23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

As the temperatures here get into the triple digits with full sun, and don't drop much below 80F overnight, I have to say that leaving a drip system on continuously wouldn't hurt anyone here a bit. I have large plants in heavily mulched patches that still need regular soaking every two or three days. Large plants (8-foot cherry tomatoes, 4-foot peppers) suck large amounts of water out of the soil in these temperatures, and frankly it just has to be replaced. Mulch keeps the water from evaporating from the soil, but it sure doesn't keep plants from sucking it out of the soil.

But I agree that if your patch is well drained, you have nothing to worry about, whatever your climate. If you have mud, that's a problem.

Thanks everyone! Most plants are looking pretty good a couple days later. I may have lost 1 tomato plant, but it's the one I've had horrible blossom end rot problems with.

I think the OP made it clear he was leaving conventional gardening behind. Those mineral salts will disrupt the soil food web.

"Punch" is not necessarily desirable with most crops. A low-dose but steady diet of nutrients - regardless of the type of source - is usually preferable.

Dave

I took this pic yesterday morning, and he was still there in the evening when I checked. He picked the wrong plant if he wants camouflage.

I have some (or at least one) in my garden. I tried to catch him just so I could look at him closer but he jumped between leaves before I could.

The bug is a brown marmorated stink bug. It's a nymph (youngster).

The bands on the insect's antennae indicate that it's a brown marmorated stick bug. Hand pick and kill them all. That said, I think your cukes are deteriorating from old age. They are not long-lived plants.

Yep... Firefox with the adblock plus add-on. GW lags every now and then, but all those issues you mentioned, seysonn... I never get that.

Kevin

Thanks , I switched to Firefox.

Hi wayne_5 and farmerdill,

Thanks much for your responses! Heat has certainly not been a problem this year here! We have been unusually cool all summer really. Sounds like maybe I am being impatient as usual. I will wait them out and see what happens!

Thanks again!
DLup

Look down in the very center. If you don't see even a smidge of head forming and the plant is in relatively good health otherwise, then you still have a chance of a head.

I've never had a cauli plant that didn't at least "try" to form a head. Been a few duds though --- starts to head, but becuse of weather or what have you, sputtered out and left me with a 2 inch head.

Kevin

I grow in containers here on my balcony in Miami my plants hit 7'. Had to prune after hitting the roof. I grow organic in 12" pots using stakes and chicken wire to cage and mesh for fruit support. It is extremely aggressive tendrils will grab anything even a cacti. Very delicious cukes for salad or pick young for pickles. I start in domed sees trays then transplant to pots. Mine sprout after a few days and in 2 months over 7' with our hot sun I find it hard to over water, I have to water 2 to 3 times a day. Renner water the soil and not the plant. I use beem oil and diatomaceous earth for pest control

That is great! If I had any sun on my deck, I would so do this. I did balcony/container gardening for awhile and it was fun. Now I know more and there are all these ideas so I am hoping I get to try them out next year. I think I would try vertical gardening in a raised-bed. I am not sure where I will be gardening next year.

I'm so glad I saw this question, because I never get to brag. I plant spacemaster cukes in a planter on my front steps and let them trail down the wall. Picture attached! What you will see here is early growth really. They get bigger. I've planted as many as 8 in a 4'x1' container and they did great! (I also got compliments on my lovely "flowering vine" at my garage sale! LOL!)

Here is a link that might be useful:

Mine are in containers here in Miami my plants hit 7' organically raised. I use 12" pots and stakes and chicken wire for climbing and mesh support. I do urban vertical gardening.

after cutting it open . everything about it says squash .

Did her other pumpkins turn out ok? To me judging from the size and skin tone it looks like an immature large pumpkin variety that would have grown much larger and would have developed a more "pumpkin look" if it were left on the vine to grow. Best guess.

Oh, my. This is me embarrassed. I was, indeed, thinking of broccoli. Nevertheless, raab is in the same family and does require careful seed starting. Sorry!

No need to be embarrassed. The name broccoli raab throws most people. But it is actually a turnip. Grow like you would grow any turnip. It speciallizes in growing a seed head which remind some folks of a broccoli floret.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing broccoli raab

Deleting duplicate post.

Here is a link that might be useful: Melon Meter App

This post was edited by jimster on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 13:32

Thanks Wayne, the coopertown seedless sounds good, and yellow doll has been one of my favs for years now. Too bad the smallish melons have a shorter shelf life than the Big Boys, at least that's been the case here. Crimson Sweet & Lanthum sugar baby types do grow well here so I may opt for a mid size as bernadette mentioned and pick em' at their peak. Really love the Big Raspas....maybe just one plant...I can feel that hernia already :)

Sad to say I think it's too late. I have found that b sprouts have a very narrow planting window which opens and closes the first two weeks of June in Z 6.

You can direct seed kale, collards, kohlrabi and lots of other stuff now, though.

As planatus says above, it's probably a bit late for brussel sprouts now. His suggestion about direct sowing of kale is a good one, if you like it. A detailed description of how to plant kale can be found here:
http://alan-chadwick.org/html%20pages/techniques/garden_plants/veg_photos%203.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick

Those look great!

Yes, and actually these are what I would call "seconds" as I tend to give away the nicer-looking ones! I have been picking 3-5 nice ones daily from my 4-foot, trellised row. (Probably 6 plants.)