Weekly Gardening Thread – 2010 (Vol. 20) June 18

Free Republic | 6-18-2010 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning gardeners.

If you are a gardener or you are just starting out and are in need of advice or just encouragement please feel free to join in and enjoy the friendly discussion. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying interests and skill levels from Master Gardener to novice.

If you have a question about gardening or just an observation to share please feel free to stop by and participate. There are no stupid questions, just honest ones.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Are you using hardwood mulch? That might be the problem.

Hubby had all the flower beds mulched this year. He even mulched the bed that surrounds the veggie garden. I ran out of space and planted green beans in that flower bed. They are looking awful! Even my oregano, parsley and basil looks sick! Food for thought.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Thanks, I’ll try it!

[Red_Devil 232]

Wow. Your tomato plant looks like it may not be getting enough water and the cuke looks like it may be getting to much.

Have you added a fertilizer? The tomatoes don't look full enough or mature enough to have those bottom leaves turning yellow from a lack of sun.

[who knows what evil?]

It works for me...you just have to be fast; the blossoms will open one day, and be gone the next. I have found mornings the best time...right after they have opened.

[Red_Devil 232]

Do you know if your hardwood mulch was treated in any way?

[TSgt]

I was thinking about using the liquid Miracle-Gro and doing a soil test.

Thanks!

[TSgt]

Yep, hardwood mulch. I think it has some manure mixed in.

[TSgt]

Going to try some liquid Miracle-Gro and test the soil.

[TSgt]

I know the mulch contains manure but don’t know if it was treated.

This is what it is:

EVANS DARK SUPREME
http://evanslandscaping.com/fw/main/Bulk_Mulch-23.html

[greeneyes]

Have you tested the soil? It might be phosphorus deficiency. Tomatoes growing in soil with phosphorus deficiency can have yellow leaves.

[MtnClimber]

Had 2 mule deer, a buck in velvet and a doe, sniffing around the garden yesterday.

[TSgt]

My plans are to test it.

Will report back!

[tubebender]

We are watching for new born fawns as this is the time for them. My son in law is one of Oh’bummers unemployed and we have him helping in the yard with weed eater, chainsaw, cleanup plus he helped us put to rest of the Aviary wire on the Blueberry cage and just in time as I saw the Robins and Quail picking on the ripening berries. I still have some detail work to do but it took 3 of us to cover the top and back and get it snug. We are still having beautiful sunshine due to the winds that come every day but that is supposed to end tomorrow as the wind dies down and the morning fog returns...

[tubebender]

I think your soil test will reveal your problem but I notice weed fabric in the picture and wonder if it extends under the raised bed? If so how deep is your potting soil and could the fabric be hindering the roots of your corn and and tomatoes?

[cherry]

sounds like your garden is coming along....I can say that we've been very rainy here in eastern washington and low 50's if not upper 40's....seeds are doing very little...I've got more planted in dixie cups and hopefully can edge them along to go in the main garden..my husband brought home probably 2 dozen 5gallon buckets today so tomorrow I'm going to throw some plants in there....

what's good here?....well my garlic...some onions growing...I have some leeks and crossing my fingers on them...beans are up ....a few Indian corn plants are okay...don't know if they'll be as high as my knee on the 4th of July....brussel sprouts look good....

my tomatoes are looking okay and even have one blossum...those are the plants I fertilized..

but its all fun....and I am enjoying my fresh dill and fresh leaf lettuce....

[TSgt]

The weed fabric does not extend under the raise bed. It’s just there for edge weed control.

Thanks!

TSgt

[afraidfortherepublic]

Yesterday's lettuce. Peas at the top of their supports. Blooming heavily now, but no pods yet.

Questions: I planted 2 different kinds of bush beans about 2 1/2 weeks ago, and I have no sprouts from one kind, and only 3 beans sprouted from another. Also, my zucchini and my yellow squash are doing nothing. Acorn squash and cantaloupe planted at the same time have a couple of seeds starting (all I want), and cucumbers planted at the same time have 100% germination. Is it time to throw in the towel (trowel?) and start over on the beans and the squash?

On the cucumbers -- I have 5 plants started in 2 circles -- 2 varieties for a total of 10 plants which I intend to train onto the fence. Should I reduce the number of plants to 3 of ea. variety?

Incomplete germination in the squash and bean bed. The Kentucky Wonder beans are doing great, as are the scarlet runner beans on the garden gate.

2 kinds of corn thinned to the 8 in suggested spacing for a Square Foot Garden.

[tubebender]

Dig down with your finger to see if the bean seed sprouted and is stunted or if the seed rotted and didn’t sprout as they should be up in your climate after 2 1/2 weeks. How close together are your 10 cucumber plants?

[Red_Devil 232]

You garden is doing great! Do you have a picture of your cukes?

What varieties of corn are you growing?

[afraidfortherepublic]

THe cukes are in a perimeter bed because I ran out of space. I don't know if the depth of the perimeter beds is enough to support the root structure, but I will find out. THere are 5 of each variety planted on a little mound. That's what I'm asking. Should I reduce the number to 2-3 plants each?

The corn varieties are (have to run downstairs to look it up) Ferry Morse "Sugar Dots", Bi-color and Lilly Miller "Early Sunglow" corn. The Early Sunglow Hybrid was planted first because it is 63 days to harvest, and the Sugar Dots was planted 2nd because it is 80 days to harvest. I planted them a week apart, hoping to stretch the harvest.