Weekly Garden Thread - August 22-28, 2020

August 22, 2020 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I’ll raise you a couple armadillos...

[bert]

I caught a very young skunk in my live trap last wednesday. Twice it got in and ate all the bait and didn’t trip the trap. it was just too small. On Monday it it ate all the marshmallow bait and did not trip the trap. I just left it and to my amazement, on Wednesday morning the unbaited trap captured the young skunk.

It is best described as just plain cute. It was the size of a medium kitton and just curled up and went to sleep.

While I was trying to decide what to do with it, the mama skunk came and made a terrific mess trying to dig it out. She dug a ditch all around the trap. I think that as she dug the side that opens she somehow loosed the release. It got away.

The skunks come and dig up the 17 year grubs that exist below the surface of my wife’s carefully tended and quite extensive moss carpet. I decided that rather than try to fight the skunks, I would try to kill the grubs. Next year is when literally thousands of the locusts are scheduled to emerge. I’ll try to kill them now. Recently t Lowes I saw sacks of grub killer. I bought some this morning and applied it to the moss yard.

[Califreak]

Mine look like that and have sun scald too.

:(

[daniel1212]

Mine look like that and have sun scald too. :(

It was extra-ordinarily hot and sunny this summer, and some of the yellowing is due to lack of water, but it is a contagious disease that can destroy the whole plant, since some plants separate from these did not manifest this though they were not watered much.

[Ellendra]

I’ll admit that cantaloupes aren’t really my specialty, but there are a few varieties I know of that should give you that old-fashioned flavor.

“Amish Melon” is one that has been grown by an Amish community for decades, and was picked up by the Seed Savers Exchange.

“Petit Gris de Rennes” is a Charentais-type melon that is touted by several melon experts as being the one with the best flavor. It also grows quickly and tolerates cooler climates better than some.

“Haogen” is a very productive variety, with a taste like honey and a very creamy texture.

I hope those at least give you a place to start. I’m sure there are a lot more out there, but try several and choose the one you like best.

[Ellendra]

Picture time!

One of the squash I'm testing to see if it's better than the "Tennessee Sweet Potato" that I usually grow:


A "Shark Fin" squash, which decided to commandeer some rolled-up fencing stacked nearby:


One of my pumpkins, getting closer to being ripe:


A slightly fuzzy picture of a "Bigger Better Butternut":


One day's harvest:

[MomwithHope]

Hello all - I don't think I posted on the last 2 threads but I did manage to skim the posts. As usual love all the pictures.
Our foster daughter from Belarus was here with her husband from July 4- August 6. We had a great time and they also helped with a lot around here. They went home to massive demonstrations in Belarus and are staying away from any trouble, both back to work this week. Internet and cell service was shut off for a few days when they got back and now it is just shut off every evening through the night.
I had some tomato plants that looked like that too - decided it was the sun, they have recovered. Canned blueberry preserves but are just making gazpacho with the tomatoes. Pantry still has tomatoes from last year. Have lots of yellow pear tomatoes and I always start Campari's from our own seed. they are always big, sweet and meaty. I also grow Better Boys and Sabre - a Russian variety Had no broccoli or lettuce this year because of the rabbits first and second a fat groundhog we cannot manage to hit.
Lots of nice peppers, especially shishito, have gotten a ton off only 3 plants. Also enjoying basil, zucchini, summer squash, cukes, some green beans that survived the groundhog. Our shishito and banana pepper always do well. I got a baby butternut squash plant and there must be a few dozen out there.
Diana I thought of you last year with all the butternut you had. I'll be making some soup and probably steaming and freezing some with the foodsaver. Putting anything in the garage never does well because mice always find them. I've been giving away summer squash but last night threw together a recipe and made a side dish as we had company.

We all loved it so here is the recipe -
Peel and cut in chunks 2 or 3 yellow summer squash depending on the size. Discard the core with the seeds. Had enough chunks for about 4-5 people. Steam until tender. Discard the water and set aside the squash. Add about a half stick of butter in the pot. Heat on low. Add a good amount of dried basil, salt, a little cornstarch til it just dissolves, about a 1/2 cup or more whole milk (cream would be better) and when it is thickened a splash of lemon juice. Mix in the squash, turn off the heat, check for more salt, and serve.

I hope to plant some garlic just a few plants and if I recall correctly fall is good for Michigan. What do you think Diana we are about the same climate.
I am rebounding health wise and before I was thinking that this year was my last garden, now I think maybe not. God is good. And I treasure my gardening friends here.

