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?
We had to build a full enclosure of 1/4" hardware cloth - including the top. Chipmunks were the worst, but birds, squirrels, and deer also attacked the plants. It needs to be tended to keep it effective or something will find a way in. We call it the plant prison.
As for insects, my wife won’t use anything"artificial", so it’s neem oil and diatomaceous earth. It doesn’t work very well so we loose most of the zucchini.
Insecticidal soap should work on squash bugs. Plenty of recipes online for making your own.