23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
If it were me starting this late in this wonderful state I would go with peppers, and egg plant that is on your list. I would buy the largest most mature transplants I could get. Starting either from seed would take way too long to get growing to the point that you would get anything near to ripe fruit off of them. Once the heat of mid June hits you will not see much if any fruit set till the heat wave breaks in late Sept.
I would suggest hot weather lovers this late. Things like green beans, okra (I have love hate with it. I love to eat it. It is easy to grow here. The problem is anything short of a flame thrower has limited effect on the fire ants that will keep crawling over the dead ones to get to the fruit, then they burrow inside of it,and ruin it.) If you have room for it summer squash does great, as do most any melons. Plant the vines in the corners, and you can trail them over the edge leaving room for the other veggies.
If you like the greens then plant radishes. Though the heat tends to make the root like a pencil if you are lucky. Like a piece of yarn if you are not. If you want good radish then avoid rich soil as it makes for great greens from them, and small root.
thanks guys. sadly dont really have the space for another even bigger planter on my patio, (got a lot of other veggies growing). if it doesnt grow to its full potential i guess it may have to do. the planter pot is a little bigger then pic may make it seem, but i guess we will see what happens.
i will def put a stake or two in, i see what u mean, especially if fruit will set in soon and start to take off, will need some support
like i said i never grew eggplant before so hopefully i get at least 1 or 2 to make some eggplant parm later this summer! lol
Mike
I don't know if it's effective on blights, not being listed for same, and I don't get PM on tomatoes, so I use chlorothalonil on tomatoes and potatoes to prevent blights. PM is a big problem for me here on curcubits.
Both PM and blights are in the better-prevent-than-they-to-cure category of problems. Noting that two different organisms cause different diseases called "blight".
I did spray my tomatoes, and they don't suffer from it (I mean, those that were not overwatered !)
My stupice have flowers and little green fruits, and are doing great. They're loved by snails, but with the garlic, not so much.
My zucchinis and butternut squash were getting sick, I sprayed two evenings and yesterday at lunch time when it was cloudy, and they're cured.
But then I sprayed all of them, so I don't have a not sprayed one to compare.
Perhaps it's just a coincidence and they would have get cured in the same way if left alone.
I didn't do it scientifically to compare.
It's just the simple organic way that people do here and taught me.
Be sure to plant it in blocks rather than long narrow rows for best pollination. Would also suggest staggered plantings rather than all at the same time.
I use blood meal for the 2 staged supplemental side dressings needed.
But I also plant on 6" centers so would plan on 200 - 250 seeds per row and thin if needed to avoid spaces that don't germinate.. Spacing can be adjusted depending on if you are planting by hand or with a seeder.
As for garlic - do you really plan to plant 90 foot rows of garlic? If you use the normal 6-8" spacing that's a LOT of garlic!
Dave
Thanks for the Corn suggestions. I am considering using one of those manual wheel seeding things. It has two wheels, a chain on it and a place for the seeds in the middle.
For the Garlic, I'm growing to be able to sell it. I have 400 plants growing right now, so I should be able to get 2000 max next year.
Hi All,
I ordered and grew "Skyscraper White Sweet Corn" from Gardeners Choice, I believe. Gardeners' Choice filled the order but was not responsive otherwise.
My corn grew to 14 feet and provided large ears of ghostly white sweet corn, very tender. I've always wanted to try it again. It was definitely not feed corn; and all my neighbours were amazed. One expert said I wouldn't get any ears off it because it had grown too tall.
I got 18 ears off 7 plants.
Perhaps GC isn't careful, but they weren't lying for me.
je
The container soil is probably the biggest factor.
Soil-less mix and/or potting soil lets the roots develop faster.
If you had dug a hole the same size as your container for your in ground tomatoes and filled it with the same soil they would probably be equal.
I think I found the website. It says that the broadcast rate for all those products is 1 tablespoon per square foot.
I don't think that could really hurt.
"Feeds continuously up to 9 months" though, so only once per season.
If the aged cow manure wasn't really completely composted, that could be your problem. Manure and compost can cause scab. Potatoes are actually heavy feeders, and in a container they do better with a balanced chemical fertilizer, preferably soluble and watered in once every week or two. Your problem could be caused by too much water, in which case things will improve. Good luck.
There seem to be a lot of Organic gardeners on this forum, so I will say this, then duck.
Potatoes need fungicide, both before and after planting. Get a liquid fungicide or soluble powder, and water your plants with the recommended concentration for spraying. If they come back, continue to spray the plants every couple of weeks until the plants die off naturally.
Late Potato Blight caused the starvation of millions of people in the 19th century. They would have been eternally grateful for chemical fungicides. You may have what is known as early blight.
glib - I think I just picked the right year.
I started these for transplant in early March, set them out in two batches, early and mid April.
It was a very cold spring here and the first batch grew slowly. Those plants are still smaller than those of the 2nd group, which had been the smaller seedlings I didn't want to put out early. The ones in the photo are from that mid April group, so they were out just about a month.
Interestingly, both groups started to raise up their stalks all at once, just in the last couple of days.
Next time, I'll start the seeds in successive batches, to see if I can extend their season.
I suppose I could start seeds March 1, then transplant (perhaps under cover until April 15) April 1, and hope for the best. Really, the last 7 weeks has been good growing conditions in Michigan, warm with plenty of rain. I have eaten only fava greens so far that were direct seeded under cover in March, plus the usual overwintering/perennial stuff. Thanks to both of you.
Yeah that one is primarily a frost protector, note how it says "traps heat and moisture" and "frost protection" on its label? It will need supports and either opened at the ends for cross ventilation or rolled up in the heat of the day once the seedlings germinate.
Linked insect barrier below, it weighs less than 1/2 as much and little to no heat trapping.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Insect barrier row cover
Ditto to what derek, the original poster, said. My plants shoot up rapidly after a good rain. It always amazes me. I don't, nor do I feel a need to, understand the science behind it. :)
...except for this week, when we had 3.5 inches of rain in one day! The plants did not appreciate being drowned.
Here it is.
Here is a link that might be useful: upright zucchini
I only start pruning when it starts getting powdery leaf mildew. It always hits the lower leaves first, I try to never prune above the lowest fruit. I figure a cut leaf stem is better for the plant than holding onto a spore-producing diseased leaf. Then I treat the upper leaves. I battle PLM on my zucchini every year, but my plants last through the whole growing season because I'm able to get rid of the diseased leaves fairly easily. As long as the PLM stays under control, the plants will keep producing zucchini. I don't know that you'd need to prune if you have an overall healthy plant, nothing wrong with keeping the lower leaves as the plant grows up unless the leaves are diseased.