[campaignPete R-CT]

.although it’s 94 degrees, the heat wave season is over here. The drought continues. NW Conn.

Droughts make for poor internet entertainment. But I’m keeping most things alive, running hose all day. Young dogwoods are the most vulnerable.

“Water the forest”

My July 31 monthly water bill will arrive this week.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Daniel, in spite of the late disease affecting your tomatoes it looks like you still have some pretty good tomato production!

I also have a fairly small gardening space so I don't have a lot of room to rotate plantings to reduce disease; Choose disease resistant varieties if you aren't now.

Something you could consider for next year.

After you till, you could put a soaker hose along your planting space, cover with a plastic sheet, plant your seedlings through hole in the plastic. You water underneath the plastic with the soaker hose. It Reduces dirt splashing up on the leaves. Dirt contains the mold and fungus that transmits disease. (Might also reduce evaporation and need to water.) I tried using plastic this year and it helped!

Increase spacing to allow air flow around the plants. (Fewer plants.) Once tomato plants are 3 feet high, start trimming off lower branches to reduce soil to disease transmission!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Tubebender!

Nice!

Its actually relaxing to look at the mounds of heather!
Like pillows of flowers...

(Does it help keep the deer from jumping the fence??)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I have been using milky spore and predtory nematodes. I had a good reduction in my Japanese beetles this year. (I know, you are dealing with the 17 year cicadas. Think it affect them too!)

(Japanese beetles don’t like Red Cedar oil. Something to include in your spray on susceptable plants before the JBs show up!)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Eric....Armadillos on the road...Love to Jump straight up and smash your windshield! (Vector for Leprosy too!!)

(Heading out to the garden!)

[daniel1212]

.although it’s 94 degrees, the heat wave season is over here. The drought continues. NW Conn. Droughts make for poor internet entertainment. But I’m keeping most things alive, running hose all day. Young dogwoods are the most vulnerable. “Water the forest” My July 31 monthly water bill will arrive this week.

Yes, it has been abnormally dry, and today I used up all but about 5 gals of the approx. 200 of rain water I had saved. But next Firday look for more rain.

[daniel1212]

Daniel, in spite of the late disease affecting your tomatoes it looks like you still have some pretty good tomato production!

Yes, hundreds, thanks and glory to God.

Choose disease resistant varieties if you aren't now.

Yes, I have been looking at those. Here is a very good page on all that: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/tomato-diseases-disorders/

After you till, you could put a soaker hose along your planting space, cover with a plastic sheet, plant your seedlings through hole in the plastic. You water underneath the plastic with the soaker hose. It Reduces dirt splashing up on the leaves. Dirt contains the mold and fungus that transmits disease. (Might also reduce evaporation and need to water.) I tried using plastic this year and it helped!

Yes, I plan to cover the whoe garden with black plastic one year to "coook" the soil, while this year I had a underground soaker hose part way.

Increase spacing to allow air flow around the plants. (Fewer plants.) Once tomato plants are 3 feet high, start trimming off lower branches to reduce soil to disease transmission!

Yes, mine are too close due to wanting more sun on more plants. But starting them from seed earlier (2 months before planting) helped.

[Bon of Babble]

Oh, I wish the heat were off here (Southern California) instead we’re caught in a dome of relentless high pressure. The hot winds haven’t started up yet, but they will, usually around the 1st of Sept.

I’ve learned from past mistakes what will make it through this hot period of time - it can be hot here until Thanksgiving.

I am busy replacing a lot of my gardening space with aloes, cacti and succulents.

DH just replace the back lawn with mulch and I plan to put pots on top of that - have struggled with that lawn for years and have given up. Looks great so far and it’s been very hard work but once it’s in place, it will need far less maintenance.

[cherry]

looks like some kind of blight....I've cut off the bad leaves on my tomatoes..I throw them in the burn pile...I heard on you tube a guy said when you cut off one plant you sure wipe your shears off with alcohol so you're not passing the blight along....

blight and powdery mildew are the bane of my existence...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That Heather is so beautiful! Does it smell good, too?

What did you do with the SKUNK? Eeeek!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I would second the 'Amish' melon. I do remember that one from my days at Seed Savers, though I didn't grow it at the time.

Charentais-type melon is probably the sexiest melon out there! The French get a FEW things right. ;)

[tubebender]

Skunk died of mystery illness aka Lead Poison is one possibility

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I trapped a raccoon once that was killing my chickens and it died from that EXACT same disease!

Small World. ;)