Are you still growing your Garden?

[sheriff john]

Gardenin' betwixt rain showers. It's a challenge but near 90 degrees today's drying some parts out a bit. Been tryin' to get the chicken house shoveled out to spread on watermelon patch and till in before planting some black diamonds, crimson sweets, and sugar babies.

Been too wet to prescribe burn my bottom fields, so sprouts will be a problem all summer. Hopefully I can do a fall burn. Been using cattle panels for peas and tomatoes but only have two 50's rows up so far.

Daughter makes brooms. Broom corn really isn't corn but it gets 9-10 feet tall - quite a conversation starter for visitors - I tell them it's marijuana. She plants stuff I've never eaten. A nice woman who plants quite neatly. Thoughtfully. Then leaves for a month. We have no clue what is supposed to be coming up. Heck, it might be opium poppies for all I know. Since she never weeds anything, much of what "her" portions of the garden are mostly cockleburrs.

Waiting to see if any of my neighbors try to smoke broom corn,

 

[pilot]

Long ago I grew luffa gourds on my fence in a suburban neighborhood. I took off for a week or so late in the summer, and when I returned, my neighbor that I shared the fence with told me those squash I had growing on the fence were tough and stringy.

 

[Eutycus]

Long ago I grew luffa gourds on my fence in a suburban neighborhood. I took off for a week or so late in the summer, and when I returned, my neighbor that I shared the fence with told me those squash I had growing on the fence were tough and stringy.

Tell your neighbor to pick the squash when they are young and tender say 5-6 inches long. He waited to long to raid your garden. Any squash around 8 inches long will be "tough and stringy", to me anyway.I'd rather have alot of small ones than a few big ones.

 

[NeilMacleod]

Still too cold to plant, 0 last weekend, high at night 3c.

 

[Eutycus]

Any one have a recipe for a cheap organic bug killer made from household ingredients?I just saw those dreaded Grey bugs on my squash plants.I found 2 bottles of "stuff" but one is a Weed killer and my homemade labels faded and my old eyes (and memory) can't tell which is which. I think baking soda was one of the ingredients.

 

[pilot]

Dilute Dawn soap from a spray bottle. Diatomatious earth works.

 

[pilot]

Tell your neighbor to pick the squash when they are young and tender say 5-6 inches long. He waited to long to raid your garden. Any squash around 8 inches long will be "tough and stringy", to me anyway.I'd rather have alot of small ones than a few big ones.

Luffa gourds are for those bath sponges. I don't think you can pick them young enough.

 

[Eutycus]

Not very tasty but oh so filling! Good source of fiber, maybe?

 

[Lonewalker]

Any one have a recipe for a cheap organic bug killer made from household ingredients?I just saw those dreaded Grey bugs on my squash plants.I found 2 bottles of "stuff" but one is a Weed killer and my homemade labels faded and my old eyes (and memory) can't tell which is which. I think baking soda was one of the ingredients.

DE is your friend, diatomaceous earth.
Big box places sell it but I get it at a local farm supply bigger bags half the cost.

 

[Eutycus]

DE is your friend, diatomaceous earth.
Big box places sell it but I get it at a local farm supply bigger bags half the cost.

I have been hearing good things about it in the years past. How is it applied? I just might "invest" in some on my next trip to town.Thanks!

 

[Lonewalker]

I have been hearing good things about it in the years past. How is it applied? I just might "invest" in some on my next trip to town.Thanks!

It's a dust, so it's simple to apply. It's literally food grade BUT I wrap a bandana on face when applying as ya shouldn't breath dust. I'm also cautious to avoid the flower on plants as much as possible SAVE THE BEES .

 

[iloco]

It finaly warmed up enough to plants a couple tomato plants and a couple cucumber plants.
I plant them close to my back porch and let them run up a trelis that is attached to my porch.
I had to quit putting out a big garden due to health problems.
I have neighbors where I can get all the vegetables I can eat.

 

[pilot]

We got a good rain this morning, I won't have to water for a few days.

 

[Eutycus]

We got a good rain this morning, I won't have to water for a few days.

I somehow feel that I may be over-watering. One wouldn't think it would do any harm but it could cause the tomatoes to crack or split. The fruit is still green and nowhere near ready so I don't think any harm has been done... yet.Another reason I feel that "over" watering has been occurring is my dragging around the water hose with a bad back.ouch!

 

[Eutycus]

Today I tasted my first tomato for the season . Large Red Cherry. I did manage to save some of the seeds.

 

[sheriff john]

Wabbits ! My old Bassett, Roscoe, has passed away and those pesky wabbits have taken note. Down to an arthritic brown lab mix and a deaf 8-pound chiweenie, Bugs and the Easter dude are raiding Management's (wife) small plants and apparently multiplying faster than illegals swimming the Rio Grande.

Roscoe's now chasing bunnies in dog Heaven so the cottontail cartel is moving in. Flintlock fowler or unmentionable, I'm gonna fill the garden patch with smoke.

We put out 48 hills of punkins, gourds, watermelons, canteloupe yesterday and today. Tweetie birds didn't even wait 'til we left to start digging up seeds. Now that liberals have disarmed Elmer Fudd, it looks like gardeners must defend our own turf. Tempted to try a scare crow.

 

[iloco]

This heat wave we are having is taking a toll on my few plants I have out. Having two water twice a day now. Glad I don't have many plants set out this year. 95 degrees today. Its usually July before we get heat like this. I have tomato's setting on now. South West Va reminds me of Texas today.

 

[sheriff john]

Everything's sprouting in N.E. Missouri but rain keeps hitting every few days. Trying to get an acre or so of sunflowers in the ground, mixed with clover for long term cover but it's too wet to plow. Most everything else is looking pretty good.

 

[iloco]

We got a good rain day before yesterday. It was getting awful dry.
I put some epsom salts around my tomato plants yesterday. This should perk them up.

 

[Ames]

I could let my wife do it but she waters the whole plant (leafs and all). I prefer just the roots get watered and no splashing on the foliage.I much prefer a hose dripping at the base of the plant for half a hour instead of spraying the plant for 2-3 minutes. Splashing is a good way to spread infections.

I became a huge advocate of drip tape many years ago. Open the valves on the main line to the rows that need it, turn on the timer and walk away. Its a blessing for rows of beans and the thousands of garlic we plant up here. Works great under the plastic mulch of tomatoes and peppers too.
To avoid the over priced seed supply house offerings I go right to the source and buy drip tape in 1000' rolls. The T fittings, elbows, valves and pressure regulators have lasted over a decade and were worth every penny.