Fall has its unique challenges when it comes to pest control, and now is the time to get your Tool Box prepared for the fall so you can deter pests rather than waiting for an issue to emerge later.  Seriously, if you are waiting to have a pest problem, you will be too late. 
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We recommend a basic foliar spray program every 10 to 14 days.  In your backpack sprayer combine the following:
Fish & Seaweed - 2oz/gal
Molasses - 1oz/gal
This will be your basic spray program to maintain healthy growth.  The following insect controls can be added to the mix to deter pests.  Notice: to deter pests.  When we get comments that “organic doesn’t work” it’s usually due to the fact that you have waited to treat pests too late.  Once you have an infestation, you are late into the game.  To have a successful organic program, you need to deter pest problems, encourage beneficials and prevent infestations to begin with.  We rotate between these three recipes to avoid pest building tolerance to our remedies.
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SPRAY MIX #1
Basic spray to deter pests and increase yield, rotate with SPRAY MIX #2
Fish & Seaweed - 2oz/gal
Molasses - 1oz/gal
Neem Oil – natural fungicide and systemic insecticide
​Garlic Oil – pest deterrent and emulsifier
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SPRAY MIX #2
Basic spray to deter pests and increase yield, rotate with SPRAY MIX #1
Fish & Seaweed - 2oz/gal
Molasses - 1oz/gal
Spinosad – Biological control to deter most insects
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SPRAY MIX #3
(WORMS/CATERPILLARS)
Typically needed in Spring and Fall for brassicas, lettuce and leafy greens, also tomato horn worm.  Spray when needed.
Fish & Seaweed - 2oz/gal
Molasses - 1oz/gal
Bt Concentrate – Biological treatment for all caterpillars and worms
 
These all need to be applied with a backpack sprayer.  Here are our favorites:
Pump Backpack Sprayer
Battery Powered Backpack Sprayer
 
We encourage you to stock up your Pest Control Tool Box now as we are heading into the fall growing season.  Don’t let annoying insect damage ruin the quality of your fall garden.

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August is the month to clean beds and prepare for fall planting.  With the extreme temperatures and lack of rain in Texas and the deep South, most gardens have completed their productivity, with the exception of peppers, okra, eggplant and late plantings of squash (thus the creation of ratatouille).  Now is the time to prepare for the upcoming season.
We will be discussing:

• Compost
• Weed Suppression
• Fertilization
• Cover Crops
• Soil Tests

Adding organic matter is crucial in the deep South, and because we have such long periods of hot weather, the organic matter burns up quickly every season.  For that reason, no matter how you are gardening, either containers, raised beds or in the field, a fresh top dressing of compost is essential.  Two to four inches is ideal.  Homemade compost is the best, but most gardeners can’t produce enough compost.  Whatever is available locally will be better than nothing.  As a general rule, 1cuyd per 100sqft is ideal for top dressing or building new beds.  In our local area, mushroom compost is available as well as city yard waste, which is more like fine shredded mulch.  It’s best to let a pile of city yard waste age for a year before use.  Unfinished compost can lock up nitrogen in the soil, so aging it will help as well as fertilizing when being applied.

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