2017 Gardening thread

[chunkinlead]

After I started putting Epsom salt on them my squash took off! I'm picking at least this many every day. Also got my first cucumber, green beans, and okra today.


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[SaltwaterSlick]

Well, after watching a lot of you tube videos on treatments for those dang squash borers, I stopped on the way home this evening and got me some BT caterpillar killer and mixed up a solution in a jug. Bought a big syringe and large bore needle. Bunch of you tube folks inject the lower parts of the zucchini and squash plants where the borers enter the plants. Apparently they have very good success in killing them this way before they destroy the plant if you can get to 'em before the plants are too far gone... The other thing they do is split the main stem of the plant and dig out the borers with a probe or inject the BT solution in the split stem. They they cover the stem of the plant above the damage with moist soil in an effort to stimulate the plant to put down new roots above the damaged part of the stem with apparently pretty good success... I did these things to the remaining zucchini and squash plants this evening... I'll keep y'all posted on the results... They were all pretty badly damaged, and I found the little brown dot of eggs on several places on the healthy portions of the plants. I removed all I saw. The little eggs are VERY tiny and hard to see. they are about the size of a period on a printed page.

[txtimetravler]

What is BT?

[ItsLeo]

Okra is comin' on!! Had a small cutting on Wednesday of last week... This was Sunday afternoon's cutting... 2 water buckets full, and by Tuesday, there's gonna be that much more...

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We do have a problem with the zucchini plants... They're healthy and full of blooms one day, then the next day all wilted and just die... I'm thinking borer's or something. I cut the stalk/stem of one to try to find any insect or caterpillar... Only thing I found was a mushy, rotting stem and this one had these tiny little "balls" of egg like things... Anyone know what the problem is? Only have about 4 plants left. Fortunately, they have all bared very well, but don't want the "bug" to spread to other plants and cannot seem to identify it...
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They got my squash too Had to yank all the plants this morning.

[SaltwaterSlick]

What is BT?

Bacillus thuringiensis (aka “Bt”)

Here's a good link for more reading. It does not mention injecting BT into the stems of the plants, but I saw that on a couple YouTube videos.

https://www.growjourney.com/prevent-stop-squash-vine-borers/#.WUk5wOvyvb0

[txtimetravler]

Bacillus thuringiensis (aka “Bt”)



Here's a good link for more reading. It does not mention injecting BT into the stems of the plants, but I saw that on a couple YouTube videos.



https://www.growjourney.com/prevent-.../#.WUk5wOvyvb0

Thx for the read. Looks like I have some work to do next year. I lost my plants this year.

I may try squash in the fall.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Thx for the read. Looks like I have some work to do next year. I lost my plants this year.

I may try squash in the fall.

One of the articles I read and a couple of the YouTube videos referenced the Squash Vine borer has an annual cycle, so once all the adults for this year are "done" the pupal larvae in the ground stay dormant until next spring so fall squash usually do not have an infestation and production is much higher... still have to deal with squash bugs (stink bugs), but they're pretty easy to control with liquid Sevin...

Here are the pics I took this evening of our plants after I did the surgery to remove borers and inject the stems with the BT. As recommended, I covered the damaged stems with moist soil to encourage root growth beyond the damaged portion... After 2 days, it appears all but a couple plants are surviving. If the others don't "perk up" by the weekend, I'll remove them The plants that I removed I threw into the chicken pen... ain't no borer gonna survive that!! Plants were pretty much picked to pieces by this afternoon..












There seems to be new growth already and healthy blooms... got my fingers crossed!

[Texas Grown]

Sounds like chickens can be heroes.

I sure wish that chicken bill would have passed.

[Texas Grown]

Spent the morning building this. Already full of stuff I had started.
Although I have a few plants growing this year, I'm really prepping for next year. Thinking about going mostly container since I have found an almost endless supply of 4 gallon containers. Or at least I think they are 4 gallon. I'll have to get some more and measure one of the taller ones. Just picked up a 2 gallon water can yesterday. There will probably be some stuff I may still put in the ground.

The fish are biting, and there's hogs to be kilt. Gotta go!

[txtimetravler]

What is it...compost tea brewer?

[Texas Grown]

What is it...compost tea brewer?

Lol! I do drink a lot of sun tea in the summer. About a gallon a day. Sometimes a bit more. And yes, there are tea leaves in it. Along with red oak leaves, grass clippings, egg shells, shredded newspaper, and coffee grinds.

It's a compost barrel. Got a bunch of 1/4" holes drilled all over it. I got tired of beating my back up with a pitchfork. All I have to do with this is give it a few spins evry few days. And make sure it stays moist. Built it tall enough to slide a bucket or wheelbarrow under. The door is not in the pic. It's on the other side of the barrel.

The fish are biting, and there's hogs to be kilt. Gotta go!

[Texas Grown]

Now that you brought it to my attention, I probably should plant some tea!

The fish are biting, and there's hogs to be kilt. Gotta go!

[txtimetravler]

Old wash tubs make good compost barrels.

You could have another barrel next to that to make compost tea. And then apply it to the garden with a hose.

I like the height...good thinking.

[Texas Grown]

I did get another barrel for rainwater. My poly trash cans are not holding up to well. I had bought 8 poly cans back in 2005 cause the company I was working for would give me about 1500lbs of corn at a time. They used it to test the products we built. Then had to dispose of it after testing. So I was getting about 1500lbs a month. And would store it in the poly cans till I ran out. Company got it from the local feed mill. The cans still work for dryed goods. Just not for holding rainwater.

The fish are biting, and there's hogs to be kilt. Gotta go!

[tbeak]

Pulled a few beets, peas, lettuce and spinach. Spinach is about played out with the heat. Lettuce is doing great.