24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Relaaaaax! I leave my garden for a month in April/May, for several weeks in June, and for all of August. I still manage to grow all the veggies we eat all year (and some of the fruit). I just don't worry much about weeds, I mulch so watering isn't an issue (though in your location, it obviously is a necessity.) And I have a neighbor kid pick and freeze my tomatoes during August. Two weeks away, with your daughter keeping watch, should be no problem.
Anyway, the point is, taking a trip to Hawaii is much more important than staying with the veggies who will be doing their own thing anyway. Have a great time!

Breathe-2-3-4.
I always get so wound up before a vac...trip, that I NEED a trip to calm down! I think just leftover from when we were young parents who couldn't afford to buy things while traveling!
Now I have to tell myself "It's OK if you forget something! You can afford to buy a new one!"
Anyway, I did a walk through with my daughter last night and wrote everything down in detail. Nothing's really producing right now, so I don't have to worry about that.
Off we go! Nancy

I'm with Dave. I've always planted that close, and every year, I've got more zucchini than I know what to do with. I would not mess with what you've got going. Experimenting in another area was a very good alternative suggestion.
I also agree with the person who suggested successive plantings. Zucchini gets "tired" after a while and in my area, at least, aphids and fungus take hold while there's still plenty of growing season left. It's nice to have fresh new plants that I started a couple months after, so I can just pull the old ones instead of trying to battle the elements.

3 squash and 3 zucchini? If I were you, I'd be HOPING they never reach their full potential lol. The year I grew that many we had squash coming out of our ears. We were sick of squash, the neighbors were sick of squash, friends and relatives were sick of squash even the dam chickens were sick of squash! I still have bags of it shredded in the freezer.


When you are comfortable that the seedlings are doing well, then feel free to cut one that you don't want, or just pull it out carefully. Throw the remnants into compost bin.
You can also eat it when it is still smallish, so you could pull and eat, leaving behind some to get larger.

I actually plant mine much thicker than that. I divide my mesclun bed in half or thirds using a scrap timber/stick of wood as a visual divider, loosen the soil a bit using my fingers as a rake. Densely sprinkle seeds on top, pat down, then add a dusting of peat. Water well, then add some sticks resting on the bed edges to give it a bit of light shade to get going/germinating. Start the second half of the bed two weeks later. (i keep the un-planted half covered and weed free)
Planting thick keeps it nice and clean suppressing weed growth.
I would suggest sprinkling 'more' seed, if you have it, on the left half of your bed and top with a bit of dry soil if you don't have peat. Water well, and use this as an experiment.
My mesclun bed is a bit different...2.5 x 6ft. but raised as yours is. Divided. Last weekend put in a variety that does not mind the cold. Another will go in that does not mind the heat, (late june)...I get salad all summer as one needs pulling as one is harvested.
Growing thick and cutting with scissors the first harvest, you will get a second growth harvest from your first planting. And no weeds.
...Then back to the cool season mix the end of august for a good fall crop.
I buy three mixes in bulk so i have plenty seed and a better price in bulk.
Any leftover seed i grow indoors in those clam-shell grocery containers for micro greens all winter.
I end up with so much in an area just a bit bigger than yours that i drop off bags to the senior center a few times every summer. (with all that extra zucchini, : )
-not bulk as in enormous...just 1/4 lb amounts.
for example, the braising mix does well early in cool soil...the all-star is great in summer...then braising in the fall...the spicy micro mix i put in weeks ago and it survived a late snow fall without any cover.
-i do grow a variety of head forming lettuce in another bed, but mesclun is always ready to add to a salad of other bigger leaf varieties.
Here is a link that might be useful: salad mix



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.

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.




hnycrk - we must be fairly close. I live in Brooks, just south of Fayetteville.
Fairly close, I live in McDonough. My wife is from the Fayetteville area.