too many squares!!

Bush beans seem to be my square filler...my problem is that I already have 130 bean plants with about 30 more squares that will be open once the beets, lettuce, carrots, and onions are done...not sure if I should keep planting beans or see what may work best in prep for the fall garden.

Went to the link - the PDF about potatoes. Am wondering what the letters after the potato names stands for. Does anyone know? Just curious.

Squash and beans seem to be my fillers. Mainly because I can't keep squash going due to SVB, so I keep replanting. Also spread out from just yellow and zuchinni to butternut and some winter squashes. This year I have a hyperdermic needle and BT and have high hopes. Since leafy green veggies are what I want most, I have tried some alternatives to my collards, kale and chard. I have malibar spinach planted, but it's just sitting there. My newest endeavor is sweet potatos. I found out the vine is good to eat and good for you. Tried the spinach every 2 weeks route, but now they bolt when only a few inches high. In the bean dept. I have kentucky wonder, asparagus bean, edamame, and southern cowpeas.

Trying new stuff to see what grow best.

Kay

What about tomatoes from nursery plants, Swiss chard, or soybeans?

My spinach is bolting after 2" of growth, so I have started to pull it up.

Squash and beans seem to be my fillers. Mainly because I can't keep squash going due to SVB, so I keep replanting. Also spread out from just yellow and zuchinni to butternut and some winter squashes. This year I have a hyperdermic needle and BT and have high hopes. Since leafy green veggies are what I want most, I have tried some alternatives to my collards, kale and chard. I have malibar spinach planted, but it's just sitting there. My newest endeavor is sweet potatos. I found out the vine is good to eat and good for you. Tried the spinach every 2 weeks route, but now they bolt when only a few inches high. In the bean dept. I have kentucky wonder, asparagus bean, edamame, and southern cowpeas.

Trying new stuff to see what grow best.

Kay, I am a smidgeon lost. What does SVB stand for, and BT?

Wow, I need to get more creative with the spinach, I usually just put it in salads. I have made some spinach and artichoke dip with it but now I am really hungry fro some pesto!

I have just recently put the artichokes in and found that it gives a real creamy texture to the pesto with out all the cheese.

In some of my soon to be vacant squares I have volunteer sweet potatoes coming up. Must have missed a couple. One is coming up under the squash so I am directing that one to the neighboring squares where I have just harvested the onions. Also one squash that turned out to be yellow summer (bush) instead of butternut (vine) now has more room overflowing to another former onion square.

In another bed a sweet potato is also coming up under corn that is almost ready to harvest. After harvest I will cut the stalks instead of pulling them so I don't desturb the sweet potatoes, which can also vine into a couple of nearly done lettuce squares.

Once the rest of the onions and the garlic are done I want to try Rattlesnake & Dragon Tongue beans and hopefully some more corn.

In some of my soon to be vacant squares I have volunteer sweet potatoes coming up. Must have missed a couple. One is coming up under the squash so I am directing that one to the neighboring squares where I have just harvested the onions. Also one squash that turned out to be yellow summer (bush) instead of butternut (vine) now has more room overflowing to another former onion square.

In another bed a sweet potato is also coming up under corn that is almost ready to harvest. After harvest I will cut the stalks instead of pulling them so I don't desturb the sweet potatoes, which can also vine into a couple of nearly done lettuce squares.

Volunteers are like a gift......well they ARE A GIFT
I do have volunteer dill plants growing up around some of the soon to be gone, spinach,....and .... so be it., I will take the dill.
There is something about volunteers, that somehow surpasses everything else.

Thinking of this dilemma today at work I took a break and walked down to the market farm to look in the greenhouse to see what was being started from seed for later planting in the fields. There was lots of basil, fennel, lettuces, kohlrabi, cucumbers and lemon squash and various herbs.

Thinking of this dilemma today at work I took a break and walked down to the market farm to look in the greenhouse to see what was being started from seed for later planting in the fields. There was lots of basil, fennel, lettuces, kohlrabi, cucumbers and lemon squash and various herbs.

OK Turan, I WILL plant more cucumbers .... I hate fennel, Kohlrabli, I cannot eat and I already have 24 squares of basil.
So MORE cucs

GWN wrote:
Kay, I am a smidgeon lost. What does SVB stand for, and BT?

Squash Vine Borer and Bacillus Thuriengensis(an organic pesticide).

