24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Just as an idea starter: this car wash thing, or something
with its three main features of dispenser, aim-able nozzle, and hose
connection, could work very well and also do extra duty as a car wash
wand, a dog washer, a window rinser, and daughter's unsavory boyfriend repeller. Put a detergent-soaked wad of
cheesecloth in the cup, extend the tube, aim the nozzle up, and just stand up straight and walk past the
plants, spraying firmly (but without violence) underneath everything.
PS: if you don't want heavily loaded household detergents on your plants, try TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) if you can find it in a pure formulation. It works in extremely tiny amounts as the necessary wetting agent.

<So those rules ...>
There are no "rules" about pruning. It is nothing more than a personal choice. No pruning police come to call either way so do it if you wish. Don't do it if you don't wish to. Either way you get tomatoes and the sky doesn't fall down.
But don't tell folks trying to learn that they must do it or must not do it or that some sort of rules apply to it. That is unfair to them.
Dave

Oh geeze, you know this is always the problem with online forums. There are a few people who've been here a while and act like patrol dogs of the site, barking at you to shut up when you say something they disagree with. Sorry if I stepped on your well-seasoned toes, I'm not establishing rules, I used the word rules so sue me, I clearly told the guy do what YOU WANT with your plants. Try being nice and not like some pushy high school kid who doesn't like the new kid in town, beating them down with semantics. That's just ridiculous.
There are NO RULES. DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR PLANTS. the end.


the tall one next to the fence are the purple majesty they are growing good. This is a bed I make every year with straw bales. In the bales I have dwarf purple heart and cyrils choice tomatoes and peppers on that side. Squashes and melons on other side. Hopefully the mice don't get in there this year. That's why I planted 8 30 gallon root pouches of potatoes as well. In past years I only planted in the ground.

<How often should potted plants be watered? Also, what's the word on how often to water during a heat wave?>
Agree with Marianne - that is not a simple question and trying to over-simplify will only cause more problems. What size pot is crucial to know. A tomato plant in a 5 gallon container will need watering several times a day while the same plant in a proper 10-15 gallon container may need it only a couple times a week. What potting mix/fill in the pot? What type of plant? Age of plant? Define heat wave? A heat wave in NY is very different from a heat wave in Arkansas. :)
General guideline is when the plants show they need it and the soil down at the root level is dry. So you need to learn to read the plant leaves and stick your fingers deep into the soil. You never use the soil surface as an indication for the need for water. Hopefully it is mulched anyway so you can't see it.
So much more info is needed.
Dave

Haha fair enough - I'll give you a scenario.
I can't speak to the potting mix because I don't remember the name or type. But lets say in southern NY that it had just rained about 2 inches from a severe thunderstorm. The next week it doesn't rain at all and temps are consistently around 90-95 degrees with relative humidity around 65%(which is pretty darn humid for that temperature).
How do I tell the difference between the tomato plants needing water or if they are just wilting due to the temps/humidity?(The tomatoes would have been planted in late May and these conditions could feasibly happen in late July-August, so they would be 60 days-ish old) To be more specific, I'm referring more so to the tomato plants in my raised beds.
I suppose the finger test would cover that.
Oh and I use plastic mulch, but I suppose I should add a light layer of grass clippings around the base, too.


I have a similar issue, may be not as severe as you... Even weeds has same signs. I blame last hard rain - the problem appeared right after it, first as a not that noticeable and then become more and more clear as damage dried out. Either mechanical damage, or something was in that rain... I heard, if clouds come through an air polluted area, they can bring pollution from a very long distance.

Oh man, are we there already where acid rain (pollution) is destroying domestic crops? Yikes, that's scary.
I've never seen such a severe case without browning at the edges as I see on the top photo... that looks serious. I'd suggest going to your local greenhouse or nursery... maybe call first and talk to a professional so you don't get a shrug for an afternoons worth of driving. Bring a clipping with you once you find someone nice enough to help you with a diagnosis. If it was something in the rain, only someone local can help you solve the problem, and it will probably have to be someone well versed in plant care.

Not really relevant to the question at hand, but ground up pressure treated wood is, however, not good for mulch/compost, I believe. You get a LOT of leaching from that stuff. As long as you're sticking with whole boards, you're fine.

exmar, I get the locust boards cut from a local Amish sawmill at a good price, Yes they are usually cut for fence posts, I use them for tomato cages, Posts for grapes and posts for my berries, Had them for over 12 years and they still look good, I used them after people recommended them saying they would last for 100 years, hope their right.

I just saw a flower head on one of my lancelot leeks and pulled it, and it wasn't woody at all, I just ate a piece raw to test. It is actually stronger tasting than expected... tastes like onion. Very nice. In fact, the scape itself is tender and delicious... you could eat it raw. In fact, googling leek scape, it seems common to eat them.
Some of them have big stalks and are looking like they will be bolting soon. How do I know when to harvest?

