What did you do in the garden today?

[Rick589]

Last year, I didn't have any problems with squash bugs. Squash vine borer and powdery mildew were my issues.

I did have squash bugs on my butternut squash a few years ago, lots of them. I'd read that planting daikon radishes among the squash plants deters them. I had done that several years before and not had any squash bugs, so I'm doing it again this year. You just plant a few daikons, scattered in with the squash vines, and let them grow, flower, and go to seed.

I'd read that the entire radish plant is edible, even the seed pods. Some people pickle them. I ate an immature seed pod: it tasted like radish.

Thank You. I’ve heard that and not being a radish guy I never think about planting them……BUT it would be nice to plant some zucchini and not have to fight EVERY…..SINGLE….DAY!!!

 

[TJAnonymous]

Squash bugs just tear me up when we grow zucchini, or pumpkin.

It's usually the nymphs that cause the destruction. If you check under the leaves regularly, you can usually easily spot the eggs. I use a fingernail and just scrape them off. It's also clear that squash bugs (like SVB) are not a fan of the kaolin clay. It works very nicely as a deterrent. I've found a lot fewer eggs since spraying it on the foliage. The main downside is that it washes off in heavy rain and you have to respray at least once a week to cover the new growth. But it's organic and easily washes off your produce.

 

[Sally PB]

Yesterday, I saw my first potato beetle. Not on a potato plant, up on an asparagus frond. Nice to let me know they are in the area now, so I'll be on the lookout for them.

 

[Sally PB]

I have found a LOT fewer asparagus beetles this year. I kill the beetles and get rid of any eggs I find on the plants.

Last year, I took all the dead asparagus plants and burned them in the burn barrel. I think that made a difference. I'll be doing it every fall now.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Have you ever considered starting seed rather than buying plants?

Yeah I used to start from seed all the time, every year actually, but it just got too much for me/us so then last year we switched over to just buying the started plants and it’s been much easier and better for us. We have a fairly small garden so we don’t need a lot of plants or anything so it works out. I appreciate the suggestion though.

When I say small… there’s only 3 tomatoes planted right now and I think my family wants 1 more (a cherry of some kind) and I want maybe 2 peppers (I’d settle for 1), and then same for the squash (1-2). So yeah. One year at our old house I did cucumbers and green beans too. That was awesome. That garden was MUCH bigger though. A couple years I’ve done eggplant too but nobody really eats it or at least not likes to LOL except the year I made eggplant parm. so I won’t grow that one again.

ANYWAYS! I’m rambling now, apologies, but point being, yes, I’ve considered it and did it for several years and if I had a huge garden where I needed like 100+ plants or something, I’d probably consider it again but right now, buying them works better for us. Especially since I would always go nuts and plant like 30+ of a type when I only needed 1-5 at most and then have to cull the rest and throw them out or something. I hated doing that. It always felt like such a waste to me. I guess I could have maybe given them away but a lot of people have their own gardens here so I doubt anybody would have wanted them. So yeah.

That’s why I don’t start from seed anymore.

 

[ShrekDawg]

There is plenty of time for zucchini and summer squash. I planted zucchini seeds in July last year and got plenty of squash.

Awesome!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Squash bugs just tear me up when we grow zucchini, or pumpkin.

I got some towards the very end of the season but I still got quite a bit of squash thankfully. Then other years, like a couple times at my old house, they would attack right in mid season and I would barely get anything cause the plant would die before I had a chance to.

 

[Rick589]

I got some towards the very end of the season but I still got quite a bit of squash thankfully. Then other years, like a couple times at my old house, they would attack right in mid season and I would barely get anything cause the plant would die before I had a chance to.

I feel your pain

 

[WthrLady]

I had a 6 hours date with the zero turn mower. Bleh

 

[Rick589]

Yeah I used to start from seed all the time, every year actually, but it just got too much for me/us so then last year we switched over to just buying the started plants and it’s been much easier and better for us. We have a fairly small garden so we don’t need a lot of plants or anything so it works out. I appreciate the suggestion though.

When I say small… there’s only 3 tomatoes planted right now and I think my family wants 1 more (a cherry of some kind) and I want maybe 2 peppers (I’d settle for 1), and then same for the squash (1-2). So yeah. One year at our old house I did cucumbers and green beans too. That was awesome. That garden was MUCH bigger though. A couple years I’ve done eggplant too but nobody really eats it or at least not likes to LOL except the year I made eggplant parm. so I won’t grow that one again.

ANYWAYS! I’m rambling now, apologies, but point being, yes, I’ve considered it and did it for several years and if I had a huge garden where I needed like 100+ plants or something, I’d probably consider it again but right now, buying them works better for us. Especially since I would always go nuts and plant like 30+ of a type when I only needed 1-5 at most and then have to cull the rest and throw them out or something. I hated doing that. It always felt like such a waste to me. I guess I could have maybe given them away but a lot of people have their own gardens here so I doubt anybody would have wanted them. So yeah.

That’s why I don’t start from seed anymore.

I can understand that. We always tend to over plant (a bit) but then again we can, freeze, or pickle nearly everything we grow. Sort of a game with me, how far removed from the grocery store can I get?