23,822 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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planatus(6)

When I tried doing it, they willingly went up about 3 feet and then totally lost interest in my trellising project. Most of the C pepos want to stay on the ground, in my experience.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 8:09AM
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pnbrown

I also find that cucumber is a fussy plant. I am attempting more of them than usual this year, in different situations, maybe I'll learn something about what they prefer.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 7:20AM
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mandolls(4)

Last year there were by far more posts about cucumber problems on this forum that anything else.

They are obviously a bit trickier than most of the other vegetables. I certainly get more fungus/disease problems with mine than anything else I have tried to grow.

My first year with them was by far the best and I have been hoping to repeat that for the past 4 years.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 7:23AM
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julia42(9a)

Are you sure it's St. Augustine? Usually St. Augustine is pretty easily smothered for me, but it takes a lot to kill bermuda grass. If it really is St. Augustine coming up, the few times that's happened for me, it's been really really easy to pull up - just a patch here or there.

But I keep thinking maybe you have Bermuda coming up instead - that stuff sure is tenacious.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 7:52PM
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jean001a(Portland OR 7b)

please post images

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 1:06AM
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Ohiofem(6a Ohio)

Your raised beds are really containers since they are not in contact with the ground. The combination of Miracle Gro garden soil and top soil is a very heavy and water retentive mix that really shouldn't be used in a container. Do the beds have good drainage? Is the soil drying out between waterings? If your plants haven't shown growth in a couple weeks, your problem is not going to be solved by adding fertilizer. If the soil is waterlogged, the plants are drowning and can't use fertilizer. If that's the case, you might want to pull the plants, replace part of the soil with a container potting mix and get new plants.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 12:16AM
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Ann_in_Houston(z9 Houston)

It does seem to dry out between waterings but I will probe down deep and check to be sure. If it is too wet, I'll make more holes. Thanks.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 12:28AM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

I'll make them grow upright instead.

When properly hilled with soil and then mulched they grow upright naturally.

Dave

    Bookmark     June 1, 2013 at 12:05PM
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ange2006

These are red potatoes. The two I started 5 weeks ago from last year's crop (two tiny potatoes) are as big as the one I started 2-3 weeks ago from seed potatoes purchased from the farmers market. It's possible that they are different, but they're both red. I'm surprised to see flowers so early too. Maybe it's the Arizona sun. A few days ago I found a little potato the size of a nickle.

I will take your advise and pile more dirt as they grow taller. How many inches of leaves should I leave above the soil?

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 9:51PM
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jadie88(7 MD)

Not long after we moved in, a few volunteers popped up near the house. Two tomatoes, some basil, a cantalope, and a few pumpkins. I had a quick chat with them. "Thanks for popping up, fellas, but here's how it is: I have two kids, a new baby, and a house to move into. I won't be out here weeding, staking, and watering, so youre on your own. Survival of the fittest...lets see what you can do."

Darned if it wasn't one of my most successful gardens in terms of high yield for low effort! :)

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 9:12PM
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SunshineZone7(7)

Is this weird?

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 7:18PM
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Ohiofem(6a Ohio)

Mine do something like that when night temperatures drop below about 60F. I think it's showing stress. I planted too early this year, but now that the weather has been warmer for a week or more, a few flowers are blooming and I think they will be OK.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 8:27PM
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MrClint

Yes, excellent article. It does speak to chemical residue in non-"O" seed and fraudulent "O" seed that is in reality non-"O".

