Garden 2021

[joel]

I grow 5 varieties and the kennebec get hit but the other varieties barely. It has been at last 7 years since I had to use Sevins dist.

Ben

WOW! I never heard that until today, I prefer Yukon golds, but the last time I grew Pontiac, I had more beetle then potatoes.

 

[Rebecca]

Sorry my above post appeared twice, I have no idea why!
Thanks for all the suggestions I will see what I can find asap.
What's interesting is I have two potatoe beds..not that far apart..maybe 15 feet..each one had a different type, one Yukon and one reds. Silly me can't remember which bed had which right now.
The one bed is not even showing one beetle. Now I don't know if that's because of the type of potatoes in that bed or because those ones were companion planted with garlic.
Looking at it again now, I suspect the bed with all the beetles those plants are going to die. But I will try anyway. Also don't want the beetles over wintering and popping up to find and destroy next year's crop.

 

[LadyLocust]

It's hailing and pouring again right now.

You might also look at hail cannons - might be easier than mesh/net.

 

[LadyLocust]

dutch red shallots and old golden shallots.both reproduce from bulb planting not seeds.

View attachment 69976

You're gonna have some great breath

 

[joel]

dutch red shallots and old golden shallots.both reproduce from bulb planting not seeds.

View attachment 69976

Yes, just like daffodils. I have a white onion that reproduce from the bulb splitting, it is called an "Nesting onion".
It is different from potato onions & walking onions or wild garlic. Walking onions or wild garlic have bulblets & elephant garlic (leek) has underground bulblets.

 

[WVDragonlady]

My strawberry plants are still giving me fruit

 

[Terri9630]

Does anyone have a method for dealing with Colorado Potato beetles that has really worked well for you? If I don't get them under control soon I will probably loose half my potatoe plants

We picked them off by hand and the ladybugs took care of the eggs we missed. Lady bug larvae eat pretty much anything.

 

[Terri9630]

You might also look at hail cannons - might be easier than mesh/net.

From what I've read they are LOUD and expen$ive. I don't want anything that can break my windows or solar panels.

 

[Terri9630]

4 days of neglect and Seymour takes over!
How did they go wild so fast??!

 

[UrbanHunter]

This morning I harvested a couple gallons of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Last night I modified my irrigation system using 1 of the tall tubes that @Neb had noticed, a Tee and some valves. The new arrangement gives me a dispenser pre-pump to add liquid based things like fertilizer and insecticide to my drip/sprinkler system water. Worked pretty well, only complaint is I should have used 3" or 4" pipe for my upright container tube, the 2" one that I used only holds 3/4 of a gallon, a 4'X 3"diameter would have held a gallon and a half, a 4" diameter pipe would have held 2.5 gallons of grow juice. This morning I was able to put 1 1/2 gallons through the system, but I had to push some of the juice into the collection manifold before starting the system, I figure the first few seconds of spray were a little strong but then leaned out as the system is pushing out just over 10 gallons a minute. I can update my system if I need to, because I installed the tube using threaded connectors, I can unscrew my holding tube and replace it with the 4" diameter pipe; if I can find the right reducers to get me to the 1" threaded fitting.

The wife made 2 squash casseroles yesterday, 1 for the freezer and 1 for eating. When she was finished, she looked on the counter and realized that I had brought in 3 fresh summer squash.

It has now been 3 weeks since we got an actual rain, last night we got lots of thunder and then a light sprinkling, my rain gauge bucket says less than .05 inches (the thickness of a dime).... Just enough for 1 day's watering if you are careful......

After cutting out all the blight damaged growth on my tomatoes they look really sad, but I am seeing some new growth and a few flowers, I would estimate that I have lost about 75% of my harvest potential, I wish I had been more vigilant and aware of what I was seeing early on..... but, the same can be said for the squash beetles and the vine borers.....

 

[Bacpacker]

Harcested more okra, green beans, and cukes. Corn is close to ready and wouldnt you know it, the coons have already hit it. Lost a dozen ears. Thats with an electric fence and minus a couple I trapped already.
Winter Squash is doing great, I've got 5 types making. Watermelons and cantaloupes are starting to set. Onions in the lower garden are just beginning to fall over, so they'll be ready soon. Gonna dig taters after dog days are over.
And we got .02" of rain over night. That likely didn't even settle the dust.

 

[Neb]

This morning I harvested a couple gallons of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Last night I modified my irrigation system using 1 of the tall tubes that @Neb had noticed, a Tee and some valves. The new arrangement gives me a dispenser pre-pump to add liquid based things like fertilizer and insecticide to my drip/sprinkler system water. Worked pretty well, only complaint is I should have used 3" or 4" pipe for my upright container tube, the 2" one that I used only holds 3/4 of a gallon, a 4'X 3"diameter would have held a gallon and a half, a 4" diameter pipe would have held 2.5 gallons of grow juice. This morning I was able to put 1 1/2 gallons through the system, but I had to push some of the juice into the collection manifold before starting the system, I figure the first few seconds of spray were a little strong but then leaned out as the system is pushing out just over 10 gallons a minute. I can update my system if I need to, because I installed the tube using threaded connectors, I can unscrew my holding tube and replace it with the 4" diameter pipe; if I can find the right reducers to get me to the 1" threaded fitting.

The wife made 2 squash casseroles yesterday, 1 for the freezer and 1 for eating. When she was finished, she looked on the counter and realized that I had brought in 3 fresh summer squash.

It has now been 3 weeks since we got an actual rain, last night we got lots of thunder and then a light sprinkling, my rain gauge bucket says less than .05 inches (the thickness of a dime).... Just enough for 1 day's watering if you are careful......

