Search found 189 matches for Lemonie

To those of you with compost tumblers

Fresh urine can heat up a pile pretty quickly.

Just saying....

Did companion planting work for you???

I'm working on garden layout planning and realized I focused a lot the last 2 seasons on companion planting for pest prevention since I have attempted to be as organic as possible. While everything took off and grew beautifully, almost all was lost around harvest time to pests. I am re-arming myself with lots more natural tricks to prevent the buggers, but gave up a lot of space for marigolds, nasturtiums and such to no avail (that I could see). Maybe I'll attempt to plant those types in containers on the outside instead so I can at least use my limited squares for more veggies this year?

Anyone had similar thoughts/ideas? I just don't want to "waste" the little bit of space I have....though I do love the visual appeal of the flowers.

Yogurt containers

I used to get tons of the individual store brand ones and liked them for seed starters. The yoplait ones have a bit of a narrowing at the top that may cause root damage when removing the plant. I now buy the large containers, since we go through so much yogurt, and will be using those for up potting again this year.

Small wicking box experiment

Very interesting experiment. I would also think that an effective wicking box needs an effective wick. I have 4 wicking boxes (2- 2x12, 2- 2x6) and found that the various materials I used as wicks (mostly old shirts and blankets stuffed inside plastic coffee cans with holes) work well when the cistern box is at least 1/2 full but need to be kept very full during dry times or the plants show stress. At one point, my heavy feeders (corn and sunflowers) roots had completely taken over the wicking basket and became very hard to pry up at the end of the season. Last year, I installed an effective gavity fed watering grid from a large IBC tote for my 2x12 beds and this made a big difference. At least this way, any water that is not used right away is stored in the bottom cisterns and I can add more consistent moisture. Another reason I opted for the water grid was to help keep the roots more shallow growing.

On a big FYI for anyone considering a wicking bed, my worst problem has been the SLUGS!

When the cistern would overflow, I would have tons of slugs come pouring out of the overflow hole. I will be attempting to battle them w/ essential oils diluted and poured into the cisterns to get them under control this year. I did have a lot of success with Sluggo last year.

Garden Guardians

How precious! We don't have toads/frogs in our area either. But my garden has become home to MANY spiders, so I'm happy w/ that. Have also been seeing more and more parasitic wasps and ladybugs.

Help! Green worm thing.

I never got around to getting my tulle this season but have kept up w/ squishing the eggs daily and the moths when I can catch them. I've missed a few, so am now out handpicking the buggers as I find them and dropping them in a cup of soapy water. You can also use DE and I've heard flour mixed w/ red pepper and shaking it on the plant works but have not tried it myself.

Mulch for Hot Weather

I've just added cypress mulch to 4 of my beds and am about to add it to my 2 bigger beds. I was actually looking for something else at the time, but couldn't beat the price on the cypress and scooped it up. No problems so far seems to be doing the job. Anyone used this type before and have any issues with it? We're getting into some pretty hot times right now and really wanted a way to protect the roots and water consumption.

Are you seeing bees?

I am seeing a lot fewer so far this year, but not much is in blooming yet. We haven't planted many flowers and our neighbors do not have any in yet this year. We have a bee keeper with about 5 hives 1/4 mile down the road and hoping his bees make it my way when everything needs pollinating. We have a lot of commercial farm land around us and am afraid of what all they are spraying and the impact is is having on the bees and environment.

We are hoping to actually get some landscaping in next year and do lots of bee-attracting flowers. I'm pretty sure that our dwindling population is another contributing factor to some of my lower garden production. Glad I've learned about hand pollinating for this year.

Funny Squash Bug Problem!

So now you've got me seriously considering this since squash bugs and cuke beetles undo me every year. All I've got is a very loud shop vac....hubs and the neighbors are definitely going to be giving me funny looks when I'm out there in the early morning vacuuming my garden.

That's ok, it's all worth it in the end, right?

Funny Squash Bug Problem!

