Garden Geeks thread

[Bob Gray]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

We just put out the netting on the grape vines, as they are ripening quickly. Caught (and squashed) a skeletonizer that was starting to go after the grape leaves.

Hit 105 over the weekend, so most of the garden is fading fast. But we have been getting a good harvest of apples off our tree, and we have a good number of tangerines coming along and a handful of lemons. Plus a small number of peaches that should be ready in the next month or so. I built a screen structure over the peach tree, as it struggles with the summer heat and sun.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

We just put out the netting on the grape vines, as they are ripening quickly. Caught (and squashed) a skeletonizer that was starting to go after the grape leaves.

Hit 105 over the weekend, so most of the garden is fading fast. But we have been getting a good harvest of apples off our tree, and we have a good number of tangerines coming along and a handful of lemons. Plus a small number of peaches that should be ready in the next month or so. I built a screen structure over the peach tree, as it struggles with the summer heat and sun.

Japanese beetles LOVE grape plants. Which is one of many reasons I think I'm going to kill my grape plant this summer.

[walrus]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Just planted tomatoes, might be a waste of time if the hornworm made it thru this winter. They say you can kill the eggs? cocoon? by rototilling so I hope I got them but if not hopefully I see them before they devastate my crop. Now I need to get beans planted and some squash. We're at least 2 weeks late up here, it was 42 and raining in where I was weds. so I'm in no hurry to get garden in. We had a frost advisory last night but it was in the 40s here.

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Just planted tomatoes, might be a waste of time if the hornworm made it thru this winter. They say you can kill the eggs? cocoon? by rototilling so I hope I got them but if not hopefully I see them before they devastate my crop. Now I need to get beans planted and some squash. We're at least 2 weeks late up here, it was 42 and raining in where I was weds. so I'm in no hurry to get garden in. We had a frost advisory last night but it was in the 40s here.

I used the wally method to plant my beans, squash, cukes and zukes. Last yr the compost made things produce like mad!

[walrus]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I used the wally method to plant my beans, squash, cukes and zukes. Last yr the compost made things produce like mad!

I used it today also. Planted many hills of squash, cukes, Zukes etc. It works better for me than planting stuff I started inside. Seems like every time I do that they just die after it rains for 40 days and 40 nights. The seeds come up anyway.

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Picked the first few strawberries over the weekend.

Planted two rows of bush beans.

Walrus,

When we know heavy rains are coming, we use gallon-size plastic milk carton containers with the bottom cut off, place one over every small plant. While it is labor intensive, it does protect them from being smashed into the mud....though when you are putting 25 or 30 on in the afternoon and then pulling each one off again the following morning, it can get a bit tedious!

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Picked the first few strawberries over the weekend.

Planted two rows of bush beans.

Walrus,

When we know heavy rains are coming, we use gallon-size plastic milk carton containers with the bottom cut off, place one over every small plant. While it is labor intensive, it does protect them from being smashed into the mud....though when you are putting 25 or 30 on in the afternoon and then pulling each one off again the following morning, it can get a bit tedious!

I think the issue for wally is flooding and super wet soil

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I think the issue for wally is flooding and super wet soil

Yikes! that means raised beds atop a layer of gravel. lots of work.....

[Bob Gray]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Japanese beetles LOVE grape plants. Which is one of many reasons I think I'm going to kill my grape plant this summer.

Haven't seen any of those around, but I have been checking regularly for more skeletonizers. Probably squashed about 15-20 so far. Picked a couple bunches of grapes this weekend. They are pretty small, but tasty. I'll have to look into how to get them larger. We did catch a couple birds that somehow found their way under the netting to try to get at the grapes, but we chased them off and tried to make it so the birds couldn't do that again.

[Carter]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

My wife picked the first batch of strawberries yesterday. A little over a pound. It sure has made a difference fencing and netting that patch.

[jen]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

My strawberries are not even close yet. Still tiny and green. Farms around here say they are late this year.

[Carter]

My strawberries are not even close yet. Still tiny and green. Farms around here say they are late this year.

Ours have officially gone nuts. My wife has picked over 40 pounds already, and she's tired.

[Bob Gray]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

We've been getting a few grape bunches off the vines we planted last year. They're small but tasty. I'll have to do some research on how to get the grapes at least a little larger. Been enjoying the apples off our tree also, but they'll all be gone soon. Citrus on the trees, but they've got a ways to go to ripen. Tore out the tomato plants this morning, as they were pretty much toast from the hot weather. Mostly just maintaining the asparagus plants now in the garden. Potato plants faded the last couple weeks and we planted them late, so we only got a few small ones.

[MadTownSioux]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

My strawberries are not even close yet. Still tiny and green. Farms around here say they are late this year.

I've picked about 2 pints so far from our plants. They are a bit slow.

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

the chipmunks are fat but nothing out of the garden yet.