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Here is an interesting fact about cucumbers. When you over water them they start wilting. Strange, right? Like they getting dry... In fact - they are!!! Roots when soaked in water can't move water up to leaves. And cucumber plant dries out staying in a puddle of water. From other point, sometimes plants are pretty much stronger then we think). I helped my mother to transplant some melons she started in the milk cartons. She watered them in the morning of transplanting day still in pots, but few hours later I noticed one melon still sits in a puddle of water. I checked the pot - sure enough it missed drainage holes. Just this one. When I took that melon out of the pot, I found that it kept all it's roots in top 1 inch of soil. And it was in that pot for almost 2 months... So I planed it in the ground and said to my mom that it most likely already dead. That was a week ago. Guess what? It didn't even wilt once during this week and shows signs of new grows. My mom promised to update me on its well been through out a season

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.

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!


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.

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



deleted duplicate post
Dave
This post was edited by digdirt on Sat, Jun 7, 14 at 14:37
Yes they look like bean seeds only a bit rounder. Just as with bean seeds, the radish "seed" is the little radishes that develop inside the pod. Pod and all are edible. Look at pics below, you can see the size of the seeds/radishes inside the pods.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Rat Tail radish pics