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It's freakin' attack of the aphids over here... my mom was in town and I was showing off my garden when I noticed a bunch of tiny white bugs on Mr. Stripey (tomato plant). This morning I put two teaspoons of liquid dish soap in a bottle, mixed it with warm water, and sprayed everything! So, now my question is this: Do they abandon ship or die off? I realize this may be a constant battle, but I want to try and avoid putting any chemicals on the plants if I can help it. Anyone have further suggestions?
Good on you for using soap, because a healthy garden keeps itself in balance through a complicated system of cause-and-effect rather than by relying on human intervention.
For example: wherever aphids go, ladybugs are close behind. One reason so many gardeners (not necessarily you) have severe aphid problems is that they see a big aphid bloom and just as the ladybugs are showing up to re-balance the aphid population naturally, the gardener Sevins the hell out of everything -- thus killing off the ladybugs and any other predators being drawn to the aphid overpopulation.
Neem oil works on aphids, and even homemade hot pepper spray. I've heard of people having success simply hosing the aphids off.
Damn, I'm going to miss my garden while I'm at Bonnaroo. Guaranteed that three or four times during the festival you'll find me in the little growing exhibit in Centeroo, where I'll be suckering the tomatoes.
It's freakin' attack of the aphids over here... my mom was in town and I was showing off my garden when I noticed a bunch of tiny white bugs on Mr. Stripey (tomato plant). This morning I put two teaspoons of liquid dish soap in a bottle, mixed it with warm water, and sprayed everything! So, now my question is this: Do they abandon ship or die off? I realize this may be a constant battle, but I want to try and avoid putting any chemicals on the plants if I can help it. Anyone have further suggestions?
Post by rideincircles on Jun 15, 2011 17:45:09 GMT -5
My garden gave me a bunch of tomatoes when I was gone and my dad's friend was watering it, but this 100 degree Texas heat is kicking it's ass in places. Pretty much lost all my sugar snap peas and quite a few other plants. My cucumbers did way better last year also.
No biggie though, I can't dictate nature, only grow it when the time is right.
Post by rideincircles on Jun 30, 2011 14:51:57 GMT -5
Any more updates? I am still getting handfuls of cherry tomatoes everyday. My watermelon and cantaloupe were both really tiny. I have 2 cucumber plants that look like they will be fine and my pepper are mostly still alive. Got a few onions, but most are really small. Basil is doing good, most of my large tomato plants have stopped producing. My corn pretty much sucked, but my okra plants are starting to get bigger. Squash and zuchini plants are pretty much dead.
This 100 degree heat pretty much murders my plants except for the areas in good shade.
Reminder for the gardeners just now facing the heat... Water is of course crucial but also feed feed feed. 'Specially the tomatoes. They need fertilzer/miracle grow/food no less than once every two weeks once fruit is on the vine. Every week is best.
We switched up this year and put in a small (6X8) raised bed with lots of 'good' growing dirt/mix. And heeded my mentors advice of feed feed feed. Bumper crop coming of tomatoes (cherry, average, and beefsteak), three types of peppers, and the herbs are growing to fast to harvest. (We discovered certain butterflies love parsley and are currently growing our second butterfly. Yay!) Jealous of the growing season below us. : )
Well, I'm afraid I won't have any pumpkins this year
By this time last year, I already had flowers. I keep checking the spot and watering it, just in case. There's some stuff that might be the start of pumpkins (or weed, ya know I'm not keen on what's what) but it's not very big. I'll keep my fingers crossed by I don't have my hopes up.
Post by rideincircles on Oct 19, 2011 23:29:53 GMT -5
After dealing with 71 days of 100+ temperatures this year, my garden was pretty much annihilated. All tomato plants were destroyed along with 85% of everything else. Still managed to keep some pepper and basil plants alive along with an eggplant, rosemary and asparagus.
It was doing great until it became the worst summer ever. Still have some jalepenos rosemary and basil at least.
Post by rideincircles on Jan 17, 2012 12:04:20 GMT -5
Bump. still have a few things growing through the winter. Had a random cilantro patch which is doing great, a lot of lettuce that sprouted from the seeds of earlier plants, a ton of dill that sprouted on its own and some garlic and strawberries I planted. I don't think my rosemary will ever die. Also have a broccoli plant going. Didn't really plant much for the winter, some things grew themselves.
About to start planting some seeds to get ready for after the frost is over. Gonna be really picky on what I plant this year. Also tilled in some compost and soil to my raised bed and built a new compost bin over the holidays.
Started making a box garden this past weekend. I am working with my Dad, we plan on having two lots, about 60' X 4', he will have his and I will have mine. We started on his and mine will go next to it. In this pic. Dad is working on the sides to his box, yes that is cardboard. I know, it is hard to change the mind of a stubborn 72 yr old man.
He is talking about "Lasagna" gardening? IDK, I am new to this, but goona follow him, make changes to my lot and hope to get some tips from here.
