January 2013: New England

Toothpick method......A slug wraps its body around the stem of a plant to 'take it down' so the toothpicks prevent that. The slug can't encircle the stem with the toothpick in the way.


When my transplant is in, I just push 2 or 3 toothbpicks into the soil next to the base of the plant all around. Be sure the pick is against the stem to protect the plant.
Edited to add: Be sure the pick extends about an inch above the soil.

Cloches......I, too, use gallon milk jugs as cloches. They work wonders for the melon family since those need so much more warmth here in Maine. I place them right over the spot where I've sown a couple of seeds and water thru the hole in the top. When the plants are up and growing, I remove the jugs.

I also use them if a cold snap is coming at nite. Place them over the small plant in mid afternoon and put the cap on. The heat is retained a bit thru the nite.

These are some zucchinis (started at the end of my asparagus bed) enjoying the afternoon sun with their cloches waiting beside them during the heat of the day. I put a bamboo stick thru the top into the soil to hold the cloche in place.

Just a couple of things that help me in my garden.

Ooh. I like the gallon jug idea better than the cut plastic bottles. Think I'll start saving my milk/water gallons. They not only act as slug protectors, but mini greenhouses. I had problems with my squash/zucchini/cucumber plants last year, they got eaten as soon as they sprouted, and I replanted maybe 3 times.

Think I'll try the milk jugs on the squash, pumpkin and melons, vines which are kicked out of the SFG this year, and use the cut water bottles for the cucumbers, trellised inside SFG.

NHGardener....Sorry, but the jugs won't stop the slugs. Those critters come up from under the ground and wrap around the stems themselves. You'd still need protection from slugs while using the jugs for cloches.

When I sow seed directly in the garden, I watch to see when they germinate, then protect with toothpicks as soon as they pop.

OH! I didn't realize that. Hmm.

Okay, so with the toothpicks, why don't the slugs just wrap around the stem *and* the toothpick? Is the toothpick positioned vertically against the stem? Do slugs care?

Well, I still have my 4 new ducklings coming this May, hopefully. They are slug patrol and if the milk jugs or the toothpicks don't get 'em, hopefully the ducks will......

Tooth picks and seedling collars are to foil cut worms, not slugs.

NH.....Yes, position the toothpicks vertically against the stem, one on either side. If the stem is broad, stick in 3 picks around it. The cutworms need to encircle the stem itself to kill it. With the 'pick' in the way that's impossible.

As for the ducks, lucky you. I wanted to get 3 ducks a couple years ago but my son put the kabosh on that idea like he did the chickens the year before that. He's not into livestock of any kind and after all, its his 7 acres. I'm just enjoying in-law apt. I hear ducks keep down the slug population well.

What kind did you order? Some that give plentiful eggs I hope. You only need the ducks, not the drakes for egg production. Don't forget to post pics.

Sorry, sorry, sorry everyone. My brain isn't working lately.
I'm talking slugs when its cutworms I meant.
Thank you camprn for keeping on top of this and correcting me.

Its toothpicks for CUTWORMS, not slugs.
For slugs its beer bait tuna cans.

For those reading my earlier posts above, insert 'cutworm' for 'slug' please. I'm so sorry if I mislead anyone.

For all I know, it was cutworms that got my vine seedlings every time I replanted them, because all I ever saw was a tiny stem with no leaves, so something munched it. But slugs loved the onions and potatoes (foliage).

Quiltbea, getting Ancona ducks, recommended by Carol Deppe in The Resilient Gardener. They're coming from Sand Hill Preservation Center in Iowa, and will be a toss up of male/female.

I will post pictures of the ducklings. Crossing fingers they arrive okay.

ooooh cute! I hope you don't get all drakes. Yes, do send photos when they arrive.

I hope I don't get all drakes too! Hoping they will reproduce.

Can't tell you how excited I am and already thinking of the trip to the "big ocean" of a puddle that forms in our yard every spring.

Oooh, I like those Ancona pintos. I was leaning towards Harlequins back when I was reading up on them. I hadn't heard of the Ancona.
A few years ago at the county fair there were iridescent green plumage ducks for sale. Yes, they were really bright teal green and beautiful. I would have bought some if I'd had the place for them.

I hope you get all girls. Keep us posted. I'm very interested.

If your seedlings were cut off at the base of the plant, then they were probably eaten by cutworms. That's their signature. This time I got the name right, cutworm, not slug.

Quiltbea, I do think they were cutworms, because it seemed like the little sprouting leaves were cut right off. So I will use the toothpicks, and I will also cover with the milkjug as a mini greenhouse.

I'm sorry you couldn't get fowl, quiltbea. They're my fav animals. Maybe your son will change his mind.

In case anyone wondered about the free seed from Ray on Praxxus utube (I had PMd NHGardener), I got my delivery over a week ago and was happy. He must have rec'd tons or requests because he's only able to fulfil the first 6 choices on the list.

Another high note, I am ending the month with my seed orders to johnnyseeds and Pinetree Garden (Superseeds) complete. Luckily they still had all the seeds I wanted. That's why I ordered so early this year. Last year I waited til March and was disappointed in not being able to get some I wanted.

Remember folks, more and more gardeners are growing their own each year and seed companies do run out of some of their favored seeds before garden time. Order early.

I'm new to the idea of ordering seeds online. Received both orders from Baker Cr. and Seed Savers and here I worried the order was put in late...guess the learning curve is a bit longer for those like me

I just got back from lunch break and shutting down my SFG til spring. I had windows over my boxes up until yesterday, and decided this morning not to put them back on as the food stock was so low. So today I pulled the last of the beet greens, carrots, swiss chard, kale, broccoli leaves, celery, and some kind of lettuce and I'm eating it right now in a salad, along with a few pine needles...phtewee.

There are still some kohlrabi, kale, walking onions and garlic hanging out out there, but they aren't covered.

Seedlings growing indoors are broccoli, onions, cabbage & potatoes so far. I'm planting spinach seeds and...hmm...something else I forget, this weekend.

Growing in a little dish of water are stumps of celery and onion.

OH, and I'm forcing some tulips indoors. They usually in bloom in March.

CC

Quiltbea, I still haven't gotten my seeds from Ray. I hope they come, but maybe there were too many requests. Altho I think I submitted my email right before 1/1.

February thread! February thread! February thread!

As if I'm not overwhelmed enough, I'm going in on a group order from Sand Hill Preservation for "northern assortment" sweet potatoes. From what I am reading, it takes a bit of tricking the soil to stay warm enough to produce sweet potatoes. It will be a grand experiment, if I can remember to do it along with everything else that I'm trying to plant "right" this year.

So. Anyone in our region here have luck with sweet potatoes before?

NHGardener wrote:

So. Anyone in our region here have luck with sweet potatoes before?

I grew them last year. I am going to try them again this season.

camprn, did you have okay results with your potatoes? Were they the short season northern varieties?

Oh...now we're talking. Sweet potatoes I like. White potatoes, not so much.

When do we start?

CC

CapeCoddess wrote:Oh...now we're talking. Sweet potatoes I like. White potatoes, not so much.

When do we start?

CC

Order your slips and they will ship them when it's planting time. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!