23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
In my previous garden I had numerous voles problems, and as soon as I would goon vacation snakes would move in. But they will not stay if you visit the garden even every second day and I did have to poison the voles eventually. I tried for a long time to establish owls, building a box nest out from a design on the Internet. No luck. The only sustained respite was when a female fox had a burrow at the end of my property, but at some point she moved on too.
We had the shoulders munched off most of our carrots a couple of years ago. Last year the carrots were untouched, but this year again, we have a couple of rows that are munched again. The teeth marks are obvious in places and they're larger than mice. Moles? Anyway... we have rows that we were more diligent about weeding than others. Those areas where you can see the ground between the rows are un-munched. Carrots are fine. The rows where the weeds got away from us, where there's a nice low canopy where whatever-rodent-it-is can maneuver unseen by predators, the carrots are munched. Obviously, we need to keep up with the weeding, but next year I'm also going to put an extra foot between my carrot rows as extra protection. I'm hoping that will do the trick. We don't have many snakes here, only very small garden snakes that we rarely see (maybe once every two or three years). We've got loads of owls and hawks and other birds of prey, though. I need to make sure the birds can see around the carrots so the moles (or whatever they are) don't feel safe in the rows.
I agree with Itilton. Your fertilizer is fine and is probably washed away by now.
The lower leaves will get that way as the plant matures. I pull them off. Make sure they are watered and you may want to put a shade cloth over them if you're in a hot area. Most lettuces have gone to seed (bolted ) by now and people are starting on their new crops for the fall.
Also, check under the lower leaves for insects or other critters that may be eating the roots and stems. That can cause wilting, too.
I'm just wondering if you might prefer to try gardening organically. Good composted cow manure, compost, etc, will add humus to your soil and provide nutrients that are gentle on your plants. This page could help:
Biodynamic French Intensive Method
Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick
Probably a little early yet, but if they don't like the soil temp now, the seeds will germinate when cooler weather arrives. When I lived in San Diego, I planted crimson clover in October, along with garlic & other winter crops (in separate locations). Broadcast some oats & peas into the clover as well. The peas didn't have time to mature before it was all turned under, but I got to harvest a lot of pea shoots.
It is plant specific to a certain extent and it depends on how much root there is whether you want to try to spread the roots out. Plants that are small and not root bound don't need their roots spread out, and plants that don't have their roots messed with have less transplant shock. But sometimes you get transplants that are root bound and if those roots aren't spread a bit the plant likely will never thrive. But once you do that, they need extra attention paid to keep the roots moist at all times while they recover from their "surgery". And even with that done, a really badly root bound plant may remain stunted. Good luck can be had with that method on plants that are just becoming root bound, though. All transplants need a bit of extra water while they send their roots downward, but non-rootbound ones don't tend to need the TLC for as long after tranplanting as do the root bound ones.
It's good to leave it if you can, but if the result is too snarled with old roots and stems, it's just as effective to remove them to a compost pile and allow the decomposition process to proceed a bit further. You can always add that well-rotted material back into the bed for the next crop. This link might help:
Biodynamic French Intensive Method
Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick
If you are in zone 10 - as I am, this is the time to renew the soil and be ready for seed and seedling planting. October and November are our biggest planting months for the cool weather crops.
I'd dig out all the roots unless the planting area is not to be used until later time. The matted roots will not be a very hospitable place for young plants to try to push roots into.
In colder climates, with impending snow, the wet soil would soon reduce any roots and provide mulch for later plantings.
If you intend to plant soon, however, as I am, it would be best to dig deep and amend the existing soil with compost, bone meal, etc., and if any disease is suspected, stretching a clear sheet over the bed first - letting the sun "solarize" the soil first - would be beneficial.
I'm already ordering my seeds and amendments - getting ready for the big "October" push - here in zone 10.
bejay
A good general discussion on moles and gophers can be found here:
Biodynamic French Intensive Method
Both moles and gophers are a problem throughout the SF Bay area. Gophers tunnel deep, whereas moles crawl just under the surface. Gophers you can trap fairly easily, but moles are more difficult. See above link.
Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick
All of the above!
Most of my garden is in raised beds lined with gopher wire. I just mentioned the chattering devices because they actually have been working very well for us. I would be very afraid to try the garden without the hardware cloth!
When I create a new bed, I always dig/loosen the soil as deep as possible, then add horse manure Then I add the box lined with hardware cloth, then the soil/compost mix from the landfill (working some of it into the soil to fill in pockets before placing the box!)
Lastly the chattering devices! This year we tried them on our septic mound and they all went away! Just saying.... Nancy
Sow a nice, thick, crop of fava beans in September. They will protect the soil against heavy rains, fix nitrogen into the soil, and provide you with a lot of good organic matter to incorporate into the soil directly or add to the compost pile. Fertilize them with some well rotted cow manure or rich compost. See this link for more suggestions:
Biodynamic French Intensive Method
Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick
Any combination of the things mentioned. I used to bury a lot of fall leaves(layered). Some people plant rye, clovers, to be tilled in in the spring(green manure)
I would not add any manure now, because the nutrients will sink down by rain and snow water, unless you cover the bed with plastic.
I consider soil test and liming ,if needed, most important part of fall preparation. If your soil happens to be excessively acid, fall is the time to treat it. It take months for lime to get activated and bound into the soil.
This post was edited by seysonn on Sat, Sep 14, 13 at 4:56
Another great classical lettuce is Bibb. A good discussion of overall lettuce culture, with photos, can be found here:
Biodynamic French Intensive Method
Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick
CaraRose, in my experience nobody but gardening nuts like here on GW even thinks about planting crops in September, and so I can never find anything to plant at a nursery. I've had really good luck with planting seed in mid September, and then covering the new seedlings in October. Still, I wish you luck finding bedding plants!
I am using some raddishes to add hummus.
I have used Hakuri Turnip, and Daikon to add humus. I plant them thickly, harvest small, and leave half or more to grow on, and die in the fall. My family of three can't eat all of them!
I just till normally in spring, roots have decomposed. This year I grew onions, Alisa Craig on that bed, and had a good crop, despite a late start. Next year it will be carrots.