23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Grossaroo. I try and leave the ants alone, even the ones in my garden, but they crawl up my legs and bite me so I can't help but hate that they are around. I guess I'll leave them be for now.
Besides I've got other problems.... my garden which I had thought would be avoided by furry critters (it's surrounded by picket fence on two sides and house on the other, and my dog likes to pee near the garden so I thought the smell would keep them away) seems like it's been visited during the last day or so. My pea seedlings which were doing AWESOME after some heavy rains a week ago look like they were chewed on a bit. Though possibly it was bug damage, I would think a critter would take a bigger bite, these are just some holes/gnarly looking leaves.
Could it be the ants eating the compost? I mixed in a tiny amount of compost with potting soil and compost tea on top of the sandy soil outside, and I always see ants crawling on that area. It makes me think the compost isn't ready and they are eating it. Whoopsie!
I haven't seen bore holes yet but I've seen moths twice. Tried to whack the bastards with a trowel but missed.
I had success injecting BT at the first sign of stem damage last year. My squash all produced to the end of the season, though one had a heavily damaged stem-->
Believe it or not that squash was still producing.
This year I'm also spraying weekly with neem. Supposedly it does give some systemic effect, though I doubt it's enough to kill borers once they're in the stem.
For vining squash, melons and cukes (which are, it is true, more SVB resistant than vertical squash) I been trying BURYING the main vines in mulch. That has the beneficial effect of holding in water, and also seems to prevent SVB infestation. That is, if the SVBs can't get to the vine, they can't do bad stuff to it. Just throw a load of mulch over the plants, and brush it off of the leaves.
The pesto basil is pesto perpetua or something like that right? It's actually a shrub type basil that doesn't bolt.
I bought one but haven't tried mine so I'm not sure what the flavor is like.
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.territorialseed.com/product/Pesto_Perpetuo_Basil_Plant/Drunken_Botanist_Plant_Collection
Hi there, I posted a reply and it didn't show up. I hope it doesn't show up later lol... ok so I'm new to gardening and I have zukes and crooknecks. For me, I found that with my plants they wouldn't bloom the females until the plant itself was big or mature enough. I started my plants indoors and they've been of size now to produce fruit. I've harvested about a half-dozen zukes, but no crookneck. They seem to be fruiting a bit later and slower than the zucchini.
So from what I've seen with mine, when the plant is of mature size, the flowers on the end of fruit will begin blooming. Sometimes a female on the end of a fruit will just sit there for a few days. I guess it's just gathering up energy so if it does get pollinated, it will have the stuff it takes to grow a mature fruit. For me, the zucchini flowers were on zukes at least 3" long, and the crooknecks finally bloomed when the bulb at the base of the female flower was about the diameter of a nickel. I hand pollinate, as I don't see many bees around. I don't know about other pollinators, but since It's my first garden, it's kinda in my nature to go gung-ho about it. I'm sure if I plant next year, I'll just let them do their thing lol.
The flowers open for me in the early am, probably around 5 or 6. They stay open until about 4 or 5, and then they begin to wilt. I know many people say they're an early morning flowerer, but what I think that means is that the peak of their fertility is early. The flowers are all bright and crispy. It's obvious that they're past their prime later in the afternoon.
When you first notice your female flower, take note the date and look every day. On pumpkins, after you see the first formation of the female, 10 days or so. Good luck.
You can tell when it will open the next morning when the flower looks real yellow. You can also watch the males and the females will follow the same time frame.
Mission Impossible Squirrel
Here is a link that might be useful: Mission Impossible Squirrel
Using guns or poison to kill squirrels is illegal in our state (not just the city). Using them on "fur-bearing animals" is legal, but squirrels are, by state statute, not fur-bearing animals. Go figure.
I just think of them as tree rats. Protected tree rats. Yes, rats can be cute too.
The problem with fencing is that it's just a pain in the rear for the gardener. Setting it up, working around it, sealing it off. It's easier to keep larger animals out with fencing than it is to keep squirrels out.
In some states, I believe that even trapping and relocating isn't legal. Check it out before you do it.
Looks like rat to me. Watermelon seeds are too small of an incentive for squirrels. Get a cat or two! They are much better than dogs at deterring rodents because they are proactive. I have 3 of them and they spend 90% of their time napping in my garden: squirrels stay at bay, possums also ( except for one that they tolerate on the fence only - not on the ground-) birds do not pick my fruits or vegetables, no rats, no mice = peace of mind. With nectarines, apricots, grapes, plum, pears, tomatoes, cantaloupes, watermelon etc, in my garden, there would be rodents all over the place if it wasn't for them!
If you do not want a cat as a pet, associations are giving "barn cats" they are neutered microchipped and vaccinated, they live in barns/sheds and they do their hunter job. But you need to provide a safe place where they can go when it is too cold or too hot, water, food, vaccines, and vet care.
Mine are well fed and are spoiled pets so they don't "over hunt" and sleep on our beds. They run after pests but stop the chase as soon as the critters are out of the garden. Good balance. Squirrels are staying high in the trees ( I like squirrels as long as they don't eat my fruits) I keep a stepladder in between my tomato plants, the cat lays on the upper stair and the birds do not even think about my tomatoes: problem solved.
This is the third post in so many weeks showing angular leafspot as a likely cause of cuke decline. It's a bacterial disease that gets established in soil, after which you need resistant varieties forever.
Here is a link that might be useful: VA tech cuke ALS
Thanks, I guess I will try the Immunox and hope that the new growth stays green. I've never seen any powdery stuff on the leaves. It would just start as a small yellow holes....almost like holes were burning in the leaves and eventually the leaf would just completely dry up. What are better resistant varieties that I could plant next year? I used the straight 8 because I like the more slender cucumbers with smaller seeds. Are there any resistant varieties that are like the straight 8?
nugrdnnut - We were still eating Super Star the middle of May but they were deteriorating fast - we selected the best after the middle of May and ran out by June. We stored them at 40 degrees in 10# onion bags. The photo shows the new 2014 onion transplants arriving and a few of the 2013 onions in storage. We are looking forward to this years crop to compare Super Star with - Highlander, Candy, Red Candy Apple & Ailsa Craig.
Do you have photos of your onions - what variety is working for you?
My onions are at the point of getting scraggly and ready to pull, they are not ready for their close-up! :) My storage onions are Copra this year and they look to be shaping up nicely. My biggest success has been in correcting the problem with onion maggots (who seemed to have a preference for my garlics and leeks over the onions) by using beneficial nematodes. All my alliums are coming out looking neat and pristine. Well, there was the vole in the sweet onions that ate about 75% of the white onions but I finally got it in a trap. Our cold spring made it so my short day onions didn't put on enough growth before bulbing was triggered, but since those are for fresh eating and I way overplanted it is OK. Oh, and I did not overlook the early feeding of nitrogen this year like I did last, and my onions are a nice size again. Cheers!