BLOG.JESSIEKEITH.COM: Colorado Potato Beetle Picking

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In 1995, Jessie became a Master Gardener, accepted a job as a landscape designer and had a farmer's market booth selling garden flowers. The following year she attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana where she graduated with honors in 1999 with a BS in Public Horticulture. At Purdue, she worked for two years as garden intern at The Purdue University Horticulture Gardens and was mentored by Dr. Harrison Flint and Dr. Michael Dana. She also served as undergraduate teacher’s assistant in woody and herbaceous plant identification and introductory horticulture classes.

In 1999, she accepted a yearlong position as the curatorial intern at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA under the tutelage of celebrated curator and author, Dr. Tomasz Anisko. Graduate school at Michigan State University followed. There she studied systematic botany and completed her MS degree in the winter of 2003. Shortly after graduation, she accepted an internship at The American Gardener magazine, the journal of The American Horticultural Society, where she received guidance from editor-in-chief, David Ellis, and distinguished scientist and horticulturist, Dr. H. Marc Cathey.

Jessie taught horticulture for two years at Williamson Free School in Media, Pennsylvania before pursuing a career in garden writing and plant photography. She began to work as content editor for Learn2grow.com in 2007 and has written articles for publications such as The Old House Journal, The Green Scene, What’s Up! Annapolis? and The Herbarist. She most recently served as one-time horticultural editor for Wilder Quarterly.

Today, Jessie lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband Knut, daughters Franziska and Gabriella, two geriatric cats, and thousands of garden plants.

BLOG.JESSIEKEITH.COM: Colorado Potato Beetle Picking

Colorado Potato Beetle Picking

As our potatoes just begin to break ground, I await the first potato beetles of the season. Every year they hit the potatoes with force and even manage to attack a few tomatoes and eggplant while they're at it. Our method of fighting back is a little labor intensive but effective.

Anyone who has dealt with Colorado potato beetles knows they are evillittle critters, for solanaceous plants at least. They are ferociouseaters that can decimate a potato plant in no time, tomatoes too butthese are secondary plants of choice. I've seen mature beetlesconsume entire leaf stalks in a matter of hours. Severe potato beetle damage disables plants from storing food, which stops potato development.

There are lots of chemicals that can kill potato beetles, but one would need to dump a toxic arsenal on pest-covered plants to really make a dent.So, what's the next best answer? Potato beetle picking.

You can't miss these slow, conspicuous insects. The mature beetlesare medium-sized, with reddish orange heads and ivory stripes on theirwings. They produce clusters of glossy, oval eggs are bright yellowon the undersides of the leaves. These are easily scraped off or plucked and stomped. It is vital to do the same with the maturebeetles, which are often seen mating on the plants. The pluck and stomp danceis a must if you want a potato crop to harvest.

Daily or twice daily picking is necessary to keep the insects incheck. This is especially important early in the season when plants areyoung and tender. As the season wains, so do the potato beetle numbers.

Potato beetle pickin is a great family activity if your child is notsqueemish. The trouble is, your child might opt to carry the beetlesaround and covet them as pets, as mine did.