Hmm...vacuum up a little DE? Way to go!

Help!

Your MM could be the issue as the recipe calls for 5 different types and the 3 are likely not sufficient nutrients. I did this my 1st season to save $ and because it was difficult tracking down the 5 types. It has taken me 2 more years to keep amending those boxes to be sufficient for growing. What types of compost did you use? I ended up having too much manure and not enough variety of other types. I had also made the mistake of not reading the labels well enough and had too much peat moss because some of my bags were a compost/peat mix.

This year, I added some store bought compost to a bed (because my homemade wasn't ready) and discovered it: 1) wasn't finished compost and 2) had a lot of sand in it....this has compacted my soil, robbed my plants of nitrogen and stunted the growth in all of them. So glad I only used it in one small bed and not all of them.

It may be beneficial to do a soil test, but others should chime in on their thoughts after seeing pics.

Help!

Hi ahbishop and $glad you\'re here$ to the forum and SFG!!!

There are several factors that could be leading to the issues you are seeing and the best way to get more accurate answers is to post pics of your plants and tell us a bit more about your garden...like how you put together your soil and weather conditions. Are the yellowing leaves the seedling leaves or true leaves? Tomatoes are not my expertise, but there are many here who are VERY knowledgeable in this area.

As for your squash, what type of squash, was is transplanted or direct sown and when was it planted?

Again, posting pics is your best bet! (Plus, we LOVE seeing everyone's gardens.

)

My corn is blowing over?

I have had the same problem and part of it was from moving things to put in my soaker hose with very dry soil. Looks like I need to put something in place while they are still standing.

Got another questions along these lines though, this is my 3rd attempt at corn and the first 2 met their demise after various issues (including neglect on my part).

But I have noticed that as they become bigger and more established (same with my sunflowers) the large claw-type roots grow above the soil. Is this because of the soil settling so much and I need to add more or should I just leave it. I'm just not certain if it helps keep the plant more solid or tipsy.

Snails and Sluggo Plus

The instructions on the Sluggo Plus says it works best in damp conditions (not standing water). Also, if the snail is not in it's natural environment (damp, dark, cool) it may just be finding a way back home. The Sluggo is supposed to attract them to the bait and seems to be more attractive to them over the plants, in my experience. And remember, it's not an instant killer. They should ingest some of it, stop feeding, and then head into the ground to die. I've read that this can take a couple days to a week for them to actually die after ingesting it.

I have not found snails in my garden, just tons of slugs and other bugs...so this is all I have experience with. And southern gardener brings up a good point about seeing if it's a good snail or not. Of course, I'm with you....anything eating MY strawberries is a BAD bug! :tsk: You can always hand pick them, put them in a visible place for the birds.

Green Beans

Southern Gardner: Awesome! Sounds like I'll need to set aside some space to try those next year. Might try to pick some up at the farmer's market first to test them out on hubby.

GWN: Ooooh! Gotcha! Thanks for setting me straight! Glad I'm not as crazy as the voices say.

Green Beans

GWN wrote:I am growing something similar. THey LOOK like chick peas, just a little smaller and almost heart shaped. A woman gave them to me, and calls them russian chick peas...So we will see.

Hmmm...I thought chick peas and garbanzo beans were the same as we have used both (canned) chick peas and (dry) garbanzo beans to make our hummus. :scratch: I clearly need to do some research on them before I venture out and try to grow them.

From a Year 2 Novice to All the New SFGers or "How to Get Past the Fear Factor! :)"

This is a fantastic post/thread. Getting started is half the battled. Being willing to ask questions and learn from mistakes is the other half. It's great to be among others who can offer advice and "grow" along with me! So glad to have this forum at my fingertips!

big carrot says hi

mschaef wrote: $glad you\'re here$ to the group Big Carrot!!! It is wonderful to have others to talk to that really enjoy what you are talking about. My husband only nods and agrees. Then ask what is it going to cost and how much work does he have to do to complete it. Hope you have as much fun here as I do.

