24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening


These pics of the orange pumpkins also tell a tale about the weight issue from earlier in the year...
In the 3rd pic, it seems to clearly show that as long as the vine itself is adequately supported, the stem will hold the weight of these medium size fruits.
However, in the second and 4th pic (they may be the same from different angles) the vine looks like it may have given way if the pumpkin wasn't supported. Looks like gumby's point from earlier in the year about the stem is borne out, and yet, it also seems that when climbing, the vine itself needs to be secured fast to the trellis.

Tina John, I am in SE Mich and I have them bad. They were present last year but worse this year. They are getting my herbs, peppers, flowers. It's maddening! I am going to try to set out some sort of light traps. I tried to catch them with the soapy water idea last year but didn't have much luck. I see them a lot in my soil when I am weeding.

Hi Fellow Asiatic Garden beetle suffers. I've had these guys in my garden forever! So this is what I do: IN the spring, I hand turn my soil and pick out the grubs as I see them. This will help but not solve your problem. Then, as soon as I start to notice damage to the leaves of my flowers and veggies, I get a large oval dish and fill it with soapy water. Then I drape a light over a chair and hang it very close to the water. You turn this on at night and the beetles are attracted to the light and so they fly into it and drop into the soapy water. I also go out at night and hand pick them and drop them into a cup of soapy water. In the morning you will see the results... or not. Sometimes the birds catch on and eat the dead beetles before you get a chance to see them.
This will help a lot. Good luck!
Mimi

Tiny zucchini are the result of plant stress. The plant just pumps what it can into the fruit, and then it gives up. I've seen this with plants that are planted to close together or (maybe this pertains to you, if I'm not reading too much into the picture you posted), in pots that are just too small. Zucchini are big plants, and they have big root systems. Nothing to do with calcium.
You might try to repot in a bigger pot, and I'm guessing you'll see a very root-bound plant when you remove it.



I am also a collard fan. Extremely nutritious, extremely hardy, easy to grow, disease resistant. The stems are used for stock. People here can not believe that I harvest things in January ad February. Most of the time I wait for a thaw to pick them, because it is hard work to saw a bunch of frozen collard trunks while hunkering down in a hoop house. Cleaned and washed, they remain pristine for 2 or 3 weeks in the fridge inside a garbage bag.


Healthy plant leaves typically contain roughly from 2.5 to 3.5% nitrogen (on a dry weight basis), 0.2 to 0.35% phosphorus, and 1.5 to 3% potassium. We often don't apply them in these relative quantities, partially because uptake efficiency varies. Nitrogen, particularly, is easily lost from soil, and target plants absorb between 30 to 75% of applied nitrogen.
The ratio of your fertilizer is relatively unimportant. Apply as much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as is needed. Find a fertilizer that fits your needs. This applies to organic and synthetic nutrient sources.


<I rely on saving seeds each year to plant my selection of ornamental and edible gourds. >
That will create chronic ID problems for you then since they are one of, if not THE, most prone to cross pollination items there is. Saved seeds routinely produce what I call"mutants". So if you want to know what you are getting then like even the most avid seed-savers, don't save seeds from the gourd/squash family. It is nigh onto impossible to get them to breed true.
Dave

Say my first year with eggplants was so so but this year I planted peppermint as a companion. WOW. They are going gangbusters ....... This ping tung long is AMAZING it is almost 4' high and have produced about 10 good eggplants with as many starting formation. I planted as a plant but will order seeds next year.
http://www.southernexposure.com/ping-tung-long-eggplant-025-g-p-1109.html

Only a few inches small, not ideal for stuffi g but luckily I have big ones from the farmers market. Stuffed zuchini soubds good. My grandmother used to stuff eggplant thst way but without riccotta. Riccotta sounds great though and I make fresh riccota I could even try stuffing my eggplant that same way. Those zuchini look very good.







Routinely you begin a weekly spraying program with fungicide of your choice as well as removing all the affected leaves.
But that's when you catch it early. From your description it is already well established so salvaging the plants now may not be possible.
Dave