24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Just a suggestion... next year just plant seeds directly in your garden. Squash plants (zucchini is a kind of squash) generally germinate and start growing very quickly from seed. When you plant transplants, they will suffer a setback during the transplanting,and take a while to start growing quickly again.
I would bet if you do this experiment: plant a seed and a transplant (like ones found at home depot/lowes/walmart) at the same time, that the seeded one would pass up the transplant in a few weeks.

I plant squash 1 plant every 4'. I would thin them, but you don't have to. Six squash plants, if they grow and produce normally, will give you enough squash for very close to the rest of your life.
As for pollination, if you have squash bees (Peponapis & Xenoglossa spp.) pollination will never be an issue. Honey bees actually are very poor pollinators of squash plants because the pollen is generally too large, and flowers close to early, before the honey bees even wake up and get going for the day. Squash bees As the Pepo in Peponapis suggests) are designed specifically for the job at hand ;). In fact, sometimes I grow squash only to ensure that I maintain my healthy population of P. pruinosa bees.


I realize this is a very old thread but for any future readers the minimum approved ratio of vinegar to water is 1:1 or 50% vinegar and 50% water. The correct ingredients for the recipe mentioned above is 3 cups vinegar to 2 cups of water not the other way around as listed above.
Dave


I live in Oregon, and the plans were about 8 years old. I had two of them. There was a big bush growing close to them which provided a lot of shade; too much I thought, so we cut it down. After that, the plants were in full sun, and it got really hot last year. I was thinking maybe that could be it, but I'm not sure. I have gotten another plant, and planted it a little farther away where it will get some shade. So far, so good. But could I have shocked the plants by taking away their shade?


Look up mycelium on Google or in Wikipedia and you will see images similar to yours. Mycelium are the "roots" of fungi. Wood mulch is a good host for for fungi when it is wet and cool. Most of it is harmless and will go away in dryer and brighter conditions. Here is a photo of the mycelium of the common button mushroom.


If other varieties of the same plant come up, it is probably just bad seed. Maybe the seed was old or stored improperly before it got to you. That happens. Sometimes you get the wrong seed or seed that just won't grow. Especially if you keep replanting from the same seed and nothing happens. That is when I would contact the seller and ask for a refund and get different seed. That or just plant more of the variety that does grow for you.


Then from that info your primary problem, other than the weather, is that you are using soil/dirt in containers. Never recommended. What works fine in the garden is fraught with problems in a container. It compacts in the container, drains poorly, causes root rot and suffocation, leads to over-fertilization due to pour draining, and contains harmful fungus and bacteria that can quickly multiply in a contained environment and do in container plants.
So if you can't change it then you are stuck coping with its problems all season long.
As for fertilizer, flowers are different from veggies in the way the use nutrients and the nutrients they need. But most any fertilizer - even Miracle Grow - can be used effectively and without burning either IF it is used well-diluted. As a general guideline container plants are only fed diluted fertilizers - 1/4 to 1/2 strength - but they are fed more often than in ground plants - approx. every 10-14 days.
Even with lousy soil nutrients will leach out of containers every time you water. So they have to be replaced regularly. With soil less potting mix that drains well it is possible to almost schedule the replacement feedings. With dirt it isn't. You have to use plant appearance as your guide. So you'll want to review the many available pics of the various nutrient deficiencies so you know what to look for.
Tomatoes aren't especially heavy feeders in that they don't need tons of stuff. They just need it to be consistent, a low dose steady supply at the right times. And they need micro-nutrients as much as they need NPK. MG has all those and if used well diluted should meet their needs.
Hope this helps.
Dave

Thanks Dave, just a heads up if it makes any difference, the "containers" are just walls. The bottoms are cut clean off. I have limited space and have squash up front that block the summer sun when at full size so it was the only way I could raise the tomatoes about a foot.

