A gardener found themselves in a pickle with the pickling cucumbers they were growing when they discovered something was munching on them, putting their chances of getting to do so at risk.
Desperate for a solution, they turned to Reddit for advice. "Garden is suffering please help," the poster wrote above two photos of the struggling plant they posted to the r/plantclinic subreddit. The plant's leaves are clearly being eaten by something.
"I've already sprayed with Neem Oil and it still seems like the issue persists and possibly is getting worse. Not sure what's going on here?" the OP continued. They explained that the plant gets plenty of water from rain and lots of sunlight. They even planted marigolds nearby to deter insects, but none of it seems to be helping.
"I'm having the same issue! Ugh and I don't see any bugs so far. I bought BT spray so I'm hoping it helps. Idk if it's cucumber beetles or what," shared a commenter on the post.
"Doesn't make any sense to me at all. I haven't found anything on the leaves the times I've checked," the OP replied.
The OP's frustration is understandable. While gardening has many proven benefits to both mental and physical health, if you do it to grow your own food but don't get to reap what you sow, it may not feel as rewarding.
Not only can growing your own food, like the OP seemed to be doing, be enjoyable, but it also provides access to safe, healthy produce. It helps the environment, too, by reducing the demand for globally shipped produce and the pollution created by its transport.
Furthermore, controlling pests without using chemicals, as the OP also appeared to be doing, or incorporating native plants into your plot can provide a healthy ecosystem for plants and insects, including pollinators who protect our global food supply.
So, while the OP may not find the answers to the pickle they're in with their pickling cucumbers this time around, they are headed in the right direction.
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