Spider mites can also be deterred by not planting too closely and applying beneficial nematodes to your soil. However, if you use chemicals, they will kill the nematodes.
What's going on with your Vegie Garden Today, part 2
Quote from 1lisac :
Jo I have lost a all my bean plants to mites before I knew what they were. They seem to like green beans, cukes, and tomato plants the most. Neem does a decent job. Since they are related to spiders regular insecticide won't work. If your not set on "organic" there are other products available. The extension agent gave me the name of one but I can't remember it ATM. Also every state is different as far as regulations.
It amazing how fast Spider Mites can take out a plant, literally overnight.
Dean, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's behind. Lol. At least everything else thrives in the heat. I'm just praying it's not like last year. I had so many plans but it's May, already.
I know what you mean. We're already in a slight drought is what I heard on the news.
Would Murphy's Oil Soap work against the spider mites? It's a lot cheaper...
You need a miticide to kill mites. I don't know of an "organic" miticide. Some pesticides with kill spider mites, but they will NOT kill other mites.
Here's a reliable source to purchase miticides. Some mites are resistant to "Avid".
http://btgrowersupply.stores.yahoo.net/miticides.html
Most miticides have a short "shelf life" and cost and arm and a leg!
The 9 oz Indian Stripe picked a few days ago sliced pretty nice and it taste good too.
The tomatoes and cukes are starting to come in to production. I found a 6" okra hiding this morning along with more about a 1/2" in length.
I harvested three golf ball size red potatoes yesterday that were starting to surface.
My one producing zucchini (Fortune) is still going strong growing in a wheat straw bale.
Those of you gardeners out there who have posted pictures seem to be doing really well so far this season. Keep up the good work!
tex, that picture actually made my mouth water!!
From the Shades of Green website http://www.shadesofgreensa.com/spidermites.html
"Control With: Liquid seaweed (most effective when mixed with liquid molasses)--regular spraying prevents and/or controls spidermites"
Where would one find liquid seaweed?
Neptunes Harvest
http://www.neptunesharvest.com
Yummy texas. pretty color too.
#1 may 1st
#2 May 4th
had a good rain the past two days.
edited. sorry, those pics are not of the same bell. posted wrong one.
This message was edited May 4, 2012 1:37 PM
this should of been the second pic above
even the little ones grew fast during that rain
I'd give an arm and two legs to grow ONE tomato like that....
Jo, check an organic nursery or feed store for liquid seaweed. If you can't find it locally, check online at Amazon.
Nice bell peppers. Actually awesome bell peppers. I have never found the magic for growing bell peppers. my harvest always come late summer early fall.
I have a few worthy jalapenos but the yellow bell peppers are just barely the size of marbles.
I sliced up the 15 oz JD's Special C-Tex tonight along with cukes and onions from the garden. Saved the seeds too.
Jo,
Both HD & Lowe's usually carry the liquid seaweed. Should be in the fertilizer section...
Thanks, kev-I'll check on it. Now how about the molasses? Can you use regular stuff? How is it diluted to use?
TRock. Ive never been able to grow decent bells either I grow great sweet nonbells instead.
I have Yellow, Red, and Purple Marconis this year and I do save the seeds. Im trying some minibells in containers because the plants are so small. Some of the Marconis plants got planted with blossoms and fruit set. Yes, I know better. They have such a long DTM (80 days) that I just couldnt pass up the idea of peppers sooner rather then later. LOL
Now I just have to decide what to put in my limited space. Im not using my larger (main) garden this year. I havent kept up with the soil amending etc.and Im trying to keep this fun and not too much work.
Tomatoes, peppers, Basil, Inca berries, and tomatillos are all in except for those going in pots and a few stragglers Now I have to decide where the long beans, cukes, watermelon, one other melon, and spaghetti squash are going to go. Along with 4 types of Okra I really want to try. lol
I want to say I've also seen the Medina brand molasses in both places...
I started my bell pepper seeds Dec 28th. I gave them Miracle Grow Bloom Booster for the first 7 weeks of their life and they lived on a heat mat in a mini hoop house until they were 8 wks old. I transplanted them to the 10 inch pots when they were 8 weeks old and fed them 16-16-16. They were transplanted to table top gardens when they were 11 weeks old. (march 17th) It was extra warm extra early so I transplanted sooner than I expected. They had bloom buds when they were transplanted and bloomed a week after transplant. (6 weeks ago)
Quote from CricketsGarden :
I started my bell pepper seeds Dec 28th. I gave them Miracle Grow Bloom Booster for the first 7 weeks of their life and they lived on a heat mat in a mini hoop house until they were 8 wks old. I transplanted them to the 10 inch pots when they were 8 weeks old and fed them 16-16-16. They were transplanted to table top gardens when they were 11 weeks old. (march 17th) It was extra warm extra early so I transplanted sooner than I expected. They had bloom buds when they were transplanted and bloomed a week after transplant. (6 weeks ago)
I just saved this to my 2013 Tomato Grow List so when I sow seeds for 2013 this info will be in my face. Thanks.
I am a MG Tomato fertilizer fan. Actually, I think it is the Holy Grail for tomato growing. It and Medina Hasta Grow for Plants. Now I will need to track down MG Bloom Booster. Years ago I used something called Super Bloom by I think Green Light. As I recall it worked very well. I had forgotten about that product until now.
