This post may contain affiliate links.
So, your fall vegetable garden is planted and ready to go. A fall garden can extend your growing season well into the cooler months, sometimes lasting right up to December, depending on your location. Unfortunately, fall gardens can attract a variety of pests eager to snack on your crops, threatening your harvest.
The good news is that nature provides ways to manage these unwanted visitors. Here’s a guide to some of the most common fall garden pests and tips on how to prevent and manage them.
Harlequin Bugs
Don’t be fooled by the striking red, black, and white patterns of harlequin bugs; they might look attractive, but they’re bad news for your fall vegetable garden. These pests can wreak havoc on your crops, especially brassicas like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and cabbage. They feed on the plant’s juices, causing the leaves to turn yellow or brown and weaken, if not killing the entire plant.
You can use organic insecticides like neem oil or insecticidal soap to manage larger infestations. Alternatively, you can hand-pick the bugs, drop them into a container of soapy water, or squash them to protect your garden.
Cabbage Worms
Cabbage worms are green caterpillars that chew large holes in the leaves of cabbages and other brassicas. To control infestations, handpick them or use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
Cutworms
Cutworms are small green-grey caterpillars that eat through the stems of young plants. They only feed at night, so it can be difficult to spot until the damage has been done, by which time it may be too late to save your plants. They love peppers, cabbage, and beans.
Aphids
Aphids are small pear-shaped insects that can be yellow, pink, green, or black in color. They form colonies on the stems and leaves of plants, sucking the sap and weakening the plant. The best control method is to attract beneficial insects that feed on aphids.
Colorado Potato Beetles
Although it may be called a potato beetle, the Colorado beetle loves eggplant and peppers. Adult Colorado potato beetles and their larvae feed on plant leaves, weakening the plant and causing low yields.
Colorado potato beetles hide in plant debris on the soil surface, so regular tilling can help keep them under control. In the event of an infestation, adult beetles can be picked off by hand and regular application of Bacillus thuringiensis will reduce larvae numbers.
Flea Beetles
Flea beetles are small, shiny beetles that can leap into the air like fleas. They feed on tender young leaves, creating holes and ragged edges that can weaken the plant.
Dusting plants’ leaves with talcum powder can help repel flea beetles. Row covers placed over plants will also protect them from flea beetles.
Armyworms
Armyworm caterpillars eat your favorite vegetable crops. They mainly feed at night and can be identified by the yellow stripe down the side of the body. The eggs on the leaves’ underside are covered in a white fluffy substance.
In the event of an armyworm infestation, handpicking at night is the fastest way to get them under control. Biodiversity in the vegetable plot will attract many predators that enjoy feeding on armyworms.
Stink Bugs
Stink bugs are shield-shaped insects that can damage your fall crops, from okra and cabbage to peas and beans. They cause poor growth and deformities.
Immature stink bugs can be picked off by hand. Insecticidal soap or neem spray kills stink bug nymphs, and several species of birds eat adult stink bugs.
How to Prepare Your Vegetable Garden for Winter
As the days get shorter and the temperatures start to dip, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your vegetable garden for the winter. By taking some simple steps now and following our fall garden checklist, you can ensure your garden is healthy and productive come spring.
Preparing Your Vegetable Garden for Winter
How to Plant a Fall Garden
A well-planned fall vegetable garden can keep your season going well into the cooler months. Depending on your location and the tools you use, your garden could last right up through December!
