Late Summer Vegetable Gardening

[LadyGT]

I got a late start this year in getting my summer vegetables going.  My sweet potatoes got in early June and my squash, cucumbers, and green beans were planted the end of June.  I pushed it off because I wanted to avoid the squash borer.  I read that if you plant later, you may be able to avoid them.  

Well, I am not having issues with the squash borer, but am dealing with something else I cannot see as many of the leaves of various plants are being stripped and I don't see any pests.  My sweet potato tubers are doing great but the foliage is lousy. On the bright side of that is there won't be much to toss out at the end of the growing season. 

This summer has been unusual in that the temps have been cooler than normal and I am now dealing with powdery mildew on the squash and cucumbers due to the hurricane that passed through last week.  Lesson learned this year is to get the garden planted in as early as possible (late April) as the spring/summer heat is a major factor.  I have tiny squash and zucchini that may not grow  due to the excess rain and humidity. I have accepted the fact that I will have to deal with pests in order to get some vegetables.  My brain is smarter than the bugs so I will find a way to beat them.

 

[Figless]

@LadyGT. Do you think an application of 1 to 2 table spoons of bonide wettable sulfur suspended by 1/2 to 1 tea spoon Yucca extract might be of some use in forstalling the advance of powdery mildew? Inhibiting many of the sucking, and chewing insects? Possibly with an application of Spinosad first perhaps a week to 10 days, to weaken the invasion of leaf sucking, and chewing pests?? Just a thought, usually those sneaky old pests get the best of me. Maybe you have some caterpillars already enjoying your vegetable garden. You might rotate with an application of BT as well.