23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Strange. That can only happen if someone was chewing on the roots. Chemical residues or imbalance would effect plants around it, and probably wouldn't cause it to wilt badly overnight. Dehydration and insect damage would also show up in the plants next to it. Brown spots may not be related.

I suppose some kind of disease is a possibility, but if so, you'll very quickly see it on adjacent plants, and it wouldn't choose targets randomly in a row.

    Bookmark     July 13, 2013 at 8:38PM
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mclatch

I did dig up one of the wilted plants and tried to preserve as much of the root system as I could.

The grass clippings wouldn't be the cause as my lawn has not been treated.

In the past two mornings, I have not had any more peppers wilt. So I'm leaning towards too much water as a cause.- even though we are very dry here. I had watered two mornings in a row and when I dug up the pepper it was not dry but dark, black, and crumbly. Seemed about ideal for growing here in Iowa. I've grown peppers for many years and have never seen this - even in rainy years. But that sounds like the best explanation.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 11:52AM
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farmerdill

Its supposed resistance to svb lies iin its vigor. This little pumpkin is a very vigorous growing plant under suitable conditions and is able to fend off the svb damage in some cases. On the other hand it is a C. pepo with hollow vines. Of course under a major assault from svb even the hard vine plants may succomb.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 11:18AM
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ltilton

uscjusto - I replied to this question on another thread. If you have the SWEET burpee burpless hybrid, it is indeed gynoecious [having only female flowers] and needs a pollinator, another vine that produces male flowers. Seeds for this should be included in the seed packet, marked as such.

Your plant probably did produce one or two male flowers, which is how your single fruit got pollinated. This isn't unusual.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 9:44AM
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uscjusto

I bought this plant as a start and it had 2 seedlings.
1 didn't make it due to slugs, so that could explain the lack of males. Maybe the dead plant would have provided the male flowers.

I don't recall if this is the sweet burpless hybrid.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 9:57AM
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planatus(6)

I start seeds twice during the summer. I set out the first ones after potatoes, for eating in fall, and will start a second run soon for growing under cover through the winter. The seedlings grow fast and strong outdoors, nothing like the slow growth you see when starting onions indoors in late winter.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 7:45AM
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steve22802(7a VA)

Thanks Planatus, that's helpful .

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 8:34AM
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eajohnson

Is it a different variety. My other plants fruit start out yellow and don't have stripes. Do I have to wait until it turns completely yellow until I eat?

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 11:37PM
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farmerdill

They are winter type squash. The standard rule rule is wait until the skin gets too hard to cut with a finger nail. As with any winter squash they get less watery when allowed to cure for a short time before eating.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 8:17AM
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AiliDeSpain(6a - Utah)

Hmmmm well they have set up shop in the butternut now that the zucchini is gone. I am hunting them daily though so i hope the plants will be fine :)

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 6:40PM
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laceyvail(6A, WV)

I have had butternut squash vines hold up after a squash bug hatch much much better than any zuke could ever do. The vine does eventually die, but it really makes a valiant effort to live, and often you can get it to produce mature squash if you search out the growing hatchlings and kill them. A zucchini would never make it that long. So yes, it's resistant.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 6:39AM
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seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

Ants do not do harm in the garden, as they are not vegetarians. They might even be beneficial by hunting some insects. However, they like nectars and sweet stuff. Sometimes saps coming out of an injured plan might attract them. Also, sometime some plants get this sticky thing on their stems/leaves .... ants like that too. They are not responsible if the plant dies or gets diseased.
But there is controversial thing that some say ants farm/ breed aphids(like a farmer breeds cow and pigs). Believe it or not !

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 6:03AM
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seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

As far as I have experienced, flea beetles like mostly nightshade plants, never seen them to harm cucurbits.

Anyway, I would not be too concerned with those , but continue to monitor.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 3:42AM
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2ajsmama

Haven't seen the squash bugs around lately and I keep taking off leaves with eggs (gotta ask DH where the duct tape is!) but I must have missed some b/c I did see a bunch of what I thought were baby spiders a few days ago - turns out they were 1st instar and this leaf damage is SB damage.

Still don't know what marks on stems/fruit and that weird pile of frass(?) is (see other thread).

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 5:29AM
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Tessinseattle(8)

Iowi,

How did your galvanized water troughs work out? I'm a Seattle resident who would like to try the same but am utterly new to gardening (this is the first year I've owned a house with a substantial area in which to give it a try). We'd like to have one area with raised beds and another with galvanized tanks as beds. Not sure how to proceed with either but the tanks really have me stymied. Are small holes drilled in the bottom adequate drainage given our PNW rains? Or would it almost be better to cut out the bottoms of the tanks? Is it safe to grow food in galvanized metal? I know some zinc consumption is safe but I think the cadmium is a greater concern.

