23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

You can always terrace it. Often done on really steep inclines to make the space usable. Google Images has lots of pics of beautiful terraced gardens.

Dave

If you go along the hill and are concerned about drainage, all you need to do is stagger channels for the overflow to drain to the next level down. This gives the benefit of controlling the water flow.

If you are interested in a little research, you can search for terms such as swales and contours. There is a book on rainwater harvesting using earth works that gives great information on siting these and how to build. My local library carried it.

soldier beetle, you probably have aphids on that tree. if you don't like the aphids don't kill the beetle :)

I'd say Soldier Beetle, too.

:)

The silver is very normal and Nothing at all for u to worry about! Happy gardening!
- Angela :)

Thank you all for taking the time to comment on my post. I feel better now... Mosaic seems to be pretty much the worst plant disease out there... It even ruins your soil or so I hear. Any ideas on the yellowing? I just treated it today with a neem oil anti fungicide, since I noticed a bit of powder and rust mildew elsewhere in the garden. I hope it helps....

Welcome, California!

As far as I am aware of, the only time a first time blogger or video presentation doesn't go over well is if the presenter is trying to sell something. That's not the case with you! I'm not so sure that SaraElise should have posted about the 'general attitude' without being quite sure what that is. ;-)

That being said, even as a first time poster, you have to be prepared for the criticism! I totally agree that this PVC trellis is not likely to hold up to a climbing zucchini plant. Plus, in direct sunlight, PVC breaks down and is likely to weaken or even shatter before the growing season is over. I can't really see such a construction holding up a morning glory vine (for example), what with the wind sail effect.

Trellising our cucurbits is great idea, saving tons of precious ground space while taking advantage of the vertical space. Just be sure that the plants aren't going to create a sun screen for other crops on either side of the climbing vine.

I also worry about the use of the fishing line. Zucchini isn't a natural climber and will need a strong grid like system to be trained upon. It's not going to twine itself around some fishing line. Zucchini will likely need to be gently tied to what ever structure is used.

Trellising really needs to be fairly sturdy, even for very light, non fruiting plants. The poles you've selected (PVC or the tall plastic bamboo plant stakes in the pea video) are just not going to be sturdy enough to support a plant in my opinion. By the way, "tendrils" is the word you were looking for, for the peas.

The other thing I noted (I didn't watch it carefully all the way through) is that most of the 'bugs' that plague our zucchini plants don't come from the soil. They are on the wing, freely able to fly in and wreak havoc whenever they want to, lol. Real benefits include fewer problems from slugs (though they can climb) and no more veggies rotting on the ground.

Darling child seen peeping in and out of the videos! If she's yours, looks like you might have a gardener in the making. That's the age I started toddling around in my Dad's garden.

Fair enough. Maybe I should clarify.

Definitely post what you want, but just be very open to criticism. I've seen more than a few threads where the OP puts out their tips, others immediately point out flaws, OP takes it personally, etc.

I wasn't trying to discourage the posting, just wanted CaliG to be ready for posts that weren't all saying "thanks for the great tips" as you get at some sites. As long as he doesn't take criticism as a personal attack, should be fine.

As a newer member myself, I just remember the surprise at how intense some people feel for or against different approaches to gardening. :)

g-i-t-d, congratulations on launching yourself into the dark! Be prepared for some fumbling and disappointment in the early stages and some exhilaration as you learn what works for you. This is a great place to get support and hints.

In your area is there not still time to start more carrots in the bed without manure? Then you could compare the results with those in the manured locations. Carrots could even be grown in a deep tub (with drainage holes.)

You referred to peas "brought on" indoors for planting out. Did you mean simply pre-sprouted in water, or are these actual plants growing in pots? I've never heard of anyone starting peas this way. In my experience the seeds are usually put straight into the ground. I'd be interested to know why you've done things this way and how it works out for you. Please keep us posted.

Does anyone else do this or have comments on starting peas this way?

This post was edited by VanIsle_BC on Sun, May 12, 13 at 14:18

Thanks everyone for their advice. I think I'll just re-sow in the manureless (a new word!) bed.

As mentioned all fungicides are preventative, not cures so when to start spraying depends on the disease you are preventing and the plant in question.

If talking about tomatoes then spraying from the day of plant out is the standard recommendation because of the correlation between spring's cool, damp weather and some of the common diseases.