Hopefully the USDA and other "O" governing bodies perform the same level of follow up as this German report.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 3:11PM
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MrClint

Case closed. I found USDA "O" seed in bulk at a local heath food store, which is right across the street from a nursery that I frequent. The prices are reasonable, and the brand is Handy Pantry.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 7:51PM
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clorpt

transplanting can slow down squash, but I grow several every year and always transplant. Even my giant pumpkins get transplanted after it is 2 feet tall and wide. Transplant carefully and you should have no problem. It looks to me like maybe too cold and too wet. ? Where are you located? I am on the coast of British Columbia and this (last week of May or first week of June) is when I set my plants to ground from the green house.
Don't fertilize until they show growth. If you can put a cover over them that will help to warm them up but DON"T burn them!. You need root growth in June. Taking off the first few flowers will let leaves and roots develop. Leaves and roots are what feed the fruit.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 1:57PM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Sounds to me like these guys just need to get their roots established. I transplant squash routinely with success, but squash that are transplanted out of a rootbound pot will take longer to get established. The existing roots aren't pointed radially outward. The plants look reasonably healthy, but are those flowers??? Get rid of them. The plants needs to be concentrating on greenery. If you get a fruit set right now on one of those plants, it isn't going to grow any more. I also agree that you should hold off on the fertilizers until they are established.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 7:11PM
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vgkg(Z-7)

For staking tall tomatoes - 10ft long, 1/2" iron rebar works best for me. Driven 2' into the ground leaves you with 8' to work with. Lasts forever. Use visegrips and 5# hammer to drive into ground. Home improvement stores have them. I bought all of mine (30) almost 30 years ago when they were a bit cheaper.
Happy Staking!

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 6:20PM
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zzackey(8b GA)

I use tall wood stakes for my tomatoes. They are hard to find. My friend uses tree limbs. Things have gotten to expensive for me to buy. I have to be creative with what God has given me intead.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 6:25PM
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vgkg(Z-7)

Ugh, not pretty, maybe a deer ate out the center? or a mole/vole destroyed it roots? Best guesses

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 6:23PM
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kathyb912_in (5a/5b, Central IN)

Definite yes to chard -- mine grows all summer, even last summer when it was ridiculously hot and dry. Qualified yes to beets and carrots. The ones I planted in May and June last year grew well, but I had a difficult time getting either to germinate in July and August when it was really hot.

Other ideas -- how about green beans, soy beans, melons, squash, sweet potatoes? They all like the heat.

Kathy

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 5:48PM
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laserboy532(7b/8a Sandy East NC)

Wow, great suggestions, thanks.. Sweet potatoes sound great and the carrots and chard would make great use of the garden space too! I tried to germinate Swiss chard seeds about 3 wks ago (last year's seeds) to no avail, but I think they may have been in the sunlight in the sunroom over the winter.

I could probably plant 4 melon/squash plants per bed if I wanted to - I'll have to think about that because I decided not to do melons thios year (because of the space).

Thanks again y'all and happy gardening!

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 6:14PM
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noki

Lettuce gets that white bitter sap in summer and fall. Doesn't that bother anyone else?

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 4:17PM
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ltilton

I believe that's what the OP is trying to avoid.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 4:47PM
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squirrellypete(z7b AL)

I've had this before on occassion with seedlings and it can be on any kind of plant. I just always assumed it was a kind of damping off/rot issue, staying too wet perhaps.

I just toss it including the soil around it, and try again fresh but try to not let the soil stay soggy if I can help it. Of course mother nature doesn't always cooperate.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 2:49PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Damping off fungus imo. Usually from overwatering and/or fungus gnats. Usually it's accompanied with indoor starts. I've read that cinnamon, hydrogen peroxide, and chamomile tea are good remedies.

You may want to just start fresh with a direct sow though, keep soil moist but water lightly, and THEN if you see them shriveling again try one of the remedies above..

Kevin

This post was edited by woohooman on Sun, Jun 2, 13 at 16:20

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 3:56PM
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edweather(Zone 5a/b Central NY)

Really impossible to tell, but my first thought was that I'd be happy with only the minimal damage I see.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 12:55PM
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AiliDeSpain(6a - Utah)

I'm not overly concerned, more curious than anything. I have seen no evidence of slugs. The only possible culprits I've seen are grasshoppers and potato bugs and the occasional earwig.

    Bookmark     June 2, 2013 at 3:34PM
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