Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[sseelhoff]

I have a good friend that lives in Kingsbury. My bosses parents live in Belmont. Traveled the old 90 many a time. Its a turn back in history seeing all the old town storefronts from decades ago.

They got me surrounded.

 

[Western]

Bird; If I don't work like that, I'll get old and lose my girlish figure! If I want to imbibe, I have to burn the calories!

No wonder I lost my "girlish figur" (Benny Hill) There are days when I work hard, but like Bird, did that more when I was younger. I will do long days still, but maybe I work smarter now, dont know...Slow and steady:laughing: I am paying for the hard work as a young man, one square bale in each hand and stuff like that to prove "I was a man" pays you back in doubles.

Jim, your garden is a week better than mine and I know the "real" reason your behind the other guys on tomatoes, your eat'n 'em before they leave the garden!!:laughing:

My Okra is doing good, but I think I planted to close, about 8". Think I should do some thinn'n???

 

[jinman]

Right away after it comes up, I thin to 6" between plants. When it gets about 8"-10" tall, I thin to 12" between plants and leave it. Some people recommend 18" spacing, but I do fine with 12" or even a bit less.

 

[Western]

Right away after it comes up, I thin to 6" between plants. When it gets about 8"-10" tall, I thin to 12" between plants and leave it. Some people recommend 18" spacing, but I do fine with 12" or even a bit less.

Thanks Jim, I usually go 12"-14" in the beginning, but since we all had so much "practice" this year with planting Okra and I had extra seed. I crammed them in. With fertilizer, I may see how they do at 8", if it looks like a struggle, I can thin leaving them at 16"

 

[jinman]

BTW: Dennis, I took FG19's link and ordered the 16 oz Spinosad from Green Light. I've already made and applied 3 gallons with my pump-up sprayer. I mixed it and insecticidal soap together in the sprayer because I've been seeing lots of little powdery green aphids. I mixed 2 oz of Spinosad and 2.5 oz of soap to each gallon as recommended on the bottles. The soap not only kills insects on contact, but it wets the plants and allows the Spinosad to cover better. 3 gallons took care of everything in my garden.

 

[Western]

I picked some up at the farm store she told me about (Dillards) I haven't put it out yet, but when this chance of rain passes I will.

I looked at soap and Neem oil the other day, but didn't pick any out. I was thinking the Isoap would help with the mix "sticking", but may have to use Diesel since I dont have any

Did you completely cover the plants? I was thinking just the base and some of the leaf area, I haven't seen anything other than grass hoppers (so far)

 

[Bird]

I am paying for the hard work as a young man, one square bale in each hand and stuff like that to prove "I was a man" pays you back in doubles.

Reminds me of the first time I helped re-roof a house. I carried the shingles 2 bundles at a time up the ladder onto the roof. The last time I did a roof, one bundle at a time was all I could handle, and I really doubt I could handle the one at a time now.

 

[farmgirl19]

No wonder I lost my "girlish figur" (Benny Hill) There are days when I work hard, but like Bird, did that more when I was younger. I will do long days still, but maybe I work smarter now, dont know...Slow and steady:laughing: I am paying for the hard work as a young man, one square bale in each hand and stuff like that to prove "I was a man" pays you back in doubles.

Well, I am NOT "macho" about it. I agree, slow and steady gets the work done, just takes a little longer. Last year, when I stacked hay in the hay barn, I left the trailer sitting in front of the barn for 5 days. I got up at 3 each morning, and stacked 30, then came in and cleaned up to go to work. 65-70 lb bales do not have me trying to see if I can cripple myself! I try to know my limitations!

Like tonight, my limit will be 2 Miller Lites! That will be 192 calories, and I am sure that I burned that many extra today! :laughing:

 

[txdon]

Oh no. 4 Houston firefighters die at fire this afternoon.
4 Houston firefighters die while responding to 5-alarm fire, official says | Fox News

Four firefighters die in 5-alarm hotel fire in southwest Houston - Houston Chronicle

 

[jinman]

That's really tragic, Don. The news said it's the first first firefighter deaths since 2009.

