Weekly Gardening Thread -- IT's JUNE!!!!!

Garden Girl | June 2006 | Garden Girl

[Gabz]

Please remember folks --- this article is from 2006!

June is here, and along with it, summer. Gone are the soft pastels of flowering vines such as jasmine and wisteria. The bolder, brighter summer colors of orange trumpet vine and the tropical colors of mandevillas are on their way. The soft, new greens of spring have been replaced by the harder greens of maturing leaves. Crepe myrtles and gardenias and hydrangeas are showing off their colors. Now that the things we hate about warm weather are back in full force-all the mosquitoes, sand gnats, yellow flies, and various other nasty biting insects, along with the heat and humidity and scads of weeds—we’re once again questioning our sanity. Why, exactly, is it that we have another garden planted? Didn’t we promise ourselves last year that we weren’t doing this again next year? Somehow, in the long span between springs, gardeners always forget the bad things about gardening and remember only the taste of that first ripe tomato, or the joy of a freshly cut bouquet. The scent of warm soil calls us, compels us to dig and plant, as seductive as any siren’s song.

Among the vines that will be blooming are the wild roses. The white one that smells like cinnamon and spices blooms early, perfuming the air. Too bad the flowers aren’t much. Another one is a pretty little hot pink rose, one that seems to haunt ditch banks and other wetter areas. Do not feel sorry for this rose and take a piece of it home. No matter how cute and lonely it seems, like throwing scraps to a stray dog, once given any attention, it will never leave. Almost impossible to kill, it has thorns that proclaim it to be an escapee from the impenetrable wall around Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

The cool weather lasted much longer than we expected and crops will be correspondingly delayed. Tomatoes and other warm season crops will be coming off later, but all they need is some really warm weather, especially at night, and they’ll take off. Watch them for insect pests, they like warm weather also.

Ever check on your tomato plants one day and they’re fine, only to go out the next day to find the vines defoliated and most of the tomatoes almost completely eaten? The culprit is often huge, green caterpillars, called hornworms. Look closely, they’re masters of camouflage. Usually bright green with white stripes, they have a very distinctive horn on one end. If they’re on tomatoes, they’re called tomato hornworm. If they’re on tobacco, they’re called tobacco hornworm. Go figure! Same pest.

Guess what hornworms turn into? Hummingbird moths! If you’ve never seen one, the moths are truly delightful. They resemble a baby hummingbird and are just a little larger than a bumble bee. Hummingbird moths are tan in color, unlike their colorful namesakes, but they fly just like a hummingbird does. They can usually be spotted around flowers early in the morning or late in the evening. Sometimes they will come out during the day if it is cloudy, so if you see something that looks like a baby hummer, look closer. It might not be what you think it is!

One other word about hornworms. They aren’t hard to kill, simply pick them off and squish them. If you see white, rice looking grains on the hornworm, don’t kill it. What?! That’s right, don’t kill it. The rice grains are the eggs of a parasitic wasp. Guess what it eats? Tomato hornworms. Pick it off, certainly, and move it far away from your garden, into the edge of your yard or woods. The wasps will hatch and go find another hornworm to start the process all over again.

Mid June is time to plant pumpkins and gourds and winter squash. Winter squash? Winter squash is a term that means a squash with a hard shell that will keep during the winter. Butternut squash is a good example. Butternut will often keep a year or even longer. Summer squash is a term used to denote softer squash, such as yellow straight neck or crookneck. There’s nothing wrong with planting butternut earlier, it just keeps better if it’s planted later. The cooler weather of fall helps harden the shells.

If you planted Vidalia’s early, June is usually about the time to dig them. Wonderful sliced in quarters or eights and microwaved until tender with a little salt and butter, they are equally delicious stir fried with summer squash. Add a little zucchini and some eggplant and… Technically, the only onions that can be called Vidalia’s are the ones grown in Vidalia. The onions themselves are actually yellow granex. These can also be grown in the fall if you can find the plants. They don’t keep well because of their high sugar content, so enjoy them while they last. Hard to believe that Vidalia’s have about the same sugar content as a large orange.

[Red_Devil 232]

Ok, some more questions about watermelons. I have 2 Sugar Baby plants and have 7 watermelons developing between the 2 plants. Two melons are almost bowling ball size and the others are growing fast. Up until a few days ago these plants were developing many new male flowers and two or three female flowers every morning. This morning there are only 2 male flowers and no females.

Is this slow down due to all of the plant's energy being concentrated into growing the existing melons? Now if this is what is happening will these plants start flowering again after I start harvesting the melons? These plants are very healthy.

If I want melons in Sept. should I start another watermelon patch now?

As you might guess every thing I plant turns into a new educational experience for me.

