plants DAILY and MORE often. Spread a heavy layer of straw mulch around your potato plants. This straw "hilling" really made a difference last year. The mulch holds in moisture and prevents weeds (you knew that) but it also makes it harder for the CPBs to FIND your potatoes! The mulch is also a micro-habitat that suits natural predators, like ground beetles, which feed on larvae, and lady beetles and lacewings, which feed on eggs and larvae.
Organic farmers and gardeners are familiar with companion planings, so plant coriander, sweet alyssum, fennel, dill, and cosmos around your potato patch and attract beneficial insects.
Plant potato varieties that mature before reach their height in early summer: 'Caribe', 'Superior', or 'Yukon Gold'.
Another way to prevent insect pests is to use a plastic-lined, V-shaped trench to reduce the number of adults that can get into the potato patch. (Remember, they are WALKING.) As head for the plants, they fall into the trench and can't get out. Destroy them all.
This takes diligence every morning too. But if you are an organic farmer, you already know that every day is one step closer to the crop and many steps in the direction of a healthy earth. It is your choice to manage your crops without harmful pesticides. It is work. But it is good work. And the potatoes are your reward.
CPB in my log book. These nasty beetles feast on potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and petunias. CPBs in adult and larval stage eat the leaves and stems of the plants, not the roots. This cuts down on how well the plant can photosynthesize and gives you reduced potato yields.
CPB adults are yellowish orange with black spots behind their heads and 10 black stripes on their wing covers. (Get out your magnifying glass, look close and count them!)
They spend the winter as pupae in the soil and emerge in late spring and WALK to host plants. CPBs lay clusters of yellow, oval-shaped eggs. The larvae hatch and feed for up to 3 weeks before they pupate in the soil. These prolific critters can have 3 generations per year in the South.
The easiest way to prevent damage to your potato crop is to make a barrier between the pest and the plants with a lightweight floating row cover. Place the row cover over the potatoes after planting and leave it on until you are ready to harvest.
If you don't use a row cover, inspect those plants DAILY and MORE often. Spread a heavy layer of straw mulch around your potato plants. This straw "hilling" really made a difference last year. The mulch holds in moisture and prevents weeds (you knew that) but it also makes it harder for the CPBs to FIND your potatoes! The mulch is also a micro-habitat that suits natural predators, like ground beetles, which feed on larvae, and lady beetles and lacewings, which feed on eggs and larvae.
Organic farmers and gardeners are familiar with companion planings, so plant coriander, sweet alyssum, fennel, dill, and cosmos around your potato patch and attract beneficial insects.
Plant potato varieties that mature before reach their height in early summer: 'Caribe', 'Superior', or 'Yukon Gold'.
Another way to prevent insect pests is to use a plastic-lined, V-shaped trench to reduce the number of adults that can get into the potato patch. (Remember, they are WALKING.) As head for the plants, they fall into the trench and can't get out. Destroy them all.
This takes diligence every morning too. But if you are an organic farmer, you already know that every day is one step closer to the crop and many steps in the direction of a healthy earth. It is your choice to manage your crops without harmful pesticides. It is work. But it is good work. And the potatoes are your reward.
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- Potato Patch Pests (05-19-2008)
