The Flea Beetles

Named appropriately, flea beetles are tiny green or black beetles that jump like common fleas. They attack a wide range of plants, including fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Adult flea beetles create pinholes in leaves. Read more about controlling flea beetles.

Colorado Potato Beetles

Distinctive 1/2-inch-long yellow insects, Colorado potato beetles feature black, brown and yellow stripes on their wing covers. They gobble up and skeletonize the foliage on plants in the nightshade family, including potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Female beetles lay clusters of bright yellow-orange eggs on the undersides of the leaves. Hump-backed larvae hatch from these eggs and molt several times during feeding, growing fatter each time. Read more about controlling Colorado potato beetles.

The Cabbage Worms

Green, hairy cabbageworms have a velvety appearance and a row of light spots along their backs. These voracious feeders eat vegetable plant leaves, creating large, irregular holes, often along the midrib. When feeding on cabbage, these worms bore directly into the head. Their excrement consists of greenish-brown pellets. After two to three weeks of feeding, the wormlike larvae pupate and attach themselves to stems by a silk thread. The adult form, the imported cabbageworm butterfly, is easy to spot. It's white, with one to four black spots on its wings. Read more about controlling cabbage worms.

Picture of Aphids

Several species of this sap-sucking, winged pest exist. You'll find aphids in green, black, yellow or red. They attack edible and ornamental plants, including garden roses, causing stunted growth, curling and yellowing leaves, and a honeydew buildup that leads to black, sooty mold. Honeydew produced by aphids attracts ants as well, so include them in your treatment plan. Read more about controlling aphids.

How to Identify and Control Common Plant Pests

When you're in the garden picking homegrown produce and find telltale bite marks on your plants, chances are you have insect pests. Knowing what you're dealing with when it comes to insects allows you to choose the best pesticide for getting rid of those uninvited dinner guests. These 20 common garden troublemakers target edible crops, ornamentals or both:

Managing Cucumber Pests and Disease

Many cucumbers are susceptible to fungal issues and pests, especially when vines get crowded and air can't circulate well. Trellising helps improve airflow and circumvent some fungal problems. But stubborn fungal diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and black rot call for prevention and intervention. When conditions favor disease development or your see signs of fungal problems, turn to liquid Daconil Fungicide Ready-To-Use to control, stop and prevent fungal disease.

For common pests such as cucumber beetles, aphids, squash bugs and flea beetles, you can pick the pesticide product that works best for you. Liquid Sevin Insect Killer Concentrate and Sevin Insect Killer Ready to Spray kill more than 500 insect pests by contact and keep protecting your cucumbers for up to three months.+ Just allow one day between using these two Sevin products and enjoying a cucumber harvest.

If you prefer dusting, Sevin Insect Killer Dust Ready To Use kills more than 150 insect pests and can be used up to three days before harvesting cucumbers. Sevin Sulfur Dust can be used as a dust or spray to control powdery mildew on cucumbers, too.

Planting Cucumbers in Containers

To grow cucumbers in containers, start with large pots that can support both roots and vines. An 18-inch-diameter pot works well for vigorous cucumber plants. Fill the pot with a high-quality commercial potting mix formulated for use in containers. If you want to make your own mix, combine equal parts potting soil, compost and vermiculite, a mineral that helps retain moisture.

Plant three seeds 1 inch deep in the middle of each container. When seedlings have reached 4 inches tall, thin them to one seedling per container. If you're planting transplants, nursery-grown seedlings typically have more than one seed in the tiny pot.

Selecting the Right Cucumber

When choosing the cucumber you want to grow, consider both your gardening space and the use you have in mind. Cucumbers have two different growth habits: bush and vining. Bush varieties are compact and don't require a trellis. They're ideal for growing in containers or small raised beds.

Vining cucumbers produce more fruit, but they require more space than bush varieties. Though some gardeners let vining cucumbers sprawl on the ground, that practice promotes disease.1 Growing vine cucumbers vertically on a trellis or netting helps improve airflow and discourage common fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, which can cause the loss of cucumber leaves meant to shade crisp cucumbers from intense sun.

Cucumbers also come in varieties suited to specific culinary uses. Slicing varieties and pickling varieties are available in both vining and bush types. Slicing varieties have tender skin and soft flesh ideal for fresh eating. Pickling cucumbers have tougher skin and flesh that stands up well when preserved. There are also numerous types of novelty cucumbers, such as the vining lemon cucumber, which grows in the shape and color of a lemon.

How to Plant, Grow and Harvest Cucumbers

For many gardeners, harvesting homegrown cucumbers is a moment they look forward to all season. With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy the fresh flavor and satisfying crunch of a cucumber bounty — and share it with family and friends. Attractive cucumber plants can be grown in the ground, in raised beds or in containers. To make the most of your harvest, follow these basics and grow just the right cucumber for your space and culinary plans:

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The Flea Beetles

Named appropriately, flea beetles are tiny green or black beetles that jump like common fleas. They attack a wide range of plants, including fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. Adult flea beetles create pinholes in leaves. Read more about controlling flea beetles.

