23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
:) Thanks All!
This tomato plant is just crazy!
I put manure around it when planted, that has been it. I really have neglected it.
Was planted where a barn/horse stall used to be so maybe that has something to do with the health/growth.
And believe it or not it is just one stalk.....has not rooted anywhere else.
The wind this past week did a real number on it....almost knocked it over (Thank god I had a post behind it to catch it). Some of my other mater plants will be producing in a month so I won't be so upset when the time comes to rip it out.
Jennifer
It does not appear that your peas are close to the 30 percent defoliation level, which is how much damage is needed to affect productivity. The mulch is harboring slugs, earwigs or both, so I'd be inclined to simply do a little first aid by sprinkling diatomaceous earth under the vines between rains. I love peas!
Being an organic gardener, I try to be pro active. By that I mean, I watch the garden for any problems that are just starting and get busy taking care of it before it becomes a bigger problem. I agree with Dave, that the first step is to identify what the pest is. I've had damage from earwigs in the past and couldn't figure it out until I went out with a flashlight at night and then ohâ¦so that's what's been doing it. :-) At that point, I will search the internet for a solution that doesn't require a pesticide. In the case of earwigs, it's a simple cup of soapy water and with a gloved hand, just knocking them off the plant into the soapy water. About four nights of that and I could hardly find an earwig in the garden. End of problem.
Oddly, one instance of not following my own rule to act quickly allowed for a solution without my intervention. Aphids. I kept seeing them and let them build up and the next thing I knew, I started seeing ladybugs in the garden and voila, no more aphids. Aphids also can be controlled by just knocking them off a plant with a stream of water. At this point, I don't worry when I see aphids, ladybugs eat a lot of aphids and I could almost worry that the ladybugs won't get enough food and go somewhere else. lol
If "few" means 2, yes. But no more than that. Many tomatillo plants get huge, bigger than tomato plants.
Personally I'd only plant one per container of that size and group 2 or 3 of them - in separate containers - near each other for better pollination, production, and better control of the nutrients and watering needs.
Dave
Speaking of pest deterrent - small green catipillers are eating our collards and cabbage leaves. Need deterrent suggestions fast! A neighbor suggested a mild soap and water solution sprayed on leaves. Another suggested Neem oil. I'm afraid of the leaves burning/wilting or even killing the plants with either suggestion. Please help
I agree with the others. I doubt that cucumbers would work for deterring pests. Sounds like another one of those things where people read an article about something (in this case about cucumbers having some benefit; possibly against ants), then they re-tell it and it gets misconstrued.
Glo407- They are cabbage worms or loopers. Pick them off and squish them if you don't want to spray. Be on the lookout for the eggs as well and when you see those, remove/squish them. The only deterrent is covering your plants with row covers or tulle. BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), which is a type of bacteria, kills them as well.
Rodney
yes, I just got the Surround in the mail yesterday. as soon as the storms move out of the area I plan on spraying all of the vegetables with that. I purchased Take Down spray earlier in the season, which is pyrethrin mixed with canola, but there seems to be some photo-toxicity with that so I am hesitant to use it. I am looking at mixing Serenade and Actinovate with the Surround....still researching that.
I would just pinch off the two middle ones(Cut by scissors, not to disturb the other two ) and keep the other two. If you want more in another spot, just sow more seeds. They should come up in a week or so. It is possible to separate them and replant them, but if you have not done it before, you will take a risk in doing so. Cucurbits are THE LEAST transplant plants friendly seedlings that I know of. The MOST friendly and forgiving ones : ONIONS family.
I agree with seysonn about pinching out the middle two plants, but I wouldn't keep two pumpkins in a bed that size. The seedlings are young enough that the smallest is probably transplantable.
The main thing is if you can take out one for transplant without damage to the remaining seedling's roots.
This post was edited by ltilton on Thu, May 15, 14 at 10:28
Our soil was once rocky mountain clay and now it is clay loam, I think in part because I gave away the tiller a few years ago. We use a lot of wood chips and sawdust as pathway mulch, and they host very happy soil-enriching fungi that do better with hand cultivation. You can use a broadfork to aerate soil without tilling it, very handy to have around.
When I need to plant in wet soil, I mix organic fertilizer into compost, place it in the bottom of a planting hole, and set the seedling over it. They like it!
Agree. Birds but mice, rats, cutworms if any in the soil, and I wouldn't rule out squirrels or chipmunks either if you see them around. They can climb anything.
A pic would help as the type of damage is usually a good clue to who did it.
Dave
Wayne said it best: Just keeping the plant in the original pot for two log, when it starts getting root bound, midgitized. I have one such plant, way past hardening off, that I have no room for it. Little by little, a lot of plants that you buy from nurseries will be over hardened, root bound.
I'm in zone 6 PA and just planted my melon seeds in the garden, I rake the soil in rolls about 6 inches high and about 16 inches wide (Raised Rows), Then cover with black plastic especially since the weather has been so messed up so far this year, I always have better luck planting my seeds in the garden instead of transplanting.
Rig temporary shade.
You may have better luck in your second year. I'm a big advocate of planting over grass, as it will compost down and create rich soil. But it's always best to give it several months to decompose before planting. I probably would have gone 2' wide at a minimum, though I don't know how much the narrow width will hinder your garden.
I'm in agreement that your wilting is most likely heat. That temp is awfully hot for new plants. If they're turning yellow and wilting, they're getting too much water. If they're staying green and wilting, they're not getting enough water. I always give my plants extra water when the temps go over 90 like they have this week.