I am not answering a, b, c, etc. because I just have some general points to make.
First off - we are lucky over here in that our seasons are very elastic. If you look at the backs of seed packets there is often a period of 3 months over which you can sow seeds. So don't count your delay from the first possible sowing date. It is often far too cold and wet to start sowing in March. Count it from the end and you are only a couple of weeks out.
2. You can't reliably grow apples from seed - are you sure that's what you meant? (You can grow apple trees from seed but there is no way of knowing if they will have fruit worth eating and you won't find that out for years.)
2. What sort of Broccoli is it? Summer or Winter? I haven't sown my Purple Sprouting or Kale yet. I should have done but I know from experience that it really doesn't matter that much. I'll just get the crop a bit later next year. I'm still picking last year's.
3. Celery is very tricky for a beginner. You can certainly try sowing it now. Spring has been quite cool so give it a go. I don't even try to grow it now. It's such a faff and we don't eat that much so it isn't worth it to me.
4. Cucumbers are touch and go outdoors. You can still sow inside and transplant into the ground. Or you can sow outside under a jam jar or plastic bottle.
5. There are cabbages for all seasons so you need to follow the instructions for the ones you have.
I suggest you Google each of your vegetables and 'RHS' to get instructions for each type. Here's an example: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/cucumbers
I would also suggest you direct sow some easy stuff like Peas, Runner Beans and Lettuce because you have picked some challenging types for your first attempts and it would be nice to get some successes. You can also start some Courgettes under a jar or indoors. People are only just planting them out now so you are not too late.
p.s. note that most people on this forum are in the US. Many of their seasons are much more sharply delineated than ours. Many of them have far hotter summers than we do and far colder winters. For example, you cannot germinate Aubergines outdoors here, at least not until about mid July, under a jar, when it will be too late to get any fruit. In fact you can't really grow them outdoors at all with any degree of success. When US posters talk about 'cool weather crops' they are talking about stuff we can grow throughout the summer. UK seed packets don't give days to maturity. Given our weather that could easily be 100% out. I still have my central heating on and am still sowing peas.

Oh good I was really hoping floral picked up on this one. Best source on UK questions. :)
I can only repeat that you have picked some challenges to grow and there are easier things for new gardeners. You must know your specific variety needs not just a vegetable in general. So name your specific varieties with questions.
And the seeds are good for many years in most cases when stored properly.
Dave
PS: forget about apples


I always use grass clippings - they're soft on bare feet, improve the soil, and are free. I like to use them as they're easy to work with and I can mulch in between plants and other small spaces easily. Luckily, no one on my street uses chemicals on their lawn, so I have a ready supply. The clippings dry into a nice dun color and make the garden look tidy. The bags aren't too heavy to schlep around either.

As to the soil. I can't see that it matters a lot. Don't spray puddles, but moist soil shouldn't be a problem. Ought to still be on your soil, though it may have soaked into the soil with the water. It may not actually harm insects while it is wet, because it sticks to itself instead of sticking to the insect, but it will once it dries.

What are whitish ants? Never heard of white ants. Ants aren't really a problem unless they are "herding" aphids, which can cause problems. Ants don't eat plants. Aphids are sucking insects who gather on new growth and suck the life out of it. And aphids are not hard bodied so I don't think DE would be very effective against them. The best way to get rid of aphids is with a strong spray of water or an insecticidal soap spray.


Like I said powdery mildews are host-specific. There isn;t just one type of fungus that causes powdery mildew. If you see powdery mildew on your other veggies, don;t assume it spread from the clover....it's very likely a different organism. Also rain may help to wash off some spores, but the fungus is still there.

Is it a fingerling or all-purpose potato? Please describe. If it's a fingerling with pink flesh, it's probably descended from Red Thumb. If it has yellow flesh it might be Rose Gold. Organic farmers sometimes rename things to help them sell, wholesalers too.

<I assumed the U.S. Department of Agriculture would not allow them to be imported.>
That may very well be the case. If so Ronnigers should be able to tell you as they deal with importing varieties all the time. Good luck but I'm guessing the chef may have to settle for one of the many other 'rose" varieties available.
Dave


Chayote are perennial in climates where the ground does not freeze... I take it that you are in one of those areas? ;-) They get stronger each year for several years. I grew them when I lived in California (in both San Diego & San Jose), but never for more than 3 years, so I can't vouch for their performance long-term. In San Jose, I deposited a thick layer of leaves & grass clippings to keep the root zone moist, and to replenish nutrients... roots grew up into the decaying leaves. The established vines produced about 50-100 squash each.
In spite of the small flower size, I observed several different bees visiting the flowers... so I doubt that any special pollinators are necessary. Not sure why yours are not setting. Sometimes mine flowered for a short period without setting, the female flowers begin opening first, followed by the males. You have two plants, so you should get good pollination.
When I was a kid, ours pushed 7 years but it was well taken care of and it had an extensive root system.. It sat in a corner of a mulch pile... I grew up with that plant. Lol Nowadays, I cant even get one to survive past 4 years...