Keeping beetles off herbs - Gardening - Chowhound- mosqutio powder for gardening ,It turns out, I may have inadvertently invited these beetles to my garden. I thought marigolds were an insect deterrent, so I planted a few in my herb garden. Then I read this: ...marigolds planted around the border of a garden will deter many insects, and they are especially good at luring Japanese beetles away from your herbs and vegetables.Powdery mildew on tomatoes - Gardening - Tomatoes - ChowhoundNot a happy camper this tomato season. We planted three different types of tomatoes in pots, build a wire cage around them to avoid the 'critters' than have enjoyed the crop in previous years, fed them, watered them, DO have several fruit on each plant, BUT..... powdery mildew is running wild, starting at the bottom of the plant that get the most shade.