What did you do in the garden today?

[Sueby]

I gave up on SVB & just covered & hand pollinated till about half way through the season, then I uncovered & never had any SVB or squash bugs. Even covered though I still got cucumber beetles, just not as quickly so it wasn't too bad. The dang bugs take all the fun out of gardening.

 

[jerryse]

How does she get such small squash plants? By the time mine flower, even the bush varieties are waist high with leaves well over a foot wide.

I didn't know I need to protect whatever touches the ground. Last year, I tried inspecting the leaves for squash bug eggs and the stems for squash borers. I was successful with the squash bug eggs until I just go way too many leaves and couldn't check them all often enough (or maybe thoroughly enough) but completely failed with the borer entry holes and/or frass until a section was dying, and then failed at the surgery attempt.

This year I'm trying foil around the stem. I need to redo it now that they have enough root growth for the tops to start growing.

Have any of you tried that tangle stuff - meant to give a barrier protection around tree trunks?

I have been thinking of trying the tangle stuff. Also good point about DE in glue.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning all. I think my knee is getting back to normal. I weeded the tomato beds earlier and got most of the very few weeds in the nightshade garden. I also weeded out around my planting of red onions. It looks like the eggshells are working for the bok choy and lima beans. Still waiting for definitive signs of life on the grapevines. The really happy news today is that the corn is starting to emerge. All the rain we got combined with sunshine and warmer temperatures is working its magic. I'm still taking it a bit easier so my knee doesn't relapse. I need to run to the store later this morning, but I think this afternoon I may try to move a bag of mulch or two mulch. a bit. I want to get some mulch and cardboard in the walkway in the big garden to minimize the weed whacking in there.

 

[SheaLoner]

We put our bb poults out in the pasture today too!

Does it count as pasture raised if I just cluck and they follow me around while I do chores?

 

[gtaus]

I used the stainless steel staples, and they show no sign of rusting in 3 years of outdoor duty.

I actually didn't know that you could buy them not stainless steel...

Well, I thought that Arrow T-50 staples were also stainless steel. But evidently not because they are not sold as stainless steel and there are other staples that are clearly marked as stainless steel on the package and they cost 3X as much.

Evidently, the "normal" Arrow T-50 staples are galvanized steel. I found online I could order either the "normal" Arrow T-50 galvanized steel staples or the same sized stainless steel staples which cost 3X as much. Locally, the genuine Arrow T-50 staples were only the "normal" galvanized steel type. I would have to online order stainless steel Arrow staples or go to the off brand that I found at Menards.

It's hard to find any expected life of galvanized steel staples used outdoors. Alexa told me that galvanized steel staples should last for years outside, but it depends on the conditions. Well, I already have my galvanized steel staples holding the wire on my trellis. If the staples fail within this summer, I will update my experience. Otherwise, I think I got my money's worth out of them if they last beyond the growing season.

 

[BReeder!]

Look how BIG they're getting!

My profile pic is DS at 7 or 8 months old. Time really does fly.

 

[TJAnonymous]

interesting.
SVB doesn't just go after the base of the plant, but anywhere on the stems
but school glue dissolves when it gets wet
DE isn't effective wet and glued - it's the loose fossils that cut and tear the insect bits

I wonder if you could do the same thing with kaolin clay and glue? Definitely interesting....

 

[TJAnonymous]

How does she get such small squash plants? By the time mine flower, even the bush varieties are waist high with leaves well over a foot wide.

I didn't know I need to protect whatever touches the ground. Last year, I tried inspecting the leaves for squash bug eggs and the stems for squash borers. I was successful with the squash bug eggs until I just go way too many leaves and couldn't check them all often enough (or maybe thoroughly enough) but completely failed with the borer entry holes and/or frass until a section was dying, and then failed at the surgery attempt.

This year I'm trying foil around the stem. I need to redo it now that they have enough root growth for the tops to start growing.

Have any of you tried that tangle stuff - meant to give a barrier protection around tree trunks?

I was wondering the same thing about the size of her plants. They seem incredibly small...

I wrapped mine with strips from a tshirt that I cut up to make a tshirt rug. It's been very effective so far but was a royal pain to do. I'd rather "paint" it on if that actually works...

 

[TJAnonymous]

I gave up on SVB & just covered & hand pollinated till about half way through the season, then I uncovered & never had any SVB or squash bugs. Even covered though I still got cucumber beetles, just not as quickly so it wasn't too bad. The dang bugs take all the fun out of gardening.

I empathize... I have been growing most of my cucurbits inside the hoop house just because of the SVB. Still dealing with squash bugs though... With the exception of a volunteer pumpkin patch by the compost pile, I didn't start any pumpkins or melons outside the hoop house until much later in the spring. So far I haven't seen any evidence of SVB but I am seeing cucumber bugs.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning gardeners we had a good solid rain yesterday plant are happy.