Saturday, July 12, 2008
So far, so good.
I am happy to announce that while not completely gone, the affected leaves already look better! Yay!
This is one of the lesser affected leaves after treatment.
One of the worse leaves I did not trim off. Part of the experiment. It needs another treatment.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Now what? Powdery Mildew?
Yep, it's true, I come back from vacation to find that powdery mildew has set in. Blame it on the heavy, late afternoon rains we've been having. Gotta love the South! So, as is my way, I hit the all knowing Internet to see what I can find. I found two things that interested me: baking soda and milk.
I found more on the baking soda, so I went with that. It seems that the baking soda messes with the PH on the leaves surface and the spores are not able to reproduce. I have yet to see if it will kill the spores as one site said. The best info I found at The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Here is a link to the info on the milk at Associated Content, it may be worth a try and I probably will.
Woo hoo! now I can provide my own shots of what this stuff looks like. I wish it were not a disease. :(
What I did:
Tonight the plants already looked better. I sprayed again with the solution and will prune any remaining diseased leaves tomorrow. I think because I am in the South and humidity is an issue that in the future I will keep leaves trimmed back as the plant grows. Also, these squash are bush and perhaps vines will allow for better air circulation. Ah yea, the learning curve.
I do have a good bit of ripening fruit. I am looking forward to regular squash for a few weeks. We will see if I enough to have to freeze. Only time will tell.
Here's another shot I took of a couple of my ripening tomatoes. It's not all bad.
I found more on the baking soda, so I went with that. It seems that the baking soda messes with the PH on the leaves surface and the spores are not able to reproduce. I have yet to see if it will kill the spores as one site said. The best info I found at The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Here is a link to the info on the milk at Associated Content, it may be worth a try and I probably will.
Woo hoo! now I can provide my own shots of what this stuff looks like. I wish it were not a disease. :(
What I did:
- Cut off all infected leaves.
- Created, as best as possible, dry ground under and around plants.
- Sprayed with baking soda solution.
- Hoped for a sunny day to keep drying things up.
Tonight the plants already looked better. I sprayed again with the solution and will prune any remaining diseased leaves tomorrow. I think because I am in the South and humidity is an issue that in the future I will keep leaves trimmed back as the plant grows. Also, these squash are bush and perhaps vines will allow for better air circulation. Ah yea, the learning curve.
I do have a good bit of ripening fruit. I am looking forward to regular squash for a few weeks. We will see if I enough to have to freeze. Only time will tell.Here's another shot I took of a couple of my ripening tomatoes. It's not all bad.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Gardening while on vacation or, the one foot zuchinni
Having a garden is like having a pet, or children. You can't just pick up and leave and hope that everyone/thing will be OK. You have to make arrangements. Then, you have to hope that your arrangements are satisfactory and when you return all will be in order. Or, at least a close facsimile there of. So it was that I left for a convention immediately followed by week at the beach the week before last. I trusted the friend, she has proven faithful before, packed up and left town.
This is our official first "fruit" of the garden. It was waiting for me when I got home like a giant, "welcome home" banner. Surprisingly, this was the only one, my plants are slow on the female flowers it would seem. There are many gestating, but none have matured yet. The fate of this zuch would be tempura.
Slice.
Eat.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Pictures, finally!
Well, the war on grubs continues. The temp has cooled a couple degrees and maybe we can set some fruit on the tomatoes. Meanwhile, my old fashioned film has been developed and uploaded, so I can finally share some pictures of what I have been rattling on about.
Early Images, although not that early, taken about May 20th
A look at the garden from the top, we are looking at the corn in front.
Above the garden, looking down on the okra and peppers. The patio and den window are beyond that.
The tomatoes in pots, just starting to really grow. I began to cage them about this time.Things are really growing now! Taken June 8th
Tomatoes get tall The okra is mulched by mimosa leaves, the squash grow big around the edge.
There you have it, my garden, our garden. I will get some more current shots up even sooner. The squash is merely humongous now. I have ears developing in the corn. More peppers, and the sweet peppers are starting to look like real plants. The okra is putting out some real leaves, it's all good. For now though, I must get off this machine and tend the garden. Like I said in the beginning, the war continues! Battle stations!
Later taters!
A look at the garden from the top, we are looking at the corn in front.
Above the garden, looking down on the okra and peppers. The patio and den window are beyond that.
The tomatoes in pots, just starting to really grow. I began to cage them about this time.
The sweet peppers are getting water and starting to grow, finally!
Jalapeños!!
Corn tassels in the breeze!
There you have it, my garden, our garden. I will get some more current shots up even sooner. The squash is merely humongous now. I have ears developing in the corn. More peppers, and the sweet peppers are starting to look like real plants. The okra is putting out some real leaves, it's all good. For now though, I must get off this machine and tend the garden. Like I said in the beginning, the war continues! Battle stations!
