24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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hobbiest

I suspected on more than one occasion, it is RKN that is going to town on my beans. The plant starts to wilt, I water. The plant wilts more...I water more. Plant dies. Nothing left but a stem in the ground. I hate RKN.
My normal regimen of watering was every 6 or 7 days if anyone is wondering. I wasn`t overdoing it.

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sunnibel7 Md 7(7)

Actually, I've been thinking of trying beneficial nematodes for my onion maggot problem. I know there are different strains for different pests, and I haven't yet come across one that says it works against pest nematodes. Do you know which strain that is, Dave (or anyone)? Actually, I'm also wondering why different companies give wildly different application rates for them.

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seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

You have a lot to learn.

If you net your squash, you are not going to get any squash.. Unless the mesh is so big that the bees can go through them.'
Same goes for cucumbers.

It is ok to net peppers and tomatoes, eggplants , but not cucurbits while flowering.

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ltilton

The netting in the photo looks to have mesh large enough for bees to pass through. And most pests, as well. I'm not sure what it's meant to be protecting from. That's the size netting I use to keep rabbits out, but I don't recall ever having trouble with rabbits and squash plants.

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Im trying to make a website that allows anybody to create fully custom seed packs. I'm looking for popular seeds I should stock.i didn't say this the first time, I'm looking for seeds that are most likely to be asked for.

That is the same approach used by all seed vending sites - 100s of them - trying to anticipate what the customer will want. They have never been able to anticipate the "wants" because it varies widely from region to region, even customer to customer. So the solution seems to be to focus on only a few specific vegetables like many vendors do - focus on only hot peppers or only open pollinated tomatoes.

With 1000's of varieties of 100's of vegetables you can't be all things to all people. It just isn't possible. And since seeds are viable for many years and many gardeners only buy fresh seeds once every several years your stock could quickly become overwhelming.

Dave

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

If you plan to mix varieties in the same packet how do you plan to distinguish them one from another? Separate glassine envelopes would be quite expensive and color coding them isn't an easy process either unless doing hundreds at a time.

Dave

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elisa_z5

little minnie -- thanks for the info on the golds, and the details on your growing.
I always wish my potato yields were better, so I'm always interested in what people with great yields are doing.

My soil is naturally 5.4 PH, so I'm planning to open up a dedicated potato bed and not lime it, and rotate potatoes in and out of there.

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soilent_green

runswithscissors - Thanks for your response to my question. I guess my preferred method of targeted applications will not work, but I am thinking of still trying it as an experiment in one row. A second row will have an application of ammonium sulfate. A third row will have an application of 10-10-10. Those three rows will be compared to a third row that uses just organic compost. Will be interesting to see the results. My main crop will be planted elsewhere using my usual planting methods.

I have not grown Purple Viking but based on comments here I plan on giving this variety a try. I normally plant Red Pontiac (and occasionally Red Norland), Yukon Gold, Russet Burbank, Kennebec White, and Russian Banana fingerlings. This last season I experimented with some new varieties with mixed results:

Red Gold - poor
Red Cloud - good
Carola - very good
Irish Cobbler - poor
German Butterball - good

The seed was purchased from out of state so I withhold ultimate judgment on these varieties until they have acclimated to my soil and local growing conditions. If all the varieties store well enough the entire harvest will be used for seed stock. It was fun to grow some new varieties after growing just the tried-and-true standards since the 1980s.

My Golden Yukons always produce low yields of very good quality potatoes and continue to be highly regarded by people who get them from me. Seed stock has always been cheap and readily available locally, so my solution has been to simply plant more Yukons rather than try to find a higher yielding substitute that might turn out to be a disappointment for whatever reason. That being said, I think I would be foolish not to give Augusta Gold a try. :-)

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farmerdill

Usually refers to a variety/varieties like neck pumpkins, Tahitian melons. These are butternut types (C. moschata) with extra long necks. Very recently some vendors are including Cushaws (C. Mixta) many of which have crooknecks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neck Pumpkin

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HotHabaneroLady(7a Central MD)

I'm wondering why it might be best for my apple trees not to flower. This is the first time I've planted them, although I have had pre-existing apple trees in other places that I've lived.

I'm loving the chance to hear from others. It's giving my more ideas for next year!

Angie

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ltilton

Flowering is OK, but fruiting can cause the tree to divert its energy from growing strong healthy scaffolds and branches that will support lifelong fruiting. And the first season or so that the tree does fruit, it should be thinned so it doesn't overbear.

