23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Aphids seldom move rapidly.
Thrips do. - a potential problem but no reason to be present on dying leaves.
Psocids also move rapidly. -- not a problem.

But since the leaves are essentially dead, remove & discard, then keep the healthy part of the plant healthy.

Thanks a lot folks.

thanks and regards,
nivin

Um what could I use as insulation on the outside of the container?

Also a very dumb question but you said if you were to wrap something around the container that's wet, it would reduce dewpoint (as you said the temp of the container). My other question about wrapping something wet around the container, would you wet it before you wrap it around the container, would put it already wet on the container, or does it not matter either way?

The problems I'm referring to with sun scald is on the foliage not the fruit of the plant.

You're not reducing the dewpoint. The dewpoint is the dewpoint. It's a function of air temperature and humidity. You can see it in your local weather report. It's a property of the air around the container (and you).

Excuse my lesson here ...

When you're wet, you feel cool, right? That's because as the water on you evaporates, it cools. The warm molecules of water depart, leaving the cool ones behind. The dew point is what the temperature would be if the humidity were 100%.

See here ... http://www.dpcalc.org/

As you can see from that handy calculator, if the air temperature is 90F and the humidity is 50%, the dewpoint is 69F. So if you're at the pool, and you're wet, as the wind blows on you, it's going to feel like 69F. If the humidity is lower, you'll feel colder, right? Ever been wet in the desert? Ouch! In fact, that's why air conditioners in the desert southwest work inexpensively by blowing air over water -- "swamp coolers". That only works well when the humidity, and the dew point, is low, which it usually is in the desert.

So the idea is to keep your container wet, so as the breeze blows over it, the container will be cooler. It's hard to keep a plastic container wet. It dries off fast. But if you cover the container with a thick layer of absorbant cloth -- a towel, or a piece of thick rug, you can soak it with water, and it'll stay wet for a while. When it dries off, just hit it with the hose. As the water slowly evaporates, the cooling cloth will cool the container.

That's why a porous planter is a slick idea for this purpose. The moist soil inside keeps the outside a little moist, and so cooler than the outside air. With a porous container, you don't need to be wrapping towels or carpet!

I've never really heard of someone trying to cool a planter, but if you're serious about it, this is the first thing I'd try.

I like the sound of it, so please try to post more on results as you go through the gardening season, both positive and negative.

Frank

I will do that Frank, as this is an experiment for me too. In my research, I couldnt find anyone with a complaint that actually tried the program. I know I got very little from my garden last yr.
Tammy

Agree that hybridization concern isn't applicable in seed potatoes.

Many people do just as your son did and have for many years with no problems. It used to be the only option - growing your own seed potatoes. Production is just as good assuming growing conditions provided are as good.

The only restriction on doing it that I am aware of is if you had any Late Blight (p. infestans) in the garden the previous year as it will over-winter on potatoes and re-surge in the spring garden.

Dave

Thanks, everyone! He'll be relieved to know this.

Of all my plants started from seed my peppers were the smallest and most pathetic looking. I did some research and found that peppers are slow growers. I started mine on March 1 and planted them out a few days ago but they were only about five inches tall if that. They now have flowers and I'm worried that tiny plant won't be able to support a pepper but we shall see!!!

I've seen those foot-tall vegetable plants in the stores, and never had a clue why anyone would buy them. I don't often transplant a plant (peppers, tomatoes) taller than 4-6 inches. I think there is some psychological attraction to a large plant that looks like it's up and ready to produce instantaneous fruit, and you pay heavily for that emotion. Once transplanted, any plant will take a few weeks setting roots. But even the tiny ones will take off like a shot when conditions are good. I should say that, yes, peppers really wait until it gets very warm. They grow slowly before that, but then grow explosively outside when you've got the a/c on inside. The big ones in the store are hot-house grown.

I actually very much dislike buying 4" or larger pots, except if an interesting variety is only available in that form. I'd rather get six-packs. My indoor lighting is poor, so if I'm starting seeds in the window, and because of that, the plants tend to go outside when they're pretty puny. No sweat.

