BYC gardening thread!!

[lazy gardener]

I had gone camping for 4 days, and when I came back, I had completely lost control of my garden. They had grown way over and everywhere. And the worse part, I saw a couple of squash bugs. Don't even get me started on All the weeds. However, there were some positive points. I have 2 pumpkins growing, and a spaghetti squash. I also had my first zucchini and tomatoes ready to pick. Sorry, thanks for standing my rant.

I've been dealing with them for almost 2 weeks. I'm finding that if I do a deep watering at the base of the plants, the squash bugs come up out of the soil. (don't ask me what they're doing down there!!!) They are then easy to collect and dump in soapy water or stomp on them. My chickens won't eat them.

 

[chickadoodles]

Well the downside to growing things like corn and tomatoes in kiddie pools is their roots don't go deep enough to keep storms from blowing them over, and the pools aren't deep enough to hold stakes. I'm going to try some leftover hardware cloth around the outside of the pool, but I don't think it's tall enough.

GardenNut check out this site, this is the site that Larry Hall has on FB and he is the designer of the kiddie pool gardens and the people on there are very helpful and have all kinds of support's built for their plants.
You have to join the group but it is well worth it. I am on it daily.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/144745362329424/

I have used welded wire for cages to support my tomato plants but not enough support it keeps falling over. So that is why I am suggesting this thread.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: LG they won't get in your traps?

 

[lazy gardener]

What traps?

 

[chickadoodles]

What traps?

I thought I saw you had some kind of bug traps that you were catching bugs and feeding them to your chickens? If I am wrong please forgive me. Was it buckets of water or something?

 

[lazy gardener]

That was a Japanese Beetle trap I'd made from an ammonia jug. There's a pic of in my interview listed at the bottom of my signature line. (last pic.)

 

[chickadoodles]

That was a Japanese Beetle trap I'd made from an ammonia jug. There's a pic of in my interview listed at the bottom of my signature line. (last pic.)

Oh, ok. thank you.
I was just wondering if it would work on the sqash bugs.

 

[derb]

Hi are you growing for your chickens or for yourself? We built into our chicken run one of the raised beds of our garden. I was hoping to plant veggies for the chickens... looking for ideas.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you allow chickens access to it, they will destroy it. Many of us allow chickens to access the garden until spring planting, and after fall harvest. They do a great job tilling, destroying bugs and weeds, and fertilizing the soil.

 

[MistyMountain]

I think I have an earwig problem with the squash and zuchinni leaves. The plants are mature, so they are not getting devistated, but I find a leave or two gnawed down to the stalk every day or so. Suggestions on a non chemical way to keep these guys away?