Disinfecting cages is your choice. Few do it AFAIK because I can't think of anything off-hand that can over-winter on them.

Dave

Few years ago I also used a home made formula, that I got here at GW. I don't remember exact prportions but it is made withmilk, water and baking powder. I used it on cukes, gourds, squash, as preventive. It worked fine.

I have also used neem (?) oil. Again, I used it regularly to preven fungus desease on cucorbitacea family only.

Mine took a long time to emerge this year, over a month, it's been so cold. But I could dig into the straw and see that they were alive and sprouting, so I didn't worry.

Same question from a couple of weeks ago with replies.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: How long for potatoes to sprout?

Perhaps I should put cabbage in the community garden probably people who steal do not eat it!!

Ack, thieves. I've got big fat squirrels galore who have so much to eat in the woods around here that they never bother with my fruits and vegetables.

The raccoons are another matter entirely. I've grown melons for three years, and have yet to try one. The minute they ripen the raccoons steal them. Way before they even blossom the raccoons rummage around the plants, leaving evidence they've been there. They know what melon leaves look like, and that one day there will be sweet fruits for them. This year I'm building a cage for my melons once fruits start forming. I'm fortunate that they are in terraced wooden boxes that a cage can be secured to. Otherwise I really don't know how you would thwart a determined thief.

I wouldn't plant anything tempting where people have easy access. One year a guy parked his truck near my blackberries, which were obviously on private property, not to mention next to my driveway, in which my car was clearly parked. He and his wife and kids got out and spent hours harvesting my blackberries for themselves. I said nothing because I'm a shrinking, sniveling weenie who's afraid of confrontation and who, by the way, only picks the berries around the edges, but leaves the dangerous, thorny, inner ones alone, so it wasn't as if I were going to eat most of the berries. I was just amazed by the sheer brazen affrontery and lack of shame.

So, to keep people away, keep the veggies out of sight. To keep animals away, create a barrier. Or count on luck, which some just have, and some don't.

You're fine then, at some point you're going to thin. 2-3 to a pot is because seeds don't have a 100% germination rate. 2-3 gives you a really great chance at getting at least 1 sprout (but doesn't guarantee it).

You can pinch off the top of one if you don't want to pull it and risk disturbing the other one's roots.

Oh yikes! Well, thanks for the info! I guess I will either make more space for it or plant something else there. :/ The raised bed I was going to put it in is only 3x4 (I only have two 3x4 beds, so no larger option). Right now I have radishes, beets, lettuce and spinach growing in the same bed I was planning to put the zuke. I think the beets are the longest to maturity (currently growing in 2 squares).

I bought the seeds last year and never planted it. Last year was my first year gardening and I bought the seeds before I had a plan. Ahh, what to do. I really wanted to plant zucchini this year but I guess I don't have the space even for a "regular" zuke plant. :(

I often grow my zucchini of a trellis to save space.

Shelling peas ;-) I disagree slightly. I planted my peas thick, 1" apart, 2 years ago, and they grew great, but didn't produce that great, and died fairly quickly. Last year I gave them a little more room and they were able to do their thing 100%. They grew to maturity and produced properly. I haven't found any vegetable that 'likes' to be crowded.

I would suggest thinning also. Too much in small space caused my crops to produce smaller and slower yield. And the whole group seem to suffer.

Thanks for the response. We had some really cool nights earlier this week, so hopefully that is that is the problem.

Was it possibly lying on the ground? I usually prune the first foot up from the soil level so leaves aren't touching the soil/ground. In any case, I wouldn't fret. Maybe clip the affected part for now.

Kevin

When I first started, I took a kill first, ask questions later approach, but time and again I'd end up killing a good bug or at least something neutral.. I've found that actual pests are far outnumbered by neutral/good.

If you want to take a no risk approach, I suggest keeping a jar or something handy so you can catch whatever bug you find on your plants, then hold it captive while IDing it. Then if it's a good one, you can let it go.

That's a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks, Dave and Len. That info helped me a lot. I'm not going to do the Sq. Foot Gardening. I appreciate that you took the time to answer. I'm going to check out that link.

It gets so hot where I'm at that I make my raised beds with a heavier soil. Do what's good for you. You'll see with the sq foot method that mostly it's just a guideline. You will change all types of things based on what and where you're growing.