23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Eastern Nebraska (zone 5):
Cabbage butterfly/looper - saw plenty of the butterflies this year, my bT may be too old because it didn't seem to be working very well when I sprayed the plants, cabbage had the worst looper damage, kohlrabi the least.
SVB - infested the spaghetti squash, and even bored up into the fruit.
Squash bug - haven't seen any so far this year (knock on wood).
Cucumber beetles - I have seen more on my roses than I have on my cucumbers.
Bean beetles - they've been chewing the pole beans and the fall bush beans, a little pyrethrum dust keeping them under control.

It's been a good year for lack of bugs. Have had the usual suspects: squash bug, colorado potato bug, cucumber beetle and flea beetles but the numbers have been a lot less than previous years. My biggest problem this year is what seems like constant heavy rainfall and lower than normal temperatures.

If you haven't already noticed, green bean leaves will stick to your clothing. Or, if you're out picking on a hot day and start to sweat, they'll stick to your skin. This can be especially enchanting if you're surrounded by pole beans. :-)

While waiting for my pole beans to bear this week, I bought some "locally grown" green beans at the supermarket yesterday. They were perfectly smooth--almost shiny. They were perfect in every other way, too, except for . . .

Here is a link that might be useful: Those

I think the grocery store ones get smooth and shiny because they get so much handling. Just like store cucumbers have the spines knocked off them.

I'm not sure a critter would've gotten a taste, it's in between the main house and a garage and is totally fenced in. Unless it was an insect or cat I don't see how an animal got in there to bite it. Although this is also my first time growing it too.

The attached picture is the main vine. It's huge. It sucks down a ton of water and the fruits double in size every 4 days it seems. It's fun to see it try and grow up the side and then watch it fall because it doesn't have anything to grab onto. I don't plan on eating them, but use them for a crafting project. I hope they grow to full size before frost.

Bites could be from voles or mice. Most fencing does not keep them out. Chipmunks and ground squirrels (gophers) are other possibilities since they can burrow and climb. Many insects and slugs cause damage, also, and can get in almost anywhere. However, the damage shown doesn't look like it came from a slug or insect. In my garden, damage like you show is usually only on a few fruits and there are plenty of undamaged ones left so I don't try too hard to get rid of the culprit (s). Some gardeners have reported more damage during very dry weather and have found providing water for wildlife away from the garden keeps critters from nibbling on their produce for moisture.

I guess that I think differently than many here. If I had an unknown variety, why would I be saving seed. I would just order a suitable variety from a catalog. Someone help me out here.

I let my celery go to seed for the pollinators. It volunteered nicely the next year. I prefer cutting celery since it has lots of flavor for soups. I also grow regular but don't blanch. So much better than store bought, even if my stems aren't fat.

"... BTW, I'm doing a sizable fall pea sowing this year. Ever have much luck with them?"

Yes, with "Sugar Lace". It is a bush habit, so it starts to flower earlier than the pole types... and it actually has better germination if sown in warm soil. I usually plant the Fall crop in July, though. Your season is a little longer than mine, you might still get some peas if you plant them soon.

You might get some shelling peas too, but I would recommend using a short-DTM variety.

I sowed some Sugar Ann a few days ago. Typically no hard frost here until mid-november, sometimes later. Thanks for the tip on Sugar Lace.

Re locating the larva, I read that using a flashlight at night is best. You'll be able to see through the stem and ID the larva.

I read this after I performed the surgery on four of my winter squash plants. I cut out the grub, but didn't clean out the interior of the stem (which I later read is a good thing to do). Then I tied up the incision with nylon stocking and mounded soil over it. One badly affected plant didn't survive, but the others look pretty good.

Afterward, I wondered if there could be more larvae inside the stem. I had assumed there would be only one. Anyone know?

