24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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maplegarden172(7a)

I do an early set of broccoli, cabbages and cauliflower that went in earlier and next week or two I will put out second (main crop) of those. As days get shorter and temps cooler crops will take longer to mature. Carrots will go out too and spinach a little later. I'm in zone 7 (NJ). I've found waiting until august is to late but I get milder weather because I'm close to the coast.

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barrie2m

Germination will be reduced at higher temperatures but especially with lettuce. You are better off germinating in a cooler environment like a basement or garage and transplanting.

If you plan on growing lettuce in heat pay particular attention attention to heat tolerant varieties. Performance varies in many ways, the most serious is probably tip burn but some varieties bolt quickly in hot weather, others just wilt at higher temps.

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charlieboring

Here is an update; I have 11 globe and imperial plants, 5 shown here; and 15 artichokes so far.

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Peter (6b SE NY)

Wow congrats Charlie. Mine were planted out something like the first week in April and are showing no signs of sending up a pod. I hope it wasn't an entire bust. They got tons of cold weather in April so if they weren't vernalized I would not want to try it again. Plus they have been bug magnets and I have lost many leaves. But I knew they were an experiment, really I just wanted to do them because of how early I got to start. I am glad you were successful! :)

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KLI_6B(6B)

I noticed orangy ooze from the cucuzza this morning.

Also my straight 8 cucumbers look healthy and not infected. Can someone pls advise if I should pull the cucuzza ( hope I can save them somehow).

thanks

Kate

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

There are three possibilities you might want to research (other than the common soil dwelling pests that is) and compare the symptoms described to your plants. Bacterial Wilt, Fusarium Wilt, and Verticillium Wilt. This last one is slim possibility as it begins with the top of the plant but it can be easily diagnosed by cutting open the stem lengthwise and looking for the brown streaks in the pith.

B. Wilt is the most likely if you have had all the excess rain like much of the rest of the country so that the soil is constantly wet. F. Wilt is normally associated with cucumber beetle transmission.

Dave

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zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

I would second Elisa's advice, re: use of a soap spray. Provided that they are completely covered, both adults & nymphs are very susceptible, and perish within a minute or two. There are several formulations that can be used, but I recommend the use of a mild soap, such as baby shampoo, or Safers insecticidal soap. I add rubbing alcohol to my mix, it paralyzes insects briefly, to allow the soap to work. This even seems to kill the eggs.

The nymphs tend to cluster together, so you can wipe out large numbers quickly. But if you know there are squash bugs in your area, the best solution is to watch for & kill the first adults, then search under leaves for any egg masses. The first adults often can be found close to the ground, near the stem, or under leaves which touch the ground. I've noticed that cucumber beetles can be an early indicator, they tend to swarm on plants that are already weakened by adult squash bugs.

Unless you use Safers in your spray, it is best to hose off the plants after the bugs are dead, to avoid damage to foliage.

Oh, and the soap/alcohol spray is also a good way of killing ants & wasps in the home... and it wipes clean. ;-) I use it to kill paper wasps when they build nests in dangerous locations... spray the nest at night, when all of the adults will be present on the nest.

A high-volume spray bottle is best for applying soap spray, such as those sold in farm & fleet stores ("horse sprayers").

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Tangerine, I've never seen a horticultural oil that couldn't be used up to the day of harvest. Just give a wash in warm water or in some vinegar to rinse it off.

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Delia Shades

We're having problems with some random comments on all our projects that are non-grammatical and inane. (Example below.) When you're trying to provide a custom service, it gives the worst possible impression. What's up with some random hacker spoiling a site?

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

Seems like there would be a better place for this type of complaint than in here.

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booberry85(5)

I was thinking of planting kelp! Yup I watch the weather everyday! Sometimes I check it a couple times a day if storms are spotty. The last couple of Junes for us have been very wet. The vegetables are really struggling this year. The flowers and the perennials are hanging tough!

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Chris B(6a NY)

July and August should be better.

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Stunted growth, brown spots on the leaves, vein flecking, etc. are all symptoms of Pea Virus

It is transmitted by aphids. See link as well as the many pics of infected plants on GoogleImages.

