23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

The yellow spots are early Downy Mildew. The white you say was likely Powdery Mildew. Both are fungus problems.

Begin regular fungicide applications and remove affected leaves. Increase sun exposure to the max possible and avoid over-watering until the soil dries out quite a bit. Wet soil encourages both..

You don't indicate your location or zone but in most of the country it is too early for the plants to be mulched like that. So unless you are in the deep south or So CA it keeps the spring soil and surrounding area too cool and wet. I'd suggest pulling it back from the plants so the area can dry out some. The replace it once the soil temps reach summer levels.

Dave

Thanks for responding! I went ahead and removed the affected leaves and applied fungicide. I also moved the mulch out of the way. Today I noticed the cotyledons are nearly all yellow- this is normal, right? I keep reading that they eventually wither and fall away, but should they yellow? Thanks again.

I have my herb garden right next to the vege/flower garden and have NO shortage of bees! (Even though there's supposed to be a shortage, or a bee die off, or something!) They LOVE LOVE LOVE the herbs! Nancy

Good deal nancy! Yep. Love growing things that fight the pests and can EAT too.

Kevin

Now, why will your avacado be dead? My DH grew up in Pasadena and there were enough avacados that they would have wars with them as kids!
You're even south of Pasadena! Nancy

Mandolls: Thanks. I love it that you people from the upper midwest enjoy pics of us people in warm climates. Instead of being jealous, you get inspiration. Love it!

Aili: Wow! Sorry to hear that. You must be in a different part of Utah from where these Santa Anas originate. Supposed to get in the 100's this week from another Santa Ana. Hope you warm up soon.

Slimy: A must grow for me. Very prolific but exclusively a dried chile. Exceptional flavor--- One of the best of ANY chile! You like Mexican food? It's a true workhorse! Semi high on the scoville scale, but it's not a scorcher at all.

nancyjane: Me.. I'LL be dead. Not the tree...LOL I will have to worry about it a tad in the winter, though. It's semi hardy but it's threshold on right on edge of our lowest winter lows. There are ways to deal with it though, so I'm sure I'll be employing some of those tactics.

Kevin

Hmmm. . they're in pots now. A few small roots.
Watered well last night -- will hope for the best.

Sweet potatoes grow great in containers (See video link for growing tips)

http://youtu.be/qLjnd2K7-uU

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing and Harvesting Sweet Potatoes in Containers

Soil Temperature Maps

NGA Regional Reports Zone Maps new to me but probably is not new.

Lamb's quarters (edible, but don't let it go to seed!), nut sedge (Very Bad News), and definitely crabgrass (don't let it go to seed either!).

The "nuts" from nutsedge are edible if you're into that sort of thing.

Rodney

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutsedge: The Edible Garden Foe

I tried just planting (as onions) and also trenching and it never worked very well for me.
This is what works great for me (to transplant):
take a screw driver (my substitution for a dibbler) and stick it in the ground, then move it in a circular motion to make the hole a little wider.
Wiggle the leek as deeply into the hole as you can.
That's it. The directions say "allow the hole to be filled in by irrigation and rainfall" so, there is nothing more to be done until months later, when I mulch with hay.

Here's the timing, in zone 5b (for me): sow seeds indoors in a pot in January.
Set out (as above) in April.
Mulch in fall.
Eat fresh until hard freeze, then I mulch heavily in the garden to have some all winter (except last winter, when they all froze :( )

I use a broken-off broomstick to the same effect.

swiss_alps_tx,
I am in the DFW metroplex, and have grown Spinach quite a bit the past few years. Yeah here in Texas, Spinach is pretty much a winter crop. I planted some of mine around late Sept, and some more in Nov, and January/Feb.
They are extremely cold hardy plants, and survived this cold winter without any problems. (but they dont grow a whole lot in Dec/Jan). We've enjoyed much fresh spinach this spring. But once temps hit the upper 70s they bolt. So mine have all bolted, and are forming seeds now. I let a few dry up and save the seeds They form along the stalks. The upper parts just produce the pollen, they are not the seed producing parts. Even if they have bolted and some of the nice thick lower leaves remain, I still pick and eat them. Very much still edible.

Deeby, the retailers send back the seeds so as to get credit (not be charged) for unsold seeds - or at least, that's what I was told. Not sure if all retailers do this but do know that the Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart stores in our area send them back. Last year Lowes did receive new seeds in the Fall for a fall planting. I hope they continue this practice.

I too had wondered what the seed vendors do with the returned seeds. I seem to recall finding a web site selling old seeds. So maybe there is a market/outlet for them.

3 gallons is pretty small, the wilt could be due to the stress of being root bound. Also, are you continually picking the cukes before they ripen? You have to stay on top of cukes, if you let one or two ripen on the plant, it will sense that its job is done and shut down and die.

Well, this year, I found a new bush variety to try. I am also growing it in my earthbox. So we will see.

You're right, I would like to eat the kale - just the remaining stem is quite long and being damaged already, I'd rather tidy it up if I could. thanks!

Yes, cut it down to where the new growth starts.
You'll get lots of nice kale from those new tiny leaves.

And This Be The Other

I'd guess the Vegas odds on "true from seed" would be pretty high. Something in the neighborhood of 30:1. But how does it taste? Worth trying?

Dave