2009 Outdoor Vegetable Gardens---Group Thread

[Dr. Funkenstein]

Originally Posted by Dr. Funkenstein

Hello everyone, I just planted my first outdoor veggie garden about 2 weeks back with some plant starts from the local home place.

Everything has been going really well, with extreme growth. But I noticed about 5 days ago, that my two Kentucky Wonder Green Bean plants and my Cucumber are being attacked by these black bugs with wings. At first glance, they appear to be gnats.

I've been doing research on common pests, and I'm thinking they may be 'aphids'? I purchased some organic pesticide spray, and doused them twice so far. Which seems to stop them for the day, but they are back in a days time. It is not as bad as some pictures I've seen, yet I could see it getting worse. Them plants have been doing so well, and don't deserve the torture! They are all in the same rectangular planter, and I'm going to quarantine them, and transplant them into individual pots tomorrow, for further observation.

Does anyone have any great suggestions, proven home remmedies, etc, to combat and conquer these lil bastards for good? Thanks for the help. I'll try to get pics up of my entire garden soon.

Dr. Funkenstein

EDIT: Well I've replanted the two kentucky wonder beans, and a cucumber into their own individual pots, and managed to single out the source of my pest problems. On the underside of a few leaves on the source kentucky wonder bean plant, there are a number of spots, that look like a newly formed henna style tattoo. Which I guess is a sign of red spider mite damage. I have the 3 plants seperated, clipped any dying foliage, and have been misting them regularly with water. The cucumber seems back on track, but the kentucky wonder beans seem to be struggling over this hurdle. Lets see how things go.

[buzzmobile]

The bounty continues. It won't be long though until the squashes start to melt and disappear from powdery mildew and various other fungal diseases. As the temps at night continue to rise into the low 70'sF, the spores begin to hatch. The corn and tomatoes are ripening, but some critter got into the corn the other night. I couldn't make out the tracks in the soil, but whatever it was knocked down about a dozen ears.



The buds are a Halfie plant that I harvested Friday. I plucked its fan leaves yesterday. I'll be rolling the first fattie from it in a few minutes.

[swordfish]

Anyone know when to harvest Japenese cuc's and what is a good way to prepare them? I am a first time grower and have know expierence with this vegetable. Are you suppose to peel the prickly skin, and consume in a salad like a regular cuc or steam, bake? I dont believe I have ever dined on one of these veggies and wish to know what im up against.

[buzzmobile]

Japanese cucumber recipes

Looks like they need peeling.

[swordfish]

I may just let it continue growing and see how big it may become. Not much of a cucumber fan but I may just follow a few of those recipees.

[DirtKlaud]

wow buzz i love the squash.The white patty pan squash is awesome

[DirtKlaud]

just a few pics from around my farm

[Plucky Purcell]

Looks like the making of a freaky Cayenne...

[BCGuerillaGrowa]

wow cool buzz.. you definitely have me beat.. i just got a few poppies some chinese forget me nots. a few peppers a dozen tomato plants..brocolli, strawberry, beans,peas, radish all started from seed..and a potato plant, thats about it.

heres a pic of the poppies not quite flowering yet.. some chinese forget me nots
hiding behind them in the same pot, purple rhodedondron and salmon berries behind
the pot.

[DirtKlaud]

here is a few more pics from my garden this year.Coyotes ate all my melons last year,hopefully they will leave me at least one this year