In my zone, I'd probably just plant some flowers that attract beneficial insects since we're getting ready to hit what promises to be a hot summer...and we all know that means pest insects, especially since the veggies may be stressed because of the heat.

especially since the veggies may be stressed because of the heat.

OH and what is that last word....... heat...????

I have a huge perennial garden that I also started many of in my greenhouse

and I have tried to put a perennial flower (or annual) in the corner of each bed. nasturtiums and lupins.

Oh and Kay, what do you do with the syringe/needle

Inject BT into the stem of the squash to prevent/kill any squash vine borers.

Kay

Injecting BT into the stem as a preventative? That sounds like it would be effective! Haven't heard that before. How much and what spacing interval along the stem?

I've tried everything for SVB but each year have only been successful in delaying the eventual demise of my squash and zuccs. This would be brilliant if it works!

Found this on another site:

For injecting BT into SVB infected squash stems, I make up the BT at 1 teaspoon (liquid BT) to 1 cup of water (more concentrated). I've done this with Thuricide and one other type (can't remember the name). I use a 3ml syringe and a 16 to 18g needle. You can probably use a 20g and be OK. Any thing smaller (meaning larger number) might be too small. Human medical needles are usually insulin syringe needles of about 27g to 30g and are much too small. You can find larger gauge needles in Livestock supply stores (look for Farm and Ranch stores, Tractor Supply Company, Feed stores - Agway, etc or horse supply stores). They should have the larger syringes, too. I inject about 1 ml in the area of the SVB damage, sometimes more. I've also injected BT into the base of healthy squash as a preventative.

WEAR SAFETY GLASSES OR GOGGLES WHEN INJECTING THE BT!!! This is very important! The squash vine can block the needle. When this happens, the needle separates from the syringe and the BT will shoot back with great pressure directly into your eyes. Not a good idea. Also, please buy a sharps container at the drugstore for disposal of your needles. Trash collectors do not like to get stabbed with un-known needles. You can also keep and re-use the needles.

Prior to infection (or if the SVB are still laying) you can spray the outside of the squash stems with BT at 1 tablespoon to a gallon. Again, wear goggles. The BT really irritates the eyes.

I have had injecting BT work very well for the last three years. Two years ago, I injected both BT and beneficial nematodes and saved many of my already wilting squash. I never knew whether it was the BT or the nematodes that worked. Two years ago, I used BT alone on a few sacrificial squash and worked well. I have saved several that were infected and recovered.

There are several threads that have info on injecting BT:

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t2268-radishes-and-squash-borers

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3339-waging-war-against-the-squash-vine-borer

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t12751-what-to-do-for-squash-borers

I use the search button in the top left corner

Just one thought, Doctors offices usually have all sizes of needles, 18 up to 27 gauge.
So if you have access to a medical office, they likely will have any size you want.

GWN wrote:Just one thought, Doctors offices usually have all sizes of needles, 18 up to 27 gauge.
So if you have access to a medical office, they likely will have any size you want.

Feed stores might have them and they can be ordered from supply places like Jeffers on line. If you don't have/can't get needles, cut off a leaf just above where the borer might be and put a few drops(use an eye dropper or put the nozzle of a prayers up to it & spray) in the open leaf stem. I also sprayed the squash when I sprayed BT for tomato hornworms.

GWN wrote:Just one thought, Doctors offices usually have all sizes of needles, 18 up to 27 gauge.
So if you have access to a medical office, they likely will have any size you want.

I just walked into Walgreens and asked the pharmicist if I could buy two hyperdermics. He asked what size and I said I don't know I just want it for my squash plants. Don't even know what size he sold me. 25cents each.

Kay

The smaller the number the larger the bore in the needle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needle_gauge_comparison_chart

GWN wrote:Just one thought, Doctors offices usually have all sizes of needles, 18 up to 27 gauge.
So if you have access to a medical office, they likely will have any size you want.

I cleaned out & re-purposed the syringe-like applicator for refilling ink cartriges to inject BT... it has a blunt but very long needle-like tip. Because the tip is blunt, I can feel when I have breached the hollow of the stems.

Well I have looked up all those horrible bugs and have had no evidence of them here.
WIth my spare squares I have planted more cucumbers, more beans, more spinach, more carrots, LOTS MORE basil and I have left a few squares with a lot of compost from my yard, so will see which volunteers com up first....