First Serious Project - Clearing 1.5 Acres

Jim57 · Jun 6, 2006

( Mornin Jim,
I realize that you and Egon are talking about squash plants and cut worms, but I use coffee cans that have the bottoms cut out next to all my tomato plants. I partially bury the can next to the tomato plant, and when I do water them I make sure to get water in that can. It helps in getting water to the roots. I know your doing a large number of plants so that may not be possible. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

)

Thanks... Please... all of your experience as gardeners are needed. Please post your tricks and useful tools like Egon & Scotty have. Remember I am a Greenhorn at this and I am open to all suggestions, pest control and special tools and other things you have learned over the years of gardening. All information is very helpful and Greatly Appreciated.

Egon · Jun 6, 2006

JIM57:

Want me to post a picture of Brown Thumb Egon's brown lawn and not from lack of water! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon · Jun 6, 2006

JIM57:

Want me to post a picture of Brown Thumb Egon's brown lawn and not from lack of water! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jim57 · Jun 6, 2006

(
JIM57:

Want me to post a picture of Brown Thumb Egon's brown lawn and not from lack of water! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

Brown Lawn? You don't have armyworms do you? Tell us about this lawn.

Jim

Jim57 · Jun 6, 2006

(
JIM57:

Want me to post a picture of Brown Thumb Egon's brown lawn and not from lack of water! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

Brown Lawn? You don't have armyworms do you? Tell us about this lawn.

Jim

Jim57 · Jun 6, 2006

( Hi Jim. Your garden is looking darn good. I think you are a couple of weeks behind me because I've already gathered about 1/2 bushel of squash and lots of banana peppers. I've got a "ton" of tomatoes on the vines starting to turn. They may start being picked this weekend. The only pest I've had lately are some little green worms eating the leaves on one pepper plant. A little 5% Sevin took care of them.

I had a lot of grasshoppers appearing, but we mowed down the tall grass around the garden and put up a small bird feeder. As a result, I'd say we reduced that population by 75%. If you can cut that tall grass, you may keep the 'hoppers away. I'm not sure they are a problem there, but they sure are here. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif )

I finally got the grass mowed today. I will try and take pictures tomorrow. It looks much better /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Those nasty cut worms got many of my squash plants but I replanted hoping there will be enough time to make. I may have caught the other squash in time. They were in another part of the garden.

Wow! The chemicals that a person has to use to protect vegetables are expensive. No wonder fruits & vegetables are so expensive. You need to own Fort Knox to protect them from those pesky beetles and such.

Jim

Jim57 · Jun 6, 2006

( Hi Jim. Your garden is looking darn good. I think you are a couple of weeks behind me because I've already gathered about 1/2 bushel of squash and lots of banana peppers. I've got a "ton" of tomatoes on the vines starting to turn. They may start being picked this weekend. The only pest I've had lately are some little green worms eating the leaves on one pepper plant. A little 5% Sevin took care of them.

I had a lot of grasshoppers appearing, but we mowed down the tall grass around the garden and put up a small bird feeder. As a result, I'd say we reduced that population by 75%. If you can cut that tall grass, you may keep the 'hoppers away. I'm not sure they are a problem there, but they sure are here. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif )

I finally got the grass mowed today. I will try and take pictures tomorrow. It looks much better /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Those nasty cut worms got many of my squash plants but I replanted hoping there will be enough time to make. I may have caught the other squash in time. They were in another part of the garden.

Wow! The chemicals that a person has to use to protect vegetables are expensive. No wonder fruits & vegetables are so expensive. You need to own Fort Knox to protect them from those pesky beetles and such.

Jim

jinman · Jun 7, 2006

( Those nasty cut worms got many of my squash plants but I replanted hoping there will be enough time to make. I may have caught the other squash in time. They were in another part of the garden.
)

Jim, you can use two methods to get rid of cutworms and both are cheap. When you plant your sets, put a plastic cup with the bottom cut out around the plant. It needs to be about 1" into the soil at the base of the plant and 1-1/2" to 2" above the ground at the top. I just use the pots that the sets come in or cheap plastic cups. Also, put cornmeal inside the cup and spread it around on the ground around the base of the plant. The cup will prevent the cutworm from getting to the plant and the worms will eat the cornmeal and explode internally when it expands. You can use diatomaceous earth or expensive insecticides, but they are not needed. I only lost one plant to cutworms this year and that was a pepper not protected by the cup.

Aphids can be controlled by blasting them off the plants with plain water or with about 3 teaspoons of dishsoap in a gallon of water and sprayed on the plants. I hold off on the dishsoap if there are a lot of ladybugs present. I just use the water blast and it works great. Most of the aphids won't come back.

All methods aren't expensive. Some of the best are pretty cheap, but don't expect the chemical companies to tell you that. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

jinman · Jun 7, 2006

( Those nasty cut worms got many of my squash plants but I replanted hoping there will be enough time to make. I may have caught the other squash in time. They were in another part of the garden.
)

Jim, you can use two methods to get rid of cutworms and both are cheap. When you plant your sets, put a plastic cup with the bottom cut out around the plant. It needs to be about 1" into the soil at the base of the plant and 1-1/2" to 2" above the ground at the top. I just use the pots that the sets come in or cheap plastic cups. Also, put cornmeal inside the cup and spread it around on the ground around the base of the plant. The cup will prevent the cutworm from getting to the plant and the worms will eat the cornmeal and explode internally when it expands. You can use diatomaceous earth or expensive insecticides, but they are not needed. I only lost one plant to cutworms this year and that was a pepper not protected by the cup.

Aphids can be controlled by blasting them off the plants with plain water or with about 3 teaspoons of dishsoap in a gallon of water and sprayed on the plants. I hold off on the dishsoap if there are a lot of ladybugs present. I just use the water blast and it works great. Most of the aphids won't come back.

All methods aren't expensive. Some of the best are pretty cheap, but don't expect the chemical companies to tell you that. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Jim57 · Jun 7, 2006

( Those nasty cut worms got many of my squash plants but I replanted hoping there will be enough time to make. I may have caught the other squash in time. They were in another part of the garden.

Jim, you can use two methods to get rid of cutworms and both are cheap. When you plant your sets, put a plastic cup with the bottom cut out around the plant. It needs to be about 1" into the soil at the base of the plant and 1-1/2" to 2" above the ground at the top. I just use the pots that the sets come in or cheap plastic cups. Also, put cornmeal inside the cup and spread it around on the ground around the base of the plant. The cup will prevent the cutworm from getting to the plant and the worms will eat the cornmeal and explode internally when it expands. You can use diatomaceous earth or expensive insecticides, but they are not needed. I only lost one plant to cutworms this year and that was a pepper not protected by the cup.

Aphids can be controlled by blasting them off the plants with plain water or with about 3 teaspoons of dishsoap in a gallon of water and sprayed on the plants. I hold off on the dishsoap if there are a lot of ladybugs present. I just use the water blast and it works great. Most of the aphids won't come back.

All methods aren't expensive. Some of the best are pretty cheap, but don't expect the chemical companies to tell you that. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )

Now that's what I'm talking about. I wish I had known about the cups before I started. I will put cups around the seedlings I planted when they come up. Thank you for the info.

I have used the soap along with sevin dust in a sprayer. Guess I can leave the sevin dust out and use the liquid soap. However... I have found that you should not use Pamolive Dish Detergent. Something in it will kill the plants.

I have used grits to get rid of Fire Ants. I just spread the grits on the ant hill and they take it in as food and they explode from the swelling of the grits after they injest them. It gets rid of the whole colony of that hill. It seems to get the queen first and of course the colony disappears after that. It's seems devilish but it works /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif