23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Buttoning happens when stunted plants. your plant appears to be normal. Those heads develop fast so keep an eye on them. They can be full heads in three to five days. I would also tie the leaves together over the head. In the hot hot sun, exposed heads will discolor and have a strong taste. Be sure to cut them before the curd starts to seperate.
No, they never open. I go out there 6am every day. They tips of the flowers turn brown. Then if you remove the petals the ovum is brown and mushy. I can try removing the flower earlier to fertilize it, but it may not be ready. Hopefully we get a break in the weather. Almost all of the fireworks in the area were canceled because of it. And it's been like this for weeks.
With greens it's best to go with the seasonal swings. Spring salad greens come and go quickly due to lengthening days. I pulled my last lettuce this week, and the spinach and mustard bolted two weeks ago. Now it's up to the chard to hold us until I get new lettuce seedlings up in August under a cloth shade cover. Then fall will bring more greens than we can eat and freeze.
Southern Seed Exchange has multiplier onions. The actually have two types... walking onions and potato onions (I think). Here is the link:
http://www.southernexposure.com/perennial-onions-multiplier-potato-onions-c-120_219.html
By your zoning, you must be near the coast. I am about 15 minutes north of Alabama beaches. Do multiplier do good for you? I have been thinking about ordering some for a 4x4 raised bed.
Just Google 'cabbage worm' for lots of pics so you'll know what to look for. They can be difficult to see until you get used o them as they are almost the exact same color of green as the leaves.
Lots of discussions here too about them and about Bt.
Dave
I am having problems with ants in my raised beds and in my patio (where I have several container plants/veg). At first, i just left them alone as they didnt seem to harm my plants. Then I saw them eating through the stems of my choi sim, and also a cauliflower seedling (they like brassicas??). At the same time, i noticed they were starting to farm aphids on my camomile, my sunflowers, and some of my herbs. And I got mad - very mad!
I tried using cinnamon, using chilli powder, using bicarbonate of soda (all solutions I googled)... no use. Not even a dent in the population. Next, I bought DE and spread them all along their paths. No difference. In the end, I harvested all the choi sim and poured jugs of boiling water on them and where they congregated (be very careful of hurting the surrounding veg though!). I am happy to say that got rid of most of them :) I do this whenever they start damaging my veg too badly now. Cheap, easy and organic!I also have a couple of ant baits around the patio. This also works well for me.
Its not possible to get rid of them completely and I can tolerate their presence fine if they dont eat and damage my plants too much.
As Dave said, most of the time, ants dont really do much harm. I hope yours are not like mine!
FYI, you can usually get fire ants to move on if you disturb their nest frequently. You can do this with a strong stick. Just stick it in and stir. But, keep yourself at a safe distance, throw the stick away and run once they come pouring out. Doing this daily will usually cause them to abandon their place in about a week.
Dave, thank you for your time and good advice. I do not have a green house. I was a windowsill gardener then now I have more than 50 chili plants of different varieties. It is a new hobby and very addictive. The climatic condition here is not favorable for growing chili.
Abnorm you are wrong, I help my friend in India we have been trying to introduce roof top gardening over there. I have a very good reason to help my friend from here. Anyway thank you for your words.
Caelian
Is it possible your pots do not have drainage holes? If they do not, when it rained, your pots filled up with water and it had no place to go. Therefore, death by drowning.
If you know better than this, I apologize. My neighbor across the street had this happen with tomato plants in a half whisky barrel this year. He's an M.D.
The other possibility that comes to mind is that your pot might be too small. I have grown bush cucs in pots successfully, but it takes a BIG pot (18" in diameter or bigger) for ONE vine.
Nothing says you are "supposed" to prune them. Pruning is strictly optional and is NOT required for any reason. In some situations it may have some advantages, in other situations it is detrimental to the plant and to fruit production.
Without knowing where you live or even your garden zone there is no way to know if your plants might benefit from pruning or not.
The Growing Tomatoes forum here is the place for this question and you will find many discussions there about it as well as a FAQ on Pruning.
Dave
If a raw leaf tases bitter to you, try blanching the leaves first in rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds and then into another pot of boiling water briefly. That's how bitter wild greens are handled in order to get rid of some of the bitter principle. ('Course, spinach greens are a lot less durable than dandelion greens!)
Just a thought. Of course, anything composted is never really wasted! :-)
I always plant Swiss chard in addition to spinach. Slower-growing but more reliably tasty for weeks beyond the time spinach has bolted.
This gentleman has absolutely the right idea about what is eating his plants...This little bugger has eaten approximately 3/4 of my broad-leafed plants this season. I took a picture of it, but my pic is not as clear. This is definitely the fly doing the damage...I've watched them doing it. They start at the bottom of the plant and work their way up, first eating large holes, and eventually the complete leaf of the plant...Soon all that is left is a stalk...My neighbors have complained of the same thing. Pesticides are not effective.
these are asian or japanese beetles, very terrible pest, search plant eating japanese beetles for info... very destructive they come from grubs, only out late at night, see them eat with flashlight, knock into pan of soapy water to kill, best to kill there larva now to august or they will return with a vengeance. these are a little known pest eating all trees and vegetation all over the US. They LOVE mint, peppers, thyme, most herbs, spices, sunflowers...dont eat tomatos for some reason...if you see little green "grasshoppers"? DONT KILL THEM, they are baby praying mantises there to eat your beetles, they are your best friends... best of luck, Steve