Posted on 04/13/2018 8:31:30 PM PDT by greeneyes
I had not thought about soil borne bacteria etc in soil contributing to my squash problem. I’ve just tried melons in the ground here. I knew from the beginning I haven’t enough sun in the only small area with good soil. We’re on top of a bluff and the sunny areas are steep so the soil erodes and leaves only limestone. I’m working little by little to build small retaining areas to put just a few plants on the sunny slope but melons didn’t work there either. Okra lived it. But this description you use of vines collapsing recollects what I’ve seen in both my melons and squash.
It’s frustrating because at previous homes those crops have been among the easiest. Most years I was giving squash, zucchini, watermelon, cantelope and honeydew away. Here, they just wilt away. I was able to grow squash in front flower bed but hubby hates it when I put food where he thinks flowers should be. I was 52 yrs old when we married and had always planted food crops first and anything ornamental was more an afterthought. Having to change my ways in my garden is hard. Fortunately, I’ve figured out he has such a love of peas that he doesn’t complain that I rotate legumes around the place.
Now that I’m free of shower duty I’ve a mind to go put squash seed out among the nice sunny canna bed by our driveway. Haven’t tried them there. Maybe they will be obscured in front of 5th’ cannas.
Sweet million is usually the only hybrid tomato i use but early girl is really nice too. I pick those up from garden centers and havent tried raising those up from seed. But at my current home I grow almost all my tomatoes, peppers and cukes in big pots. Most of those pots I scored from a landscaper. My hubby reads craigslist like an addict. He saw a free ad years ago that this landscaper was offering the pots to avoid sending them to the landfill after a recycling center stopped taking them.
I grow a lot of heirloom tomatoes from seed. Here in Texas I usually start those right after Christmas. Our county has a countywide garage sale each March or April and I set up a yard sale to sell my seedlings raised over the winter. It gives me $$$ to start whatever my next big garden project I want for myself. I sell my seedlings for a little less than the garden centers, they are all started in good natural soil media and I guess people are happy because I have repeat friends, neighbors and strangers arriving early to get what they want. As an older person, physically unable to work 40 hrs/wk anymore this is very satisfying for me. I’m not as able to work an acre anymore, but I can sure grow seeds in my sunroom and greenhouse without much bending and lifting :)
Afterthought: perhaps you could put your own ad on craigslist asking if anyone has large pots to give away. I’ve never put an ad there myself but my hubby keeps me well informed that craigslist is the answer to all needs. LOL
Even here in the far south our spring has been off-and-on. We have had a good number of days in the 70’s thus far but 3 freezes in the past month. No gradual arrival of spring this year. One local TV station weather guy is naming this a spifalinter. Spring on Friday morning, fall Friday night, winter on Saturday and Sunday. And yes, the freezes are happening on weekends when hubby is home to help. First year ever there have been fires in our fireplace in April and it’s happened two weekends in a row!
Re: Basil hybrids, yes, i know there are some hybrid basils. I am such a compulisive seed saver I habitually read packets of seeds to avoid the word. Basils cross breed freely. My saved basil see rarely comes up completely true to my container label. Only once have I grown a basil I didn’t much fancy for flavor. Fortunately (God looked after me) it was planted in an isolated location. It was pretty so I let it be an ornamental and ignored it’s seed. I don’t remember well, but I think I decided not to save any basil seed on that part of the property that year. But, if you allow it, at least in my area, basil will re-seed itself over winter. I have not planted any basil yet this year but I can tell you it’s prolific on the southwest side of our house where I left it to go to seed overwinter. Its like dill in that manner.
Likely spread by cucumber beetle. I have to use new potting mix and grow my cukes in a flower pot. Row covers and Kaolin Clay coating when flowering. Get the Gardens Alive Catalog - it has a section on pests and what to do - including of course what they want to sell you.
