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Vegetables
Volume 58 Number 16 Date 08/22/2013 JAPANESE BEETLE - Reports from Eau Claire and Grant counties indicate continuing problems in home gardens. The beetles are defoliating snap beans, as well as the corn, eggplants and peppers. The simplest natural control is to remove them from plants and submerge them in a bucket of soapy water. Gardeners are also advised to cull and dispose of overripe and rotting produce, which can attract large numbers of beetles. CABBAGE LOOPER - The Chippewa Falls trapping location registered low numbers of moths for the second week in a row, suggesting that additional migrants are arriving in the state and weekly scouting should continue through mid-September or harvest. A 10% infestation threshold should be used from early heading until harvest to protect the market quality of cabbage. The same threshold applies to broccoli and cauliflower once flowers or curds begin to develop. BLOSSOM END ROT - This physiological disorder of tomatoes, peppers, watermelons and squash is appearing in commercial and home gardens, according to grower reports. The dark, water-soaked spot that starts at the blossom end of the fruit and enlarges around the fruit surface is caused by calcium deficiency or inconsistent soil moisture levels. Since this disease is physiological in nature, fungicides and insecticides are useless as control measures. Adjusting calcium levels in spring and maintaining even soil moisture levels throughout the season will usually limit its development. -- Krista Hamilton, DATCP Entomologist 
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