23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

I did see a bird picking at it, also have seen grasshoppers in my yard. If its slugs or snail what can i use to stop them? Thanks. Here is another photo.
Terry

Last pic really looks like slugs. This time of year they are very small and difficult to see unless you go out at night with a flashlight.

There are any number of slug and snail pesticide baits on the market, some organic, some not but most are jusy iron phosphate. Sluggo is one brand name.

Plus there are all sorts of tips and tricks for controls ranging from beer and/or board traps to copper wire/tape to crushed egg shells on the soil surface to the good old flashlight and a salt shaker to sprinkle them with (works well for containers or small beds).

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Slug Control discussions

i can't see the original photos :( wish i could because i just got my hands on some wooden pallets and would appreciate seeing what others are doing with theirs. so far, mine are holding up planted containers. would appreciate advice on stacking, filling, etc. thanks

This post was edited by letsharmonize on Thu, Apr 25, 13 at 16:00

Real quick just wanted to advise~ please don't ever bring pallets that could be treated into the home or around pets. Hopefully mentioning this might help someone who stumbles upon this thread.

I would personally be quite cautious in buying a property nearby long-time commercial crop growing. My concern would be primarily contaminant plume in the groundwater from many years of fertilizer and herbicide usage, or possibly surface run-off, although nowadays it would be a rare operation that is so sloppy as to allow expensive fertilizers to flow away.

It is what went on 40-50-60 years ago that would especially concern me, before stricter regulations on what compounds could be used and when growers were much less careful. I would certainly consider it worthwhile to pay for a comprehensive water test before signing a purchase contract. If there is no well on the property I'd get a sample from the nearest existing well.

Good job doing your research early.. I wish I asked your question when I bought my house...

To evaluate your new home site, you should bring a compass with you to visit the site. Also bear in mind the sun does not shine the same way through four season. However, if they're slow slope, then maybe direction does not matter so much and you hit gold for gardening.

My gardening hills are steep and facing south west, and south. A path next to the house gets mostly shade. Once I figured what to plant in all day sun, and what grows in the shade, then all sites are good. It only took me 10 years...

I planted kale seeds in January and it did not bolt till the second summer. I planted some in October and it DID bolt the next spring. About half of my cabbages made heads, and half bolted, so I am still confused.

You may be witnessing genetic variation within the strain. This is the kind of thing that will save us if we can't buy seeds at some point.

Are there a lot, or just a few?

I get them every year, gnats, or what have you, here and there, on my seedlings I grow under lights and on windowsills. When I see one on a leaf, I smoosh it, but I don't really worry too much about them. It happens every year and my plants do just fine when I get them in the ground outside. I think it may have something to do with wet soil inside the house. I never have houseplants (although I would like too) because it always attracts these gnats we are talking about.

Lindsey

Thanks for the replies. this is the first time this has happen to me. I don't start indoors always outdoors, but the weather here in so cal have been wierd, hot then cold then hot again n then cold. But i have read that it could be due to wet soil. Thanks again.
Terry

This is not the best picture, but you can see the little bugs on the plant.

Thanks!
Keli

Aphids. I have a heck of a time with them. They are a real nuisance. I blow them off with the hose and spray the plant with soapy water. If you only have a few this won't be a problem. You can smoosh them with your finger too. If you get a big infestation of them,( and you'll know, because it will look like growths everywhere, when it's actually just lots of bugs),they just keep coming back. So don't let them get established. I have never had them on squash before, but they frequently attack other things in my garden. I deal with them every year. Sometimes I see red ones, sometimes green. They are all annoying.

Dave, you ever grow winter rye? I grow it every year and it is no where a foot tall iin Jan-feb.. Maybe 3-6 inches.. You must be talking the tropics! My winter rye ain't that tall until may-June.

Yep. Just about every year. Sounds like you need to be planting it a lot earlier. And nothing says you have to wait until it is 10-12" to till it in. Sure you lose some biomass but you still get most all the benefits and that is the purpose for growing it.

Seasonal gardening that involves cover crops is supposed to be a balanced route, optimization not maximization, of all the factors involved.

Sounds like crookedgarden has a pretty well optimized solution.

Dave

Very interesting, Dave.

I plant my winter rye as soon as my tomatoes as other warm crops come out, I don't plant to many fall crops, just to devote that time to the rye.. The rye germinates overnight at 60-80 degrees, takes a week 40-50 degrees.. I try to give it as much time to establish a nice thick carpet on my beds.. Perhaps your warmer weather/microclimate really does do that much more for the rye, lucky! When do you plant yours Dave?

Thanks,
Joe

Ps- don't optimization and maximization go hand to hand?

Mine initially sent up a few a week ago, then I harvested them because it was heading for temps. well below freezing. Had a good serving of them for a couple of meals.

Just noticed today there are a few more shoots ready to bust out, but going to have more freezes later this week.

It's all about soil temperature. When you get a few warm, sunny days in a row......BAM!

@naturegirl_2007 i know i could of gone just basic and the was the orginal plan but i did get carried away a lil bit but im trying to used this as a learning experince if anything and working on one day opeaning up an aquaponics farm and restaurant attached

T5 or not, you want them as close to the plants as possible without burning them(my plants touch my fluorescent lights without problems).. You aren't growing with high pressure sodium or metal halide, you need fluorescent lights as close as possible to plants for decent results..

Get a strong fan or a few fans.. You spent all that money as it is, what is another 50 bucks for fans? Fans do wonders... So does light very close to the plants.. The Mylar does help as well, good job with that! I wish I had the most to spend on projects like this! I feel bad buying a $4 blueberry on sale!

It's probably suggested in one of links, too -- but what I've had good luck with is just sprinkling red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper in the pots around my plants. The only problem is that is does wash and blow away over time, so you have to resprinkle the pots every 2-3 weeks.

First thing, stop feeding them!

I put my kale out today. It was getting to leggy on the window seal. Dug parsnips and carrots for supper tonight. I have spring fever real bad. I'm in northern lower Michigan, zone 5. We are to have a week of rain and I thought it would be good for the kale. Also the garlic is up about 2-3 inches.

gmom

We got a surprise sunny evening tonight! So I prepped a few of my containers (by prep, I mean added slow release fertilizer and turned it real good. I'm reusing my mix from last year. I'm not made of money) and planted peas and carrots.
Last night I started cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and broccoli in jiffy pellets
I also took the mulch off my garlic. We'll see how that goes.
In any case, as long as I get more than last year, I'll be happy.

OK so I've seen a lot of tips on getting rid of these forsaken beetles but only a few about using Ortho bug be gone max. I wondered if anyone had any success with it, also if they tried the garden version of it. I looked at their website and read up on them but I'm still hesitant to use them being that I want to stay organic. Thanx for the input.

The active ingredient in BBGM is Bifenthrin, a pyrethroid. It kills on contact and ingestion. It is highly toxic to bees and is not to be applied to any blooming plants, which attract bees. Most of the plants that attract cucumber beetles have flowers that attract bees and won't set fruit without bees.

Thus it shouldn't be used.