Gardens

[MJZiggy]

I also have my cheap beer slug remedy all ready to go.

[hoosier]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

[hoosier]

Any idea whether the squash vine borer is susceptible to beer?

[MJZiggy]

No, but I bet the gardener is. It's not real beer by the way. It's Old Milwaukee. Slug killer.

[Patler]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

They can be hard to control. If you covered your plants before they blossomed, low productivity was probably due to lack of pollination. Cover your plants after the blossoms fade, it should still be before the adult moth hatches and lays its eggs. It's the eggs you want to prevent, because the larvae is what bores into the vines. It then overwinters in the soil and hatches as the summer turns hot the next year.

If you plant the squash in the same place as last year, covering won't help because you will be trapping the moths under the plastic to lay their eggs as they emerge from the ground they entered last summer.

[hoosier]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

They can be hard to control. If you covered your plants before they blossomed, low productivity was probably due to lack of pollination. Cover your plants after the blossoms fade, it should still be before the adult moth hatches and lays its eggs. It's the eggs you want to prevent, because the larvae is what bores into the vines. It then overwinters in the soil and hatches as the summer turns hot the next year.

If you plant the squash in the same place as last year, covering won't help because you will be trapping the moths under the plastic to lay their eggs as they emerge from the ground they entered last summer.

I did, but was told that as long as I uncovered them before they began to blossom that pollination would be fine. Planted them in early May, uncovered by early June. I suppose it can't hurt to try planting the zucchini in the tomato bed and the tomatoes in the zucchini patch this year. We'll see how those squash borers like them apples! (My entire vegetable garden will probably now go south on me like the Packers offensive line due to too much shuffling.)

[MJZiggy]

It's crop rotation. It should be fine. That said, my tomatoes demand to be in the same spot every year. If I put anything else there, the volunteers spring up and immediately choke out everything else but the peas.

[Joemailman]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

They can be hard to control. If you covered your plants before they blossomed, low productivity was probably due to lack of pollination. Cover your plants after the blossoms fade, it should still be before the adult moth hatches and lays its eggs. It's the eggs you want to prevent, because the larvae is what bores into the vines. It then overwinters in the soil and hatches as the summer turns hot the next year.

If you plant the squash in the same place as last year, covering won't help because you will be trapping the moths under the plastic to lay their eggs as they emerge from the ground they entered last summer.

I did, but was told that as long as I uncovered them before they began to blossom that pollination would be fine. Planted them in early May, uncovered by early June. I suppose it can't hurt to try planting the zucchini in the tomato bed and the tomatoes in the zucchini patch this year. We'll see how those squash borers like them apples! (My entire vegetable garden will probably now go south on me like the Packers offensive line due to too much shuffling.)

You're gonna get apples by growing tomatoes in your zucchini patch?

[Patler]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

They can be hard to control. If you covered your plants before they blossomed, low productivity was probably due to lack of pollination. Cover your plants after the blossoms fade, it should still be before the adult moth hatches and lays its eggs. It's the eggs you want to prevent, because the larvae is what bores into the vines. It then overwinters in the soil and hatches as the summer turns hot the next year.

If you plant the squash in the same place as last year, covering won't help because you will be trapping the moths under the plastic to lay their eggs as they emerge from the ground they entered last summer.

I did, but was told that as long as I uncovered them before they began to blossom that pollination would be fine. Planted them in early May, uncovered by early June. I suppose it can't hurt to try planting the zucchini in the tomato bed and the tomatoes in the zucchini patch this year. We'll see how those squash borers like them apples! (My entire vegetable garden will probably now go south on me like the Packers offensive line due to too much shuffling.)

If you uncovered them by early June and left them uncovered, you did nothing to protect against the squash borer. The moth emerges from the ground in late June or early July, lays its eggs, the larvae hatch and go to lunch in your squash vines. Your plants were not protected when the moths were active laying their eggs in early July.

What you have to do is prevent the moths from laying their eggs near your squash plants in late June, early July.

[swede]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

They can be hard to control. If you covered your plants before they blossomed, low productivity was probably due to lack of pollination. Cover your plants after the blossoms fade, it should still be before the adult moth hatches and lays its eggs. It's the eggs you want to prevent, because the larvae is what bores into the vines. It then overwinters in the soil and hatches as the summer turns hot the next year.

If you plant the squash in the same place as last year, covering won't help because you will be trapping the moths under the plastic to lay their eggs as they emerge from the ground they entered last summer.

