Gardening 2023

[Jaybird1980]

Earlier this spring, I had gotten 6 yards of good soil mix from a local landscaper to put in some of my raised beds. I'd gotten the same soil last year to fill one bed and my peppers grew like gang-busters in it. So I decided to dig the clay out of three of the other beds and get more of that good soil so that my plants might look as nice as the one in the pictures that you guys post.

The soil looked fine when I put it in. and the tomatoes and sweet potatoes seem fine, but very few seeds are sprouting. I can put water on it as long as I want, but then if I scrape off the surface, it's dry as a bone underneath. First I tried Dawn soap in a hose-end sprayer to act as a surfactant, and that seemed to be working, but I didn't want to use too much of that and risk my plants. Tomorrow I'm going to put a thick layer of straw and leaves over the exposed areas and see if that does anything.

Have any of you ever used one of the commercial soil wetting agents? I know they're popular in the south for use on lawns during hot dry spells, but I've never used them.

You need to get a lot of organic matter mixed in. Compost, leaves, clippings, manure, straw etc.

 

[Expat]

I have these little worms that are killing of my melon seedlings. They eat the stem down to nothing right under the soil line. About a 1/2" long or less.

Anybody know what it is.

View attachment 280915

View attachment 280916

Root maggot would be my guess.

https://vegcropshotline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/OnionMaggotsDmgGarlicClose.jpg

 

[Magyars]

I have these little worms that are killing of my melon seedlings. They eat the stem down to nothing right under the soil line. About a 1/2" long or less.

Anybody know what it is.

View attachment 280915
diatomaceous earth should do the trick

diatomaceous earth

 

[Expat]

In the good old days I would have suggested drowning the soil around it with diazinon. That was some good ****, so they outlawed it.

 

[BluePig]

Cucumbers are looking good.

 

[bwframe]

Bug ID?

 

[Jaybird1980]

Boxelder

 

[BigRed]

Tomato plants took off like a shot this weekend.

 

[patience0830]

Tomato plants took off like a shot this weekend.

Still have three of my late ones in the red plastic water-filled teepee. Others are looking good after the recent rain.

 

[Mgderf]

I think I screwed up.
I planted 27 potato plants this year, among other things.
I like potatoes, but it's just me.

I might be giving away a lot of potatoes, or maybe I'll start making vodka.
Maybe I should build an old-fashioned potato gun...

So many choices

 

[Cameramonkey]

Something is obviously up with my soil nutrients. They are out of whack.

My sugar snap peas this year are pitiful. I used to have them climb my 4' chain link fence, and used to have to consider adding additional height. And when they did finally flower at 4+ feet, I couldnt keep up with fruit production. I'd pick about a half gallon a week.

This year the vines grew only 6-10" before producing fruit. And I can walk away from a picking session with just one zip up sweatshirt pocket not even full.

And one of my tomato plants started flowering after only doubling in size in a couple weeks . (from 4" to 8-10" tall)

I recall there are certain nutrients that will cause the plant to flower and fruit prematurely, and others will cause the plant to grow and grow and grow before producing fruit.

So what did I end up with too much of?


EDIT: and in the lesser quality section of my garden where I usually put the vining stuff but the wife insisted on me planting beans, only one single solitary green bean plant germinated, and the spinach I planted stopped growing at 4" and turned yellow. But this add-on is more of just a rant against the wife who insisted I plant the beans there (even though she knows nothing about gardening)

 

[bwframe]

Something is obviously up with my soil nutrients. They are out of whack.

My sugar snap peas this year are pitiful. I used to have them climb my 4' chain link fence, and used to have to consider adding additional height. And when they did finally flower at 4+ feet, I couldnt keep up with fruit production. I'd pick about a half gallon a week.

This year the vines grew only 6-10" before producing fruit. And I can walk away from a picking session with just one zip up sweatshirt pocket not even full.

And one of my tomato plants started flowering after only doubling in size in a couple weeks . (from 4" to 8-10" tall)

I recall there are certain nutrients that will cause the plant to flower and fruit prematurely, and others will cause the plant to grow and grow and grow before producing fruit.

So what did I end up with too much of?