I am assuming you understand how NOLO works. That it isn't a pesticide in the usual sense but a gastrointestinal contaminant spore that causes the hoppers to quit eating and slowly starve. Other cannibalize them and eventually die. So for best effect initially you want as many as possible to eat the bran it is loaded on to directly. For that reason I'd uncover them.
On the other hand I would think that those plants under the cloches would only get more damaged if uncovered while you are waiting for the hoppers to die and any hoppers protected by them will eventually be exposed. Ultimately its your choice.
Dave

Yes, I am aware of the process of how it works. There is a definitely a part of me that would love to find some chemical to spray that would obliterate the hopping demons but since these are plants I hope to eat, I refrain. Not to mention anything that would be toxic to grasshoppers would likely kill most other bugs, too. I bought enough to do a second and maybe even a third application for those that miss it the first time around or for others that come in as I live in a semi-rural area with large lots (roughly 5 acres a piece). Since the number of grasshoppers inside the cloches is small, I may leave them on during the first application. I will probably be setting up bait stations under the row covers to kill any under there. I used to think hoppers were relatively benign, but now I know better.

It should be noted for the record that whatever the opposite of a biologist is... I am probably THAT. Rhizo, I definitely apply the slug magic per their directions... and I did actually go back to read the rest of the label to clarify it as bait after miss moose piqued my interest. I'm just amazed at the sheer numbers of the damned things... like a carpet of 'em around the seedlings. Too late to plant more seeds this season... but I'm thinking next year I might want to relocate! Hopefully, I'll be able to save the remaining seedlings given the wealth of suggestions received to date. Meanwhile, I'll continue the snail genocide to the best of my ability.

<I'm in Ridgefield, neighbor.>
Well howdy - that should be in your profile.
I can say that I have not seen a snail away from the beach in CT. But I can offer some other ideas that may help.
If you were to Google caes soil test You would end up here http://www.ct.gov/caes/cwp/view.asp?a=2836&q=378206
You can have as many soil tests as you need done. FREE... You can mail it or drop it off. You can also stop by the Experiment Station with a sample of this creature and speak to a Scientist who should be able to help. These folks are like CSI.
Or you can go to the Bethel Garden Fair http://www.bethelgardenfair.org/
Tho there is a fee to have UConn do the soil test I do believe. There is also an impressive "Demonstration Garden" at the Bethel UConn location and well worth the trip for you.


Yup, it's been constant. We had a day off yesterday, but we're supposed to get more thunderstorms today. Last summer was brutal, I truly can't even remember seeing the sun. I'm just hoping it's not another year like that. We are lucky that we are pretty much on a gravel deposit so we have excellent drainage, but the constant rain with little sun is still horrible for the plants and my morale.

Over the past 3 years, I've added more Behlen food-grade stock tanks. I now have 5 of them. I have to say that they are doing great with all this rain, because they drain so easily. I usually have to water them every 2-3 days, and I haven't had to water them at all yet! Here's hoping all that rain doesn't wash all the nutrients out of their soil.

Patented varieties do include developmental costs. That is why they are patented to help the breeder recoup costs. Seed production is controlled. Older varieties like Contender can be grown by anyone for seed purposes. Jade PVP 9200052. 1991 Syngenta. Should have expired by now. Probably why it is now being promoted to home gardeners.
My main supplier Twilley sells Jade for $4.20per 1000. Blue Lake 274 at $5.75 lb.

I planted jade seeds this year but every plant had severe leaf mutations, most with quadrifoliate instead of trifoliate leaves, some leaves with multiple central veins that split off and created multiple leaftips, etc. It was so freaky looking I pulled out all 30 plants. I haven't seen anything like that and I planted at least 15 bean varieties this year alone. If not due to mutagenic breeding I assume maybe post office xray of seeds could cause it, but not sure. In any case it was freaky and I disposed of that seed packet.




I've had good germination rates with the peat pellets. I too, learned from trial and error. What I do now is after the peat pellets are good and wet and have expanded, I cut off the bottom netting before planting the seeds. Once the seeds have germinated and I'm ready to pot up, I cut off as much of the netting as I can without disturbing the roots.
Also keep in mind that peat does not have any nutrients for the seedlings. You're either going to need to give them plant food and or repot them in potting soil.
Thank you the information. I wasn't happy when I see the white fuzz on the top on some of the pellets. If a seed didn't sprout and stay vigorous, the next thing I see is the white fuzz. Maybe the white fuzz is why it didn't continue growing. Hummm, I work too hard to have issues like this using such a small short cut. I have the individual cells...I will use them next year. Thanks..