Week 7: Pests, Meet Their Match
Gentle pest control that works — no chemicals, no stress, no leaf left behind.
No-spray strategies for aphids, squash bugs, spider mites & more
Welcome to Week 6 of the Grow-Along. By now, your garden is likely waking up in a big way. Maybe you’re harvesting herbs, admiring strong stems, or still cheering on seedlings from the sidelines. Either way, there’s one thing we all have in common right now:
Pests are arriving.
From tiny aphids to sneaky cutworms, this is the moment when trouble quietly slips in. But take heart: you don’t need to panic, and you definitely don’t need to spray.
This week, we’re tackling the five most common early-season pests—naturally, calmly, and without losing a single leaf more than necessary.
Let’s get into it.
Aphids
The clingy clusters on your tender new growth.
Aphids are tiny—green, black, red, or white—and they love to gather on the undersides of new leaves or the tips of soft stems. They suck plant sap, weakening the plant and causing leaves to curl or yellow.
What to do:
Blast with water. A strong spray from your hose is often enough to dislodge them. They’re slow and fragile—many won’t make it back.
Encourage ladybugs. Ladybugs and their larvae are aphid-eating machines. To attract them, plant flowers like yarrow, dill, calendula, and alyssum nearby.
Skip the sprays. Even natural options like neem can harm the good bugs you do want. Your goal is to shift the balance, not wipe the slate clean.
Squash Bugs
Yes, even if your squash plants are just babies.
Squash bugs love cucurbits—zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers—and they’re stealthy. The adults are shield-shaped and grayish brown, while the nymphs look like tiny gray spiders. They suck juices from leaves, causing them to wilt and eventually die.
What to do:
Inspect daily. Look for clusters of shiny coppery eggs on the undersides of squash leaves and scrape them off with your fingernail or a piece of tape.
Use row covers. Especially early in the season, row covers help protect young squash from adult bugs flying in.
Clean up hiding spots. Squash bugs overwinter in garden debris, so keep things tidy around your plants.
Spider Mites
The nearly invisible pests that thrive in dry, stressed gardens.
Spider mites are tiny—almost dust-sized—and often red or pale. You might not notice them at first, but you will see their fine webs and the stippling or yellowing they cause on leaves.
What to do:
Increase humidity. Spider mites love dry conditions. Spray the undersides of leaves with water in the morning to knock them back.
Give plants a stress break. Make sure your plants aren’t underwatered or overexposed—healthy plants resist mites better.
Invite predators. Predatory mites and ladybugs help here, too. Again, skip broad-spectrum sprays, which kill the helpers as well as the pests.
Cutworms and Flea Beetles
The unseen damage-doers of early spring.
If your seedlings wilt overnight, or if your leafy greens are suddenly riddled with tiny holes, you might be facing cutworms or flea beetles.
Cutworms are fat, grayish caterpillars that live in the soil and chew through young stems at the base.
Flea beetles are tiny black beetles that hop like fleas and chew dozens of pinholes in leaves.
What to do:
Use collars. Protect seedlings from cutworms with cardboard or foil collars pushed into the soil around each stem.
Mulch wisely. A thin layer of mulch can deter flea beetles—but avoid heavy mulch, which can harbor cutworms.
Cover crops. Lightweight row covers can shield tender plants from both pests.
Trap and confuse. Yellow sticky traps can catch flea beetles. Interplanting with fragrant herbs like basil or mint may also help confuse them.
A Calm, Consistent Approach
No pest control strategy works overnight. What makes the biggest difference is consistency. Check your plants every day or two. Remove pests manually. Encourage beneficial insects. Protect vulnerable seedlings.
This isn’t about perfection—it’s about keeping things in balance.
Your Tasks for the Week:
Check plants daily for signs of pests
Hose off aphids or mites
Remove squash bug eggs and debris
Install seedling collars or row covers if needed
Snap photos and tag me (@yourhandle) or use #GrowAlongGarden if you want help identifying a pest
Next week, we’ll look at garden diseases: how to spot early signs of trouble, when to intervene, and how to keep your plants healthy using natural, prevention-first strategies.
xo, Lisa