Anyone have a garden going this year?

Discussion in 'Gardening' started by Deleted member 315401, Apr 2, 2020.

  1. Do you over water it? Most plants can survive pretty well on their own and people sometimes just do too much for them with good intentions.
     
  2. Bicaptain My Captain

    Bicaptain My Captain Members

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    My new "Square Foot" garden still has snow on it. It will be April before I can start working it and May for frost free.
     
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  3. Sillysweet

    Sillysweet Banned

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    Well I've tried at least 4 times now. So I under watered one and it died. Then another time gave it plenty of water and it died. So I have no clue... I've been lucky to grow vegetables but any type of cilantro and basil and thyme dies everytime!
     
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  4. Bicaptain My Captain

    Bicaptain My Captain Members

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    Maybe there is something wrong with the soil. You might want to try a different brand or type.
     
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  5. Try planting it in the ground if you can, water it every few days for the first 2 weeks then only if it doesn't rain for a week or if it looks like it is wilting, preferably in a place that gets a lot of sun but maybe some shade in the afternoon. Make sure that you harvest pretty often so it doesn't go to seed.
     
  6. Sillysweet

    Sillysweet Banned

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    I have all ways! I live in Florida so with the rain season for months of endless downpours it's hard to control the water it receives. I've always tried to clip when the flowers start too. I even did the cotton swab inside each flower to pollinate each other to encourage growth. I'm trying again this spring so hoping it goes well!
     
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  7. MartNorth

    MartNorth Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Maybe built a clear roof over it to control the monsoon season.
    I use a small paint brush liken out of kids water color paint to pollinate in my greenhouse;
     
  8. don't pollinate to encourage growth, once the plant is pollinated it makes seeds and dies, if you want to collect seeds from the plant you could do that but not if you want to continue harvesting the leaves.
    I should have asked where you are located before offering advice, lol...if you get a lot of rain and think the plant could be dying because of it then plant it in a well draining pot and if you are getting lots of rain you could either cover it or put it somewhere it won't get wet for a while.
     
  9. Tman58

    Tman58 Senior Member

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    I may skip the vegetable garden this year and go with wildflowers, only because I want more bees and butterflies!
     
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  10. ~Zen~

    ~Zen~ Ancient Mariner Administrator

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    They like a warm sunny location. They thrive in hot weather but don't overwater them. I love growing Basil!
     
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  11. TrudginAcrossTheTundra

    TrudginAcrossTheTundra Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Seeds have been ordered!

    Basil, it always seems to grow fine indoors in a pot for a season. I've not tried growing it outdoors, it makes a great houseplant.
     
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  12. TrudginAcrossTheTundra

    TrudginAcrossTheTundra Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    Vegetable gardens have flowers and attract all sorts of bees and butterflies.
    Cities may lack those sorts of things but out in the counties we have an abundance. We find ourselves fighting off carpenter bees, hornets, and such.
    Butterflies don't cause harm but caterpillars (mostly from moths I believe) will defoliate and kill trees, flowering plants, etc, and need to be controlled.
     
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  13. ~Zen~

    ~Zen~ Ancient Mariner Administrator

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    Great advice, one year I was loving the beautiful white butterflies in the area, then had to deal with an infestation of these all over my tomato plants:

    [​IMG]
     
  14. ~Zen~

    ~Zen~ Ancient Mariner Administrator

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    Just do it! You will love playing with the plants. They like the attention!
     
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  15. jimandjan

    jimandjan Member

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    Just finished my first tilling in raised bed. Now have to get seeds, and will plant in the next couple of days.
     
  16. TrudginAcrossTheTundra

    TrudginAcrossTheTundra Lifetime Supporter Lifetime Supporter

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    We've come across a couple of regal moth caterpillars over the years. They're pretty amazing to see in person! I didn't kill those, they're too rare. But those tomato ones... ixnay! :-o
     
  17. This is a tomato hornworm it does not turn into a white butterfly it turns into this
    Unknown.jpeg Unknown-1.jpeg A sphinx moth.
    If you see any tomato hornworms with these things on it
    TOHW1.jpg
    Leave it alone, it is already dying and the things on it are the eggs of a parasitic wasp that can help control the population of the hornworms. Organic gardening 101, if you can, just let nature find its balance and then there will be less work for you and a healthier ecosystem overall.
     
  18. Oh, and if this is is the white butterfly you have seen, they are solid green green caterpillars that tend to eat any sort of brassicas...cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi etc...

    1089_Cabbage_White_MN.jpg

    31468_original.jpg

    and although I have never seen them in my garden, google tells me that they can also look like this, lol
    CABW4.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 9, 2021
  19. Alice in SC

    Alice in SC Senior Member

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    We planted a smaller one this year, only about 30 acres! Hubby leased the rest to another Farmer!
     
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  20. ~Zen~

    ~Zen~ Ancient Mariner Administrator

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    Awesome! But a LOT of work :)

    Thank you for the clarification there :)

    I have seen both of those - the white butterflies and the moths. I made the wrong assumption that the big hornworms came from the white butterflies.

    So much to learn!

    I haven't seen the parasitic egg infestation, that looks interesting!
     
  21. Alice in SC

    Alice in SC Senior Member

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    Most of the field is for Deer corn. We have a smaller plot behind the house that hubby and I work Nude in together!
     
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