Fed up with the garden

[masseyrider]

tried to dig a few taters. Plants were big, bloomed and are dying back. Should be taters. Roots, a few pea sized babies and that's all. The tops have died back too much for them to size up. This garden thing really sucks this year. Cabbage isn't worth picking with the bugs. Majority of my squash have now collapsed with powdery mildew. Corn is green as possible and over 6 foot tall.

 

[oldballs]

My melon patch is looking good for the first picking.......

 

[masseyrider]

My melon patch is looking good for the first picking.......

Total envy here.

 

[Jstpssng]

Total envy here.

Ditto here. My cucumbers started getting diseased at about the same time they set on fruit, my corn and tomatoes are asking for fur coats to try to keep warm.

 

[masseyrider]

Almost every day or two we get more rain. Not flooding but it never dries out and it's adding to the humidity. Just allowing the fungus to wipe out everything susceptible.

 

[Oaktree]

Ditto here. My cucumbers started getting diseased at about the same time they set on fruit, my corn and tomatoes are asking for fur coats to try to keep warm.

Even with all the rain, mine hasn't done badly. Cukes are just starting to produce, got a few green tomatoes and blossoms on the squash & pole beans. All are fairly typical for early August. Corn is a bit ahead of normal...I've got ears but they're nowhere near ripe yet. Most years don't usually get corn until almost Labor day. Several nights last week in the low 40s didn't seem to hurt anything.
Was weeding around the potatoes a couple days ago and accidentally pulled one up...had several 2½" ones on that one plant.

Only got one cutting on the broccoli, second cutting was kind of bitter so that's done for the year. Usually get at least 2, sometimes 3 cuttings.

 

[masseyrider]

The red taters are about lemon size, but starting to rot because of all the rain. Planted on decent draining ground, so no standing water, but it just doesn't get a chance to dry off.
They threatened us with severe rain possible for the last 2 days and somehow we didn't get it... until this evening.
It's coming down steady elephants and hippos for the last 5 hours. Sump pump is kicking in every 10 minutes or so and my pit is large and deep.
Please don't fail!

 

[Alan46]

The red taters are about lemon size, but starting to rot because of all the rain. Planted on decent draining ground, so no standing water, but it just doesn't get a chance to dry off.
They threatened us with severe rain possible for the last 2 days and somehow we didn't get it... until this evening.
It's coming down steady elephants and hippos for the last 5 hours. Sump pump is kicking in every 10 minutes or so and my pit is large and deep.
Please don't fail!

Just a suggestion….have a backup just in case! You know the phrase “ better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it “

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Our beans all died out from a three days of 100° F and 8 to 10% humidity. First fail of the season. Other than no quinces growing at all this year.
Pears, Apples, Strawberries and Apricots still going strong, best fruit crop in 10 years.
In our garden the Corn, Melons, Cabbages, Pumpkins, Cukes, Squash, Peas and Sunflowers are still holding in there. Just hope they can beat the heat. Tomorrow is the last forecast day for high temps.

 

[masseyrider]

Just a suggestion….have a backup just in case! You know the phrase “ better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it “

I have two in the pit at different levels. When I first moved in the primary one failed and the secondary one had seized from standing too long.
Now I rotate them every time change.

 

[masseyrider]

If it would dry out enough I would disk everything under. Rained like crazy again last night. Not long, but enough to keep things wet.
Like wholly crap Batman.

 

[LouNY]

I just read this thread today. A lot of interesting reads.
I don't grow a garden anymore with no kids at home to help maintain one and too much to do without one.
Just imagine all you gardeners if the production from your gardens had to feed and cloth your children and pay all the taxes and provide you with some income!!!!!!!!
Now your farming!!!!!

 

[ning]

I just read this thread today. A lot of interesting reads.
I don't grow a garden anymore with no kids at home to help maintain one and too much to do without one.
Just imagine all you gardeners if the production from your gardens had to feed and cloth your children and pay all the taxes and provide you with some income!!!!!!!!
Now your farming!!!!!

 

[CalG]

My wife made Pesto today. The entire house filled with the fresh basil fragrance. Even with the windows wide open to the breeze.
Not sure what is going to happen with the Asian Jumping worm thing. They are everywhere, In big numbers. It's getting creepy.

 

[Yander]

My wife made Pesto today. The entire house filled with the fresh basil fragrance. Even with the windows wide open to the breeze.
Not sure what is going to happen with the Asian Jumping worm thing. They are everywhere, In big numbers. It's getting creepy.

you need some chickens or ducks. They would put the hurt on them.

 

[Jstpssng]

you need some chickens or ducks. They would put the hurt on them.

They say it’s a bad idea. The jumping worms store heavy metals, which the chickens will pass on to humans.

 

[ning]

They say it’s a bad idea. The jumping worms store heavy metals, which the chickens will pass on to humans.

I'd imagine you don't want them to be a large portion of the diet, but eating what's there as part of the entire diet wouldn't be any different than them eating other earthworms?

If your soil has heavy metals, probably not a good idea, but otherwise should be fine. Get your soil tested.

 

[CalG]

you need some chickens or ducks. They would put the hurt on them.

We were talking about ducks at the supper table. But word has it (University extension service commentary) that birds and even lizards spit them out.

Still,..... maybe geese, surely pigs ;-)

 

[CalG]

I'd imagine you don't want them to be a large portion of the diet, but eating what's there as part of the entire diet wouldn't be any different than them eating other earthworms?

If your soil has heavy metals, probably not a good idea, but otherwise should be fine. Get your soil tested.

Big thing is there are SO freaking many! A shovel turned shallow anywhere in the woods or lawn will have a dozen of the dang things squirming every which way. And they run quickly.
If birds got into them, a four foot square would be a pound of worms I'm guessing.
I take them out of the compost (hand picked! ;-) in gallon buckets. Drowned in soapy water.

I'm looking for a magic bullet, but as they are all around for miles, I have no assumption that my local activities will have any useful results. They all die in winter, only to hatch out from "cocoons" in spring to start all over. Maybe if we get a dry year, they will not prosper so.

The castings do make nice dark soil, but not sure how it analyzes. It makes pulling weeds a breeze! Loose and crumbly. Plays all heck with mulching though.

 

[Jstpssng]

Big thing is there are SO freaking many! A shovel turned shallow anywhere in the woods or lawn will have a dozen of the dang things squirming every which way. And they run quickly.
If birds got into them, a four foot square would be a pound of worms I'm guessing.
I take them out of the compost (hand picked! ;-) in gallon buckets. Drowned in soapy water.

I'm looking for a magic bullet, but as they are all around for miles, I have no assumption that my local activities will have any useful results. They all die in winter, only to hatch out from "cocoons" in spring to start all over. Maybe if we get a dry year, they will not prosper so.

The castings do make nice dark soil, but not sure how it analyzes. It makes pulling weeds a breeze! Loose and crumbly. Plays all heck with mulching though.

“They” say that the worms extract all of the nutrients, and leave the soil susceptible to erosion.