It makes sense though, You can't have fruit without blooms, right? Good thinking on your part.
Anyhow, here is a picture of the harvest this morning,tomatoes, cukes, zucchini, eggplant and okra.
Oh before I forget, heads up! Yesterday it was 94 degrees here, so if you are in Texas and still writing and talking about gardening instead of planting you may as well stay indoors in the A/C. Wink!
It's not the regular stuff you buy at the grocery store. It's a liquid, usually sold in a 1-gal container. I use about a capful or so (I never measure anything! LOL) in a gallon of water. There is also a dry molasses that can be fed to cows, horses, dogs, and even cats, but I use it to fertilize my yard and gardens. Daylilies really like it!
Quote from HoneybeeNC :
beebonnet - I chose the Royal Burgundy bush beans this year for their color. So often when I pick beans, I miss a few because they are so hard to see the green beans against the green foliage.
It's nice to know they taste good. I didn't know they were "open pollinated" - I'll be sure to save some seeds for next year.
Yes, they are heirlooms. Here is a cute story about them. Believe it or not. LOL http://www.suziesfarm.com/index.php?/site/comments/royal_burgundy_beans/
Cricket---Your peppers are awesome. I am green with envy. I won't see a pepper in my garden until Sept. and they will be small at best. But, this is just NOT pepper growing country, so I must be content. I think pepper plants are the prettiest veg. in the garden.
Uh, I meant to give up my limbs for Bell Peppers...I can do tomatoes.
Today in the garden, water and fish emulsion for everyone! They will get more granular ferts next weekend. Supposed to cool off next week so the okra and peppers will sit and pout.
Gymgirl: I am opposite. I do great with peppers but my tomatoes always under produce or die late season lol
-Vaughn
Some pictures of my garden. peppers, tomatoes, bush bean seedlings, and okra seedlings on the deck. Peppers, onions, and shallot in the garden bed. More peppers on the other side of the bed with a zucchini and a cucumber plant plus the onions. My poor okra plants in the front bed.
It rained a bit last night and everything's perked up! The lemon cukes are growing like crazy! They are such aggressive climbers, but they taste oh so good!! The beans are doing well, the tomates are getting established, the okra's coming up, and the peas are still going strong. It will soon be time to harvest garlic and onions! I can't wait!
Another secret to growing large lush fruits and veggies is Potassium and I like to use kelp soluble powder. Powder cause it makes more gallons than the liquid and for some reason it is cheaper and I order the kelp powder from
http://www.extremepumpkins.com
they sell it in 1 pound bags for $12. It will go a very long ways in a regular backyard garden. You mix the powder in a gallon of water to make a liquid concentrate that you "again" add water to when it is time to feed the plants.
I did not have any kelp to feed my bells with. I just recently ordered more kelp. (seaweed)
Guess I can add Green Beans to my growing repertoire!
These KY Wonder Pole Beans actually grew under the patio cover. They've grown together now in seven 5-gallon buckets and are so tangled I didn't think I could move them without tearing them apart. So, I just left them under the cover. I didn't think I'd get beans, but, they're producing.
Congratulations, Linda!! They look wonderful!!
Thanks, Steph!
beebonnet - that was a cute story about the Royal Burgundy Beans, thanks for sharing it.
Incidentally, the row of beans I sowed on April 30th declared on May 4th! Looks as though only two did not sprout.
This morning, I need to harvest peas. I'm also thinking about going ahead and harvesting the garlic. I can't tell if it's ready or if it's just sun scalded.
I pulled half, about 120, onions yesterday and had them out on the ground to cure for a couple days before moving them into storage. It started raining last night at 1 am. It's raining as I write this. So far it has rained about 1 and 1/4 inches. Yesterday morning when I pulled the onions the forecast was slight to 10 % rain and the national weather map was clear all around my area.
The other half in a different bed have soft stems and are just starting to fall over. Thankfully onions are cheap at the grocery store.
Guess I should have had crop failure insurance like the big boys. :)
Hope the rest of you out there have better luck.
Quote from stephanietx :
This morning, I need to harvest peas. I'm also thinking about going ahead and harvesting the garlic. I can't tell if it's ready or if it's just sun scalded.
Can't you dig a few stalks with the most leaves? That should tell the status of the rest.
stephanietx - your garlic does not look ready to me. Mine have been looking a little "yellow" this year. I put it down to the dry weather. I did give them some blood meal and they looked a little greener.
The leaves should turn brown and dry up before they are ready.
TRock, congrats on the rain!! I know how desperately you folks need the rain not only to replenish the aquifer, but because it's just been so dang dry down there! Sorry it comes at the expense of your onions.
I'll probably pull one or two just to check them.
steph, garlic will keep in dry soil until fall when it start to sprout again.
One year I dug my garlic in August. It was still good except a few bulbs had some black mildew from summer rains but no mildew taste in the peeled cloves.
About my onions, I posted situation on Dixondale's facebook page. Hopefully, I'll get some suggestions as how to best proceed. If we get sun this afternoon and tomorrow so the onions dry out I'll put them on wire racks cure under the barn.
All I can say about rain is those who like rain are misguided (a smiley face goes here).
Well, like you, we're expecting rain, so the soil won't stay dry for long! LOL
Did you post to Dixondale on FB? If you're on Facebook, look them up. They're pretty quick to answer.
Rain? What's that??
I'd be happy to send ya some, if I could.