Vegetable Gardening

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Garden is finally done, I think.....
Posted by kjameswv 16 hours ago
6 Comments
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weirdtrev

I imagine they meant done planting. I'm wishing I was in the same boat, there is never enough time.

1 Like    Bookmark     3 hours ago
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kathyb912_in (5a/5b, Central IN)

I'm pretty sure the OP means the building/planting part is done. It looks great! The fence around it is very sharp and the mulch makes it look very tidy. How do you get inside to work? I assume there are gates somewhere? I don't see paths, so do you just walk on the mulch between the plants?

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bart1(6/7 Northern VA)

I have a couple of those Hav-a-Hart traps (rectangular cages for live trapping) that I in front of any openings in the fence, like little tunnels that are dug under the fence. I haven't had much luck just putting the traps in the garden or along the fence on the outside even if they're baited. I do much better by placing them in front of an existing tunnel under the fence for the veggie garden. For my fruit trees, I've had luck with baited traps at the base of the trees.

    Bookmark     5 hours ago
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maplegarden172(7a)

I have problems with groundhogs. I have witnessed them eating my spinach, lettuces, broccoli and strawberries. I trap them but it is hard to keep up since we have an overabundance of groundhogs. I have an electric fence around my garden (because of past deer problems) but normally left it off in the daytime. I've since turned it on all day and added a motion sensor sprinkler. I may need to add a lower wire to fence. Your problem sounds like groundhogs.

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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

'DE is a harmless pesticide which works by physical means to kill and repel pests.' The point is that DE kills all insects. It does not differentiate between pest species and beneficials. It will kill a bee or a lady bug just as efficiently as a flee beetle or an earwig. So it is best not to use it until there is a definite problem to cure. Some pests will be dealt with by their natural predators if one can just hold off from the desire to deal with a problem the moment it appears. Aphids, for example, are often cleared up by ladybugs if one just gives them a few days to get to work.

    Bookmark     4 hours ago
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raspistill

DE can be applied to subdue the infestation, then rinsed off with a hose. My point is that it is harmless to humans and your veggies. To each his own. To the OP, DE is an excellent choice for pest control. Just use it when you need it.

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Larry Welch

Well done.

    Bookmark     5 hours ago
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littlemonkeys3(5a)

Lots of work, good job.

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dave_f1 SC, USDA Zone 8a(7b)

That could be a difficult one to hunt down. Not sure if it's available in the US. What do you find special about it? Are you making a collection?

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galinas(5B)

Ok... first late spring... then drought for a month... then temperature jumps from 40 to 90 and back in the same day... now 3 days of non-stop heavy rain in a row. Veggies, are you still there or gone to better place then my garden?

1 Like    Bookmark     7 hours ago
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littlemonkeys3(5a)

It's 4 celcius (39 f) right now so it's a good thing I left the garden covered all weekend. Supposed to get down to 5 c tonight and then should be decent for the rest of the week. So hopefully on Tuesday I can get my cucumbers planted out.

    Bookmark     6 hours ago
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Tiffany

These were transplants from inside. I took them out daily for just a few hours at a time and gradually introduced them to sunlight. Guess I didn't harden them long enough :( Should I pinch off that single cuke so the plant can revive or is it fine? It's the only one. The one on the right seems fine though.

    Bookmark     13 hours ago
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Ahhh, Lesson learned. Yep. Hardening off really should be described as about a TWO week process. I did the same thing myself this year with some of my peppers and I've been growing them for over 12 years...lol

Should be fine though.

It's up to you on snipping that 1st one. Are you hungry? lol Snipping it will give you a quick bite now or leaving it will give you an early treat. Snipping it will tell the plant to start putting out more foliage and flowers.. always a good thing for a healthy young plant.

Me? I'd leave it, but I have a very long season. All depends on whether you're pickling or not. If pickling, snip it. I like to have a lot to pickle at one time -- the older the plants and the more the plants allows that to happen.

Kevin

    Bookmark     13 hours ago
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Phee, please say that you'll call Bonide! They are there to help you! Who knows, maybe they'll tell you to give your harvested veggies a vinegar bath or something to dissolve the gook. I doubt it, but you won't know until you ask.

Rest assured that you aren't the first to make this mistake and it won't be the last. They will be used to answering this question.

    Bookmark     Yesterday at 10:58AM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Agree with all the advice given.

Rule of thumb---- IDENTIFY pest FIRST, then treat with the least invasive(humans to bacteria alike) method on upwards.

