Eskimo Joe Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 We've had terribly bad bouts of cucumber beetles in the past that ruin the entire crop just after the blossoms appears. Anybody have any success, preferably organic, in keeping them away? We are going to plant another round of garlic near them this year so hopefully the smell will confuse the beetles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted June 19, 2017 Share Posted June 19, 2017 46 minutes ago, Eskimo Joe said: We've had terribly bad bouts of cucumber beetles in the past that ruin the entire crop just after the blossoms appears. Anybody have any success, preferably organic, in keeping them away? We are going to plant another round of garlic near them this year so hopefully the smell will confuse the beetles. If you think that a smell will help control bugs, then try this stuff. It's loaded with garlic. I spilled some in my truck and now the only thing that plays on my radio is Billy Joel's, "Italian Restaurant." eta: Oops. I guess a link would help. You can get it at any hardware/garden store. http://www.bonide.com/products/garden-naturals/view/2360/repels-all-granules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 I made a batch of pesto last night with the tons of basil we've got and it was dee-lish! As for the the rest of the garden, I don't know if it's because I got things in a little later than I usually do or maybe the lack of natural rain water, but although everything is growing well, I don't have a lot of fruit yet. Lots of flowers on the tomato plants, but very few maters. Peppers too, though they usually are later anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattie g Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 48 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said: I made a batch of pesto last night with the tons of basil we've got and it was dee-lish! As for the the rest of the garden, I don't know if it's because I got things in a little later than I usually do or maybe the lack of natural rain water, but although everything is growing well, I don't have a lot of fruit yet. Lots of flowers on the tomato plants, but very few maters. Peppers too, though they usually are later anyway. Awesome! Do you have a specific recipe you've been using for a while? We made a second batch of garlic scape pesto this weekend - even better than the first! We've now got six 1-cup containers filled and in the freezer. Since we use a ton of pesto and I like to have plenty left for the "off season," I'll probably end up making another batch with regular old garlic at some point as the basil continues to come in. A few of my tomato plants (Cour de Bue, Black Cherry, and Kellogg's Breakfast) are loaded with tomatoes now, though the others are slightly lower than normal to about normal. My peppers are starting to produce now, too. I had one big Dragon Cayenne that was flowering a few weeks ago, but one day I came out and it had been snapped at the base. I'm assuming my dog was chasing something int he backyard at night and he bumped into it. Either way, I was a bit pissed! Cucumbers got in so late this year that they're only starting to take off in terms of growth. Good things is that once they get going they really explode. I'm expecting that'll happen within in the next 5-10 days. Pulled the garlic this past weekend. Of the 25 or so plants, I only got about 10-12 that had nicely sized bulbs. I'll use some of those for this fall's planting and use the smaller ones for cooking (my wife hates peeling and chopping small garlic bulbs ). Not sure I'll get around to beans this year, since we're busy as hell getting the house ready for baby #2. Wife is seriously pregnant now, so I'm being pulled in every which way! I do want to get fall seeds in the ground at some point, though. I think I can sneak them in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo Joe Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 Cucumbers and Husk Tomatoes are looking amazing. Hoping for a good haul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 2 hours ago, mattie g said: Awesome! Do you have a specific recipe you've been using for a while? We made a second batch of garlic scape pesto this weekend - even better than the first! We've now got six 1-cup containers filled and in the freezer. Since we use a ton of pesto and I like to have plenty left for the "off season," I'll probably end up making another batch with regular old garlic at some point as the basil continues to come in. A few of my tomato plants (Cour de Bue, Black Cherry, and Kellogg's Breakfast) are loaded with tomatoes now, though the others are slightly lower than normal to about normal. My peppers are starting to produce now, too. I had one big Dragon Cayenne that was flowering a few weeks ago, but one day I came out and it had been snapped at the base. I'm assuming my dog was chasing something int he backyard at night and he bumped into it. Either way, I was a bit pissed! Cucumbers got in so late this year that they're only starting to take off in terms of growth. Good things is that once they get going they really explode. I'm expecting that'll happen within in the next 5-10 days. Pulled the garlic this past weekend. Of the 25 or so plants, I only got about 10-12 that had nicely sized bulbs. I'll use some of those for this fall's planting and use the smaller ones for cooking (my wife hates peeling and chopping small garlic bulbs ). Not sure I'll get around to beans this year, since we're busy as hell getting the house ready for baby #2. Wife is seriously pregnant now, so I'm being pulled in every which way! I do want to get fall seeds in the ground at some point, though. I think I can sneak them in... The recipe I used looks a lot like what you posted earlier though I didn't add spinach. Basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, pecorino cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Served it with grilled chicken and pasta. So good! Your garden sounds amazing and has to keep