23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Agree with Zach. That is why I was thinking of four rotating paddocks, so one is always fallow and ready for the onslaught. They clean it up in days anyway.

Our bird population is pretty healthy, although robins are generally seen more in January/February. I have plenty of other predators (lizards, skinks, garter snakes). I think this is probably one of those waves. The density I am seeing now is definitely an anomaly compared to the past. They are not swarming but the numbers I see are staggering, and these are just babies, I hate to imagine what it would look like if they all reached maturity.

The chickens are only going in 2 at a time when I can supervise, although if the grasshoppers they clean out everything, I may let them rummage some more. If I were to move and start a new garden, I would probably do the four paddocks for the chickens or a chicken moat around the garden.

Thanks @Peter1142 for the response. I didn't think it was related to sun stress due to the fact it has been raining for weeks. But it's totally possible, B/C when it is sunny.....boy, is it sunny. Very hot and humid over here. I did some additional research and found some photos of Thrip damage that looks like this. So it's one or the other I guess. I suppose in either case, the leaves are okay to eat? I hope so, my harvest is pretty modest. Thanks!

Well I'm not an authority on the matter, but my romaine had something similar going on, and you could see it was only on the outer leaves exposed to the sun in summer, the inner ones were normal. And it didn't happen to the lettuce that matured earlier.

I ate them all and lived to tell about it ;)

I wouldn't worry about it, just wash it well of course. You can't expect blemish free leaf crops....

I bought them many months ago, the leaves seam to have a powdery underneath. If the main plants cant be saved do I need to destroy all the runners also, I have so many and I was hoping to grow more for next years plants.

They have been well watered and some of the others that are starting share a bucket with healthy looking plants. I would like to be able to at least save the runners.

Chris

It sounds like a fungus...which is (probably) an opportunist due to stressed conditions. Treating with a fungicide and correcting dryness or wetness or whatever other environmental stress made them susceptible to the fungus in the first place.

However, that's a definite guess and please don't take it as authoritative.

Most of my tomatoes got septoria leaf spot after two days of cool rain a couple of weeks ago. The tomatoes are continuing to ripen, and the crop looks pretty good.

I'm trying Plum Regal paste tomato this year for its blight resistance. It had very little early blight and was growing like a champ until the septoria episode. The fruits are bigger than Romas and there are lots of them.

Yes, the days in the 70 are followed by nights in the 50s. We had 45F last week. San Marzano is a southern mediterranean variety, this is no climate for it. Opalka is a polish variety.

Yes, all of the above should be of some help. However, I occasionally remind people of a simple, effective treatment learned many years ago. As a furrow/planting hole is made to plant beans, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, etc. (either young plants or seeds) toss in handfuls of regular granulated sugar and plant as usual.

For those with large gardens 40# bags of dried molasses can be substituted for granulated sugar. Available where horse feed is sold. This year we are trialing a dry molasses mix that has dried kale added. This is all that was available here. So far all plantings are healthy and repelling the RKN.

For plants that take a bit of time to mature it would be wise to scratch in a sugar top dressing halfway through the growing season.

There is still time in your zone to grow some other crops. Give this sugar method a try.

Thanks for the replies. Lots to think about!

Have a couple of water bowls around the tomato end of the garden.

Haven`t seen any new pecked tomatoes yet.

I am hoping that it works.

Thanks folks for your suggestions and information.

:)

I hate mockingbirds. I have yet to find a good use for them.

Still looking.............

I dont believe so. Everything I've seen of blossom end rot shows the bottom of the fruit as being black and molding. This looks perfectly normal except up close it looks like its shriveling a little and when I felt for firmness it was soft. Soft as in it gives just a little

when I go back in a few days (my garden is at a friend's house) if it hasnt gotten any better or worse, I'll take a photo

Squash borers? Your summer squashes are susceptible to these pests, too; if that is what the problem is. They seem to follow me whereever I garden; so I plant butternuts which they leave alone.

All of my gourds are dying. Even if one survived, lot of holes and bites. when insect bites this gourd, it secrates the glue kind of thing and my gourds looks ugly

I thought this post was about beans, not gourds.

I believe diotomaceous earth is considered organic, and controls most insects with a hard exoskeleton including stinkbugs - which are a relative of kudzu bugs. It's worth a try.

Maybe I'm reacting from having 35 acres filled with invasives. They are totally out of control here and I do miss our natives. Maybe it will all balance out in 1000 years or so.

Not warm enough.

Cucurbits need warm temperatures to take off. I would say 70s ++ and night temps over 50.
All these years gardening I have killed more cucumbers than any thing else, by planting too early, from seeds, from store bought starts

My vines are growing slow. Only 1 1/2' long!

I planted the seed directly in the garden in mid June.

The first seed that I planted in May, got ate by some creature so I had to replant.

It's been hot enough, so that's not the problem I have.

Concur. Piros hybrid is sold as a bell pepper but has the classic cheese shape with multiple lobes and somewhat flat.

This post was edited by farmerdill on Sun, Jul 27, 14 at 17:06

Very interesting!

Do they taste like a regular bell pepper?