Example: Aphids.......
Research Integrated Pest Management(biocontrol)
Squish
Water treatments with a jet spray every 3-4 days
Insecticidal soap treatments(same interval)
Neem oil(same interval)

If you have to go further than neem, you're doing something wrong... refer to biocontrol. Think diversity.

Now, not ALL pests can be dealt with as easily as aphids. But the same general rule applies... Identify, THEN treat.

Good luck.

Kevin

    Bookmark     13 hours ago
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cenflagirl

Same kind of worm and damage happened to my collards and broccoli .... you can see the chewed up mess the worm leaves from the inside of the plant... the leaf wilts but not the entire plant, look closely and you'll find the little hole... and finally the worm... I love Bt, just didn't spray it early enough.

    Bookmark     14 hours ago
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

+ on Bt

Totally organic, available anywhere, VERY target specific, cheap!

Kevin

    Bookmark     14 hours ago
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bouquet_kansas(z6Ks)

My guess as far as variety is.....Black Seeded Simpson.......an heirloom.

    Bookmark     last Saturday at 10:13PM
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cenflagirl

WOW! How awesome! You really do have a green thumb!!

I have some old seeds, too, better use them soon!

    Bookmark     14 hours ago
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dave_f1 SC, USDA Zone 8a(7b)

Nash, yes 2 gal/day, a few days a week does seem excessive. Remember you are only watering the root zone of each plant with drip and not the space in between. What your target should be is to approximate a 1 - 2 inch weekly rainfall with your irrigation. When there's no rain of course. Where you fall in that range depends on temperature, soil texture, crop stage, etc, etc. To really simplify things I try to deliver about 1 gal for every square foot of root zone per week. I believe a one-inch rainfall would give you a bit more than a half- gal over every ft2. That may mean having diff numbers of emitters for diff sized plants if that's an option for you. And of course leaving the system on longer as plants reach mature size.

If you're giving a young pepper plant 2 gal/day that's really enough for the whole week. If you had more organic matter and/or mulched more, you'd need alot less. That's the way I think of it so I have a good starting point and then I can tweak it as the season goes on. As I suggested before, actually dig with a shovel down to 6 or so inches to give you an idea of how moist it is after irrigating. It takes water several hours to percolate down 6 inches if you have a decent amount of clay, so keep that it mind. Maybe you could have an emitter that doesn;t have something planted by it so you could dig without disturbing roots. Just some ideas, hope it helps.

    Bookmark     15 hours ago
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balloonflower(5b Denver CO, HZ 5-6, Sunset 2b)

I do pop the blossoms (or small fruit) off until mine are showing good growth after planting, generally two-three weeks minimum. Once they show me the growth in both height and bushing (and healthy color), then I can't wait! I do read that some disagree and say that you're just losing the first tomatoes, but I don't think there's a set number of fruit on an indeterminate plant. So, I don't know if it's a climate thing, a soil thing, or what, but my tomato plants average about twice the size of others in my community garden. I see so many foot tall plants with clusters of fruit on them, which only get about two-three feet tall after, compared with my 8'+. I think it keeps putting energy into the fruit instead of root growth which is what I want to force deep first thing to withstand the sun once it gets hot.

    Bookmark     15 hours ago
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noinwi

Thanks for explaining, Dave!

    Bookmark     15 hours ago
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barrypz

Zone 6 here, coastal Connecticut, my rhubarb patch is over 50 years old (I inherited it) and every 5 years or so I divide and give away plants. My 16 linear feet yield more than I can usually use. Most definitely not an annual, and we have cold winters.

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pitcom(6b SE Pa)

You can plant it now. Lacinto and blue curled scotch will grow and produce all summer long. I have had lacinto stalks grow over 3 feet tall as we pick the outer leaves all summer. Just keep and eye out for cabbage loopers, lacinto is a magnet for them.

1 Like    Bookmark     23 hours ago
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little_minnie(zone 4a)

In MN I grow kale all summer long but I lay off harvest during hot spells.

    Bookmark     17 hours ago
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annew21(7b NC)

Agree with the other responses. Very hard to tell until they bloom. The flowers are white instead of yellow, and (in my experience, may not apply to all species), wild cucumber flowers are very fragrant. Of course, once fruit forms you will know immediately...with the giant spikes and all. :)

    Bookmark     23 hours ago
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otcay

Are the wild ones edible, or perhaps I should say, are they palatable?

    Bookmark     22 hours ago
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