23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Straw is 4x the cost of hay around here and that's if you can get it in any way - which you can't. Even hay is used for Halloween decorations in this neck of the woods.
The availability of both straw and hay is regional folks. So if you can get straw - great. If you can't, get hay. And both have advantages and disadvantages to their use just like any other form of mulch does. But either one is far more beneficial than no mulch at all.
All the other benefits of mulching aside, you want to see weeds (in all caps)? Just don't use any mulch.
Dave
Of course, things are different down here. I mulch with leaves. My lot has LOTS of trees. many live oak, but many with leaves that drop and, around here, they don't really drop until January. Cottonwood, cedar elm, and a humungous red oak next door. I mow over the leaves on the grass, which mulches the turf, but everywhere else, like between the houses, they just pile up. In the spring, when crops are up, and it's getting hot, I till gently between the rows, and then pile on the leaves. At least six inches deep. I have to water half as much as I would otherwise and, once I water, the leaves bind together so they won't blow away. At the end of the season, they're pretty well digested, and I just dig them in.
I have neighbors who garden, but who don't have that many trees. In January and February, when lots of people are raking and bagging, and leaving the bags out for city pickup, they just grab the bags and stack them up until summer.
I could not find any sources on suckers growing in hydroponic medium. Here's what's available for in-ground suckers:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/suckers-growing-corn-plants-53804.html
So the great cob is a teacher, why is it the cocky ones seemed to have flunked math? A four foot wide bed with 1' spacing makes 5 rows. As well youcan put 11 plants lengthwise in 10' beds. So we now have 165 plants in 3 beds, not 120. You can do less, just thought I'd be as cocky as you!
I have plenty of room. I use rows 28 inches apart and 12 inches apart in the row. The varieties I grow usually make one nice ear. Some make a shorter second ear in good conditions. Granted, those shorter second ears are high quality.
Hi, i had to pull all my zuchinni and summer squash plants yesterday. I noticed the frass on some of them, to where it was almost cut in two. I also noticed the roots on the plants had these ball like things like a pearl necklace. Some were huge clumps. Since I live in central Florida I am wondering if it's the humidity or the soil. I know I have alot of potassium from the sand in the soil, but I added garden soil and manure and blood meal before planting, The plants started out great, but the fruit started and then just rotted before it got any bigger. I noticed these brownish red milipedes and water bugs in the dirt and used the de but the plants have never recovered. The plant itself looks great, It flowers and starts the fruit but dies, What could cause the roots to ball up like that? Is it the moth that was discussed? i know that it's getting too hot to replant here so thinking of starting them again in the fall. haven't had much luck with growing squash here. Thanks
Mostly Red Russian because it self sows and I find it the sweetest and most tender. It almost tastes as if it already has butter on it. I've also grown Winterbor and Pentland Brig but can't tell much difference between the various curly kales. I sometimes grow Cavolo Nero but nowadays I mainly just let the Red Russian grow itself. I grew Redbor once but it was a pitiful plant compared with the green ones when I tried it.
Hi, just wanted to do a small update:
Both kales are now permanently outside! The redbor has recovered brilliantly and is pushing out little leaves at every crevice and branch. Tasty :) Unfortunately, the winterbor is still yellowing and dropping its older leaves at about the same rate it is growing new baby ones, at the very tippy top. I'm wondering if it's too hot for winterbor already? Haven't felt confident enough to try a taste and see if the leaves are getting bitter since there aren't that much left.
I guess I do not have any secret, just the basics. Good seed variety, good soil, good air movement, full sun, water when needed but do not overwater. I do plant the seeds in compost. And I talk to my plants. ;)
It takes a little bit of effort to keep them trellised properly in the beginning. An every other day task of carefully weaving the vines in and out of the trellis as they grow. When vines get taller than the trellis and start to bend down I simply train them along the top of the trellis. Once plants start producing I spend very little if any time having to train vines, other than helping out an occasional vine while I am picking.
Basil never seemed to do well for me in the garden either. Not bad, just mediocre. I get such better results planting it in containers that I have never taken the time to figure out why I was having problems. Switched to container growing and never looked back.
Re starting this great thread with AWESOME photos, thanks for posting!!!! BTW did you remember the variety that you planted or a good one that will grow well up a Cattle Panel Trellis?? I love seeing Scarlet Runner Beans going up a cattle panel arch! THanks so much.
I agree with all the advice you've been given.
But let me add a couple things.
First off, it ISN'T a caterpillar. Learn to recognize caterpillars, because with them, you DO want to remove them and discard.
Aphids -- strong jet sprays on the undersides of the leaves usually does the trick. I use a spray nozzle with the water turned on just a tad. The trick is to be diligent -- every 3 days or so for a good couple weeks at dusk. If that doesn't do the trick, then you would want to use the least toxic and target specific pesticide for that particular pest, ALWAYS. -- so I.D. is terribly important. For aphids, that would be either neem oil or insecticidal soap.
Another idea is to, as you said, is to not "let nature take it's TOLL." , but to let nature take it's COURSE. In other words, research Integrated Pest Management. Planting certain plants that attract the GOOD bugs to control the BAD ones.
Good luck and btw, great looking cuke plants(except the aphids)!
Kevin
Rhubarb should not be picked the first year it's transplanted - not just new plants but any transplants. They need to use their energy establishing their root system in their new home, and it takes the first year to really get it going. So with plants planted this year, just let them be, keep moist. The leafs will die back end of summer/fall; Leave them be and next spring clean up the dead leafs and you'll be rewarded with new rhubarb growth.
Next year follow the rule of picking no more than 1/3 of the plant, as previously suggested. I typically quit picking at the end of June or 1st half of July. They will need the remainder of summer to store up energy for winter..
Cut off any flower stalks that appear. If left on, the rhubarb will get woody.
Rhubarb typically doesn't like real hot weather. My sister has tried it several times in zone 6/7 with no luck with it coming back or it dies before end of 1st summer. They like cool and moist....
I have a 12ft+ row of red 'Martha Washington' rhubarb that I've had for 28 years at this house and for 8 years at prior house. Just picked some this am for my co-worker. She's bringing in rhubarb crisp tomorrow:)
Sandy
Welcome to the site!
Where are you located? What types of crops are you having problems with? How large of a bed are we talking about?
Cultivating twice with at least a few days inbetween helps me quite a bit - before seeding or transplanting. Also, keep track of what is growing in the garden year-round (not just at planting time).
Many of the conditions that vegetables like encourage weeds. How often do you weed the bed?
Best of luck!
edit- I now see the 50x60 plot size -should be large enough to see some results from all of your effort.
This post was edited by cheapheap on Sat, Jun 7, 14 at 5:09
Last year's continuous rain really set me back because I couldn't keep up with the quickweed (galinsoga), and the "seed rain" that came from outside the garden was probably huge. But my problems are small compared to Bermuda grass, which I dealt with in another garden. Raised beds will just introduce more frustration because the runners will hunker down in the corners. Your best bet is to install a permanent perimeter around the garden using heavy duty geotextile fabric covered with wood chips. You'll have to clean out the grass and renew it every winter when the grass is dormant, but it does work.