Vegetable Gardening

No, no, that's what you want them to do. They are helping to support each other right now, which is a good thing. Some shorter varieties don't even require staking and will just kind of support each other in a clump, just like you have. If your string isn't enough, you can also push some stakes or tree branches around/among them to give them more to climb. The more they have to hang on to (including their neighbors), the more likely they'll be to withstand high winds as they grow. Good luck!

THANK YOU BOTH!

I'm really glad I asked first, because I was strongly considering just going out there and doing it.

They are not staked and supported by twine and, I suppose, each other. Now I'll just cross my fingers and hope for a delicious crop. I'll also have learned for next year.

This is my first year gardening, and I could not be having more fun. Where has this hobby been all my life?

I would say you need more nitrogen -- depends on the form on nitrogen how readily available of a form it is.

I say that the patch is planted too thickly.

@digdirt2 I get sun all day on my balcony. I get the rising sun rays as well as the setting sun. I think my balcony faces North. The tomatoes are fine for now. It is about 1-1.5ft tall now. I do see that it gets some spotted leaves near the soil. I try to snip those leaves when I find them. I stopped fertilizing since 2 weeks cause I didn't want to kill my tomatoes.

As for the Moister Control soil, I don't believe in it either, I always check the soil every morning to see if my plants need watering. I have added mulch (wood chips) to my plants since its getting really hot out.

I have a questions also... Could small pots kill plants also?

I am thinking on getting tarps to hang to shield off sun heat from the sun? Have any suggestions on plant houses or tarps?

Hmm, well, I bought the Coleman model from johnnys and like it a lot. I weigh about 110 so I can't handle something too "beastly." I like working it down all my beds at the beginning of the season to aerate and I can find all the rocks that have come up over the winter.

A friend who also has one did bend it. Don't know if she was a lot harder on it or what but perhaps it should have stood up better.

I think the closer-tiner model is probably better for finding potatoes.

Here's mine 22" wide 4 tine along with 18" "sharpshooter" spade with sched 40 pipe handle. That bugger can really break down deep into our clay

I imagine they meant done planting. I'm wishing I was in the same boat, there is never enough time.

I'm pretty sure the OP means the building/planting part is done. It looks great! The fence around it is very sharp and the mulch makes it look very tidy. How do you get inside to work? I assume there are gates somewhere? I don't see paths, so do you just walk on the mulch between the plants?

I have a couple of those Hav-a-Hart traps (rectangular cages for live trapping) that I in front of any openings in the fence, like little tunnels that are dug under the fence. I haven't had much luck just putting the traps in the garden or along the fence on the outside even if they're baited. I do much better by placing them in front of an existing tunnel under the fence for the veggie garden. For my fruit trees, I've had luck with baited traps at the base of the trees.

I have problems with groundhogs. I have witnessed them eating my spinach, lettuces, broccoli and strawberries. I trap them but it is hard to keep up since we have an overabundance of groundhogs. I have an electric fence around my garden (because of past deer problems) but normally left it off in the daytime. I've since turned it on all day and added a motion sensor sprinkler. I may need to add a lower wire to fence. Your problem sounds like groundhogs.

'DE is a harmless pesticide which works by physical means to kill and repel pests.' The point is that DE kills all insects. It does not differentiate between pest species and beneficials. It will kill a bee or a lady bug just as efficiently as a flee beetle or an earwig. So it is best not to use it until there is a definite problem to cure. Some pests will be dealt with by their natural predators if one can just hold off from the desire to deal with a problem the moment it appears. Aphids, for example, are often cleared up by ladybugs if one just gives them a few days to get to work.

DE can be applied to subdue the infestation, then rinsed off with a hose. My point is that it is harmless to humans and your veggies. To each his own. To the OP, DE is an excellent choice for pest control. Just use it when you need it.

Well done.

Lots of work, good job.

Ok... first late spring... then drought for a month... then temperature jumps from 40 to 90 and back in the same day... now 3 days of non-stop heavy rain in a row. Veggies, are you still there or gone to better place then my garden?

It's 4 celcius (39 f) right now so it's a good thing I left the garden covered all weekend. Supposed to get down to 5 c tonight and then should be decent for the rest of the week. So hopefully on Tuesday I can get my cucumbers planted out.

These were transplants from inside. I took them out daily for just a few hours at a time and gradually introduced them to sunlight. Guess I didn't harden them long enough :( Should I pinch off that single cuke so the plant can revive or is it fine? It's the only one. The one on the right seems fine though.

Ahhh, Lesson learned. Yep. Hardening off really should be described as about a TWO week process. I did the same thing myself this year with some of my peppers and I've been growing them for over 12 years...lol

Should be fine though.

It's up to you on snipping that 1st one. Are you hungry? lol Snipping it will give you a quick bite now or leaving it will give you an early treat. Snipping it will tell the plant to start putting out more foliage and flowers.. always a good thing for a healthy young plant.

Me? I'd leave it, but I have a very long season. All depends on whether you're pickling or not. If pickling, snip it. I like to have a lot to pickle at one time -- the older the plants and the more the plants allows that to happen.

Kevin

Phee, please say that you'll call Bonide! They are there to help you! Who knows, maybe they'll tell you to give your harvested veggies a vinegar bath or something to dissolve the gook. I doubt it, but you won't know until you ask.

Rest assured that you aren't the first to make this mistake and it won't be the last. They will be used to answering this question.

Agree with all the advice given.

Rule of thumb---- IDENTIFY pest FIRST, then treat with the least invasive(humans to bacteria alike) method on upwards.

Example: Aphids.......
Research Integrated Pest Management(biocontrol)
Squish
Water treatments with a jet spray every 3-4 days
Insecticidal soap treatments(same interval)
Neem oil(same interval)

If you have to go further than neem, you're doing something wrong... refer to biocontrol. Think diversity.

Now, not ALL pests can be dealt with as easily as aphids. But the same general rule applies... Identify, THEN treat.

Good luck.

Kevin

Same kind of worm and damage happened to my collards and broccoli .... you can see the chewed up mess the worm leaves from the inside of the plant... the leaf wilts but not the entire plant, look closely and you'll find the little hole... and finally the worm... I love Bt, just didn't spray it early enough.

+ on Bt

Totally organic, available anywhere, VERY target specific, cheap!

Kevin