Glo, I got this off the web:
The squash vine borer overwinters as a mature larva
hibernating in a tough, dirt-covered, silk-lined cocoon,
usually 1 to 2 inches (but up to 6 inches) deep in the soil.
In early spring the larva
enters the pupal stage. After
two to three weeks, the
pupa breaks and exits the
cocoon. By wiggling its
abdomen, and with the aid
of the abdominal circlets of
spines, the pupa moves upward
and through the soil
surface. The pupa splits
behind the head, and after
about five minutes, the moth has dragged itself free. In
another 15 minutes, the outer surface of the moth's body
has hardened and it is ready to fly.

So I believe your plants are safe, any larvae gone under should be in a cocoon to overwinter. I would rotate where I planted my squash next year. I covered mine with row covers and hand pollinated for the beginning of summer. They did get me after removing them, but I caught all of them before significant damage.

If you're done harvesting heads, you can also eat the leaves. They are similar to loose cabbage leaves or collard greens. They are all very closely related.

I imagine you aren't growing cabbage or collards, or at least not letting them bloom at the same time as your brocolli, since they will cross pollinate and the resulting seeds will produce a mix in the next generation. If you are just after the greens, then the mixing probably doesn't matter much.

The bright yellow broccoli flowers are edible and delicious. If you miss harvesting at the tight bud stage, you can still harvest broccoli, even with the flowers open. Broccoli flowers can be eaten raw or cooked. Use them as an edible garnish or include them as a nutritious and attractive addition to any salad. Completely opened flowers will wilt when steamed, but partially opened buds retain their shape. Broccoli flowers have a pleasant, mild flavor. Some specialty markets sell yellow broccoli flowers in the produce section as a delicacy item.

Hi,
I'm trying to get to the bottom of this compost tea drip system dilemma. Can it be done? Do drip emitters require a filter? If so, what is the mesh size? Will the compost tea fit through that mesh size? I'm talking protozoa, bacterias and all the good stuff tea provides.
Thanks. Nobody seems to have a straight answer to this question of applying compost tea via drip tube.

I use deere row drip tape and fertilize with organic liquid fertilizer via a mazzei injector. I buy my fertilizer but if you make your own you I would think a screen on the venturi would be needed. The drip tape or drip emitters would be the limiting factor for particle size, not the injector. The mazzei injector have no settings, I bought the smallest one and use it for about 2000 feet of drip tape. You have to calculate the flow rates and can adjust in/out pressure to change flow. I think other companies have adjustable injectors.

I'm chiming in a little late here but I have to recommend 'Aunt Ruby's German Green' tomato, they are large slicing tomatoes that are pale green and surprisingly firm when ripe - but absolutely delicious. Very challenging to tell when they are ready to pick. Another odd one I've had success with is 'Chocolate Cherry,' they are large cherry tomatoes that are a rather unattractive brown color.

I'm not sure how helpful this could be but I just have to share... When we were kids my brother left his T-Rex toy in our uncle's garden, when the gardener came across it hiding under a fern he nearly died of a heart attack. Maybe get some creepy looking toys - like spiders and snakes - and tuck them in about your plants. Hopefully people will be startled away before they look close enough to realize they're fake.

Pnbrown, It is very strange. Still rude but I am glad it wasn't a terrible loss! The person probably thought it was edible. I find that most people who steal, don't know very much about gardening. They just grab it and eat it at least in my area. But I am sure some thief will surprise me with what they will take. I read an old thread here from about 7 years ago and the guy said he had compost stolen among other bizarre things. I guess some thieves are gardeners too lol. Hopefully, you will get another volunteer next year to have :).

Peachymomo, I am looking for a great green variety. Thanks for letting me know! I am growing a green zebra but is one of my slowest even though it is one of the strongest plants so I'd like to try a different green one next year. I grew the zebra this year for kicks not thinking of thieves lol. 'Chocolate Cherry has been one I've wanted to try before this happened but I didn't think about the dark color. I definitely think they go for the traditional red tomatoes.

Fake spiders and snakes is a very cool idea! I don't think they spend a lot of time in the garden more like a grab and dash so they probably would be scared off.

Well I looked it up, and apparently neem oil won't actually kill the larvae that are chewing up your leaves, but it will prevent them from reaching maturity and breeding a new generation of leaf miners.