You know, even tho your statement may have related to politics, it seemed more a testimony to the wonders of God you see. And I saw sorrow that others are not tuned in to the liberty that God put here for us to claim. Even those who shout about their blessing of free healthcare, turning to their fellow humans for provision, are missing the great freedom we know in looking outward from ourself to revel in God’s bounty. Not sure that makes sense but it sorta says what your words imparted to me.
I’m looking out my window at a tree full of tiny peaches that survived two minor freezing mornings this month. I have a coffee table in front of me full of seeds I’m about to plant and nurture. There is such wonder in these things I can’t imagine a government brainwashing and being my provider. It escapes my reasoning that folks can think a world government run by elites is a good thing. I just can’t wrap my head around it.
I apologize if my comments are contrary to the spirit of the garden thread. My gardening is just so wrapped up in a free life and my dependence on God that it is inseparable. I would not want to disrupt good friendly discourse here tho.
So, cucumber beetles destroying squash and melons but I get loads of cukes in pots? I’ve got Gardens Alive as an online bookmarked resource thru their blogs. I’ll go read up on those.
“Spifalinter.”
Perfect! :) I, the three dogs and the two cats have been spending a LOT of time on the couch in front of the fireplace, too! Normally by now, I’d have a lot of Spring-things (radishes, lettuces, carrots, etc.) in the ground. I just have a layer of SLUSH with snow on top in my garden beds for now.
I’m hopping the Rhubarb isn’t ruined. She’s pretty hardy, but this freezing weather after she’s already come up can’t be helping her any!
Meh. It’s always SOMETHING when you’re a gardener. So GLAD I can make it to the Piggly Wiggly and don’t have grow ALL of my own food!
I agree, I feel God’s presence every time I am in the garden. Especially when I see the little seedlings emerge. And the little tendrils of the vining plants finding the structure they can climb up. How can anyone doubt His hand in it when they see that miracle.
Yeah, we’ll see. I’ll have to try to start some before too long. Need to get it done this week, really.
The Early Girls look like strong little plants. I kept the receipt just in case. I put them down on the floor for some good Sun today for a few hours.
Could you send me so snow so I can see what it looks and feels like Diana?
Ditto on the local grocery store. Too hot here for crops like rhubarb and parsnips and I am very glad to live in times I can grab those and other things at the store for variety. I have been fortunate enough to start harvesting some lettuces this year. Typically I’ll start having one or two very early tomatoes shortly after my first lettuce but no where close this year. None of those global warming nuts are gardeners for sure. LOL
When I had room for a full garden I always put in some Early Girls. They were a very productive early variety. Those first tomatoes to ripen are always among the best treats!
Guess I’m gonna find out!
(previous years have produced fairly-well)
Wish you were here...https://www.yahoo.com/news/snow-records-toppled-south-dakota-minnesota-wisconsin-153358508.html
We had some ice, then about 2” of snow - nothing like they got up north, that’s for sure.
On deck? Flooding up north. :(
We have a cabin at Glidden, which is WAY up there (about 6 hours from us, one way) but don’t have anyone to call up there to see what’s what. (Few are crazy enough to live up there year-round.) The cabin and shed both have new roofs, so they SHOULD be OK...we’ll know in a month or so when we go up there to open it for the summer. :(
Do you mean there is land north of Wisconsin???
I brought the Florida sunshine back home to Central Missouri, but I lost my grip on the warmer temps and those were left behind. Got home at 1:00am this morning.
Plum trees are in full bloom, peaches are working on it. Asparagus is just starting to peek out of the ground. The kale and spinach I seeded earlier is up.
I stopped by the feed store this morning and picked up six bales of straw to bed my spuds. I’m going to get them in the ground and mulched today. Also picked up the baby chickens that I ordered a couple weeks ago and got them set up in the brooder house.
Heading to Montauk Spring on Thursday for a week of trout fishing.
I’m really not looking forward to going back to work next month...
Worst part about vacation - 1st day back at work. LOL
Enjoy your fishing trip.
Um...there’s a whole COUNTRY North of Wisconsin. I’ve been there! I’ve seen it with my own lyin’ eyes, LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.