You are right about the constant battles for sure. I am an avid fan of floating row covers. My son thinks it's too much work but it helps keep some of the critters out as well as the bugs. I always cover brassicas! I have very little problem with worms/catipillars that way. Except the Chinese cabbage. For some reason they still get to it! I rarely get any summer squash for vine borers or squash bugs. This year I was vigilant every morning picking off the squash bugs. I wrapped the stems but still got the borers, mainly in the summer squash. I finally had winter squash this year.
Our biggest battle this year was with meadow voles. My fault really because I couldn't keep up and my flower area was taken over will tall grass so they had lots of hiding areas. They never let me get any peppers this year and they even ate through old nylon stocking I put around my melons! We got a few melons, but very few. They'd eat a bit and the fruit would rot!
Mexican bean beetle is another bug I cannot get rid of but I have learned to plant as early as possible, then I can pick for at least a month before they come in. I just found out beans do not need pollinators so this year the beans will have row cover from the time they are planted.
We actually had good tomatoes and corn. I use the mineral oil on the silk method to avoid the earworms. Still occasionally get smut. Just need to find a market for it, I hear it is a delicacy! Bleh!
I haven't tried the daikon radishes yet but my son did buy some seed. I usually try to work in lots of straw that was used for mulch, some manure, maybe perlite and/or vermiculite. Usually I have good root crops but the voles even did them in this year. My son got a rat terrier last fall and he has learned what he's supposed to do so fingers crossed he doesn't break too many veggies while he's running through the garden chasing the critters!
Oh yeah, lettuce and radishes are a good seller for us early and I used a shade cloth this summer to push the season! And I sell a lot of cut flowers. People refer to me as "the flower lady."