Post by rideincircles on Feb 16, 2012 15:25:31 GMT -5
Right now is the prime time to have seeds started indoors. Considering how ridiculous last summer was, I started seeds indoors mid January. I recommend getting plants and herbs from farmers markets and nurseries instead of walmart or loews which is usually more expensive. This year I am gonna grow al sorts of stuff and have 125 seedlings planted with about 2/3 sprouted. I made a makeshift greenhouse using clear platic bags and some fence to put my plants outside when it's not cold, but they have been indoors the past few days.
In regards to the picture above, cardboard siding won't last if it's being used to support dirt. Wood won't last that long for that matter, but will make it through a couple of years.
Post by jesstacular on Feb 19, 2012 11:31:20 GMT -5
I'm excited I found this thread, because I'm in a gardening frame of mind. Yesterday was "Seedy Saturday" in my city - an edible gardening/seed swapping day. So now I have most of my seeds, and just need to make a calendar of when to start what.
I live in an apartment, but I have a massive balcony. I'm still pretty new at it, but I do a big container garden. Last year I grew basil, thyme, oregano, cilantro, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, radishes, carrots (they failed), cucumbers (also mostly failed - I need to self-pollinate this year), mini eggplants, lettuce mix, strawberries. . . I think that's it.
Started making a box garden this past He is talking about "Lasagna" gardening? IDK, I am new to this, but goona follow him, make changes to my lot and hope to get some tips from here.
I've been reading about lasagna gardening (despite the fact that I have no land), and it's basically all about piling different types of materials in layers so it will turn into lovely soil, and you don't have to till your own soil. But I understood that it took about a year to work. . . though maybe it's different down where it's hotter?
Yeah the more I read about it, what we are doing now should have been done last year, but going to top it off with some good soil and hope something grows.
Post by rideincircles on Apr 4, 2012 22:29:02 GMT -5
How's everyone coming along?
I am about 80% planted. The majority of plants I have in the ground were purchased and about 25% are grown from seeds. This year i am going crazy on different varieties. I have over a dozen different types of tomatoes and probably peppers also. I am much better organized this year than last and have much more knowledge of how, what and when to plant. I still need to fill up my raised bed herb garden, I am trying to make it a perennial garden for the most part other than basil onions and a few other things.
Here is one of my recent pictures.
I have another plot also which I am going to try and plant most of it from seeds.
Probably my favorite thing I am growing this year is purple tmatillos. I did not know they existed until I saw the seed packets. HAve two of them planted but may throw a couple more seeds in the ground just because you can't find them anywhere.
No summer garden (or Roo either, boo-hoo…) for me this year because the family and I are taking a 10-week trip out west beginning in early June.
So it's just a spring garden this year, which is already doing very well. A couple of different kinds of lettuce, a bunch of herbs, a bajillion strawberry plants, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and of course my two big asparagus patches. All of which are thriving thanks to the warm, frost-free weather that came to East Tennessee so early. I was harvesting the first asparagus in late February, which is unheard of around here.
Oh, are there any fruit growers in this thread? The mini-orchard I planted about five years ago is finally bearing...we look to have apples, pears, and peaches this year.
Alright, so it's not really a garden, but I'm growing basil and a tomato plant in pots. I've done the basil before, so that's no problem, but the tomato is all new to me. It seems to be doing ok, but I'm a bit nervous that the pot isn't big enough. How do you know? Also most of the new growth and buds are on the top of the plant.... so what can I do to prevent the stem from snapping when I get little 'maters growing up there?
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So excited to find this thread. First, I love gardening and I have been doing it since 2. Even when I lived in an apartment, I had pots for plants and grew flowers. I laugh at my wife because every time she touches a plant, she kills it. This summer we are doing construction where I normally garden, but we do have the herbs started and are planting flowers shortly. Chives are already up and I am having to pick off the heads. Mint just shot up in the last week! (Just in time for the derby!) Oregano is going strong, and the thai basil and sweet basil are budding!
Herbs are easy though. I miss my plants and flowers. Hope everyone else is having a great spring bloom.
Post by rideincircles on May 22, 2012 17:37:39 GMT -5
How are the gardens coming along? I am now getting tomatoes every day. Lots of other stuff also. I harvested a watermelon and cut into while it was still unripe. Have lots more on their way.
Right now my main concern is how dry it is in Texas. It has rained maybe an inch since MArch and doesn't look like any is in the forecast. This is one reason why I started early. Last year's 70 days of 100+ temperatures murdered my garden.
I have a fairly large garden going, I think I pared it down to around 25'x35' when I planted. I have russet and red potatoes, okra, green beans, carrots, onions, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, mesclun greens, radishes, cucumbers, corn, spaghetti squash, small, large and white pumpkins, 16 tomato plants, one cayenne and 5 bell pepper plants. I also have basil, rosemary and oregano in a planter on the deck.
This is the first time I've even attempted a garden this large so I'm surprised that it's doing as well as it is. Most of my russet potatoes didn't come up and a few of my red potatoes didn't either. I don't know what happened there, but at least the ones that I do have look good. It's a waiting game to see how well the potatoes and carrots are going to produce.
I would throw a picture of my garden up here but it honestly looks like my 11 year old planted it. It kinda looks pathetic because it's so sloppy. My rows aren't straight and it's weedier than I would like but it's still doing well. I'll let you all know if I end up killing it by mid-summer.