Maine

[hoppy]

someone was asking about tomato diseases. here is a great website to figure out what the problem is and how to treat it.
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/DiagnosticKeys/TomLeaf/TomLeafKey.html

 

[MEMama3]

don't replant your peas yet, they like cool weather. I've have a huge crop of chard, i don't plant spinich any more, it always bolted on me. cauliflower is really slow this yr that I asked a co  worker to start some more for me in her greenhouse and even she said it was really slow. I planted my potatos (both sweet and white) in straw bales this yr, just to try, so far they are doing great and when they are ready to harvest, just cut the string all the potatos will fall right out.
I've had great luck with lettuce, my first yr that it didn't taste aweful. i planted 6 different kinds.  beans are doing great. for lettuce, try new red fire,green star, coastal star romaine and tropicana, these are heat tolerant.

I love the straw bale idea. I just googled it and apparently there are lots of things you can plant in straw.

 

[MustardTiger]

THanks for the encouragement

My brassicas are getting eaten before they can get established. The ones I direct seeded out early in the season made it but the more recent ones are not :/

 

[cyndischicks]

I love the straw bale idea. I just googled it and apparently there are lots of things you can plant in straw.

I decided to try potatoes in trash cans this year and they seem to be doing great! All of my squashes are doing good as are cukes and tomatoes. I also am trying another thing I read, I took a bag of topsoil laid it on the grass where I want to start a new area cut the top off and mixed in some peat and coposted manure and planted pumpkins, they seem to be doing pretty good. DH didn't think it would work but so far so good!

 

[lazy gardener]

I did hay and straw bale gardening last year, but found that it required far too much attention with daily watering. Otherwise, the concept is a good one. I'm back to traditional gardening this year, all crops in the soil, lots of mulch, and the potatoes never get hilled, just heavily mulched. An other thing that I've been doing with fair success is interplanting corn with potatoes.

I think my pullets have mites. Have found very tiny little spider like insects crawling on the eggs. Have closely inspected the pullets and have not found any thing on them. Planning to pick up some stuff at TSC today. What do you all recommend? I'm leaning toward DE and Sevin in the nest boxes, although I hate to use chemicals. The lower area of the coop is deep litter grass clippings over sod, upper area is deep litter shavings, as well as shavings in the nest boxes. There's no way that I can completely clean out the bottom of the coop. Any recommendations? I've read a few threads that say that you have to re-treat one week later due to hatching of the next generation. However, I have not found anything that indicates how long the adults live. Words of wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[cyndischicks]

I did hay and straw bale gardening last year, but found that it required far too much attention with daily watering. Otherwise, the concept is a good one. I'm back to traditional gardening this year, all crops in the soil, lots of mulch, and the potatoes never get hilled, just heavily mulched. An other thing that I've been doing with fair success is interplanting corn with potatoes.

I think my pullets have mites. Have found very tiny little spider like insects crawling on the eggs. Have closely inspected the pullets and have not found any thing on them. Planning to pick up some stuff at TSC today. What do you all recommend? I'm leaning toward DE and Sevin in the nest boxes, although I hate to use chemicals. The lower area of the coop is deep litter grass clippings over sod, upper area is deep litter shavings, as well as shavings in the nest boxes. There's no way that I can completely clean out the bottom of the coop. Any recommendations? I've read a few threads that say that you have to re-treat one week later due to hatching of the next generation. However, I have not found anything that indicates how long the adults live. Words of wisdom would be appreciated.

I use DE. I haven't had any problems I had read an article on deep liter and it said to put a sprinkling of DE down before you put new shavings, after looking it up it is safe to use and I have read it works. I have started using it on my dog since reading an article in Mother Earth News on natural flea repellents. Hope that helps!
I have never tried the hay and straw I have raised beds and ran out of room this year which is why I did potatoes in trash cans and am trying the top soil thing so I can expand in the fall.