Dennis: I try to put my spray under the leaves. I bend over and spray from the bottom upwards and I also spray the ends of tender new stems. With squash and cucumbers, I spray mostly around the stem and at the base. I hardly ever spray the tops of those big leaves, just the bottom. On tomatoes, I spray the fruit to keep worms from getting in around the stems and then I spray the new growth and broadcast the underside of leaves and branches. Do you see a pattern? I try to spray where bugs hide and where they will do the most damage. I hardly ever spray the tops of leaves and never just lightly broadcast spray unless it's onions. I always target my spray areas on all the other plants.

I have no evidence of grasshopper damage yet. Most of my leaf damage is from aphids. I have bell peppers and banana peppers all in a row. The aphids like the banana peppers much better than bell peppers.

 

[Western]

Sounds like a sound practice Jim, fortunately only bugs I've had to deal n'mass has been Squash bugs and those need to be treated when young for sure. Thrips are a PITA too!

Don, saw that on the news when it started, bad situation all around. I speculate a motel, built similar to apartments (construction) complicates the firefighting effort and has some special hazards. I would think stability to be less on average. Been a rough 5 months in Texas for 1st responders.

 

[jinman]

The rain just ran me out of my garden. It's not a lot of rain, but it comes down hard for a couple of minutes, enough to get soaked. I'm torn between wanting more rain and knowing it will wash away my insecticide. Oh well, I can always apply more insecticide, but I can't get rain on demand, so I'll take whatever we can get.

BTW: The temperature just dropped 15 degrees, so it's a nice cool front too.

 

[Western]

The rain just ran me out of my garden. It's not a lot of rain, but it comes down hard for a couple of minutes, enough to get soaked. I'm torn between wanting more rain and knowing it will wash away my insecticide. Oh well, I can always apply more insecticide, but I can't get rain on demand, so I'll take whatever we can get.

BTW: The temperature just dropped 15 degrees, so it's a nice cool front too.

Jim, I saw that little strip of showers near your place, I was wondering what you where getting since it appears It will hit us in about 30 minutes. I ran out a fertilized the corn this morning, all I had on hand was 27-0-0. Held off watering until I see what we get.

 

[Western]

Well it blew through, think we counted 11 drops! So I had to water the garden and tomorrow I will hit it with the Spinosad. Grasshoppers are thick on the corn. Everything is growing like gangbusters though, zucchini to pick tomorrow and should have squash in a day or two.

Picked one tomato that was red, (how do you miss one until it's red:confused3 Blackberries are getting close. Allot of little melons, cantaloupe and cucumbers!!!!!!!!

 

[farmgirl19]

Western; You had more rain than I did! Didn't even get 11 drops here, and temps haven't dropped much either. Luckily, I'd watered the garden, before leaving for work, this morning. I have leasrned not to depend on the rain.

 

[jinman]

I think I got .12" of rain. It was enough for a nice wetting and cooling. I got out this afternoon and finished my melon trellis (an experiment) and used my 4-tine cultivator fork to loosen the soil around all my hills of squash and zucs. I also did my okra and blackeyed peas to keep them aerated and weed free. I fixed a problem with my Bolens 2-cycle tiller and then adjusted the carb with my new "D" tool. It runs perfectly now, so I tilled up the middle rows between my blackeyes and around my squash. I have two more yellow squash to pick tomorrow morning and a zuc about 6" long that will be mature in a couple of days. Tomorrow I pick bush beans for the first time. It won't be a huge picking, but plenty for a big mess of fresh green beans. My tomato vines are loaded with lots of tomatoes and the cherry tomatoes have huge bunches and the tops are just yellow with blooms. Another week of or two of this mild weather and I'm gonna be covered in tomatoes.

 

[farmgirl19]

jinman: We are in June. How long do you really think the milder weather will last?

 

[jinman]

Well, I didn't expect it to last thru May, so if we get any nice weather in June, we are ahead of the game. My forecast is for only one day above 90 for the next week. That's quite incredible, don't you think?

 

[farmgirl19]

jinman; I want your forecast. I think tomorrow is the only day forecast to be under 90. Maybe I'll bring my bucket your way and take my rain back! :laughing:

 

[txdon]

Jim, send that cold air down here it's 99˚, and FG19 don't intercept it!