Gardenlen;

Yes it took us a lot of time and money. We spent several thousand dollars fighting this. However, we are planning to sue the township and those involved in the case to recoup our losses. I have also contacted the district attorney's office, and the attorney generals office of pennsylvania to file a civil rights violation case against the township. There is also a new public corruption task force that was implemented and I am trying to contact them as well. The commissioner whom I mentioned in this story has lost his political backing for the new election this year. Hopefully this story has alerted the residents to the type of person he is and he will loose his seat.

Galiana;

It's funny you mentioned moving. My fiance and myself, have just bought a home in another county. One with a much larger piece of property. In the town we are moving to, chickens and goats are legal. I am very excited about starting a new garden the way I have always wanted to, after learning from all the mistakes i made my first several years of gardening. I already have the plans drawn up for the chicken coop and garden. I will post pictures of the new place at the end of the summer.

One thing I do not look forward to is digging up my 20+ apple, apricot, and plum trees. I also have 36 blueberry bushes and 15 honey berry and currant bushes to dig up as well. It will be a busy, busy, fall, but I look forward to the prospects of the new garden.

pitcom,

we wish you good tidings in your future legal exploits, the truth be known if we all stood together our gov's could not then treat us in these ways.

len

t-bird: That was your problem -- CEDAR is fine as a mulch, but never as an amendment.

seysonn: That's what I do -- any large pieces get raked off and the rest gets tilled in. It's pretty much a compost at that point after the original composting done by the landfill and then sitting in my garden for 9 months.

Kevin

I have been using wood chips and rock dust in my garden for over 10 years. No problems at all. Sure I get fungus on the mulch, but it's never been a problem. Breaks down beautifully, keeps the soil moist....my only tip is that if you need to turn soil, rake off the chips, turn and re-apply the same chips and apply another layer on top (excludes light from any weed seeds that have fallen on old wood chips). This keeps the older wood chips in contact with the soil so they can continue to compost. My chips have either come from my trees, or from a tree I saw the crew cutting (then ask them to come and give me the mulch). There are just some trees (like black walnut, or magnolia) that I won't use.

IMO there is no way that plants can get that leggy unless they are reaching for the sun. I'm guessing that they are getting no more than 5 hours of sun per day.

It does look a bit dry.. tomatoes need plenty of water.. the leaves look healthy albeit spaced out.. might try digging it up, cut off all the branches except the top two., dig a trench and plant it laying down with only top sticking out.. the entire stem that is planted will become part of the root structure. don't worry if it is crooked. it will right itself.. but,, if you don't have it in full sunlight,, it continue to get long and lanky.. maters need full sun.. and plenty of H2O

Well, the plant started getting dry, and every time i watered it, the water would run STRAIGHT THROUGH the canna coco, like ALL the water...

I'm thinking that the canna coco isn't the best choice for a container (don't know what it is, though)
Any time the water runs straight through usually means the soil is so dried out that it repels water, and either needs to be broken up and soaked or replaced. If you want to try and salvage what you have, I would soak the pot (we're talking under water) until bubbles stop coming up. I would also poke the soil deep with a chopstick or something to get the water into the soil.
This is mostly house plant/container ideas. I truly think it's time to start over!
Look into the container gardening forum for better advise! Nancy

I think the one thing that needs to be zeroed in on, is what nancyjane said.. "so dried out that it repels water"
seed starting mixes and other types of soil are so fine they will repel the water.. my sons friend almost killed 10 plants.. he replanted ,, watered and walked away.. I was in the greenhouse and picked up one of the pots.. which was as light as a feather.. the water just ran through. the top looked wet bet it was bone dry underneath.. water is heavy. so a well watered container should be heavy also. it is a good way to tell how moist your soil is..

Good luck.. :)

I would not do anythind. All you need eyes on seeds.
The seed will actually rot in the ground anyway. The starch in the seed is just food for the genes to nurish on while growing roots and stems.

Thanks for your input. Still haven't planted because there is still snow / ice on my planting area. I have been trying to clean it but there is still ice... also still probable freezing in the future

I think the term "scallion" simply means the young green shoot of an edible allium. It doesn't tell anything about species. A young garlic plant could be called a scallion, though certainly most of what are called scallions are in allium cepa.

Then we have the term "onion" which is at least as broad and imprecise.

in our area they sell green walla walla sweets, and they label them as walla walla. but iv'e never tryed regrowing them.