you busy. I wrestled with the idea for awhile in early spring, but I made my plot smaller this year and I'm glad that I did. It's much easier to keep up with and doesn't feel overwhelming. Also, while watering today I noticed a lot of small green tomatoes emerging so I'm not worried. What are putting in for fall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattie g Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 On 7/3/2017 at 0:33 PM, nw baltimore wx said: The recipe I used looks a lot like what you posted earlier though I didn't add spinach. Basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, pecorino cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Served it with grilled chicken and pasta. So good! Your garden sounds amazing and has to keep you busy. I wrestled with the idea for awhile in early spring, but I made my plot smaller this year and I'm glad that I did. It's much easier to keep up with and doesn't feel overwhelming. Also, while watering today I noticed a lot of small green tomatoes emerging so I'm not worried. What are putting in for fall? Yeah...pesto chicken pasta is awesome! So simple to make, too. My garden is small, but I pack a decent amount into it. As long as I get out to tend to it a few times a week it's pretty manageable. I'd love a little more room for a bigger garden, of course! For fall I'll be putting in lettuce, spinach, and carrots for sure. I might do kale, but I'm not positive. I'll definitely be overwintering spinach again this year - I love the fullness and plumpness of spinach as it comes back out in spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo Joe Posted July 5, 2017 Author Share Posted July 5, 2017 I do believe this is a Green Tree Frog relaxing in our Day Lilly. Since we moved to Maryland, it's been a pleasant surprise to see the uptick in the number of amphibians around the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wxdude64 Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 That is a cool pic ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSky Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 4 hours ago, Eskimo Joe said: I do believe this is a Green Tree Frog relaxing in our Day Lilly. Since we moved to Maryland, it's been a pleasant surprise to see the uptick in the number of amphibians around the area. Had a tree frog last summer that appeared in May on the deck railing and stayed until September. It often hung out in an old unused wooden house style bird feeder by day and disappear at night. I built Kermit a better "house" in the feeder with a small plank of wood to hide under and a plastic bowl of water, I suspect that is why it stayed like it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSky Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Kermit the tree frog from summer 2016 snoozing in his frog house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo Joe Posted July 20, 2017 Author Share Posted July 20, 2017 Pumpkins, watermelons, squash, cucumbers and tomatoes are absolutely loving this weather. I found out the hard way the other day that eggplant flowers have thorns. Ouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mappy Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 my cucumbers died. sunflowers are struggling too. beets did great. my early girl tomatoes are doing awesome too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattie g Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 First thing's first: I need to water my garden this evening. Tomatoes are really taking off. Unfortunately, my Coeur de Boeuf has what I believe to be fusarium wilt. I've gotten a few tomatoes from it at this point, but it's toast now. My daughter's Black Cherry is pumping them out now! Peppers are loving the heat. Cucumbers are finally starting to grow nicely. Dill is about 4' tall and flowering. Basil is as healthy and vibrant as I've had in years given the issues I've had with downy mildew (knock on wood). Fall stuff to go in sometime in mid-August or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Transplant Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Tomatoes are doing awesome this year. Cucumbers are ok, but the plant keeps dying from the bottom up from powdery mildew. I'm pretty sure I screwed up the raspberry bush pruning, so the lame crop is on me. Second year with ground cherries, they seem to be doing well again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo Joe Posted July 21, 2017 Author Share Posted July 21, 2017 22 hours ago, MN Transplant said: Tomatoes are doing awesome this year. Cucumbers are ok, but the plant keeps dying from the bottom up from powdery mildew. I'm pretty sure I screwed up the raspberry bush pruning, so the lame crop is on me. Second year with ground cherries, they seem to be doing well again. We found that if you water no later than 1 hour before sunset and put down some pine straw mulch, the mildew will work itself out in about 10 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Transplant Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 14 minutes ago, Eskimo Joe said: We found that if you water no later than 1 hour before sunset and put down some pine straw mulch, the mildew will work itself out in about 10 days. Interesting. Apparently one of the other errors we were making was doing sprinkler watering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 3 minutes ago, MN Transplant said: Interesting. Apparently one of the other errors we were making was doing sprinkler watering. Yeah, I avoid that at all costs. Having to hand-water during dry spells sucks, but besides being better for plants by cutting back on blight and fungus, it cuts down dramatically on weeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Transplant Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 1 minute ago, nw baltimore wx said: Yeah, I avoid that at all costs. Having to hand-water during dry spells sucks, but besides being better for plants by cutting back on blight and fungus, it cuts