I did, but was told that as long as I uncovered them before they began to blossom that pollination would be fine. Planted them in early May, uncovered by early June. I suppose it can't hurt to try planting the zucchini in the tomato bed and the tomatoes in the zucchini patch this year. We'll see how those squash borers like them apples! (My entire vegetable garden will probably now go south on me like the Packers offensive line due to too much shuffling.)

If you uncovered them by early June and left them uncovered, you did nothing to protect against the squash borer. The moth emerges from the ground in late June or early July, lays its eggs, the larvae hatch and go to lunch in your squash vines. Your plants were not protected when the moths were active laying their eggs in early July.

What you have to do is prevent the moths from laying their eggs near your squash plants in late June, early July.

As April approaches you really have to be careful about how skillfully Patler trades on his reputation for serious posts.

[Patler]

As April approaches you really have to be careful about how skillfully Patler trades on his reputation for serious posts.

If people start giving two-week advance warnings, I don't have a chance to pull off another!

[hoosier]

Winter corn, that cannot be a good thing.

For four years now I have planted zucchini plants in the backyard garden. The first year they produced like freaks through September and we had more zucchini than we knew what to do with (that IS a good thing). The last three years, however, have seen dwindling productivity and plant burnout in early August where one morning they go from fine to looking like they had the life sucked out of them. I know there is a common virus that plagues tomato plants. Are there also common zucchini plant viruses? Or bugs? Or has my garden simply gone barren? If so, maybe I buy a goat and switch to alfalfa.

Sounds like squash vine borer.

That is what I heard from some local growers. I got one of those row covers, a translucent and breathable plastic sheet that you put over the plants, and while it definitely speeded up the maturation process they still sputtered out at the end of July. Maybe the cool summer had something to do with their early demise. Or maybe those varmints do not take no for an answer.

They can be hard to control. If you covered your plants before they blossomed, low productivity was probably due to lack of pollination. Cover your plants after the blossoms fade, it should still be before the adult moth hatches and lays its eggs. It's the eggs you want to prevent, because the larvae is what bores into the vines. It then overwinters in the soil and hatches as the summer turns hot the next year.

If you plant the squash in the same place as last year, covering won't help because you will be trapping the moths under the plastic to lay their eggs as they emerge from the ground they entered last summer.

I did, but was told that as long as I uncovered them before they began to blossom that pollination would be fine. Planted them in early May, uncovered by early June. I suppose it can't hurt to try planting the zucchini in the tomato bed and the tomatoes in the zucchini patch this year. We'll see how those squash borers like them apples! (My entire vegetable garden will probably now go south on me like the Packers offensive line due to too much shuffling.)

If you uncovered them by early June and left them uncovered, you did nothing to protect against the squash borer. The moth emerges from the ground in late June or early July, lays its eggs, the larvae hatch and go to lunch in your squash vines. Your plants were not protected when the moths were active laying their eggs in early July.

What you have to do is prevent the moths from laying their eggs near your squash plants in late June, early July.

I think they lay eggs a little earlier here in southern Indiana, like in early June. (http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef314.asp) But you may well be right that they are still laying eggs when the vines begin to blossom, and if so that does diminish the effectiveness of the row covers. I am going to try a combination approach based on your and Ziggy's comments: crop rotation and crappy beer lures (the gardener will not be swayed by Old Swill!!), early use of row covers followed by close vigilance and manual removal of eggs during the first half of June. If it works you two can expect to receive a smashing zucchini bread in the mail.

[MJZiggy]

Spectacular! (but the beer is a slug remedy, not winged pests)

[MichiganPackerFan]

I have NO experience with gardening (and I strongly believe that beer should be taken internally and often and not shared with small slimy creatures. If they want beer, the can buy their own)

I'd really like to try growing some herbs and have a small area in back set aside. Can anyone provide some input as to when they need to go into the ground and whether i need to buy plants or seeds started inside, etc?

Thanks!

[SkinBasket]

I have NO experience with gardening (and I strongly believe that beer should be taken internally and often and not shared with small slimy creatures. If they want beer, the can buy their own)

I'd really like to try growing some herbs and have a small area in back set aside. Can anyone provide some input as to when they need to go into the ground and whether i need to buy plants or seeds started inside, etc?

Thanks!

I'm a fucking terrible gardener, but tried to grow some shit last year as an exercise in land management with the kids. Those miniature tomatoes grow like a disease. We had 4 plants. 1 would have been enough. Squash grew well, but who the fuck eats squash? Not even the wild animals would touch that shit. Corn died because I didn't want to water it twice a day.

We bought the plants as babies from one of those garden centers. This year I think we'll try some more tomatoes, some green beans, and some pumpkins after we slash and burn a new spot for them. Maybe some cilantro for the guacamole.