Battling Pests

The mid-late summer garden is all about pests and diseases.  Critters, varying in size from flea beetles to cabbage worms to  moles and chipmunks to skunks, raccoons and deer are all ready to check out the 24 hour banquet table I have laid out for them.  Meanwhile, diseases like late blight, pythium rot and more are lying in wait for the cool nights and warm days to lay waste the tomatoes and basil I have labored over.  Of course the weeds are proliferating and with other duties they have been sorely neglected.  I spent an hour last night laying out an electric fence to protect my corn from the dastardly raccoon and skunk families  which show up the night before the corn is ready to pick and lay waste to each successive planting.  Not this year!  I hope.