I’m growing tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers for my first time not on a balcony, and I’m a tad concerned about caterpillars, squirrels, and other wildlife finding their way to my crops; that said, I would like to keep my space as earth friendly as possible, so chemical pesticides are out. I’ve read blog articles about trimming the lowest branches to prevent disease and planting trap crops such as nasturtiums and marigolds to lure pests away from the tomatoes. Do these techniques actually work? How do other gardeners handle this situation?
I have a problem with squirrels. The only solution I’ve found that works is setting up some plastic construction fence (snow fence) around them. Interestingly, I only needed to use it as walls around the plant, not a ceiling. They wouldn’t go in the top for some reason.