23,821 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening


As pea pods get bigger, they tend to stay flat and wide before seeds start to develop (at which point they are usually too mature). I think the seeds in shelling peas expand as the pod gets larger and the pod starts getting round right from the beginning. I grow peapods and sugar snaps. Once the pods start showing, I think you'll be able to tell the difference. They aren't going to stay on their own side of the fence.


Centella asiatica is a medicinal herb, so you may get better responses in the herb forum. I know little about except that it can be grown as an annual. It is a tropical plant and subject to frost, so overwintering would require a green house environment. That means both light and sufficient warmth so I doubt that a garage would be sufficient. You could probably treat it as house plant.
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Gotu Kola


Silvering is just a silvery-colored pattern that appears on the leaf veins of some types/varieties of squash (as you can see in your pic). It's a natural leaf variation. You see it a lot on zucchini.
Rodney
This post was edited by theforgottenone1013 on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 19:07

I can't speak for Spaghetti Squash, but Acorn squash is ripe when it is a very dark green (most varieties), gets an orange spot where it was touching the ground, and is hard to dent with a fingernail. Acorn squash ripens fairly quickly, relatively speaking, and is not as finicky about being 100% ripe to be tasty (but does not store as long).

this is english walnut, so low juglone. The root system will be an asset to your garden, once it is well dead and decomposing. A decent way to kill the tree is to cut it flush with the soil, then paint Round Up around the cambium.
I would even suggest that you bury whatever branches are left, or save the wood chips for mulching in future years. Build the beds on top of the stumps. The juglone will disappear quickly once they are dead.
You could also buy a wood stove with catalytic converter, and use the wood ash to fertilize your beds (only add nitrogen). Walnut wood is high quality, probably there will be someone willing to pay for it.

Any suggestions for Squirrels ? I started with a deer fence (6') to slow them down but was pretty sure that I'd have to reinforce as the season progressed. First, our raised beds with hardware cloth did a great job of protecting against gophers which destroyed everything last year. As tomatoes began to ripen, friends often mentioned seeing squirrel activity and soon there was a tasted tomato each day, and the number of tasting has continued to increase.
Steps I've taken in defense: 1. put bird netting across top of 6 foot deer fence; 2. Knitted edges of netting together when they found it was easy to go between; 3. Ringed lower part of plastic deer fence with chicken wire to keep them from eating a hole to enter through; 4. Used wolf urine as a deterrent; 5. sprayed tomatoes with hot pepper spray that I made with garden's hot peppers, and 6. I try to plug obvious holes as I plan on a higher fence (our tomato plants are growing to about 6 feet + the raised bed) and either a squirrel proof roofing material, but would prefer a ring of electric fence at the top of the side fencing. SUGGESTIONS ?

If you want to use plain wire and need to see it just tie pieces of old sheet or white to-shirts every few feet. This is what we used to do so the horses could see it, before the invention of tape fencing.
Also, you can use 1" PVC pipe with the bottom sharpened and holes drilled where you run the wire or string through as the PVC works just like an insulator.
I used a solar charger for many years with horses and cattle. Never had a problem.
If the fence isn't very hot water the ground rod, and make sure you have 2-3 rods very deep,in the ground.
Sounds like that fence that burns grass would be a serious fire hazard in dry weather.


I don't see another picture. Look up pictures of our native Convergent ladybug to see if that's what you might have. Lady beetles come in a variety of colors. The convergent species is quite orange.
Unless I see a different picture that changes my mind, I still think that you've shown us a ladybug. And they don't chew leaves, so I think that something else might be sneaking in to do that.
If you do take another picture, please show the front of the beetle, especially the pronotum, which is the shield covering the thorax just behind the head. A very identifying feature.

IMHO, your orange mystery squash looks more like the Amish Pie that I have grown than does that striped one in the middle!! Google Amish Pie Squash and look at the pictures, you'll see what I mean. Unless you are saving seeds, I wouldn't worry too much what is what, enjoy the squash that are produced this year, and use fresh seed of known provenance for next year.
Steve

I don't think I can save seeds because I have the spaghetti squash growing with the amish pie pumpkins anyway...
But... very interesting about the pie pumpkins. I ordered from heirloom seeds, which shows a pumpkin looking much like a typical jack-o-lantern type pumpkin. An image search turned up others that look more like my mystery pumpkin. I don't get it, both come from heirloom seed houses, not just random gardeners, so you would think they know what they are talking about and using appropriate photos.



Covering is always a tradeoff against light levels. You want them to get as much sunshine as possible (unfiltered through row cover etc) before the warmth provided by cover becomes more important.
I plan to cover carrots with straw to keep the ground from freezing so I can continue harvesting. Kale doesn't get any cover. Beets can stand up to light frosts.
I would go ahead with hoops and row cover on broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower but throw a blanket over at night if it's going to get really cold. Take off in the morning. They can tolerate some cold. I have a high tunnel and it gets as cold inside as outside at night so I still have to use row covers inside when it gets colder.
I have not used plastic and hoops because I worry about ventilation. If' it's a sunny day, even with double door open and sides rolled up, my high tunnel can get very warm. Many days in summer it got over 100 but peppers loved the extra heat. I debating now when to roll down the sides. A frost is probably going to happen Friday night and I'm going to be away.