23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
dog_wood_2010(7)

Most of these critters come out at night to chew on your cucumbers. Most likely it's slugs and/or snails. If it was the beetle, he would bore a hole through the stem and eat your cukes from the inside out. I would recommend using diatomaceous earth. It's relatively cheap and has worked well for me. Just sprinkle around your plants. It also improves your soil composition in the process and adds a lot to trace minerals to the ground.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 4:26PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
uscjusto

I caught some slugs munching on the leaves of my duke start which caused the plant to die. Look for slugs late at night and if you see some, get sluggo.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 10:45AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Slimy_Okra(2b)

Do you have a large tree near the west side?

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 12:35AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan(5B SW Michigan)

Just some thoughts and observations, not entirely sure of the science, tho....

I've noticed much earlier snow melt on the east side of fields bordered by trees both to the east and west. As I see it, both receive equal sun, but due to warmer air temps during the afternoon sun times there is greater warming and melting of the snow in the areas that are sunny in the afternoon.

I've also noticed frozen soil longer in the spring on the west edge of a high sided, incompletely filled raised bed that I attribute to similar causes.

Perhaps your soil temps on the east side are higher even during warmer weather because of a similar effect and give faster growth. Might try sticking a soil (or meat) thermometer into the soil to check temps in the different areas.

I wonder if this also dries out the soil on the east side faster. This could increase growth during wet times and cold times (again partly from warmer soil.) Once summer heat or dry conditions come, it might not be an advantage, though.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 10:18AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
sunnibel7 Md 7(7)

I've also used the soaker hose over mulch, it works too. Although I think you may be able to water a bit less if the mulch is over the hose, since you won't lose as much to evaporation.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 9:12AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
happyhelper

Thanks for the advise. I am no longer confused about the hose situation. This forum has always helped me alot and the answers come in promptly which is really helpful.
Helen

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 9:48AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
njitgrad

Great thanks. I didn't know that not picking them frequently slows down their production. I have been snipping off yellow/damaged leaves, mostly from the hardening process. This shouldn't hurt growth in any way right? I've been cutting each leaf right by its branch, leaving the branch sticking out from the stem.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 9:27AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
njitgrad

Deleted duplicate post.

This post was edited by njitgrad on Tue, Jun 4, 13 at 9:30

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 9:28AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
cb-garden(6b heatzone 7 Perry county tn)

You sound just like him. Lol i live in a very small town in the middle of no where. The nearest walmart is 30 some miles away. Dollar general is thru most happen spot in town. I live on 29 acres surrounded by hills and we have a creek and pond. We have horses in a nice pasture. I don't want to move. He says he will make more but the cost of living is slot higher out there from what i understand.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 1:40AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
lucillle

Cb-garden

Don't be afraid of messing up. Gardening is supposed to be fun- we all make mistakes (and come here to laugh about them). If you obsess on perfection, you won't achieve it and you won't be happy.
Probably the worst that will happen is something won't grow. The next worst is you will be so successful (zucchini) that you will have wheelbarrowfuls of produce.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 6:47AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
macky77(2a)

I've heard of using broccoli leaves in place of cabbage to make rolls, so I tried it last year... after the broccoli headed. The leaves were very, very tough, much more so than any cabbage. I didn't try using them again, though I suppose I could have tried cooking them longer before making the rolls. I think younger, pre-heading leaves might taste better. Perhaps growing a row with tighter spacing just for the purpose of leaves?

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 1:20AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

I'd think they'd be more like collards, which imo, like to be cooked a long time. The reason I don't harvest broccoli leaves is because i usually have collards and kale going at the same time.

Nope. After my 1st and successful attempt at cabbage this past winter with Napa, it has now become my "go to" for that.

Kevin

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 3:31AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
glorygrown(PA/6)

Mine own DH thought the wood ashes would be great for the garden but wasn't sure so he dumped them mostly in one pile, which became one soaking wet, cement-looking heap that made me say "What is that??!!" Got most of it out since I want to plant tomoatoes in that area this year.

    Bookmark     April 24, 2013 at 2:33PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

Well, my plants are looking great, just forgot about the "extra" stuff added and added a little more! Oh MY!
I do have some flowers happening!
Should I just flood them to get rid of some of the xtra?

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 1:48AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
superOK

You are right! I don't know why I thought they were persians. They're actually Poona Kheeras which is a white heirloom variety from India.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 1:28AM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
seysonn(8a WA/HZ 1)

Right. They are NOT Persian, as I can tell from the ones sold in stores.

    Bookmark     June 4, 2013 at 1:39AM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
mandolls(4)

Its as much about how you plant them as what they look like. Dont plant them in rows - plant them in groups, as you would any annual - mix them up or create patterns. There is a current post in the Potager forum about someones new front yard edible landscaping - take a look at that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Edible Landscape

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 7:02PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
AiliDeSpain(6a - Utah)

I have ornamental peppers and red basil in the front :)

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 10:47PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
wolverine1012

I think there is a misunderstanding. I've never seen cauliflower develop side shoots--only broccoli.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 9:43PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

wolverine's right. Broccoli does the side shooting ..LOL

I wouldn't have pulled them -- some times(I've noticed) it was a rush of warmth that finally kicked my brassicas into heading.. Especially the broccoli -- not nearly as finicky to the heat as cauli.

Kevin

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 9:48PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
clairdo2(3)

sorry about the joke' I don't know how it got there lol

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 9:16PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Probably not much at this point since they're so small. And since I don't know how much rainfall you'll get, you'll have to play that by ear. Almost all veggies prefer MOIST soil. Not wet.

One thing i noticed though -- no mulch. After you finally thin down to one plant per 18", you'll probably want to lay down 2-3" of mulch. This will help greatly with keeping the soil moist and cool throughout the coming hot season.

Kevin

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 7:00PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
cb-garden(6b heatzone 7 Perry county tn)

I added some compost and mulch today.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 7:15PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
lonmower(zone8 Western Oregon)

Possibly what you see is what you will get. Both onions and carrots are small seeds and therefore require very fine soil in their bed. I have had good success broadcasting carrot seeds in a well worked bed and then cover with a thin layer of potting type soil (1/8") You might want to start over with the carrots (?)

It seems very late to be doing anything with onions. They are light sensitive and should have been planted months ago. Even if you had onion seedlings, it would be very late to be be starting now. Here in Zone 8, I am now harvesting (delicious) Keepsake onions which were planted in mid-August and over-wintered. And also have several long day varieties which have not bulbed yet and were planted as seedlings in March

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 6:08PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
cb-garden(6b heatzone 7 Perry county tn)

Ok this is all a learning process for me my first garden. I was growing the carrots for my kids to have a treat for the horses. Lol

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 6:13PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
njitgrad

How long did you harden them for? I hardened mine over the course of 10 days and though initially I thought they wouldn't make it, have started to flourish.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 4:50PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Sharco(5b)

I hardened them for about 10 days but the weather was so erratic, it was hard to get a few consecutive days in a row. I'd just leave them on the sill and open the window. I think next year I'm just going to direct seed them into the ground or use cloches or something.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 5:46PM
Sign Up to comment
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
melikeeatplants

That's good, you should hill the soil up as they grow....

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 4:01PM
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
insteng

I have them planted in a two foot deep trench. I covered the ones that sprouted already with more cow manure. I'm surprised they sprouted at all. I guess I'll find out this coming weekend if anymore sprouted.

    Bookmark     June 3, 2013 at 5:12PM
Sign Up to comment
© 2015 Houzz Inc. Houzz® The new way to design your home™