Spring is in full gear, which means you are already planning and planting your garden. If all goes as planned, you will be enjoying crisp lettuce, fresh herbs, and juicy tomatoes from your garden in no time, unless something else gets to it first. Here are some tips for determining what’s eating your garden.
Deer and rabbits
An immediate telltale sign of deer is their tracks. If you notice deer tracks in your garden, or on your lawn, and your plants have jagged edges (like the leaves were torn), deer are likely eating your garden. Rabbits prefer young, tender leaves produced by new growth. If you notice clean breaks from your plants, and the damage is primarily close to the ground, then you likely have a rabbit problem.
Slugs and snails
The best way to determine if you have a problem with these slimy pests is to inspect your garden at night, using a flashlight. Other ways are to look for holes eaten throughout the leaves of your plants. Slugs and snails also like to hide in damp, moist areas like under pots, rocks, or landscape timbers, or in mulch.
Caterpillars
Have you seen any irregular holes in the leaves of your plants? Caterpillars often camouflage themselves among their environment, so they can be difficult to spot, initially. However, if you notice irregular holes in both new and old leaves, you probably have some caterpillars nibbling through your garden.
Japanese beetles
These shiny, metallic pests prefer flowers and leaves. Do the leaves on your plants look like a skeleton? Beetles tend to munch on the leaves, eating away only the tissue of the leaf, creating a skeleton effect.
Earwigs
These insects have an intimidating look with their pinch-like rear-ends. They prefer to feast on organisms such as insect eggs or adult aphids (plant lice). However, they can be found eating soft fruits such as peaches or berries. They usually hide out inside the blossoms or shoots of a plant.
Providing landscape design, building, and maintenance services, Promier Landscapes can help take care of your lawn care needs. Promier Landscapes serves clients in Kingsport, Bristol, and Johnson City, Tennessee.