You might consider visiting the Fruits and Orchards forum here, where a group of very experienced growers often discuss these issues.

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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Definitely wait. March would be a good time to start the seeds inside if you have grow lights or if you have a very sunny window. April if you can't grow inside but have some cover outside (greenhouse, coldframe, etc.) but you'd have to watch the temps and you'll probably (almost guaranteed) have to bring the plants inside at night to prevent them from freezing and take them back outside during the day to get sun. You'll have to harden the plants off before planting them in your garden.

You can also try winter sowing them. It will take the guess work out of when to start seeds. Basically you plant the seeds outside when it's cold, in a closed but vented container, and the seeds will sprout when it gets warm enough.
Prepping A Gallon Jug For Winter Sowing
How to Winter Sow Seeds Outdoors
Winter Sowing Forum

Rodney

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jimster(z7a MA)

Some people start corn inside but I think most do not. I would sow it directly in the ground in May.

Jim

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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

Yes, wait.

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aloha10

I generally cut mine down after the first hard freeze. However, a few times I had to let them stay up all winter due to circumstances, and I noted no difference in the following year's crop. There's not going to be much photosynthesis going on after you start getting frosts. Really looking forward to next April's first spears.

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sunnibel7 Md 7(7)

I'm pretty sure you can move your garlic. It is tough stuff, very similar to onions, which get grown from seed then yanked out and shipped all over the country in little bundles that are quite dry. Horseradish is also pretty indestructable, we've started many new plants with just the crown or even part of a crown. You've already been given advice on how to store those until planting. Also, it might not be too late and you could just order some more garlic now and plant as soon as you see the daffodils coming up in the spring. I had to spring plant my garlic one year and it did fine.

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seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

Let me tell you this : IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT to kill any member of the alliums during transplant. Just for an example, look at the onion seedlings that they sell in the spring planting time. They have been already pulled out for weeks and poorly kept. So you buy them plant them .. Voilla !!

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nc_crn

It's extremely expensive per unit ($20).

Though there is a benefit from the heating coil component in some areas at some time of year, it's hard to get over the price vs. the marginal benefit that gives in all but the cooler times of year.

Also, the heating coil is rather small...and it seems to run all the time rather than turn off when soil temperatures could get too warm.

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Jonathan29

I suppose you are right. But what aboit if you were using it for a few indoor plants rather than a hole raised bed. I mean it is expensive but you would think i would be more benifical for the plant in an consistent tempatured environment.

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vgkg(Z-7)

The good news is that cauliflower doesn't spread around too much pollen :). I grew Cheddar a few years ago, really pretty on the raw veggie/dip platter. I think the carrots were jealous.

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macky77(2a)

I just wanted to drop in to say thank you to nc-crn for being so awesome. That's all. Carry on. :)

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emmers_m(9a/Sunset 7 N Cal)

I have used plangarden.com with success in the past. I did also do a free trial of the growveg planner, and neither stood out to me as truly superior than the other - just had some different strengths. For my next garden layout I'll probably have to reevaluate both because I don't remember enough of my conclusions :)

~emmers

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veggiecanner(Id 5/6)

i justb use an old spread sheet.

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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

There is a Hot Peppers Forum here on GW. People over there might be able to help. There are specialist companies in the UK which do named pepper seeds so I'm sure there are lots in the US too.

This UK site has several you name, there's got to be a US equivalent: http://www.chileseeds.co.uk/hot_chili_pepper_seed.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Hot Pepper Forum

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fespo

I have ordered from here.

http://www.pepperjoe.com/

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

The APHIS/USDA FAQs linked below cover it all - download the forms, who and how to contact for testing, etc. Just scroll through all the info there.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: APHIS/USDA - phytosanitary certification for agricultural commodities and export certification

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gardningscomplicated(southeast michigan - 5b or 6?)

Thanks Dave. It looks like it's possible, but it's not going to be easy.

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pnbrown

We've been down to 23 here, and also had snow. Assuredly the coldest earliest weather since I have been here since 1981.

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glib(5.5)

Very pleased with my collards. I had left about ten unpicked outside the hoop houses, they suffered through multiple sub-15 nights, with 96 consecutive hours of freezing weather. But yesterday afternoon it went above freezing for about 5 hrs. They popped back up and were promptly picked, about 40 lbs before cleaning. Lots of greens, obviously I will not go under the hoop houses until after Christmas.

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