Posted on 07/10/2021 5:57:57 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
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I’m relearning to garden in a new zone and smaller space...
Quite a change.
I can’t believe the seed shortages and price increases this year. I grew up a farmer, and still own the farm. But retired life and the desire for a warmer winter has moved me south much of the year.
Next year seed order is going in November or December...
This week, along with our usual garden reports and problems solutions, let’s share recipes or ideas for eating Straight From The Garden. My garden is starting to explode, but I don’t have quite enough to start canning things quite yet. Still, I want to enjoy what I have on hand, as this season is fleeting!
Benedictine Spread
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 average cucumber, pealed, halved, seeds removed, roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh dill
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
S & P to taste
Platter of cut up fresh veggies from the garden for dipping: carrots, bell peppers, radishes, celery, zucchini, pea pods, cherry tomatoes, green beans and hearty crackers or crostini.
Process cream cheese, cucumber, dill, scallions, lemon juice and mayo in a food processor until combined and creamy. Season with S&P. Plate and garnish with more dill or chives on top. Serve with the veggies and crackers.
Morning.
Meanwhile:
I have beautiful hollyhocks this year:
Lots of bees on this ( Achillea or Yarrow):
Neighbor came over complaining that he'd found a large bee hive around his shed - the city wants $500 to remove it. Now I know where all the bees are coming from.
Also popular with bees - but it is poisonous (related to morning glories) - and I wonder if the bees are making poisoned honey?
And finally - husband tore out all our grass last year - pup loves grass so I got him this small patch that he loves to lay in.
Recipe sounds good - Benedictine? His feast day is tomorrow, St. Benedict.
Good morning Gardeners!
Hope all your veggies are growing great and safely!
I have a question.
How do you deal with orange garden slugs and snails?
How do you get rid of them?
How do you prevent them?
I’ve never had such an invasion before. They’re everywhere!
Thanks for any advice!
I’ve got lots of flowers on my cucumber plants but only one cucumber is growing....??
Good Morning! :-)
Good morning Diana and thank you for this thread!
(Scroll down! Resource start at post 114 of the Jan 9-15 Thread!)
Nice pictures!
Perhaps a local beekeeper would remove you neighbor’s bees for free, or for a lot less than the city!
I’ve always used beer in jar tops to attract snails/slugs & it’s worked for me..
A homesteader I follow has this article on getting rid of garden pests ... she is in WAshington State & evidently, there are a lot of slugs in that area.
How to Get Rid of Bugs on Plants Naturally Tips that Actually Work
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/how-to-get-rid-of-bugs-on-plants-naturally/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From link:
+ How to Get Rid of Slugs in the Garden =
There’s nothing worse than coming out to the garden and seeing a slimy trail all over your decimated vegetable plants. Slugs and snails can strip a plant almost overnight. Plants susceptible to slugs are broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce. They will occasionally go after other plants, but these seem to be the ones hardest hit in my garden.
Contrary to popular advice, eggshells do not deter slugs. Supposedly the crushed eggshells will cut the slug or snail if they crawl on them, but this is false. The edges aren’t sharp enough and this has never worked for me.
+ Don’t Use Salt In Your Vegetable Garden +
Salt will kill slugs but I’m not going to be sprinkling salt all over my soil or on my growing vegetable plants. Salt will ruin your soil, causing a salinity build-up, so if you use it, only sprinkle directly on the slugs.
Personally, I’d rather save my salt and have found other methods to be more effective.
+ 4 Surefire Method to Kill Slugs +
Hand-picking: One of the options that’s a surefire method is one I do early in the morning. You can wear gloves but to be honest, I don’t. I just pick the slugs off and put them in a cup or bucket of soapy water.
You must use soap because slugs won’t drown in just water. You have to have at least a couple squirts of dish soap in there to kill them otherwise they just crawl back out. Trust me on this one.
I have no problem killing slugs. I only kill the ones that are in my garden. I don’t relocate them because they will breed.
You can see this in action in this YouTube video [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg7NhGFfXDs ]. Many people commented on the size of my slugs. I guess it’s a Pacific Northwest thing. It’s just a normal size for us.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE): When we’re not getting rain I will use Organic Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Powder. Unlike eggshells, food-grade diatomaceous earth does work, provided it doesn’t get wet. I can’t use it when it’s raining or when we have heavy dew. Sprinkle it on top of the heads of cauliflower and broccoli and around the base of the plant.
Copper Tape: This will work, but if you have very big beds or garden, it’s going to get costly.
Beer: Cheap beer works just as well as expensive beer. You’ll need a shallow dish, like a Frisbee upside down. Pour the beer in the dish. The slugs will crawl in there and die. They’re attracted to the beer and it kills them. Works very well. The only thing is that you have to replace it with fresh beer and empty the dishes out every day or two.
Between the beer traps, DE, and handpicking I get lovely huge heads of cauliflower and broccoli and keep the slugs out of my lettuce.
Beautiful! Cute pup! I need more Hollyhock in my life. The doubles are SO pretty! How do you handle the ‘rust’ that they sometimes get? Maybe your drier air helps with that?
I use various commercial slug baits here on the shore of Humboldt Bay...
Both look like good books,thanks!
I don’t get rust on my Hollyhocks - I do get that on my roses in the spring. I use hollyhocks to cover up my back fence and the back end of my neighbor’s garage that abuts my property.
I planted those hollyhocks from a six pack from the local nursery - I’m still hoping to get a yellow one.
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