Re: My First SFG Boxes Are Ready For MM! (Photo)

**sanderson** 9/22/2013, 10:08 pm

Pineapple!! Now I am super jealous. I LOVE pineapple!

dstack 9/22/2013, 10:24 pm

Thanks Sanderson, I knew I had posted multiple photos before and was frustrated that I couldn't this time. But now I know.

Yes, I bet the pineapple will like being in MM.

TxGramma 9/22/2013, 11:15 pm

You don't have to hit preview to post multiple pics. Once you have pasted your first pic info into your post click on Host an Image again when it opens back up the URL for the first photo will still be there click upload and it will go back to the dialog screen that lets you browse to locate your pic. Choose your new pic and then copy/paste that info into your post. Gwennifer made a video tutorial on posting pics and she shows how to do multiple pics too. Video Tutorial: How to Post a Picture Located on Your Computer

dstack, I haven't chimed in but did follow your progress...your beds look awesome. You've put a lot of work in to them, I know you are glad to get some things planted so you can watch all that hard work payoff. Good luck and happy growing! Very Happy

Marc Iverson 9/23/2013, 12:52 am

Now I know what's missing -- trellises!

You didn't skimp on the vermiculite, I notice. Good going, being that Florida can get so hot. I think the vermiculite really helped some of my plants through the 90 and 100 degree weeks we had here this summer.

P.S. -- I thought pineapple got a couple feet across? If so, it will be jutting out all over the place from its square. Pretty awesome to be able to grow pineapple and papaya.

I'll be interested to see how you intersperse your flowers.

dstack 9/23/2013, 6:06 am

TxGramma wrote:You don't have to hit preview to post multiple pics. Once you have pasted your first pic info into your post click on Host an Image again when it opens back up the URL for the first photo will still be there click upload and it will go back to the dialog screen that lets you browse to locate your pic. Choose your new pic and then copy/paste that info into your post. Gwennifer made a video tutorial on posting pics and she shows how to do multiple pics too. Video Tutorial: How to Post a Picture Located on Your Computer

dstack, I haven't chimed in but did follow your progress...your beds look awesome. You've put a lot of work in to them, I know you are glad to get some things planted so you can watch all that hard work payoff. Good luck and happy growing!

Thanks TxGramma!

dstack 9/23/2013, 6:13 am

Marc Iverson wrote:Now I know what's missing -- trellises!

You didn't skimp on the vermiculite, I notice. Good going, being that Florida can get so hot. I think the vermiculite really helped some of my plants through the 90 and 100 degree weeks we had here this summer.

P.S. -- I thought pineapple got a couple feet across? If so, it will be jutting out all over the place from its square. Pretty awesome to be able to grow pineapple and papaya.

I'll be interested to see how you intersperse your flowers.

Marc, you sure are observant! I'll have the trellises up in about 2 weeks. This pineapple that you see is almost full grown. Any flowers, marigolds in my case, that I plant will have to be in the ground just beyond the river rock and pavers. I'll also be filling those areas with different mints, and sweet basil to deter pests.

Pox 9/23/2013, 3:10 pm

dstack,

Those are some beautiful beds! You certainly went all out. As we are in the same area, it will be nice to compare successes and challenges. I'm curious to find out how you do with cucumbers. I've struggled with them but will be giving them another go again this year.

dstack 9/23/2013, 7:06 pm

Pox wrote:dstack,

Those are some beautiful beds! You certainly went all out. As we are in the same area, it will be nice to compare successes and challenges. I'm curious to find out how you do with cucumbers. I've struggled with them but will be giving them another go again this year.

Hi Pox! I would love to do that! The first time I tried cukes I had success until white flies destroyed every bit of the vines almost overnight. It was my first time gardening in S. Florida and didn't know much about the pest. At least I got a couple of cukes from them. (See photo.)

My First SFG Boxes Are Ready For MM! (Photo) - Page 2 Cukes10

My First SFG Boxes Are Ready For MM! (Photo) - Page 2 Cukes10

The attempt was at our current house and had nothing to show for my efforts since a fungus took over. It was also an organic variety, but this time I bought seeds for Marketmore 76 cukes that are suppose to be "multiple disease resistant". So I'll let you know how that goes.

dstack 9/23/2013, 7:15 pm

Marc Iverson wrote:You didn't skimp on the vermiculite, I notice. Good going, being that Florida can get so hot. I think the vermiculite really helped some of my plants through the 90 and 100 degree weeks we had here this summer.

Also, I tried to go by THE BOOK. I noticed how frugal Mel is on most things, but when it came to MM, I got his point loud and clear not to skimp on this.

dstack 9/23/2013, 8:46 pm

I would edit my comment above but the window for that has passed I guess. I made it sound like I went from using an organic variety to a non-organic... but I believe both are heirlooms.

Pox 9/23/2013, 9:39 pm

My biggest issue was mildew. Have taken a few local gardening classes around town and all I ask have the same problem and find cukes difficult to grow here. But I have high hopes for this year now that I am going with SFG and MM and a bit more knowledge and education. I'll have to look into that variety, am not familiar with it. Thanks.

Marc Iverson 9/23/2013, 11:00 pm

dstack wrote:
Marc Iverson wrote:You didn't skimp on the vermiculite, I notice. Good going, being that Florida can get so hot. I think the vermiculite really helped some of my plants through the 90 and 100 degree weeks we had here this summer.
Also, I tried to go by THE BOOK. I noticed how frugal Mel is on most things, but when it came to MM, I got his point loud and clear not to skimp on this.

Yeah, I see a lot of people wanting to make substitutions or leave vermiculite out, but it seems vital to me if your growing season gets especially hot or if you ever miss a scheduled watering or have to go out of town. Lots of people substitute perlite, and lots of designer soil mixes rave about perlite too. Mel even says perlite is okay if you can't get vermiculite, but he likes vermiculite better. I've certainly become a really big fan of it. Super-hot or super-wet, my local weather conditions haven't been able to disturb the plants I have in Mel's Mix. And I've grown in compost, and in compost/peat mixes before. Vermiculite seems to have made a huge, even determinative, difference.

dstack 10/28/2013, 9:07 pm

Pox wrote:My biggest issue was mildew. Have taken a few local gardening classes around town and all I ask have the same problem and find cukes difficult to grow here. But I have high hopes for this year now that I am going with SFG and MM and a bit more knowledge and education. I'll have to look into that variety, am not familiar with it. Thanks.

Pox, how're your cukes? I have these yellowish bugs on one of my vines. I think these are mites.

My First SFG Boxes Are Ready For MM! (Photo) - Page 2 Cuke_p10

I cut off the leaves that were badly infested and I sprayed the others with rubbing alcohol (70%), and rinsed them off with water after about 30 minutes. In the past I've had very persistent mites (if that's what these are) that don't seem to be fazed by Neem Oil or other similar sprays. thinking

I'll let you know if the alcohol works, and at least I have no sign of mildew yet.

Pox 10/29/2013, 6:38 am

Too soon to tell. They are only about 2 weeks old; so far so good.

Let me know how the alcohol treatment works.

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