Georgia Gardening: Help! The rain brought Japanese beetles!, 1 by KentuckyTracker

KentuckyTracker wrote:
Why use all of the chemicals? I have two 5 gallon buckets filled half way with water beside my tomatoes. It works everytime. This morning I awoke to Japanese Beetles, and both of the buckets have at least 50 beetles each in them.

I honestly don't know why it works, but organic farmers here in Kentucky have done it for years. It's not a 'Wive's Tale' ... just try it yourself. It works without chemicals, and the beetles drown after awhile. Give it a try. It's free, and doesn't require you spread chemicals all over your plants. As an added component I have added potassium salt to the water in previous years, but do not have any now so I will just use the water alone.

The potassium salt can be found at your local farm supply store. One of the common commercial names that I use is Schultz Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap. It is 100% organic, and comes in quart containers of concentrate. The only ingredient other than water and liquid soap is Potassium Salt. It is child, animal, vegetable, and water-way safe since it is only a natural salt found in the environment.