From what I've read, it looks like your best bet is prevention, and just pick off and discard (NOT in the compost, and I would be tempted to burn them or at least run them down the garbage disposal) any affected leaves.

The site suggests using plastic mulch to prevent the adult fly from laying eggs that can turn into tunneling larvae. Since it's in a pot now, that ought to be pretty easy to manage. Just leave an opening where you can water, or fix it so its easy to pull the plastic up when you want to water.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leafminer control

Actually, neem can be very helpful in preventing the adult from laying eggs in the first place.

When you do your research, focus on the Blotch leaf miner.

Humus is great for the soil. A good amendment but not much good for mulch as it is too fine textured and breaks down quickly. Straw and/or hay are often considered the ideal garden mulches because when laid on thickly they not only suppress weeds and retain moisture but as they decompose over the garden season they also provide soil benefits..

Dave

Today we will be mulching with a system of cardboard and wood mulch.

But WAIT! She sez. I've been told NOT to mulch with wood chips!

The fear of mulching with wood chips is somewhat, thought not entirely, overblown. But, cardboard is our friend here. Read on.

The cardboard is a weed barrier, and also keeps the bark mulch from working its way into the top inch or so of soil and creating anaerobic conditions right there at the verge.

The bark is to keep the cardboard from drying out and blowing away, and it also just looks nicer than slowly decomposing cardboard boxes.

The whole system keeps the soil cool and moist with much less water, encouraged earth worms, and discourages ants. I wouldn't suggest doing this in, say, Alaska or Maine, or anywhere where cool damp soil is already a problem. But in the hot dry - works great.

You will need to check the mulch every once in awhile and make sure it is staying moist. I've never had it dry out - but if you are in drought conditions, it might be a wise precaution.

Another situation in which this doesn't work too well would be any plot that is overhead watered. But for a drip irrigation system in a square foot gardening or raised bed situation, it works great. Just aim the emitters so the water goes into the open areas/catchment basins around each plant stem (or put the mini soaker for row crops like carrots under the cardboard).

I make these catchment basins about 8 to 10 " across for eggplants and peppers, but about 10" x 18" for tomatoes - because I plant tomatoes on an angle. But I digress - and I will explain more about drought proofing tomatoes later.

So back to the mulching.

Go buy the cheapest bark mulch you can find. If your municipality has a mulching facility, you may be able to get some from them. I got mine for $2.50 for a big bag - like 2.5 cu ft - at Home Depot or Lowe's, and I think one of them has it on sale for $2 now. Don't get black; get a light color if possible. Mine is med brown in color.

Note that if I was starting with an empty raised bed, I would just lay the cardboard out and give it a good soaking, cover it with the mulch, then pull back and poke holes wherever I want to put a plant. It's easy to rip an opening into wet cardboard, but you can use a box cutter for the sake of neatness and precision. Leave open rows between cardboard slabs for things like carrots etc.

However you've already got the garden in so you'll need to fit the cardboard around existing plants. This is how I do that:

Take some brown cardboard boxes - like the ones Amazon ships stuff in, or old moving boxes.

Flatten them. Break them down into manageable size pieces. I used a box cutter to cut them into strips 12" - 16" wide, whatever is convenient and according to what's planted in your raised beds. Soak them thoroughly - lay them out in a tub or large plastic container like you keep gift wrap in and flood with water. Don't worry if they've got brown paper packing tape on them, that will soak off when you wet it and can be easily discarded. Plastic tape should be ripped off prior to soaking though.

Meanwhile water your raised beds (one at a time so they don't have a chance to dry out). Take pieces of soaked cardboard and lay them out around and between your plants. You can easily rip out chunks of cardboard to go around plant stems because its wet. Leave enough room for the drippers to do their work (you do have drippers only at each plant, right?) If you are using mini soaker hoses for row veggies, those can go under the cardboard.

I lay the cardboard 2 layers thick on the ground; one layer (of corrugated brown cardboard) MIGHT be ok in a raised bed - but you'll have to replace it more often.

