Posted on 06/04/2010 5:00:06 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232
Good morning gardeners! Wow June is here already. I hope all of your gardens are flourishing. Can you believe that last year at this time there were freeze and frost warnings for the North, Northeast and some of the higher elevations? This year the freeze warnings seem to be contained within a certain household in Tennessee. I just had to say that, couldn’t help myself!
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What is it about volunteer potatoes that they grow so robustly but ALWAYS in the wrong place. I kept 4 plants out of about a dozen as I had other ideas for the spaces...
When I was brand new to this gardening thing about 6 years ago, I followed the instructions on the seed packets and overplanted. All of the plants always came up, and they were all strong and ready to go when they did. These days, if it says to thin down to the strongest 3 plants, I plant 3 seeds. Maybe I’m still rebelling against authority as my parents were always quick to accuse.
Don’t think I have flea beetles. Don’t see anything like that. Holes are not anywhere nearso bad. I’ll take a picture tomorrow when it is light.
I don’t soak squash/melon seeds, nor do I thin plants. Why kill a healthy plant? I don’t thin beets or carrots, either...
Eye? This stuff will blow both your lungs into the next county.
...so you were a 'bad seed'?
I have also used diatomaceous earth with great sucess against slugs and other insects, it might work on the flea beetle.
How do you use diatomaceous earth to control infestations?
Honestly, I don’t see any pests, but I have these little holes in some of the leaves — about the frequency as tubebender claims is garden soil splashed on his lettuce. After all, who can prove anything with a picture?
There are some gnats flying around the area, but not particularly on the lettuce or broccoli. They just want to bother me. I have one of those fisherman hats with the veil that hangs down, but these little devils go right up underneath and bite me anyway, ‘cause I’m so sweet! ;~)
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It’s raining outside, which spoils my plans for today. I got left home from work this morning, but it’s too nasty to work outdoors. However, it eliminates the immediate question of why my automatic sprinkler is not sprinkling. I might actually have to do some indoor work today. Arggghhh!
I managed to find the rest of my red rubber mulch mats last night and have all but one little spot of my garden aisles covered. Then, my husband took off for work with the last roll in the trunk of his car, so I can’t finish that today.
The red, rubbber mulch was expensive, but it really looks good and it eliminates weeds and mud, etc. on your feet. It also feels really nice under foot. It probably cost me more than our family room carpeting, however. It was my extravagence. We can pretend that I was ‘going green’. Each mat is supposed to contain 3 tires (I don’t know how that is possible, but that is what the package says.) So, if they are telling the truth, I’ve kept about 75 tires out of the landfill. That would be noble, but that wasn’t my real intention. It just looked pretty — nice contrast with the green leaves and practical because it eliminates grass growing in the aisles.
What do these mats cost and how thick are they and what brand are yours? More dismal North West weather here >;(((
LOVELY! I’ll post some pix later this week. Things are really poppin’ around here, too. Rainy and chilly, today, then two nice days, then into the oven again.
I gotta pull my lettuce and use it all up and share it. Another heat wave is going to make it too bitter for even the hens to want to eat. :)
My eggplants have been attacked every year by something and I assume it is flea beetles. They get over into my peppers also (small shot holes in the leaves).
They must do their work at night because I have never seen one!
So, do you sprinkle (spray) this on the soil, on the leaves, where? Then, does it just wash off before you eat the veggie?
Most of the artical sounds like it is mostly used as a flea powder on animals.
Yeah they do cover application to animals quite a bit but I only use it in the garden. I have not used on my dogs.
Forgot - it washes off easly - after a rain you should reapply it.
My husband knows quite a bit about diatomaceous earth, and I can’t remember why. I guess I never listened when he expounded upon it. We used to have it in our pool filter, when we had a pool. But, he knew about it from elsewhere — whether it be from engineering school, his stint in the oil business, or whatever. I’ll have to ask and listen this time.
Yep! I first learned about DE in my Geology classes. Your husband may have learned about it in the oil business.
You are getting soaked; we are being blown away on the other coast...wind has been blowing since I can’t remember when...I would kill for a still day without a breeze. Plant my squash deep; grows a bit; wind snaps the stem. Wind has destroyed several squash and pumpkin plants...can’t get my tomatoes in the Earth Boxes because the wind would shred the young plants. Fortunately; the tomatoes in Smart Pots are staked and holding their own against this wind.
It’s rain, rain, rain here all day. I think tubebender sent it just to frustrate us midwesterners! ;~0
Call me when your corn farmers are ready to stop hydrogenating corn syrup and I’ll consider turning off the spigot. Until then the best I can due is send a refer van of Banana Slugs and Cut Worms...
Here is a new green way to kill bugs on your plantation... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2530430/posts
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