EDIT: and in the lesser quality section of my garden where I usually put the vining stuff but the wife insisted on me planting beans, only one single solitary green bean plant germinated, and the spinach I planted stopped growing at 4" and turned yellow. But this add-on is more of just a rant against the wife who insisted I plant the beans there (even though she knows nothing about gardening)

Maybe you can bring things back with some fertilizing? Compost tea? Miracle Grow?


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[hooky]

Something is obviously up with my soil nutrients. They are out of whack.

My sugar snap peas this year are pitiful. I used to have them climb my 4' chain link fence, and used to have to consider adding additional height. And when they did finally flower at 4+ feet, I couldnt keep up with fruit production. I'd pick about a half gallon a week.

This year the vines grew only 6-10" before producing fruit. And I can walk away from a picking session with just one zip up sweatshirt pocket not even full.

And one of my tomato plants started flowering after only doubling in size in a couple weeks . (from 4" to 8-10" tall)

I recall there are certain nutrients that will cause the plant to flower and fruit prematurely, and others will cause the plant to grow and grow and grow before producing fruit.

So what did I end up with too much of?


EDIT: and in the lesser quality section of my garden where I usually put the vining stuff but the wife insisted on me planting beans, only one single solitary green bean plant germinated, and the spinach I planted stopped growing at 4" and turned yellow. But this add-on is more of just a rant against the wife who insisted I plant the beans there (even though she knows nothing about gardening)

Typically, nitrogen will cause the growth and phosphorous will help plants grow and set more fruit. They both need to be readily available to the plant though and uptake depends on lots of factors. Cold weather, soil Ph, will inhibit the plants ability to use both.

Take some soil samples and let your county extension agent help

Purdue Extension

Purdue Extension is Indiana's educational partner for life. Select your county, find local and online events, follow us on social media and read our latest news articles.

extension.purdue.edu

If you're buying compost or topsoil, anything could be in there. You read stories about people buying horse and cattle manure only to find out that they were fed hay and grass sprayed with Grazon. It doesn't break down in the composting process and will stunt or kill plants in the garden when it's top dressed.

So many things can go wrong and it can be tough to figure out where to start.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Typically, nitrogen will cause the growth and phosphorous will help plants grow and set more fruit. They both need to be readily available to the plant though and uptake depends on lots of factors. Cold weather, soil Ph, will inhibit the plants ability to use both.

Take some soil samples and let your county extension agent help

Purdue Extension

Purdue Extension is Indiana's educational partner for life. Select your county, find local and online events, follow us on social media and read our latest news articles.

extension.purdue.edu

If you're buying compost or topsoil, anything could be in there. You read stories about people buying horse and cattle manure only to find out that they were fed hay and grass sprayed with Grazon. It doesn't break down in the composting process and will stunt or kill plants in the garden when it's top dressed.

So many things can go wrong and it can be tough to figure out where to start.

I've used A&L Great Lakes in the past. Sounds like its time for another sample.

 

[Expat]

I have never fertilized my peas and they always do well. They fix their own nitrogen into their roots. There is some kind of enzyme they sell that is supposed to help with that but I have never used it. You definitely have something going on but we don't know what you have added to your soil. I see people add lime when up here anyway, the soil needs sulphur instead (pH issues). People will put their grass clippings on the garden after treating their yard with some kind of weed killer on it.

 

[Jaybird1980]

If your PH gets to far out of whack then the plants can't use the nitrogen or nutrients correctly.

I like Expat have to add sulphur, so a soil sample should help you sort it out.

 

[Blazer90]

How in the world do you all get rid of the annoying Voles ?? They wrecking havoc on my garden !

 

[Cameramonkey]

How in the world do you all get rid of the annoying Voles ?? They wrecking havoc on my garden !

Victor® Mole & Gopher Poison Peanuts - 1 Pack

New

www.victorpest.com

 

[Expat]

I used to have a colony of feral cats that kept them and the damn rabbits under control. Now I seem to be in the same box as you.

 

[bwframe]

How in the world do you all get rid of the annoying Voles ?? They wrecking havoc on my garden !

Mousetraps with peanut butter next to their hole. Under a 5 gallon bucket.


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