[girlangler]

OMG those are GORGEOUS!!!!

I saw one just like the first one you posted the other day in someoone’s yard, as I was driving down the street. I remarked to whoever was with me how beautiful it was.

[pgkdan]

i left for Boise Idaho the day after Memorial Day and it was 73 degrees in Tidewater...I got back and it’s 100. I went to HarborFest in Norfolk yesterday and nearly died...my wife wants to work in the garden today. I’ll just watch.

[Gabz]

We’ve got the same problem here on the Shore. We were at our daughter’s last softball game of the season yesterday and everyone about died. The umpires we’re real generous with timeouts and thankfully there was a hose next to the dugouts, so the girls were kept as cooled off as possible (we us grown ups!).

How was HarborFest? Had some of the smoke from the NC wildfires dissipated? I read of some concern about that during the week.

I can’t help but notice you used the term “Tidewater.” I have been reading the blogs/articles/columns/whathaveyou on the Pilot’s website about the consternation about Tidewater vs. Hampton Roads, etc as to the “real” name of the region. I never realized it was such a touchy subject :)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I love roses and I try to find new ones every year to add to my growing garden. Sadly I only have room for maybe four more and I will have to stop.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I love roses and I try to find new ones every year to add to my growing garden. Sadly I only have room for maybe four more and I will have to stop.

[pgkdan]

How was HarborFest? Had some of the smoke from the NC wildfires dissipated? I read of some concern about that during the week.

HarborFest was great...extremely hot so the crowds were small but we saw Pure Prairie League, Deanna Carter and the Zac Brown Band. The beer was cold and the music was great but the air quality was awful. There's still alot of problems from the fires in NC.

I can’t help but notice you used the term “Tidewater.” I have been reading the blogs/articles/columns/whathaveyou on the Pilot’s website about the consternation about Tidewater vs. Hampton Roads,

Yep...I live in Virginia Beach which is in Tidewater...you can visit Hampton Roads but you're gonna get wet.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Behind on my pings ....again.

Will cross link.

Thanks.

[tubebender]

We got blown out of the garden this morning so we went up the the Arcata/Eureka Airport at McKInleyville and viewed the WWI War Birds... A B17 + a B24 + a B25 + a P51...

http://www.eurekareporter.com/article/080609-touch-down

http://www.photomistress.com/slideshow.php?set_albumName=WWIIBombersMay2007

[nw_arizona_granny]

Beautiful, I love the old planes and the history they bring with them.

[La Enchiladita]

You might be interested in how Martha Stewart sets out her tomahto plants:

http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/martha/2008/06/the-seeds-sprou.html

“Here’s a complete list of what we have growing this year – 25 different varieties and 96 plants in all. I cannot wait to pick!!!” says Martha.

[GodBlessUSA]

Thanks Dita ! :)
I just checked on our little plant today. It's growing. I need to set something up like this. I'm buying more plants today.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You mean how she hires someone else to do it for her? ;)

Wish I had that luxury, LOL! I do love her ideas and admire her way of turning “housework” into a gazillion-dollar enterprise.

[La Enchiladita]

She is one of the most awesome self-made empires of all time.
Props to Martha:)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yep. I’ve used lots of her ideas and her book “The Martha Rules” was very helpful to me, on my journey to becoming a self-made mogul. :)

[tubebender]

I discovered yesterday that the bird netting over our Blue Berry patch has disintegrated in just 3 years. Does anyone make a 3/4 inch mesh netting that is UV resistant ?

[gardengirl]

http://www.nixalite.com/birdnetbirdnetting.aspx

Try this one. Haven’t actually tried it, but I have some of their netting. Not sure how long it’s uv proof.

[tubebender]

Thanks...That would work but I only have 8 plants and won't get $175 worth of Blueberries from them in 5 years so I'll just use the garden center stuff.

Are you available and qualified to count my fingers and thumbs? I just spent a hour setting 4 rusty Macabee Mole traps in the back yard...IT'S NOT THIS EASY

[gardengirl]

Maybe that’s why we never ordered from them! LOL I have a free sample roll tehy sent me, but I only have one blackberry bush—right now—and it has four balckberries on it! I do love blueberries and I keep promising myself that I’ll plant some—after #2 son moves out. He prunes everything with the lawnmower. Sigh.

Moles are an endangered species, and mammals, so theoretically you’re not allowed to kill them in NC. Lowe’s sells mole traps. Hmmmm. We have more voles than moles. BE CAREFUL! :) I remember whne I was little and lived in Ohio the neighbors had mole traps. Nasty things!

[gardengirl]

Hey! I just thought about something—do you leave the netting on all year or just when your bushes are bearing? You know, kind of like leaving your Christmas lights up all year? LOL