Just when I thought everything was going along splendidly…
I noticed this damage to my spinach today 😦
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I believe this may be the culprit. I found it crawling along the stem of one of my other spinach plants. I picked it off and then snapped this photo before it met with its untimely demise ~ under my shoe.
I can’t seem to find any photos online that can indicate to me what this is exactly. Anyone know???
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Also, I think leaf miners of some sort are going after my broccoli 😦
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Because I am growing everything in my garden organically, using any sort of pesticide is absolutely out of the question, so any alternative suggestions would be most welcome.
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My daughter made this little animated icon for me for Mother’s Day and I’m thinking going forward it would be fitting to add it to the bottom of all of my gardening posts. Isn’t it cute? ♥
~Gardening is my therapy~
Ramblings From Jewels 
I have an idea for your gardening pests. I actually got it from two different sources so it might actually work, both of which are older than Moses himself, and are gardeners from the old school. 😉 Set a full 8 oz cup of pure white vinegar at the four corners of your raised garden. From what I understand it will word to keep the “bad” bugs out without keeping the “good” ones away. Yes you have to change it out if it rains or should get spilled but if you set it correctly you should not have any problems with spillage. If you have a larger garden you have to set a cup at the end of each row and one mid-way. Two old timers who make their living from selling fruits and veggies every summer can’t be wrong… and I got it two different times, in two different states. I guess it is worth a shot. Good luck and keep me posted, I will let you know how my little adventure in the same thing turns out. 🙂
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Oh that is definitely worth a try. Thanks! 🙂
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I love the animated icon! Sorry, I know nothing about gardening so I’m no help there. If I just walk by a garden it dies. But I vote you use the icon, for sure! 🙂
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Haha! Note to self: Never invite Lisa over for a walk-by. 😉 I know I love my little icon! You should see the other ones she has made. The last one was a little dragon. It’s breathes fire! 🙂 Oh wait… I can link her icon gallery ~ http://pinkfirefly135.deviantart.com/gallery/34030113
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Looks like an inchworm (Phigalia); the larvae of the geometer moth, and better known as an “inchworm.”
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I thought it could be an inchworm as well, but I guess when looking at the various images of them I wasn’t completely convinced that’s what it was. It was so very, very tiny too ~ not even 1/4 of an inch. I’m surprised I even saw it let alone was able to photograph the little sucker. Thanks for your comment!
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A local friend of mine just posted this on Facebook so I think these are the culprits ~ it appears we are having an infestation of tent caterpillars… http://www.kare11.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1651385945001
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Love the animated icon. Perfect for the end of your post!
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Thank you!
🙂
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I had a look and couldn’t find anything either. I wonder what it is. The animation your daughter made is too cute!
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Thanks for trying. All 5 of my spinach plants are under attack from whatever it is. 😦 Because my garden is over at my mom’s I can’t be out there 24/7 constantly picking them off, so I’m afraid my spinach may eventually end up being a loss. I am going to try the vinegar trick that my friend suggested in one of the other comments though because I have lettuce growing too and the same pest may want to move on to munching on that once it finishes with my spinach. I hope it works. Thanks, I think it’s cute too, and it’s one little “growing plant” that won’t ever get eaten by pests! 😉
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I usually make a spray. I never measure. I just mince a bunch of garlic, throw in a mitt full of cayenne and one drop of liquid soap. Let it sit for a few days and spray my plants. We had no problems when I did it. Last year never bothered, and had problems all the time.
Can’t guarantee it was the spray that worked before, but I know I’ll be using it this year!
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Oh, I was reading about a similar spray like you mention with cayenne pepper in it. Did you spray everything or just the plants that seemed affected by pests?
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I sprayed everything. About once a week or after a rainfall. I don’t know if it was the reason we didn’t get any insect ‘issues’.
I went to the bulk food store and bought a bag of cayenne. We’ll see if it works this year.
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It’s worth a try! I think I’ll play “mad-scientist” and mix up a batch of it myself and see if it works for me! Thanks so much for the idea and good luck to you too! 🙂
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Oh, forgot to mention, if the hose inside the bottle is too long, it will clog up. I just cut it. Hope it works for you!
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Good to know, thanks again! 🙂
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Hi Jewels~ 🙂
One of the reasons I don’t plant lettuce or spinach is because of bugs~we don’t use pesticides at all either~
Nice to see you honey!
Love & hugs~Patty~
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Hi Patty 🙂 I know it just doesn’t seem fair… we do all the work and the bugs enjoy the harvest. But I’m not giving up just yet! We never had an issue with bugs eating our spinach and lettuce before, but this garden is located in a completely different area of Minnesota (in the city vs the country) so maybe there are different bugs here. Nice to see you too!
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