Dave

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Chris B(6a NY)

Ok, thank you.

This could be the issue. I will inspect for aphids just out of curiousity, but will probably just remove the plants(which I guess would be my only option).

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farmerdill

Of course and usually only a portion of the head is affected. Just cut out the affected parts. Even the brown bead is safe but definitely not appetising

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catherinet(5 IN)

Thanks farmerdill.

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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Farmington- The "one inch per week" "rule" is a very vague guideline at best. To put it another way, it's completely unreliable. How much you need to water depends on the specific crop, rainfall, heat, your type of soil, sun exposure, if your soil is mulched or not, etc. Nobody can say definitively that your plants need x-amount of water. Sorry, I realize that doesn't help much.

Water until your soil is moist. Not just on the surface but deep down. Certain plants like consistent moisture. Some like to dry out a bit between waterings. If it's been hot, you'll need to water more. If it's been cool you might not need to water for a while. Sandy soil dries out quicker than clay. Mulched soil retains moisture whereas unmulched dries out quick in summer. You just have to get a feel for it.

Rodney

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vgkg(Z-7)

When my old soaker hoses spring a leak it's super glue to the rescue with a bit of duct tape on top. These are the black flexible oozing/soaker hoses that are made from recycled ground up tires, which lately have been in the news for causing cancer when used with artificial turf on soccer fields (tire dust inhaled and on exposed skin). I'm slowly switching over to old fashion sprinkler systems.

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Nash Stanton

I'm surprised that they only grew about 5 feet or so. But that didn't seem to halt much progress. They're looking good. Average 2 ears per stalk which is healthy.

My girlfriend keeps wanting to hand pollinate but I keep telling her to let nature run its course! Plenty of corn for natural pollination I think.

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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

Let us know how many ears are actually harvested. Corn usually has 2 starting ears, but unless there is very good vigor, the second may not develop.

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jnjfarm_gw(5a)

this year with the extremely wet conditions in my area, my favorite tool is my weedeater and tingley knee high boots.

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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

I have a potato fork that is likely very old. I finally broke the handle and welded a metal pipe handle on it...heavier, but extra strong now. I use that fork to more deeply mix in things, to dig potatoes, and to aerate to speed drying to plant sooner.

I have a well used and sharpened hoe. It is a bit heavier than another one I have, and I definitely prefer the heavier one.

I have a sand shovel [2 in fact] and they are hand me downs, but they are very useful for..ta da..moving sand which I have moved a lot.

I have a shovel and a front drive [my preference] rototiller. I can lean it and make ridges and dig deeper.

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ninecrow(England)

Bump

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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Early AM

Dave

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lantanascape(z6 Idaho)

Thanks SoTX! We actually have a bunch of white quartz landscaping rock in a big pile on the other side of the shop, so that is what I'll use. It was an eyesore in the front flower beds, but will work well for greenhouse flooring. I hadn't thought about the heat sink aspect, but that would be good motivation for digging the floor out by a couple inches and adding more rock (plus, that pile will shrink more and get out of my way).

Sunnibel, great idea using the clear roofing for your chooks. My coop gets too much shade in the summer as it is, my girls probably would have appreciated a clear roof (plus they can stargaze at night). Good luck working on hubby for the GH. My dad and I just started building while my DH was at work. Ask for forgiveness instead of permission, that's my motto!

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ozarkhighlandergal

I'm wondering if you have any final pictures of the lean to greenhouse...and how you attached the frame to the cinderblocks! I'm looking to build a lean-to for my mom and your design is perfect! We just finished the screened in porch and have, I believe, enough supplies to build this - minus some screws, and the blocks.... I'd love to hear more about this now in 2015!

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tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM

Most of what I have read regarding garlic is that the size is generally put on at the end of the growth cycle, like the last 1 month to 6 weeks. In zone 3, if you were to harvest in August/September, they were likely just in the beginning stages of dividing and sizing up. The digging likely happened in that most crucial of times (not a judgment, just a statement). That is my best guess as to why the garlic was small.

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dancercr

Thanks everyone!

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