Nila, Could you elaborate on your soil instructions? Are you recommending mixing these 2 components are layering them in some manner? Would you recommend this same mixture for other types of raised beds as well?

Thanks guys! Hoping the GW community will take me under their collective wing and help grow a new gardener!

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 7:01PM
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NilaJones(7b)

Hi Tess :)

I would be inclined to cut a giant hole in the bottom of the tank, personally. Like, remove most of the bottom, and cover the opening with landscape fabric.

If you choose to drill holes instead, make sure they are big enough. You have to at least be able to put your finger through each hole, and 2-3 inches diameter is better. Water doesn't drain well through small holes when dirt is involved, because of surface tension (not to mention clogging).

Don't layer the soil. You don't have to mix it perfectly, either. Put in a shovelful or two of one component, then a shovelful or two of another :).

Personally, I don't worry about soil compaction in my bed. Sure, the sandy mixes are very dense. But worms plus gardening means lot of soil gets moved around. And the plants are happy.

HTH :).

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 1:42AM
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wolverine1012

carolml-

Preserving garlic in olive oil is only recommended for up to 30 days unless it is frozen. That is because garlic and oil make the ideal medium for severe food born illnesses such as botulism.

If you do this, be sure to keep refrigerated and disgard after 30 days unless frozen.

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 8:48PM
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carolml(8)

Thank you for that advise, I thought that only applied to raw garlic and that it would be safe once cooked. I guess I should freeze it in multiple small packets.

    Bookmark     July 15, 2013 at 12:04AM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Just for clarification and for your future reference, aphids are insects not eggs. You can Google 'aphids' for all kinds of info on them.

Dave

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 4:44PM
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gsweater

To clarify on DigDirt's post - Aphids CAN and DO come from eggs - but not always. Aphids lay eggs typically in colder seasons, such as fall. When established (such as in summer) the females will give birth to females because they are viviparous. It is not true that aphids don't produce eggs - they do, which is why they become such a pest in spring and the cycle continues.

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 9:11PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

There are about a 150 different spotted, orange red beetles. See if any of the pics below look like it.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Spotted orange-red beetles pics

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 9:03PM
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2ajsmama

Stem and fruit on other plant - these aren't just spots, they're lesions, though I don't know what the dry stuff on the very base of the plant (s) is.

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 7:14PM
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2ajsmama

Another plant - I don't think this fruit got pollinated.

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 7:19PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

gardengal13:

Neem oil is a decent fungicide, but it's kinda pricy and I'm still not too sure on it's effect of beneficial insects. This was to be my 1st year of practicing what I preached to you, but the monsoonal moisture came a about 2 months too early and the next thing I knew, I saw some spores forming.

So, through my research, I read recently that potassium bicarbonate (NOT sodium bicarbonate(baking soda), which is one of the recommended homemade remedies) is pretty effective and can actually cure AFTER symptoms show. So, I went and found some at a wine making shop for $6/lb. Even if you have to buy it online, it's still quite reasonable and much cheaper than commercial fungicides and even the milk solutions that I've read about.

Only 2 treatments so far, so it's much too early for a review. But so far, so good.

Good luck.

Kevin

    Bookmark     July 13, 2013 at 11:05PM
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springtogarden(6)

Hi Kevin,
I like the sound of the potassium bicarbonate. Sounds safe and effective. I will have to look into applying it. I like organic methods.

Thanks!

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 6:15PM
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zzackey(8b GA)

Egg cartons work good for seeds or yogurt containers with holes punched in the bottom.

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 3:23PM
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naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan(5B SW Michigan)

Fun idea, might want to try some indoor growing yourself now to fine tune your choices before you do this with students.

Fluorescent grow lights work best when you keep plants within an inch or two of the tubes. Increasing the distance will result in tall floppy plants that don't grow well. Put together a set up that lets you raise pots or adjust light height and consider the plants different heights if you decide to plant a variety of veggies. Strong light from windows can help some but usually isn't sufficient alone.

Soiless container mixes used in pots with drain holes will give good soil moisture and healthy plants. Larger containers will make it easier to maintain consistant moisture levels, especially over weekends.

Choose varieties that are naturally compact such as many of those recommended for container growing. Tiny Tim tomatoes and dwarf marigolds (not a veggie, I know) are two that could stay manageable and good looking inside. Compact buttercrunch type lettuces and herbs are also good.

I wish you well. I've enjoyed sharing the world of plants with many students. Many have no prior experience with them and most everyone loves the planting, growing, harvesting, eating, etc. And some even like weeding when we grow outdoors!

    Bookmark     July 14, 2013 at 4:15PM
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