BYC gardening thread!!

[Arielle]

I've been reading that tomatos are heavy feeders like corn. That actually makes sense as they grow fast and big and put out a lot of fruit to harvest.

The tomato that I planted at a friends house is not much bigger than when planted. I said I would bring her some fertilizer as the sandy soil is very lacking despite the addition of 4 buckets, or was it 3?, of compost.

I'm rethinking the whole fertilizing thing, and now see the need for it.

 

[hippiestink]

My homestead is non-GMO and organic, so I use organic fertilizers, compost, everything as clean as possible. We did a lot of fortifying with our field before planting corn, beans, and melons. We first laid clay, tilled it in. Laid 24 20kg bags of compost, tilled it in. Let the weeds take over, tilled those in. We then planted and my corn is halfway to full height (6-7 ft) and the weeds are coming back in. We just till them back in or uproot them as they come, it helps add organic matter back in the soil. We get nettles everywhere so I welcome the weeds.

 

[1cock2hens]

squash beetles killed half of my crooknecks this year and our going after my punkins now... i think i got them under control though. gross little buggers.. we had to kill them all by hand// there has to be a better way

what would you grow in a spot that had sick squash in it?

 

[hippiestink]

Well I dunno about what to plant for a place that HAD squash, but to keep squash bugs away in the future there's a lot you can do.

1) Interplant with dill, tansy, catnip, radishes (especially the podded rat-tail ones), marigolds, beebalms, mints and nasturtiums. These plants either repel squash bugs or attract their natural predators. This method has reduced my squash bug problem to less than 10% of what it used to be.

2) Cover plants with floating row covers until the flowers appear and then uncover for pollination, or leave covered and hand pollinate. This works really well if you can anchor the row cover to keep it from blowing away in our persistent spring and summer winds.

3) Spray your plants with Surround at Home kaolin clay. It is a fairly new product and research shows it works. You have to plan ahead and have it on hand, though, because it is not easy to find unless you have a nursery that REALLY caters to the organic gardener.

4) Handpick eggs and bugs and destroy them. This is very effective. I have never seen an insecticide/pesticide, organic or synthetic, that really works on squash bugs.

5) Plant the most squash-bug resistant varieties available.

 

[OnlyOrps]

I found a pretty flowers in my horse pasture. Is this a passion flower? Is it useful for anything other than being beautiful? Can I collect seeds or somehow take cuttings or something to plant more around my house to enjoy and not have to trek way out into the pasture?

 

[jerryse]

I found a pretty flowers in my horse pasture. Is this a passion flower? Is it useful for anything other than being beautiful? Can I collect seeds or somehow take cuttings or something to plant more around my house to enjoy and not have to trek way out into the pasture?

Yes that is a passion flower . Seeds are hard to grow . I have had no luck . The native maypop is said to be edible . I would try layering a start .

 

[A-K-A]

I accidently mowed some passion flowers over last year. Did not mark it giid enough. Regretted it we were going to try and propagate them.

 

[OnlyOrps]

Yes that is a passion flower . Seeds are hard to grow . I have had no luck . The native maypop is said to be edible . I would try layering a start .

I'm a total newbie. What is layering a start?

 

[Arielle]

I found a pretty flowers in my horse pasture. Is this a passion flower? Is it useful for anything other than being beautiful? Can I collect seeds or somehow take cuttings or something to plant more around my house to enjoy and not have to trek way out into the pasture?

Very unique, and very pretty in a unique way. Never seen anything like it. Hope you can find a way to propigate it.

 

[jerryse]

I'm a total newbie. What is layering a start?

Just lay a part of the vine on the ground and put some dirt over a spot . Leave some vine sticking out . Roots will form and you can cut it free next year .