The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook

In The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, you'll find the simple, straightforward resources and tools you need to identify common pests of edible gardens and manage them without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides.

Climate change and newly introduced insect pests are changing the world of gardening. Pests that once produced a single generation per year are now producing two or even three, and accidentally imported pest insects have no natural predators to keep them in check. These leaf-munching critters can cause significant damage in short order, reducing your yields and costing you time and money, especially if your garden is out of balance or your plants are stressed and vulnerable.

Whether you're a new or seasoned gardener, author and garden pro Susan Mulvihill shows you how to handle pest issues by growing healthier plants, properly identifying the culprit, and nurturing the overall ecosystem of the garden. With easy-to-use charts, you'll learn how to identify common vegetable garden pests based on both the damage they cause and their physical appearance.

DIY pest-control projects, coupled with up-to-date info on the best natural products, physical pest-control tricks, and tips for managing pests with the use of traps and barriers, all lead to a garden where beneficial insects and pollinators are preserved while pest populations are kept in check.

Learn how to:

• Get rid of squash bugs with minimal effort
• Screen out root maggots
• Keep cutworms at bay
• Nurture the good bugs that help control tomato hornworms
• Tackle an infestation of mites, thrips, or whiteflies
• Send cucumber beetles packing
• Limit cabbage worms with a simple, inexpensive trick
• Learn about the best earth-friendly product controls for home vegetable gardeners

Susan Mulvihill is a long-time garden columnist with The Spokesman-Review, a Master Gardener, and author of the blog, Susan's in the Garden. Susan and her husband, Bill, live in Spokane, Washington, where they tend five acres. Susan is known for her down-to-earth approach to teaching and writing that appeals to beginning and experienced gardeners alike. Her humor and enthusiasm for gardening are evident in the hundreds of how-to-garden videos found on her YouTube Channel. In 2019, Susan was the recipient of the Media Award given by the Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State.

Susan is passionate about vegetable gardening and following organic practices. She is co-author of Northwest Gardener's Handbook and author of The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. In addition to being a prolific writer, Susan is also a garden photographer.