[Red_Devil 232]

You must have ordered seeds from Jungs because I got the same free ground cherry seeds from them. I planted 4 of the tiny seeds about 3 or 4 weeks ago and three came up. I need to re-pot them. You are so right the bugs loving them! I have treated my seedlings with an insecticide soap mixed with a little neem oil and the bugs are still going after them, as you can see in the picture. Shot holes all over the place. I have not seen any of the bugs so I don't know what they are.

Hey Diana, when I re-pot these, do I treat them like a tomato plant and bury the stem? They are in the tomato family. Ground Cherry seedlings

[Augie]

Ground cherries.... It’s no wonder to me that they give the seeds away - if you plant them once you’ll never have to plant them again. LOL I’ve never seen anything that comes volunteer like a ground cherry. They’re tasty little things for sure. I’m thinking they might make a pretty good jelly.

[Just mythoughts]

Yes that is exactly what mine looked like. Mine are now over a foot tall and blooming with the green lantern looking fruit. I finally had to resort to using some ‘sevin’ and I got talked into some http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/DE-Diatomaceous-Earth-50lb by the local farm supply nearest me. I am told this sprinkled on will ‘dry’ up nearly all insects/worms. I cannot say yet for sure but my plants do appear to be staving off the very small black hard shelled type bug that is feasting off them, my horseradish leaves, radishes, and beet leaves. I have not seen this small bug before.

And you are most probably correct that it was Jungs that I received these free seeds from, as I ordered some beans and my corn from them.

What I cannot find to control is the helmeted tannish/brown/gray squash bugs. I have about given up on planting zucchini no matter where or what soil I plant them in as soon as they start blooming they are immediately infested with these plant killers. I spent over an hour just on three plants, killing by hand the mating adults, some newly hatched young, and cutting out the eggs laid on the leaves of the plant. I HATE squash bugs.

[Ellendra]

Maybe I should plant those as a trap crop.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Don’t bury them. They’re more like a tomatillo than a tomato or pepper - no fuzzy stem.

I think Flea Beetle is your problem. Since they ARE a beetle, you may need something stronger than neem or soap. Can you get Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew by you? Bonide makes it. It contains Spinosad, if you can’t find it and need a substitute. (Approved for organic gardening...)

[Lera]

I have treated my seedlings with an insecticide soap mixed with a little neem oil and the bugs are still going after them, as you can see in the picture. Shot holes all over the place. I have not seen any of the bugs so I don't know what they are.


Looks like the damage flee beetles do .

http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/fleabeetle.html