24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Honestly, most all seed vendors - even the big box stores - now offer many heirloom varieties of seeds so you can probably buy many locally.

The problem is that for marketing purposes many vendors label them "heirlooms" when they really are not. They are open-pollinated varieties, not hybrids, but don't have the age or documented history to really qualify as heirlooms. So it is a shopper-beware situation if true heirlooms are what you want.

Dave

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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)
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LoneJack Zn 6a, KC

Very strange weather indeed NHBabs I wish I could send some of this rain we are getting to the NE. I'm just the opposite here in Kansas City area (where it is currently raining again), other than watering in a few seeds I have not had to water my garden at all this year and it is a good thing that I raked up raised beds in my in ground beds or everything planted in them would be drowned. I can't walk on the paths between the raised rows even though I put down cardboard and grass clippings over them. Things are looking up though with the 10 day forecast showing only a small chance of rain any day. I think most of the farmers around here managed to get their corn planted, but I don't think many soy beans have been planted yet.

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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

Plenty of rain here...no extreme amounts, but the farmers could not plant a lot until very recently due to rain.

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Peter (6b SE NY)

I see some possible tip burn in the pic. How long ago did you transplant them? What have the temperatures been like? They are small, I'd lay off the fertilizer and give them time to adjust myself.. but I am far from the pepper guru :)

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jean001a(Portland OR 7b)

Sun damage. Tissue dried out. Perhaps a brief episode of an extra bright and/or extra dry, day.

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galinas(5B)

Agree, definitely sun damage.

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jeanwedding(6 ky)

Hey Jim's how about posting a pic of uour wire and caed garden areas.>>>Thanks

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westminstress

So I covered my peas with tulle and did not trim. So far so good, they are starting to flower! Now do I need to remove the tulle for pollination in order to get peas?

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tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM

Hard to say without a picture as there are different patterns of yellowing and they mean different things. I will say that putting potatoes out in Albuquerque just 3-4 weeks ago sounds rather late. Admittedly though, New Mexico is not conducive to potato growing but it is fun to keep trying.

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LoneJack Zn 6a, KC

Dave - I have never used row covers but I think I might get some this year for my fall broccoli because the cabbage moths usually find them and start laying eggs before I even have them hardened off.

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Ohiofem(6a Ohio)

Many tomato growers do advocate preventive spraying for fungal diseases. Chlorothalinil or Daconil is considered most effective, but I am nervous about using it. So I have used actinovate, neem oil and serenade with some success to slow down early blight. I haven't had problems with other diseases, so I don't generally use fungicides on anything but tomatoes.

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noinwi

I haven't grown corn in a long time but I would use them. A friend of mine used to pre-sprout her corn between damp dish towels. Some of them were inches long at planting time and grew fine. JME

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spots on lettuceWhat would be causing these spots?
Posted by bad_wolf_85
3 Comments
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bad_wolf_85

Ok thanks, would these spots make the leaves inedible, or is it just cosmetic?

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weirdtrev

It is only cosmetic

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redtartan(5a)

I couldn't understand why I've had luck with planting onion at the end of May and I didn't think there would be that much difference between our zones, but I found out the reason why.

"...the US zones are based entirely on average minimum temperature, and the zones are not subdivided. The Canadian index is far more complicated, and is based on a complicated mathematical formula that takes into account snowfall, wind, rainfall, the warmest month, etc."

From a different site

"The hardiness zones are informative: the extremes of winter cold are a major determinant of whether a plant species can be cultivated outdoors at a particular location; however, the USDA hardiness zones have a number of drawbacks if used without supplementary information.

The zones do not incorporate summer heat levels into the zone determination; thus sites which may have the same mean winter minima, but markedly different summer temperatures, will be accorded the same hardiness zone."

Of course I am also in a slightly cooler zone so I am sure that is the biggest factor now after hearing you say it's way to late. The ground is still frozen in April here half the time. We just had 0c temps on Friday, last year had snow on Mother's day and killing frost on Sept 1st, year before frost at the beginning of June. The old couple I buy my hay from said they never do seeds and almost plant in June because they've had frost in middle of June here. Luckily I haven't seen that yet, and hope I never do. I was devastated enough to go from middle of October frost dates for a 5b zone to early September for 5a. It was a shocker that first gardening season for sure. We do also have a bit of a micro climate here with a almost 50 foot elevation level between the upper and lower garden so that could be part of the reason since this is the first year I've had onions in the upper garden we'll see how they'll do. So far the sets have grown 8 inches in about 2 weeks with three frosts in that time.

With all that jibber jabber said, I'd still much rather prefer a pearl onion to bitter carrots. Only reason I put some seeds in now was for the livestock. I guess it's a preference thing though.

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Peter (6b SE NY)

I grew carrots in the summer last year and they tasted great.

USDA zone is really totally irrelevant info for the vast majority of vegetable gardening.

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What is this on my cucumber plant?
Posted by bad_wolf_85
1 Comment
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Bug eggs. A close up of the eggs themselves would help narrow down the list but while they are usually more numerous and in tighter clusters, the color is correct for striped cucumber beetle. Wrong color for ladybugs.

Dave

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galinas(5B)

it can be just reaction to a hot sun - check if it gets better in the evening

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ccabal(7)

I think your right... This morning the plant looked better and the leaves seemed fuller.

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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

My indeterminates are more than five feet tall and (with regard to the trellis they're on) sort of going off the rails. So I will top, and look forward to getting more suckers below, although there isn't a lot more room down below, as the plants are very full. As to limiting production, I regard it as a minor sacrifice in keeping the plants somewhat contained.

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Tim Givemeenergy

1) pruning tomatoes allows better air circulation leading to decreased disease instance 2) pruning tomatoes allows available light to all leaves on the bush 3) pruned tomatoes fruit 2-3 weeks before unpruned 4) pruning allows for continuous fruiting (ripening) through the season, as opposed to a large flush at the end of season 5)pruned tomatoes tend to grow larger and sweeter

Fine gardening 2012 December- "A properly pruned and supported single-stem tomato plant presents all of its leaves to the sun. Most of the sugar produced is directed to the developing fruit, since the only competition is a single growing tip. The result is large fruits that are steadily produced until frost. If more stems are allowed to develop, some of the precious sugar production is diverted from fruit to multiple growing tips. Fruit production, although slowed, never stops. The result is a nearly continuous supply of fruits throughout the season. In general, more stems means more but smaller fruits, which are produced increasingly later in the season. (This is much less applicable to determinate plants, due to their shortened growing season and better-defined fruiting period. Therefore, determinate plants require little pruning. See "Indeterminate vs. Determinate," below.)"

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dave_f1 SC, USDA Zone 8a(7b)

Definitely lambsquarters. And maybe a seedling from a dill planting? I'd expect it to be all over the garden.

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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

Yes - top is Chenopodium album, Lambs Quarters aka Fat Hen over here.

If the lower plant is Dill (which I don't think it is) it will smell of Dill. Does it?

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jean001a(Portland OR 7b)

Get some wood chips from a tree trimmer, then put down 4 inches. (They're often happy to have someone take the chips off their hands.)

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