Later taters!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The plan continues.
Imagine if you will a small plot 20 feet long and 4 feet wide. This is our garden, 80 square feet of herbs and veggies. Sounds tight, you might say. But, it's manageable. After all K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Stupid. That and with it right next to our hang out, our patio, and we can see it from the den, so it's always in our face. Weeding is something that just happens as we gaze. Seeing insects that may harm, or admire the beneficials as they pollinate, it's working smarter, not harder.
I already had corn in the ground, surrounded by squash, aka: zucchini. Just down from them are the peppers. I still needed room for okra, more squash and who knows what. I was wishing I had made better plans. I gave the peppers about 12 square feet. Each is planted in a tray.
A few years ago I had found these trays for tomatoes and thought they were pretty cool: Automator Tomato Tray. Check it out, they now come in red. It was my success with these trays that prompted me to try to recreate the effect with black mulch cloth for my tomatoes in pots. Maybe next year I will get some red mulch cloth, or square pots.
I had some corn left in peat pots, so I added a bit of space with a mound next to the corn bed. I could compare methods. I put squash in around the mound and beans on top. Sadly those stalks have come up short, so I will need to trellis the beans.
As the zucchini came up, all of them, I began to move them around the garden. I have since learned not to plant the whole packet. I didn't loose a single transplant, either. So much for not being able to transplant squash. I just think it's important to only do it when it still very young and the root is not so deep, a seedling in other words. Now my whole garden is surrounded by squash.
Add to the "plan" my impromptu decision to add yellow straight neck squash resistant to bugs (I couldn't resist). So we added yet another mound by the corn bed. I planted a squash for each row and would run the vines down under the corn. By the way, that's not going so well. It seems that these squash are also more bush like. I swear that's not what it said on the seed packet!
I bought only three plants this year, the two jalapenos and thai hot peppers. I had a couple trays for them, too, and put them just below the bells. O yea, I had also bought a couple marigolds and stuck them around the peppers, too. Flowers are always a nice touch.
That left me a 4 by 7 space for the okra. I put in about 13. The squash have gotten so big, that one of the okra is a bit shaded. It doesn't seem to mind, too much. Okra are pretty adaptable I am told.
That last bit of space is the herb garden and it is full. I saved a couple of basil plants that were near death and youngest girl had started some sun flowers of her own, that was about all I could squeeze in there. The potatoes were in their own bed above the rest surrounded by concrete blocks. I had decided to fill the holes of the blocks with soil and put in my edible seed sun flowers.
That was it. Every time I would see a plant, or seed packet I would dream and think and desire to plant it. But, alas, I can not. I have taken up all my space at hand, for the moment. While this sounds like a plan, it was hap-hazard. I thought about what I was doing, while I was doing it. I tried to match things up OK, but really, I got lucky. For my fall garden, I have already start to plot and plan. Maybe it will be a little less hap-hazard. However, if my life continues the way it always does, it may not and I will plan as I go along. It hasn't been such a bad plan, after all.
Later taters!
I already had corn in the ground, surrounded by squash, aka: zucchini. Just down from them are the peppers. I still needed room for okra, more squash and who knows what. I was wishing I had made better plans. I gave the peppers about 12 square feet. Each is planted in a tray.
A few years ago I had found these trays for tomatoes and thought they were pretty cool: Automator Tomato Tray. Check it out, they now come in red. It was my success with these trays that prompted me to try to recreate the effect with black mulch cloth for my tomatoes in pots. Maybe next year I will get some red mulch cloth, or square pots.I had some corn left in peat pots, so I added a bit of space with a mound next to the corn bed. I could compare methods. I put squash in around the mound and beans on top. Sadly those stalks have come up short, so I will need to trellis the beans.
As the zucchini came up, all of them, I began to move them around the garden. I have since learned not to plant the whole packet. I didn't loose a single transplant, either. So much for not being able to transplant squash. I just think it's important to only do it when it still very young and the root is not so deep, a seedling in other words. Now my whole garden is surrounded by squash.
Add to the "plan" my impromptu decision to add yellow straight neck squash resistant to bugs (I couldn't resist). So we added yet another mound by the corn bed. I planted a squash for each row and would run the vines down under the corn. By the way, that's not going so well. It seems that these squash are also more bush like. I swear that's not what it said on the seed packet!
I bought only three plants this year, the two jalapenos and thai hot peppers. I had a couple trays for them, too, and put them just below the bells. O yea, I had also bought a couple marigolds and stuck them around the peppers, too. Flowers are always a nice touch.
