23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Watering is crucial here and I do drip with two circuits: a short durtation one and a long one, if that makes sense. Each bed has a cheap PVC ball valve for each circuit to shut off the whole bed if wanted. It's easiest for me to group plants together that can get along with similar watering schedules, and as plants grow larger just increase the duration. That compartmentalization is one of the big advantages of the raised bed (not SFG) schtick.
Seldom do I pop one emitter off and replace it with a looser or tighter one; there are too many to be poking around all the time with. Errors of timing and clogging can be touched up pro tem with the hose, but clogging is a chronic problem that's hard to notice with heavy mulch and frugal watering.
We made a set up in our raised beds with soaker hoses. We bought one of those splitters that have 4 different spigots that can be turned on and off independently, got some hose at the flea mart, bought some adaptors at the hardware store, connected them to the soaker hoses. Then I could snake the SH through each bed and water as needed.
It makes it easier for house sitters too! "turn spigot #1 on for 1/2 hour on Mon/Wed, #2 1x per week......"
It takes a little set up, but works for us! Nancy
Why are you wanting to use it? Do you know for a fact that your soil is deficient in magnesium? Some native soils are but it would be unusual. Are you plants showing symptoms of lack of magnesium?
If yes, then you can use it on most any green plant. If not then it isn't needed for anything. And yes it is possible to over-use it and create somewhat toxic soil so it isn't something to be used if you don't know for sure it is needed.
Dave
I'd not add magnesium sulfate unless I knew for certain that my plants were suffering from a deficiency of both of those elements. Plants do need small amounts of Mg and S, but most native soils have more than sufficient amounts to support healthy plants.
There are plants with a higher need for Mg and can suffer from deficiencies. Also, deficiencies can occur in soils where crops are harvested year after year, and the natural elements not replaced.
If I thought it necessary to supplement epsom salts, I'd apply it only as a foliar spray. There's plenty of research indicating that that is the most efficient way of getting those elements into the plant without creating a soil imbalance.
The differences in the two links you posted are the variety/type of potato. Some will develop potatoes on the higher stolons, some won't. It also depends on how you planted them - trench or deep holes.
See this article and scroll down to the part on increasing yield:
How many times to do it - 2-3 shooting for 10-12" of soil cover then use straw or hay to keep them from getting exposed to the sun.
I consider the biggest problem with volunteer potatoes as a possible vector for Late Blight. Because of that would get rid of them. We tend to pay less attention to disease issues and care of volunteer plants and Late Blight can overwinter on live potato tubers and spread from potato to tomato plants, both yours and neighbors within many miles.
Agree, the web contains far more useless info than useful info and is buyer beware. Especially so with (dare I say it?) YouTube.
Just because something can possibly be grown in a 5 gallon bucket doesn't mean it should be. Indeterminate variety tomatoes is a good example. If a plant's fully developed size is way out of proportion with its container then it will do poorly.
I agree that small dwarf tomato varieties, most pepper plants, and many leafy greens will do ok, not great but ok, if given ideal care and feeding and if a small amount of produce is all you are after. Otherwise the answer is simple, use a bigger container.
Dave
I agree with Dave, even though I do plant 2 or 3 tomato plants in 5 gallon buckets every year to get some extra early tomatoes.
I can haul them in and out as needed weather wise and get tomatoes at least a month early. They peter out extra early too, because they get root bound. But I think it's worth it because I get fresh tomatoes in early to mid May instead of the normal early to mid June.
I had bad weather and my in ground tomatoes will probably not be ready until late June this year, I couldn't plant them until 2 weeks ago. But I've been eating the tomatoes from 5 gallon buckets for 2 weeks now.
Looks like a flea beetle but hard to be sure with no real scale to go by. It is that time for them to pop out and about here in my neck of the woods.
Generally, the damage they do is only appearance and pose no real threat to the plants but very young seedlings may not be able to tolerate a real infestation of them.