Colorado Potato Beetles

Distinctive 1/2-inch-long yellow insects, Colorado potato beetles feature black, brown and yellow stripes on their wing covers. They gobble up and skeletonize the foliage on plants in the nightshade family, including potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Female beetles lay clusters of bright yellow-orange eggs on the undersides of the leaves. Hump-backed larvae hatch from these eggs and molt several times during feeding, growing fatter each time. Read more about controlling Colorado potato beetles.

The Cabbage Worms

Green, hairy cabbageworms have a velvety appearance and a row of light spots along their backs. These voracious feeders eat vegetable plant leaves, creating large, irregular holes, often along the midrib. When feeding on cabbage, these worms bore directly into the head. Their excrement consists of greenish-brown pellets. After two to three weeks of feeding, the wormlike larvae pupate and attach themselves to stems by a silk thread. The adult form, the imported cabbageworm butterfly, is easy to spot. It's white, with one to four black spots on its wings. Read more about controlling cabbage worms.

Picture of Aphids

Several species of this sap-sucking, winged pest exist. You'll find aphids in green, black, yellow or red. They attack edible and ornamental plants, including garden roses, causing stunted growth, curling and yellowing leaves, and a honeydew buildup that leads to black, sooty mold. Honeydew produced by aphids attracts ants as well, so include them in your treatment plan. Read more about controlling aphids.

How to Identify and Control Common Plant Pests

When you're in the garden picking homegrown produce and find telltale bite marks on your plants, chances are you have insect pests. Knowing what you're dealing with when it comes to insects allows you to choose the best pesticide for getting rid of those uninvited dinner guests. These 20 common garden troublemakers target edible crops, ornamentals or both:

Managing Cucumber Pests and Disease

Many cucumbers are susceptible to fungal issues and pests, especially when vines get crowded and air can't circulate well. Trellising helps improve airflow and circumvent some fungal problems. But stubborn fungal diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and black rot call for prevention and intervention. When conditions favor disease development or your see signs of fungal problems, turn to liquid Daconil Fungicide Ready-To-Use to control, stop and prevent fungal disease.

For common pests such as cucumber beetles, aphids, squash bugs and flea beetles, you can pick the pesticide product that works best for you. Liquid Sevin Insect Killer Concentrate and Sevin Insect Killer Ready to Spray kill more than 500 insect pests by contact and keep protecting your cucumbers for up to three months.+ Just allow one day between using these two Sevin products and enjoying a cucumber harvest.

If you prefer dusting, Sevin Insect Killer Dust Ready To Use kills more than 150 insect pests and can be used up to three days before harvesting cucumbers. Sevin Sulfur Dust can be used as a dust or spray to control powdery mildew on cucumbers, too.

Planting Cucumbers in Containers

To grow cucumbers in containers, start with large pots that can support both roots and vines. An 18-inch-diameter pot works well for vigorous cucumber plants. Fill the pot with a high-quality commercial potting mix formulated for use in containers. If you want to make your own mix, combine equal parts potting soil, compost and vermiculite, a mineral that helps retain moisture.

Plant three seeds 1 inch deep in the middle of each container. When seedlings have reached 4 inches tall, thin them to one seedling per container. If you're planting transplants, nursery-grown seedlings typically have more than one seed in the tiny pot.

Selecting the Right Cucumber

When choosing the cucumber you want to grow, consider both your gardening space and the use you have in mind. Cucumbers have two different growth habits: bush and vining. Bush varieties are compact and don't require a trellis. They're ideal for growing in containers or small raised beds.

Vining cucumbers produce more fruit, but they require more space than bush varieties. Though some gardeners let vining cucumbers sprawl on the ground, that practice promotes disease.1 Growing vine cucumbers vertically on a trellis or netting helps improve airflow and discourage common fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, which can cause the loss of cucumber leaves meant to shade crisp cucumbers from intense sun.

Cucumbers also come in varieties suited to specific culinary uses. Slicing varieties and pickling varieties are available in both vining and bush types. Slicing varieties have tender skin and soft flesh ideal for fresh eating. Pickling cucumbers have tougher skin and flesh that stands up well when preserved. There are also numerous types of novelty cucumbers, such as the vining lemon cucumber, which grows in the shape and color of a lemon.

How to Plant, Grow and Harvest Cucumbers

For many gardeners, harvesting homegrown cucumbers is a moment they look forward to all season. With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy the fresh flavor and satisfying crunch of a cucumber bounty — and share it with family and friends. Attractive cucumber plants can be grown in the ground, in raised beds or in containers. To make the most of your harvest, follow these basics and grow just the right cucumber for your space and culinary plans:

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