23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Our fence is only 4' high, but I think what keeps the deer out of ours is the fact that the whole thing (about 20x30') is filled with trellises and wire cages.
The wires on top are a good idea Kali. And like you said, just make sure you put something on them (some sort of tape, etc.) so the deer can see them.........or you might end up with a deer stuck in your fence! :(
I've been lucky the deer have left my garden alone. They get in and go to the back where I don't have anything planted and bed down. They seem to feel safe back there and they haven't bothered any of my plants. They seem to prefer the coastal grass I have growing around the garden.
Sorry but they could be any number of things. Without seeing them there is no way to even get in a ballpark guess other than some sort of fly larvae.
Plus knowing where you live or at least your gardening zone would help narrow down the possibilities a little bit.
But whatever they are just dump the soil out on a tarp or plastic, spread it out and let it dry well in the sun for several days, stirring it now and then. That will kill most if not all of them as they need moisture to survive.
Dave
LOL The only fence I have is... a 16-ft cedar hedge, but we do live across the street from a large wooded area and I HAVE seen deer, but they've not crossed the street because the neighbour's garden is bigger than mine and it's right next to the river so...
I HAVE gone out at night w/flashlight, as I sometimes do to check on my hostas, but have not seen any slugs. The beds are raised beds as well.
So I'll go with your bunny theory, although I and my neighbours have never seen any, and there are plenty of cats out at night. Thanks so much for your input.
I'm glad to hear the plants will survive despite the early chomping from da monstah from da black lagoon... :D
Happy gardening!
You may get a few but usually it is just the plant top with no potatoes. And if you do get a few many times they aren't edible. They tend to be hard as rocks and very small.
Just curious why you left them? If you don't want to eat them then store them for a fall planting in your zone.
Dave
Get some hardware cloth with 1/4" holes, attach it to a 2x4 frame, and dig and screen the carrot section of your bed to 14", adding fine organic matter to loosen clay soil. Once I did that, my carrots looked perfect (but only tasted just a little bit better).
Hundreds of ways to use them available on the web. Just Google summer squash recipes. And yes, they can be cut in half length-wise, brushed with butter and garlic and lightly grilled just until fork tender.
Dave
This post was edited by digdirt on Tue, Jul 2, 13 at 11:51
I just pulled mine because of Squash Vine Borers BUT I have planted a new crop because the zone I am in (7b, Upstate South Carolina) has a long enough season to do so. I will admit, this was not a good year for squash for me - last year was much more prolific even though SVB's finally did the plants in.
You are right about too close...these plants can get quite large and do need good air circulation.They do get thick bottom stems and if you are concerned that they are too shallowly rooted you can cover the bottom stems with some more dirt to anchor them better. The buried stems should root.
Here is a link that might be useful: Powdery Mildew Control (Organic)
I am by no means one of the experienced voices on this forum, so please take everything with a hefty dose of salt, but this sounds similar to my situation. I rent, and the landlord wouldn't be happy with a yard dug up for an inground garden, but is ok with me planting in between the established landscaping and containers. So in between the bushes (2 large ugly things, and 1 rose bush with a good amount of room between them), I put down top soil and compost, and then dug into my new layers of soil to plant. I've grown zucchini which were perfectly happy, and vining squash (butternut, acorn, spaghetti). Last year, the spaghetti squash managed to climb one of the bushes before I caught it, and everything still seemed to happily coexist. I also let the vines go out on the bit of lawn, and put some soil over the vines in places, so that might help. I also managed to train peas up the bushes this spring, but they got knocked down in the really nasty storm a week or so ago. Hope this helps, and good luck!
Every single message is helpful. Wow, I love GardenWeb! I read in depth online, but honestly, more often than not, my questions are better answered here than in all the articles I can find on a given subject.
My bushes won't grow any larger, because I won't let them. But yes, we do have to clip a few times a season. Personally, I'd be happy to get rid of them, but they do look nice in the yard. And my pseudo-husband is wild about them.
Anything I do will be by hand. It's truly a small area.
My grateful thanks to all, and I welcome any further ideas.
Hi, this happened to me with my Sungolds. However, only the first few blossoms fell off. Now they are setting fruit by the gazillions. Hot night temps will cause blossoms to drop. It also helps if your tomato plants are in a breezy, windy location. Bees also certainly help. I have a few sunflowers growing nearby that keep the bees coming in droves. They are all over my tomato plants all day long. That's why I have gazillions and gazillions of tomatoes and will be feeding the neighborhood. Oh and they are great for breakfast sauteed in bacon grease alongside ham and eggs. yum!
To the OP,
I am in the same zone and state. My romas have baby tomatoes but the beefsteaks only have flowers. I have seen at least one bumblebee around the flowers, so I know pollination is happening. I'm just thinking that beefsteaks are a bit more finicky than romas.
Could be the same with your cherry tomatoes. You could check with your county extension office. I finally figured out to reach the office for Bergen county. They even have a walk-in office in Hackensack which is available M to F from 10 am to 2 pm for help.
The small zucchini that is rotting on the vine is probably an unfertilized one. There are bound to be a few during the course of the summer. Also check on your watering to be sure it is fairly steady - don't overwater. Zucchini seem to thrive with less water than you would think.
Here is a link that might be useful: Zucchini blossoms
Honestly I don't see any problems in the picture. An unpollinated fruit perhaps which is common and some over-crowding of that tangle of stems. If you have yellowing leaves it is most likely due all the rain or over-watering.
Note all the discussions running here right now on squash problems? 5 or 6 of them just below your post. They are all in the same situation as you - squash problems. Why not read through all those threads for even more information?
Dave
It seems like I will have to pull this plant. It didnt look any better today (pic below), and the zuk that was there turned yellow and soft. So I cut it off and also some other yellowing leaves.
Dave, should I plant zuks here or something else, I mean is there a more likelihood of disease affecting the new zuk as well compared to if I plant something else?
Currently I have the following seeds; Burpee pickler hybrid cucumber, Burpees golden zucchini, Bush blue lake 274, contender bush, burpees fordhook zucchini (this is the variety I currently have which is having all the trouble) and clemson spineless. So which seed do you recommend planting, or it doesnt matter? I am in central illinois.
Allie and potterhead, thanks both of you. I will buy some bales this weekend.
Anne, thanks for the picture. That was really helpful.
Sam.
Considering other possibilities - New, do you have yellow&black striped beetles in your cukes? The fact that one plant is wilting and the others aren't, which were presumably sprayed with the same solution, is suggestive of bacterial wilt.
Here, it would be early for that, but your plant sure looks like it. If you cut off a leaf, hold your finger to the cut place then pull it slowly away, the sap from a plant afflicted with bw will pull away like a thin strand of gum.
Well, it demolished one entire plant and only affected 1/3 of the bigger more established plants.
And no beetles of any kind. I check very often for pests.