After cutting out all the blight damaged growth on my tomatoes they look really sad, but I am seeing some new growth and a few flowers, I would estimate that I have lost about 75% of my harvest potential, I wish I had been more vigilant and aware of what I was seeing early on..... but, the same can be said for the squash beetles and the vine borers.....

You may recall I shared a link to a site about the system Bill Baurley from OSU a few years ago. What you have described is close to what he did for optimizing the nutrient delivery to crops.

The key to optimizing the up take is getting the pH right.

I bring this up because checking the pH of your soil and adjusting the pH of your water could help out.

Ben

 

[Amish Heart]

Tell me how you know when watermelon is ready, Bacpacker. I know how to tell my butternut and acorn squash, and they aren't quite ready yet. Another week or so.

 

[LadyLocust]

Just have to share: This morning as Hubby and I were drinking our coffee and talking, we mentioned the garden which is pretty wonky this year but we're still getting food and the way the world is rolling etc. He said, "I can't imagine not having a garden." I loved hearing that. I was the one with a garden when we met. He did growing up and as a young man, but it had been many years. He continued, "I know I lived without one for a long time, but I just can't imagine not having it now." They were welcome words to my ears, because I can't imagine it either.

 

[Bacpacker]

Tell me how you know when watermelon is ready, Bacpacker. I know how to tell my butternut and acorn squash, and they aren't quite ready yet. Another week or so.

Well I always used the smack test, smack one with your fingers, if it vibrates its ready. But I wasn't always accurate. But after reading a thread on here that Peanut commented in, he hit on a better way. When the stem curls up like a pigs tail, it's ready. I've tried several like that and haven't missed one yet.

 

[LadyLocust]

I dug my onions and have them on a table drying. I threw a couple bags of steer manure compost in the spot and planted carrots since the spring planting never made it. We'll see what happens. I don't usually plant a root crop on after another. I try to rotate better, but this year is a mess so will roll with it.

 

[Amish Heart]

Just loaded up a wagon with all the stuff I picked this morning and brought it in the house. Two watermelons have a dried curly pig's tail, so in they came, too.
Am working on a bucket of grapes making grape juice. Cut up a bucket of apples from a broken branch for the chickens. Have lots of squash and tomatoes to deal with today.

 

[Bacpacker]

Went thru the corn tonight. Picked a little better than half. The rest isn't quite ready yet. Decent ears, but the tips weren't filled out. We haven't had hardly any rain last 3 weeks. But they taste good. If we get some rain the next week, I should get another good round.
I picked 2.5 5 gallon buckets full tonight. May get another 1.5 - 2 buckets depending on rain.
Took me about an hour or so to do that. Soaked to the bone with sweat before I was half done. 96 and plenty of humidity today

 

[Neb]

Went thru the corn tonight. Picked a little better than half. The rest isn't quite ready yet. Decent ears, but the tips weren't filled out. We haven't had hardly any rain last 3 weeks. But they taste good. If we get some rain the next week, I should get another good round.
I picked 2.5 5 gallon buckets full tonight. May get another 1.5 - 2 buckets depending on rain.
Took me about an hour or so to do that. Soaked to the bone with sweat before I was half done. 96 and plenty of humidity today

Wow!

Thank God.

I would hard pressed to consume that much with my family helping.

Ben

 

[Bacpacker]

Well freeze the bulk of it, probably cut a bunch off as well. I love creamed corn. Wife makes a killer corn casserole too.

I was afraid I had lost most of it to the coons. Looked liked they may have gotten a dozen or so ears.

 

[Amish Heart]

I freeze it, too. Have a bunch in the fridge from the neighbors that needs to be cut and frozen

 

[elkhound]

look at this beauty

 

[Bacpacker]

Beautiful. I grew some Black Krim's one year that were pretty dark, but didn't look that good.

I picked almost 5 more gallons of maters tonight, mostly Red Beefsteak, some Celebrities. Still have several green ones on. I have decided that I will be planting a full bed of Determinant Red Beefsteaks in future years for canning. They are meaty and tasty. My late plants are starting to get some maters on them too, but none near ready to harvest.
Picked 5 more cukes. One plant is dead and the others winding down. Wife got a good mess of okra and green beans, more beans to pick, just didn't have time tonight got dark before she could finish.
Also canned 6 more jars of maters. And running the drip system for about 2 hours tonight and will give it 2-3 more tomorrow. It's been dry here for last 2 weeks.

 

[joel]

I grew Cherokee Purple Tomatoes on year, but they do not like hot weather.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Okay, I have a question: Have any of you used Epsom Salt on your garden?

 

[Rebecca]

Okay, I have a question: Have any of you used Epsom Salt on your garden?

I have this year, but honestly the only plant it seems to have helped are the peppers. It seemed to help the tomatoes when they were seedlings.

Or maybe it's just that gardens are volatile for lack of a better word, there is no such thing as ceteris paribus in the vegetable garden, so many things are variable and always changing its hard to pinpoint if the Epsom Salts made any difference at all in most of the plants.

 

[joel]

Yes, but only tomato plants, I would not broadcast Epsom Salt without a soil test first.

 

[Terri9630]

Okay, I have a question: Have any of you used Epsom Salt on your garden?

Yes. Desert "soil" doesn't hold nutrients very well and the epsom salts really helped the tomatoes, peppers and potatoes.

 

[Bacpacker]

I've used it on pepper and tomato plants when planting. Never tried a second dose on them.

 

[joel]

Never gave my peppers anything but compost & had great production. Tomatoes are great too, but they had BER or splitting when it rains. I did have banana peppers that would set on the table for a few days & turn to water in the skins. I told a farmer about it & he said I had to much Nitrogen in the plants up take, had to cut back on the blood mill.