Tamp the cardboard down or press firmly so it is in good contact with the soil. Which, btw, needs to be fairly level, except for water catchment basins (depressions in the soil) right around your plants to help funnel what water there is to them.

For the following step - WEAR GLOVES. You can get tiny little splinters from wood bark mulch, and every now and again I come across a piece of scrap aluminum. Plus, it keeps crud from getting under your nails.

So, now I go ahead and cover the still damp cardboard with mulch. The cardboard is your weed barrier and will eventually break down into the soil (which is a good thing). It usually lasts a couple of years before I have to pull the mulch back and lay more cardboard.

The bed needs to be thoroughly watered - not muddy but damp all the way through, and the cardboard needs to be wet, otherwise you are sealing in the dry!

Make sure it is well covered with the mulch. Any bit that peeks through will dry out prematurely, and it will wick moisture instead of preserving it.

Finally I spray some water all over to help it settle. From now on your drippers will do the work. In drought, you might want to wet the whole bed down as appropriate if the cardboard shows signs of drying out.

This works perfectly as a weed barrier, and while it breaks down just as fast as plastic (maybe even a little faster), it will let moisture through if it rains enough, and when it does break down, it adds to your soil. It's also free. You will need to occasionally add bark mulch to the top as that will also break down, albeit very slowly.

HOW TO DROUGHT PROOF TOMATOES BY PLANTING AT AN ANGLE:

I plant the root ball about 8" to 10" deep and angle along the stem until just the top couple of leaf shoots would be left above ground. Strip any leaf branches that would be buried. The tomato plant will root all the way along that stem. This makes for a stronger plant that is FAR more tolerant of drought. So I leave my catch basin such that it runs all the way along that stem back to where the original root ball is buried.

The larger the plant when you put it out, the more stem you will have to root. I actually prefer larger plants for this reason, even if they're a little leggy, by which I mean a long stem, but not overly thin. You want a good thick central stem - but even if the plant has gotten "too big and leggy" to transplant, it will likely transplant well using this method. So a plant that is a little leggy will do very well planted this way because all that will root, and where the stem comes out of the ground will grow in good and strong, even when the original plant was a bit leggy. Of course if the central stem is REAL thin and weak, it will break off underground. So - not too leggy.

Finally, this method of mulching also protects from many soil borne diseases because the soil is under the mulch and won't splash up onto the leaves to infect them.

It encourages earth worms - but it may also encourage slugs. The one good thing about it is that they are easy to find and pick off.

However, in our drought-stricken regions, I doubt slugs will be much of a problem.

Next year I'll be building some raised beds here that are self-watering and I will use this system to mulch them. I've been doing this for about 10 years, ever since I moved back to an urban environment where grass is better left on the lawn to fertilize itself, and things like straw and hay are way too dear to be trying to get enough for mulching. The cardboard is free - in a raised bed it doesn't take that much, and the wood mulch is attractive and cheap and fairly long lasting.

Also, just as a note - grass clippings tend to mat. This will make water run off instead of soaking in. If you have too many grass clippings to just leave on the lawn, they are much better off going into your compost bin - mixed well with browns like leaves, or shredded paper or cardboard.

The best garden I ever had was the year I had access to water-spoiled hay from the local riding stables. There was MOUNDS of it. I mulched my huge 20x30 garden plot a foot deep. There was drought that year. It was great. And as weedy as hay is, there were no weeds to speak of - it was just too thick for anything to get a good grip. Anything that did poke it's head up was easy to pull. But hay and straw are very expensive in urban areas. And if you EVER mulch with hay, you'd better mulch forever, because of the weed seeds in it. This was an old field full of bindweed and giant hogweed - this stuff:

Take a look at this website for more info and lots of pictures, including what it can do to your hands and skin:

Put on your hazmat suit before you go outside

So with that stuff growing out there, I figure whatever weed seeds the hay might have introduced had to be harmless, in comparison!

Here is a link that might be useful: An Official Anti-Giant-Hogweed Page

This post was edited by zensojourner on Sat, Aug 9, 14 at 18:04