As one of the only vegetable gardens in Pennsport, POD provides quite the haven for local pests. Each year POD struggles, and ultimately fails, to keep these suckers in check.

This year POD pulled out the stops with mulch, preventative organic sprays, squishing, leaf-soaking, and ultimately, chemical sprays. Can’t you tell? That is one messed up melon. One of these days, when this gardener has a garden that extends beyond pots, we’ll set some ladybugs free. (In the meantime, we’ll settle for not killing them.)

But for those gardeners just starting out, here’s an encyclopedia of aphid control options:

• Sweet, but naive: Mother Earth News (who has a “small” aphid infestation?)
• Comprehensive, organic and not-s0-organic: University of California
• POD’s Mildew Voodoo
• Trials, tribulations and tips: Plants On Deck