Mismatched ?'s: Didn't want to start too many threads

[middlemamma]

I have some questions that span a few topics...but I think are easy answers for some of you more seasoned gardeners.

1. I read you cannot compost your potato plants, cabbage, broccoli, or brussel sprouts. Are there other plants besides these I should not compost? Specifically I am ripping out my zukes, cukes, and zuke squash soon as they didn’t produce and I want to get ready to plant for fall. Can I compost all of these?

2. I have 7 buckets of potatoes growing. And all of a sudden 1 started to die off. I planted them all very close together within a week, so I kind expected the foliage on all of them to die at the same time? Is this just me putting plants on my time line or should they all be dying about the same time? Do I stop watering AFTER it dies or at the first sign of dying foliage?

3. I started pea plants for fall. They are seedlings now. What should the temperature be around for them to go outside? They are sensitive to heat right? And here's the dumbest question of all.....drum roll please.....
Are peas like beans? Do I have to shell them or can I just eat the whole thing pod and all?

4. I don't have the money to buy any red wigglers form a site online. And I cannot find any locally for some reason in bait shops or pet stores. The only worms besides night crawlers, I can find are Red Tiger Worms. I bought two little styrofoam containers of them. Probably 20 worms total. They are way bigger than red wigglers. My plan here is to set them up to breed through the winter in my bathroom and then transfer them to a Wiggler Hilton in the spring. So the question actually is: are these Red Tiger worms going to be sufficient? Or are they the "wrong" kind of worm?

Thanks everyone for any and all help.

[junequilt]

1. I compost anything that doesn't appear to be diseased.
3. Depends on the type of pea. If it's a sugar snap or oriental, you can eat the whole pod.
4. Red tiger worms are actually red wigglers. They're raised to be larger when sold as fishin' worms, but they should do nicely once you get them into their new digs.

(I left out question 2 because I've never successfully grown potatoes.)

[camprn]

1. I compost anything that doesn't appear to be diseased.
3. Depends on the type of pea. If it's a sugar snap or oriental, you can eat the whole pod.
4. Red tiger worms are actually red wigglers. They're raised to be larger when sold as fishin' worms, but they should do nicely once you get them into their new digs.

(I left out question 2 because I've never successfully grown potatoes.)

+1
Question2: are the potatoes all the same variety? I would withhold water if the plant is showing sign of dying. It just doesn't need water.
Question 3: harden them off and plant them outside. I direct seeded my peas and they are doing fine and currently about 4 inches tall. Tell me, what zone are you in?

[Chopper]

Not composting plants has to do with disease. So +1 on not composting diseased plants. That said, I NEVER compost tomato plants for that reason and potato plants are subject to the same diseases. If you have a very hot compost pile consistently, it will kill off diseases. But without a kiln, there is no guarantee. (and who has a kiln?)

Re peas: there are a few types. there are edible pod oriental types that never get large seeds. Those are eaten whole - that is what is in Chinese cooking.

There are a newish variety called Sugar Snap - those types can be eaten either way but are designed to be eaten whole and are VERY good.

Then the old fashioned garden pea which is meant to be shelled and eaten very fresh and is easily frozen or canned or dried.

Then you hit the south where they talk about peas that are actually beans and that just confuses me.

[middlemamma]

I am in 5 B (sorry I thought I included that in my original post.

How do you harden off a plant exactly?

[Icemaiden]

Hi
You harden plants off by putting them outside for a short while, then take them in. Then out the next day for a bit longer, then in again. And so on until you leave them out all day/over night and finally plant them out properly.

Probably best to avoid direct sun to begin with and chose the cooler part of the day? (I've only hardened off in the spring when you chose warm days and let the plants get used to the outside before you leave them over night).

I've got potato plants in a double row in the garden and one is dying off now, one is beginning to, and the others are still green. I think there is a bit of natural variation on lifespan just like there is with us

[ander217]

Then you hit the south where they talk about peas that are actually beans and that just confuses me.

It's not only us Southerners who confuse the pea world with cowpeas, field peas, blackeyed peas, etc. What about your chick peas? I've never been able to figure that one out.

Middlemama, is there some reason why you didn't want to direct sow your peas? It's SO much easier. (Unless you have a vole problem as I do, and a few days after you sowed your late peas you saw a vole run going the entire length of the box you just planted, and you haven't seen a single pea since. Grrrr! But then if I'd set out plants they would have eaten them instead, so I'd still go for the easier option of direct sowing.)

I think it's great that you're planting a fall garden. Keep us posted on the results.

[middlemamma]

Well to be honest I am very confused by "fall planting" so I was kinda just jumping in with both feet...? I don't really understand what will survive/germinate in the 80-90 degree temps we are having now, what I want to sprout now or what I want to just be in the ground that will sprout in spring. Basically this fall thing will all be one big huge experiment because I don't really understand any of it, and the seed packet backs are about useless as far as the dumbed down info that I need.

So I just started everything I was gonna try from seeds. I planted 4 seeds of brussel sprouts, 4 pea seeds, a slew of green onions, some romaine lettuce and 2 other kinds of lettuce. All in peat pots....and the brussel sprouts already went leggy on me and its only been a week since I planted the seed. So I am sure those are a lost cause. I'll have to try again.

At least I know the garlic doesn't go in till October. And don't plant the WHOLE bulb! LOL Thats about all I really understand at this point about a fall garden. ROFL.

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