 

[ashandvine]

THanks for the encouragement

My brassicas are getting eaten before they can get established. The ones I direct seeded out early in the season made it but the more recent ones are not :/

Have you tried Mache or Orach? What about mustard greens? Mustards for Mustard Tiger ? Regarding the seedlings being eaten I use milk/oj jugs as cloches. Cut off the bottom and leave the cap open. Ta da, instant, recyclable and cheap cloche.

I think my pullets have mites. Have found very tiny little spider like insects crawling on the eggs. Have closely inspected the pullets and have not found any thing on them. Planning to pick up some stuff at TSC today. What do you all recommend? I'm leaning toward DE and Sevin in the nest boxes, although I hate to use chemicals.

Wash with soap and water anyone who is seriously infested. Borax the coop area. DE is fine. I don't use Sevin, too harmful to other things for my taste. I use Frontline. I had a long time breeder and poultry judge tell me to use it. I am so so so grateful. It worked great. A drop under each wing, between each leg and at the vent-- and if you have crested birds you should put a drop on their heads. I also find that tea tree is a helpful step in between. Lavender oil might be a gentler alternative if you have it. I had a Polish cap that was really bad off. Mites and lice at the same time. Talk about gross. Frontline from Walmart was the best deal we found. Fast intervention will save lives. Lice and mites suck the birds to bone in rapid time.

 

[lazy gardener]

I use DE. I haven't had any problems I had read an article on deep liter and it said to put a sprinkling of DE down before you put new shavings, after looking it up it is safe to use and I have read it works. I have started using it on my dog since reading an article in Mother Earth News on natural flea repellents. Hope that helps!
I have never tried the hay and straw I have raised beds and ran out of room this year which is why I did potatoes in trash cans and am trying the top soil thing so I can expand in the fall.

Would DE from the feed store be ok? Nothing on the packaging says that it is food grade. I didn't buy any today, b/c I wasn't sure. Described the insects to the "poultry expert" at TSC, and he said that it didn't sound like anything serious, and he thought that since I haven't found any bugs on the birds, that it was just a passing thing, but I think I will feel better doing something! However, I only saw a couple today, and perhaps, by the time I get it sorted out what to use, it will be a non issue.

Re: running out of space in the garden... I do that every year! I highly recommend a book called "Lasagna Gardening". Author's last name is Lanza. Basically, you start with newspaper or cardboard right over the sod, then build a layered compost heap about 2' high, and let it cook all winter if you build it in the fall. You can also do it in the spring, and plant directly into it when it's finished, but better in the fall. No tilling involved.

 

[lazy gardener]

Have you tried Mache or Orach? What about mustard greens? Mustards for Mustard Tiger ? Regarding the seedlings being eaten I use milk/oj jugs as cloches. Cut off the bottom and leave the cap open. Ta da, instant, recyclable and cheap cloche.
Wash with soap and water anyone who is seriously infested. Borax the coop area. DE is fine. I don't use Sevin, too harmful to other things for my taste. I use Frontline. I had a long time breeder and poultry judge tell me to use it. I am so so so grateful. It worked great. A drop under each wing, between each leg and at the vent-- and if you have crested birds you should put a drop on their heads. I also find that tea tree is a helpful step in between. Lavender oil might be a gentler alternative if you have it. I had a Polish cap that was really bad off. Mites and lice at the same time. Talk about gross. Frontline from Walmart was the best deal we found. Fast intervention will save lives. Lice and mites suck the birds to bone in rapid time.

Have not found a single bug on the birds, which is puzzling. After finding some bugs on one egg, I would expect the birds to be infested. Will go out tonight with a flashlight and do a closer inspection. If I use a topical, how long to let the eggs go before safe to eat again??

 

[mlowen]

Have not found a single bug on the birds, which is puzzling.  After finding some bugs on one egg, I would expect the birds to be infested.  Will go out tonight with a flashlight and do a closer inspection.  If I use a topical, how long to let the eggs go before safe to eat again??

Wood ash in their dust bath helps to keep down the mites...and no waiting to eat eggs.