Dave
Great all that info helps a lot. I too use some Earthboxes - have 9 of them I think - and while I have worked out a method of fertigation with them for later in the season that allows me to use liquid organics I still include the strip of granular fert (10-10-10). They really do need that to begin with but I just don't find it enough for the whole season. Mine are filled with ProMix BX which has Mycorrhiza in it and I top them with plastic like balloonflower does.
Large-Metal-Binder-Clips-Black
work well for holding the plastic in place.
So first, 3" of mulch is too much. Not only can it lead to incosistent soil moisture levels but it means there isn't enough potting mix in the box. They need to be filled right to the brim with the mix. Second, what is recommended is Kelloggs Potting Mixes, not their potting soils. The company makes and sells both. The mixes are soil-less, the soils contain dirt and they compact and drain poorly. So make sure which you have.
<I'm thinking of testing the soil this afternoon, but have heard NPK home tests are not reliable. Should I even bother?> No. When using a bagged potting mix it is already pH balanced. But over the season it can turn alkaline as household water is alkaline.
< have heard of the issues with using organic fertilizers in containers, but I was under the impression that liquids are more easily absorbed/work for containers. > Correct but there are numerous well balanced, low-dose liquid organics available (like fish and seaweed emulsions) without going for the big guns like bat guano.
<I think it's really odd that I have tomatillos next to the tomato plant that are looking great. > Yep they are much more tolerant but will develop excess leaf growth and may have limited fruit set as a result of the guano so I would flush them as well. Just keep in mind that tomato plants aren't big nitrogen hounds, the need low-dose N only.
The leaves that are damaged will probably die and fall off but with a good flush the new growth should appear normal.
Hope this helps.
Dave
That is great information. Thank you so much Dave. I didn't know guano was bringing out the big guns. I have always heard of tomatoes being heavy feeders and didn't think twice about it. I didn't know it would be too much N. I will use something more balanced next time.
I have flushed my plants. I will let you know how it goes. :)
A soap spray can be very effective against aphids... I've used one several times for that purpose with great results. You can use any mild liquid soap (such as baby shampoo or mild dish washing liquid) but an insecticidal soap such as Safers is less likely to damage the foliage. It does not take much soap, no more than a teaspoon per quart of water. If you use other soaps, it is best to rinse the plants off with a spray after they have done their work (about 10-15 minutes later). Be sure to spray beneath the leaf canopy as much as possible.
But before spraying any contact killer (organic or otherwise) I would recommend inspecting the plants for beneficial insects or their larvae, which may already have begun feeding on the aphids. If those are present, all you may need is a little patience, and they may reduce the aphid population to tolerable levels within a few weeks. I have a good native population of predators in my area, and most years - if not interfered with - they control the aphids on their own. It is worth keeping in mind that aphid predators multiply much more slowly than the aphids do; so if you kill them accidentally, they may not return... but the aphids, now free of natural predators, will.
You should also be aware that if the aphids are being farmed by ants, it might be necessary to get rid of the ants to prevent them from re-infesting the plants with new aphids. Since ants perform beneficial functions, I only take action against them if the aphids they carry begin to spread disease from plant to plant.
My bet is what you're calling "last frost date" is really the "average frost date". Depending on who does the calculating, it really only means from a 50-80% chance of no more frosts. I'm also 5b, and our average date (50%) is May 5, (80%) on May 18, but the true "last frost date" recorded isn't until June 7.
General knowledge here says warm season planting after Mothers Day. This year we had 8" of snow and down to 26 that Monday.
I've never had any trouble with beets before, even in cold wet years. My soil is slightly more alkaline, I did not use any mulch but did have a row cover on for the first few weeks. At this point I have minimal/ sporadic germination. There are 3 different varieties of seeds, some new some not, so I doubt it is bad seed. As I alsways do, I laid down some sluggo when i planted, so I don't think that slugs got to them...
So my question at this point is: Do I have time to start over with beets? I thought they were kind of long season...I can always use the space for something else...
Thanks!
You've got plenty of time to replant. At around 50-60 days to mature they are certainly not long season and you should be able to get at least two different beet crops per year (one planted in spring for summer harvest and one planted in mid to late summer for fall harvest).
Rodney