The Garden Thread - August, 2025

August 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[left that other site]

Good Morning!

Staying Cool!

ML/LTOS

[numberonepal]

I’m starting to gather seeds for Zone 10b garden season. In the fall we can grow some real vegetables.

[AFB-XYZ]

Thanks for the new thread! It seems the year is really flying by.

My sweet corn was doing well until a corn-borer worm came to visit. Now the corn is gone, and all my bell peppers have holes (some large-ish) in the fruits. Caught a worm in the act and quickly sent it to its “reward”. Never had anything even remotely like it before, which coincidentally is the first year I’ve planted corn.

Now I’m seeing small holes chewed in my green beans, but they’re not from a corn-borer worm because I’ve seen a green, round or shield-shaped insect chewing away. It’s a little smaller than a child’s little fingernail. How do I kill these pests? Malathion is out, as I want to be able to eat what grows. Diatomaceous earth doesn’t seem to do the trick — or maybe I’m just impatient.

Would like to have a second planting (of green beans at least) but am not sure how to prevent a re-infestation. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[ArcadeQuarters]

Really bad year. Too much heat, too much rain all at once and I let the weeds get out of control. Time to focus on a Fall/Winter harvest. Cabbage, save me!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have a friend in AZ who is originally from WI. He calls me every February to brag on eating fresh tomatoes while I’m shoveling snow and battling ice. ;)

I don’t blame him; I’d do the same thing! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Good morning! Thanks for that REFRESHING pix! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Any of the organic pest control sprays would work. Flea Beetles are what normally bother green beans.

https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/garden-pests/flea-beetle-control/

[GaltAdonis]

Cabbage is very healthy!

Eat up!
Recipe for sautéed cabbage- Mmmm…

https://www.wellplated.com/sauteed-cabbage/

[AFB-XYZ]

Excellent, many thanks! Knew you would have the knowledge. :-)

Do you know if there are any varieties of flea beetle that are green, though? My research so far hasn’t found any . . . These monsters almost look like very small stink bugs, except they’re lime-green. So frustrating!.

[left that other site]

It’s been so hot here that it was getting to me.

But today, it’s RAINING!

Woo Hoo!

[Paul R.]

When August arrives with this kind of cooler weather and lower humidity, it really is welcome! Wow!!

Anybody getting smoke carried in from Canada?

[Qiviut]

Where in the world has the year gone?

We DID get rain - I heard it about 3 a.m. Unfortunately, we have a puddle of water in the front foyer - roof leak. :-( There’s a dormer window directly over the foyer so no (slate) shingles directly over the leak so I’m betting it’s a flashing problem with water infiltrating into the ceiling over the foyer.

My app said .40, but I think it was more than that. The app shows ‘last 12 hours’ so if you’re within a half hour or so, it’s accurate, after that the ‘average’ starts kicking in. My guess, based on the puddles & river of water going down the driveway when I took out the trash, we got an inch at least. I need to get our rain gauge set up again - it got moved off the patio when mom was washing the slate.

The straw bale garden solves so many of my issues:
I don’t have to get dirt to fill more raised beds.
No weeds.
Composting bales put off warmth so you can start plants earlier.
Easy to trellis.
On the trellis system, you can use row cover, plastic or netting to protect against frost/cold (makes a little ‘greenhouse’), sun, bugs/deer, etc.
You have great compost for the following year.
The garden can easily be moved if you want to change locations.
Bulbs/tubers do well - dahlias & potatoes.
Carrots grow well in bales.
Depending on space, you can have one bale or 20+ & you can put them in places (like next to trees, on a driveway, tight space) where you couldn’t put a raised bed.
Relatively inexpensive - living in a rural/farming area, straw bales at a reasonable price should be fairly easy to come by .... would have to buy wire for trellis, have 2x4s already for supports or to go between T-posts (if I use them - probably will).
Bales are higher than the raised beds - easier on my back.

I cannot believe I forgot all about SBG, even after doing it fairly successfully one year!

For anyone not familiar with SBG, here is Joel Karston’s website:

https://strawbalegardens.com/

[bgill]

Every year I plant seeds. Every year the possums eat the first green leaves. I replant and replant apparently for their pleasure and I get nothing. This year, they left one lonely cucumber vine. Woo hoo, 3 cukes so far!!!

[Liz]

Tuna Crostini with Lemon-Garlic Aioli
Evo brings out citrus flavor; garlic adds depth of flavor.
W/ salad as light dinner or an appy in smaller pieces--sure to be a hit.

Ing to Serve 4 For the lemon-garlic aioli 1 small gar/cl k/s, 3 tsp fresh l/juice 1 tsp lemon zest 1 egg yolk 1⁄2 c evo For the tuna-olive mixture 11⁄2 cups pitted Castelvetrano olives, rough-chp 2 tbl capers, drained 5-7 oz canned tuna, drained 1⁄4 c ea chp parsley, dill, black pepper 4 thick-cut slices country-style bread, toasted

Directions---lemon-garlic aioli made in a mortar and pestle pounding thin-slices garlic to a paste w/ big pinch of salt. Mix in tsp fresh lemon juice, the lemon zest, followed by egg yolk. Whisk the egg yolk mixture vigorously. Slowly and steadily drizzle in the evo (1⁄2 teaspoon at a time). Add the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice and salt.

(If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, finely chop the garlic and use a small, high-sided bowl to whisk the oil into the egg yolk.)

In a medium bowl, add the olives, capers, tuna, parsley, and dill. Toss well to combine, breaking up tuna bite size. S/p; set aside. Spread aioli on one side of toast and top with the tuna-olive mixture and a light drizzle of evo. Can add more dill.

[OftheOhio]

My 3 Okra plants in a pot on the porch are doing well. The Okra is the fattest I’ve ever seen, lol. Peppers galore here too. The heat has been horrible here. We just got a 3 or 4 day break with 80 temps. Hallelujah...

[Blurb2350]

Here's a webpage devoted to green bugs on plants.

[Bon of Babble]

Hello and yes, it's August - my least favorite month - means high temps and hot winds which damage and destroy my garden, little to nothing blooms and getting through this month is all about maintaining what you have to get through the hot, dry winds.

Already looking forward to cooler weather...

Grapes are ready to harvest - not sure of the variety, these are wine grapes and have seeds in them - but are very sweet and juicy:

Tiger Lilies didn't last long in the heat, unfortunately:

The Tiki garden is going strong for now:

My neighbor was throwing away this plant stand:

And, my helpers are hunkering down inside where it is much cooler:

Happy August to All!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

To link to the Previous Garden Thread for July 2025, click below!