"a man
thinks he amounts
to a great deal
but to a
flea or a
mosquito a human being is
merely something
good to eat"
— Don Marquis, from archy and mehitabel
Inspect your garden every day for black spots (indicating possible fungus), holes in the leaves (indicating bug problems — you can't avoid most of them), or white mildew growth. A baking soda spray mixed at 4 teaspoons per gallon with a single teaspoon of liquid soap or vegetable oil will help kill most fungus and mildew. For bug infestation, like cutworms on the lettuce, flea beetles, or lacebugs, use pyrethrum/rotenone products and diatomaceous earth. Both are organic pest controllers. See your local nursery for help with these.
Slugs and snails are attracted to beer (aren't we all?) and can't resist a stray plastic cup left in the garden. A flat of marigolds planted around the edge of your garden also provides a distracting treat for these pests. They'll chew through all the yellow blooms, but at least it'll keep them off your lettuce. Do not kill wasps, ladybugs or praying mantids! They are your friends, and eat smaller insects. Besides, ladybugs are good luck.
If your garden is not fenced in, you should probably buy some of cheap fencing at your local Home Depot or equivalent — the kind with the steel rods to
attach it to. If you don't like the way that looks, put some kind of rock or low fence border around your garden and buy some "blood meal" at a nursery (call ahead) to put in small containers around the garden. Deer hate the smell and may stay away. They also don't like verbena, a small shrub, so planting some of those around the garden might also help to throw them off. For racoons,
armadillo, and rabbits, get a dog. Just kidding. A cat would be better.
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