LOL! That's my husband too!

He gets scared when I get an idea in my head and knows I'm going to go with it all the way. He tries to keep me grounded and this forum keeps me dreaming.

Monthly Avatar Theme June 2013: What I Look Forward to Growing Most

Definitely hoping to have success with at least one watermelon this year!

But really, the only thing I'm not looking forward to in the garden is fighting the bugs and drought.....bring on some fresh veggies and herbs though! Filled my plate with sugar snap peas to the point that hubby is concerned I'm going to turn into one.

Has anyone had success with Liquid Fence?

Is this basically cayote urine? I've heard of successful use of something similar but have not personally had to use it since we have a 6ft fence. I've also heard that owl and snake decoys have some positive effect on birds, rodents and small animals.

My sproutlings

$glad you\'re here$ and

for posting pics of your seedlings! Something about seeing those first successful sprouts that makes us all warm and tingly inside.

So glad that you discovered the simplicity of the SFG method. Looking forward to hearing more about your garden!

Fighting bugs

Looks like centipedes and they typically only eat decaying matter....not causing damage to your healthy plants. It's hard to tell from your pic if that yellowed/decayed object is part of a plant or fallen debris. If your squash was damaged by the squash vine borer (SVB), then these guys could be eating the dead/rotting part of the plant. Here is some more info on them:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7472.html
If you really feel the need to get rid of them, Sluggo Plus is supposed to do the trick and is mostly organic. But it seems these are good guys in our gardens and should be left alone.

If you're able to get a clear pic of the actual damage being done, someone might be able to give you a better idea.

big carrot says hi

to the forum Big Carrot!

What a very true comment! I have learned so much from our "family" here and it's great to have found people that are as obsessed with their gardening as I am.

What's going on in your garden right now? Hope your weather is cooperating enough to get things going.

Green Beans

How fun to be experimenting with such a variety! I have been keeping my plantings very "vanilla" at my husband's request and he has asked that I find him a "better bean." Until I started my garden, he has only had the store bought canned or frozen and has only developed a taste for those.

I have been growing the Kentucky Blue pole and tried some type of bush my first year that was pretty stringy. He thinks the KY Blue have too "sharp" of a green bean flavor and too chewy of a texture. Let me know if you find that any of yours might have a more appealing taste/texture for me to try.

Also, anyone ever grow garbanzo beans? We eat a LOT of humus and wondering if the production:space requirement makes it worth growing our own in our small garden.

holes in green bean and pea plants

Lilly'sgarden wrote:Something is eating holes in my green bean plants. I also saw a couple on my Zuccini and alot on my pea plants that are close to the ground. NOt sure what to do but I did hear an old wise tale aboutt spraying castile soap on plants. I also heard one about hot pepper spray. I don't see any bugs though???

to the forum!

Based on your current climate and description, sounds like slugs to me. They love peas, beans and lettuce (and especially clover!), but aren't too picky and will ravish anything. I have been battling them bad this year. Take a flashlight out at night...especially after or during a rain and you will likely find your culprits and lots of them. I have tried the cayenne pepper/garlic/soap mix but it doesn't seem to last long. Sluggo and Sluggo Plus are the best (mostly organic) options I have used successfully on them. You can also mix cornmeal (they love it!) and Diatomaceous Earth and set it in lids/traps around your victim plants...but I needed too many to be successful enough. You can also hand pick them at night and drop them in a little ammonia water for an instant death (this was by far the grossest thing I've ever done).

The next best guess would be the tiny brown leaf hoppers (not sure if that's the technical name). They are showing up heavy this year and can really do big damage for being so small. You'll find them hiding in the crevices of plants when it's hot and shouldn't be too hard to catch them in the act...but they move quickly! The hot pepper spray and also an alcohol spray seems to work well on them, but you really have to stay on top of them.

Be sure to add pics when you can and good luck with your battle!


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