Garden time...Oh boy!

[bloody_peasant]

Jim,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bird: I was thinking of just cutting and plowing everything under, but I've read so many horror stories about insects wintering-over in the soil from the previous season's plants that I think I'll make a compost pile and put all the vines into it. )</font>

That's what I'm doing as well. I pull up the plants and throw'em in my compost pile. Diseases can also become a problem by leaving the rotting vegetation on our plot. I also add grass clippings from the yard, kitchen scraps (not meat), and coffee grounds from work into the piles I got. At the end of the year I hope to work it all into my soil and let it sit there for a bit over winter. I think my piles have too much nitrogen vs. carbon composition, but they still seem to be breaking down fast.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I think my piles have too much nitrogen vs. carbon composition, but they still seem to be breaking down fast. )</font>

I've seen many places carrying liquid or dry molasses. A little of that added to your compost and it should get things going. I've also been told that watermelon rinds are good sources of complex sugars and moisture. I've never done composting, but I'm going to try it and try to learn all I can about it. My thought is to dig out a small pit to create the compost pile so I can get into it and turn it with my FEL.

 

[honeycutt]

The black bugs with the red/orange spots sounds like lady bugs. Just not sure what they eat... plants or the insects.

 

[bloody_peasant]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ( I think my piles have too much nitrogen vs. carbon composition, but they still seem to be breaking down fast. )

I've seen many places carrying liquid or dry molasses. A little of that added to your compost and it should get things going. I've also been told that watermelon rinds are good sources of complex sugars and moisture. I've never done composting, but I'm going to try it and try to learn all I can about it. My thought is to dig out a small pit to create the compost pile so I can get into it and turn it with my FEL. )</font>

Hmm, never heard of the molasses being used before, interesting. I just made a pile right on the ground about 5' wide and about 3-4' high. I turn it maybe every couple of weeks at most with a pitch fork. I just started a second pile of fresh stuff as my old pile is turning all nice and black and smelling like Earth /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Also if I don't get rain for a week or so I'll add a little water to the pile.

There are some compost calculators on the web that help you determine your C:N ratio (like http://www.klickitatcounty.org/SolidWaste/fileshtml/organics/compostCalc.htm). They say a ratio of 25-30 is good but mine is at most in the high teens and is breaking down fast enough to be ready by end of fall. I probably should add some sawdust or wood shavings/chips to mine since I've got plenty from my woodworking shop.

 

[bloody_peasant]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The black bugs with the red/orange spots sounds like lady bugs. Just not sure what they eat... plants or the insects. )</font>

Ladybugs are our friends and eat all sorts of pests. Although they sometimes invade our homes and become little pests themselves /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[BB_TX]

<font color="blue"> The black bugs with the red/orange spots sounds like lady bugs.</font>
The bugs I had look exactly like the squash borers pictured in the link that Jinman provided above. When you zoom in on them, they are actually orange with some black. Mash them and a thick orange liquid comes out. Never had them before. But apparently they can really do in a squash plant. I do have some lady bugs too, but I don't worry about those.

 

[PineRidge]

If you have a pile of compost that you want to get cooking quick try dumping some Urea on top of the pile then wetting it down a bit.

 

[jinman]

Our garden is going crazy. I've learned a lot about corn and my soil the old fashioned way (trial and failure ) and what bugs will be more than willing to take their share. Right now we are still getting more than we can eat, put away, and give away. Our spaghetti squash looks like giant dinosaur eggs. It is just starting to mature and we have more "footballs" on the ground than the Dallas Cowboys on a Sunday afternoon.

Enough talk! I'll post a few pictures...just general stuff.

 

[jinman]

Conjoined squash. Surgical separation is scheduled for later this week. Neither are expected to survive past dinner.

 

[rox]

Funny you should tell that story. I was jsut wondering what black eyed peas look like?
Jinman if you are out and about in your garden would live to se a picture of some. Course I could go look them up on the internet but wouldn't be the same as seeing the pics of jinmans actual plants. Love to see a pic of a bunch of the peas picked and in a bowl. Might be kind of hard to see what they look like on the vine.