That left me a 4 by 7 space for the okra. I put in about 13. The squash have gotten so big, that one of the okra is a bit shaded. It doesn't seem to mind, too much. Okra are pretty adaptable I am told.
That last bit of space is the herb garden and it is full. I saved a couple of basil plants that were near death and youngest girl had started some sun flowers of her own, that was about all I could squeeze in there. The potatoes were in their own bed above the rest surrounded by concrete blocks. I had decided to fill the holes of the blocks with soil and put in my edible seed sun flowers.
That was it. Every time I would see a plant, or seed packet I would dream and think and desire to plant it. But, alas, I can not. I have taken up all my space at hand, for the moment. While this sounds like a plan, it was hap-hazard. I thought about what I was doing, while I was doing it. I tried to match things up OK, but really, I got lucky. For my fall garden, I have already start to plot and plan. Maybe it will be a little less hap-hazard. However, if my life continues the way it always does, it may not and I will plan as I go along. It hasn't been such a bad plan, after all.
Later taters!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
City Girl, grub killer!
Just when I was about to get complacent and think it was getting boring around here, what should mine eyes behold? WORM SIGN!!!
Yep, there it was, little bore holes. Lingering saw dust at the base of the plant. Argh!! I'll get you and your little grubs, too!
I went to my trusty Rubbermade box where I keep my pesticides and grabbed the BT. We had a dental irrigation syringe that I fetched from the bathroom. Thus armed I headed out the back door to my little gardening table to mix the cocktail of death.
The directions say to use up to 4 teaspoons per gallon. So, using simple math I get 1/4 teaspoon for my one cup I intend to mix up. I filled up the syringe and took it to the infected plant. I just stuck it, the syringe, right into the entry hole. There was no other damage, it looked like it may have just bored in today. I pushed the plunger and wiggled it around. After a couple pushes I pulled it out and saw something on the end of the syringe. It was the grub!
I then went to inspect the rest of my squash population. I found two more entries. One was pretty fresh, so I tried to get it out the same way. No luck. The other looked as it it had been there are day or two and would require surgery. So I went back into the house to get my box knife. With a full syringe, some dirt and my knife I began surgery on the affected plant. Just like they say in the book, I sliced in and found the little bugger. Emphasis on little, both were still VERY tiny. They are now squash borer squish. May they rest in peace.
In all this excitement we took a close look at the beans and noted a blight there. There will be no rest for the wicked tonight. With some research we think it is a fungus. So, I got out the neem and mixed up a spray bottle worth. Research says I need copper, or sulphur. But since I have neither, I will try the neem and hope it works. If if does not, I guess I will be placing another order.
If it's not one thing, it's another. Gardening if very suspenseful and heartbreaking. Since I had the neem mixed up, I just sprayed it on the tomatoes, just in case something wants to blight that, too. It's this hot weather. What happened to spring? Over 95° in June? It's just not fair, I tell you, not fair!
With a prayer to the vegetable gods, I leave in good faith. Later taters!
Yep, there it was, little bore holes. Lingering saw dust at the base of the plant. Argh!! I'll get you and your little grubs, too!
I went to my trusty Rubbermade box where I keep my pesticides and grabbed the BT. We had a dental irrigation syringe that I fetched from the bathroom. Thus armed I headed out the back door to my little gardening table to mix the cocktail of death.
The directions say to use up to 4 teaspoons per gallon. So, using simple math I get 1/4 teaspoon for my one cup I intend to mix up. I filled up the syringe and took it to the infected plant. I just stuck it, the syringe, right into the entry hole. There was no other damage, it looked like it may have just bored in today. I pushed the plunger and wiggled it around. After a couple pushes I pulled it out and saw something on the end of the syringe. It was the grub!
I then went to inspect the rest of my squash population. I found two more entries. One was pretty fresh, so I tried to get it out the same way. No luck. The other looked as it it had been there are day or two and would require surgery. So I went back into the house to get my box knife. With a full syringe, some dirt and my knife I began surgery on the affected plant. Just like they say in the book, I sliced in and found the little bugger. Emphasis on little, both were still VERY tiny. They are now squash borer squish. May they rest in peace.
In all this excitement we took a close look at the beans and noted a blight there. There will be no rest for the wicked tonight. With some research we think it is a fungus. So, I got out the neem and mixed up a spray bottle worth. Research says I need copper, or sulphur. But since I have neither, I will try the neem and hope it works. If if does not, I guess I will be placing another order.
If it's not one thing, it's another. Gardening if very suspenseful and heartbreaking. Since I had the neem mixed up, I just sprayed it on the tomatoes, just in case something wants to blight that, too. It's this hot weather. What happened to spring? Over 95° in June? It's just not fair, I tell you, not fair!
With a prayer to the vegetable gods, I leave in good faith. Later taters!
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