down dramatically on weeds. I'll blame that on my wife. She gardens like we live on one of those hillsides in Hawaii that gets 200" of rain a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo Joe Posted July 21, 2017 Author Share Posted July 21, 2017 12 minutes ago, MN Transplant said: Interesting. Apparently one of the other errors we were making was doing sprinkler watering. You can sprinkler water, but it has to be in the early evening so the leaves can dry off. We went to Lowe's and got a 25' soaker hose for about $10 and snaked it through our plants and under the mulch. Much less water lost to evaporation and out water bill likes it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattie g Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 5 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said: Yeah, I avoid that at all costs. Having to hand-water during dry spells sucks, but besides being better for plants by cutting back on blight and fungus, it cuts down dramatically on weeds. Agreed completely. My garden is easily small enough to hand-water, and it's really nice. Of course, I wish I had a bigger garden, but that comes with its own problems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poolz1 Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 This "little" guy just singlehandedly housed an entire tomato plant. Just stems left...he then moved on to another plant. When we found him he had already eaten a stem and was munching on this tomato. I say little but this thing was 3.5" long and had a pile of waste underneath his eating spot. My wife's finger in the pic for scale... Been gardening a long time and never had an issue with these...actually, i can't say i ever remember seeing a caterpillar this big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Transplant Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 1 hour ago, poolz1 said: This "little" guy just singlehandedly housed an entire tomato plant. Just stems left...he then moved on to another plant. When we found him he had already eaten a stem and was munching on this tomato. I say little but this thing was 3.5" long and had a pile of waste underneath his eating spot. My wife's finger in the pic for scale... Been gardening a long time and never had an issue with these...actually, i can't say i ever remember seeing a caterpillar this big. My wife says that this is a tomato hornworm. Google says she is probably right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poolz1 Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 7 minutes ago, MN Transplant said: My wife says that this is a tomato hornworm. Google says she is probably right. I think she is correct...My sister said it was a hornworm as well. Just impressive how a thing that size can completely destroy a plant over 24 hours. We check and maintain our gardens almost daily...cant believe we missed a stripped tomato plant the day before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo Joe Posted July 22, 2017 Author Share Posted July 22, 2017 Hornworms comes in packs. Your tomatoes are in trouble. We had a plot in a community garden one year that started getting chewed up....turns out we had 10 hornworm catepillars eating through tomatoes and peppers. We lost over 30 plants in a week. The only saving grace was that it was mid September so most of our crops were already harvested but they are insidious. The only solution I've found is to pluck them off and burn them in a bucket of gasoline along with any leaves that have their eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 41 minutes ago, Eskimo Joe said: Hornworms comes in packs. Your tomatoes are in trouble. We had a plot in a community garden one year that started getting chewed up....turns out we had 10 hornworm catepillars eating through tomatoes and peppers. We lost over 30 plants in a week. The only saving grace was that it was mid September so most of our crops were already harvested but they are insidious. The only solution I've found is to pluck them off and burn them in a bucket of gasoline along with any leaves that have their eggs. Damn. I imagine that would eliminate the worms and possibly significantly enlarge the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 22 hours ago, MN Transplant said: I'll blame that on my wife. She gardens like we live on one of those hillsides in Hawaii that gets 200" of rain a year. I just moved to a new neighborhood and the neighbor who tends to the gardens waters every evening like water is unlimited. I don't see much mold, but I wish they'd chill or do it in the morning when it doesn't get as wasted. It wouldn't hurt the lawn to go dormant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattie g Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Regarding hornworms...just look for their droppings and you should be able to find them. If any have white eggs sticking out of them, leave them be. Those are the eggs of braconid wasps, which feed on hornworms, and those hornworms that have been used as hosts won't eat anything else. The more braconids you've got, the more likely they'll find any hornworms you've missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mappy Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 my tomatoes were eaten by them last year. amazing what one can do so quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 This year is my first try at pole beans and I don't think I'll do them again unless I fall into about ten acres. I used a six foot trellis and these vines are nuts. They're like something straight out of the imagination of Stephen King. My poor Cocorahs rain gauge is fightig the good fight but without me daily pulling away the sticky tendrils, it would be eaten. Also, I finally got a ripe tomato yesterday and there are tons of green ones, so the late summer and fall harvest should go well. No surprise, but the squash output is also growing crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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