Veggie Growers Unite About This Page:

[mrsmac2001]

We've had japanese beetle problem the last two years. The only thing that we can get rid of them with is Sevin dust or spray.

[wyomom]

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

OK, I have an apple tree that does make apples even if it is only one. If I plant a pear tree will that work for mating or do fruits only mate with the same kinds of fruits?

No idea about pear trees. and you are right...this rule doesn't apply to all fruit bearing trees. You can plant a cherry or a plum and it doesn't need a mate..as far as I know.

[wyomom]

Originally Posted by jjj6689

I haven't tried veggie soup yet. Do you put meat in it? Do you have to use a pressure canner? I have a great tomato soup recipe that will make you never be able to look at Campbell's tomato soup the same.

I have a question about marigolds. Do I just plant them around the edges of my garden? We had way to many bugs last year and lost most of our vining crops(pumpkins, squash, zucchini)

My vegi soup is vegitarian style, but you can put meat and barley in if you choose, though I haven't done this. Not sure if the canning process would be different?
And yes, this is a pressure canning food.
I would love to have that tomato soup recipe! Really hoping for a bumper crop of tomatos this year!

Planting the marigolds within closer proximity will be most helpful. I wouldn't plant them any farther than 2-3 feet from your plants. I have seen farther spacing, but personally, I prefer to know the marigolds are doing their job!

[wyomom]

Originally Posted by klositis

Easiest way to grow Tomoatoes......Get a square bale of hay, cut holes in the wide side of it, leave about 10-12 inches between. put potting soil in the bottom of the hole, water, place plant in that and coverup with more potting soil. Once your plants get tall enough to start leaning, brace up with a stick and tie plant to it, with white tshirt material. You can add some miracle gro to it also to get faster growth and bigger fruits. You can also use the hay trick with strawberries, cucumbers, and the like. This works well if you have limited space and can be done on a balcony.

What a great idea! My bro-in-law has bales so I might sweet talk him into bringing some down for me!
Thanks for the tip!

[wyomom]

Originally Posted by KathyL

For those of you who lack garden space or spots to have big planters for tomatoes, the things that you see advertised to grow your tomatoes upside down, really work. DH and I have tried growing a few tomato plants like this each year, and they have been very successful. We find that they tend to dry out faster than tomatoes in the garden but other than that, no problems. We have purchased our "upsidedown planters" from a gardening catalog in the past...I will see if I can find the name of the catalog/website if anyone is interested.

I have heard of these and glad to know they work. May see if the planters are available around here.

[travelinsara]

I only have one pear tree and it always has fruit....bummer that I don't care for pears...I did take a huge box of them to work and they disappeared quickly!! Everyone said they were good..... I wish it were an apple tree, oh well I don't know if there is another tree in someone's yard that my tree is 'mating' with or not. Our yard is HARD and clay, the former owner gave up on a garden, so I have not tried to have one here. Once upon a time there was a show on PBS called Square Foot gardening, it was all in narrow beds with boards around the dirt I loved the concept. I love having a garden, but without a tiller to start digging up the ground, my garden may have to be in containers as well. Tomatoes are a favorite. I would also love to have some pickling cucumbers to make bread and butter pickles
S

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by travelinsara

I don't know if there is another tree in someone's yard that my tree is 'mating' with or not.

I love having a garden, but without a tiller to start digging up the ground, my garden may have to be in containers as well.
S

Well, my apple tree must be gettin some someplace because there are PLENTY of apples every year! Maybe your pear tree and my apple tree are having a long distance relationship???

Can you start with just a small patch of ground this year? I'll be starting small because my yard has more rocks than you could ever imagine.

[mrsmac2001]

I was reading in the farmers almanac today and it is going to be a bad time to plant too early in our area. So I will not be putting anything in the ground till after April 19th otherwise I will lose everything. We had a hard start last year because I didn't pay attention to the almanac and will NOT be doing that again.

[wyomom]

[quote=Sandra Bostwick;2553294]Well, my apple tree must be gettin some someplace because there are PLENTY of apples every year! Maybe your pear tree and my apple tree are having a long distance relationship???quote]

Isn't that like cats and dogs mating!?? Sick and wrong!
If memory serves, there are some apple trees that will produce without a mate... and like I said, trees are NOT my forte, just minimal info I learned while working in greenhouses/nurserys. I specialized in gardening and flowering types of plants, soil, and shrubbery.

Bought some seeds today and can't wait to start planting. Our growing season is way too short to do tomatoes from seed...

Hey, I have a question. We too deal with the 4 legged pests (deer) and I know that one of our greenhouses sell Deer "repellent". Has anyone tried this? The deer love my tomatoes and some shrubbery, but leave all other vegies alone. My Chocolate Lab is too old and lazy to give a rats patooty if they are eating my garden!

And for those of you who hate the snakes, there is a snake repellent that has worked for us in the past. It's a granule that you make a "fence" with. We had a bad snake issue last year and they are my biggest phobia. If anyone has other ways of deterring the snakes, I am all ears! My cat just plays with them and leaves them on the porch!

I did think of something else that may help those of you planting squashes/cucumbers. In order for the flower to turn into a vegi, it needs to be pollinated by bees. If you feel bees are minimal in your area, plant flowers that attract bees around your squashes. If you are unsure if your squashes are being pollinated, signs are: the fruit will grow for a week, turn yellow,shrivel and fall off. ha ha ha .... had a thought there..... following me?

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by wyomom

[

Hey, I have a question. We too deal with the 4 legged pests (deer) and I know that one of our greenhouses sell Deer "repellent".

We had a bad snake issue last year and they are my biggest phobia. If anyone has other ways of deterring the snakes, I am all ears!

, turn yellow,shrivel and fall off. ha ha ha .... had a thought there..... following me?

Deer are a real problem here. I plant lots of iris, which they tend to not like. I think I will have to encase my veggie garden in chicken wire. Yes, I have tried all the deer repellants and I'm just not sure if they made a difference or not!

About snakes, I love to take a stroll around the yard with my coffee each morning. One time a snake was in the rock garden, and he scared me so much I screamed, flailed my arms, spilled coffee UP IN THE AIR, and it came down on m head, so I covered my head, all while screaming. My neighbor saw this and asked me later if I'd been having some sort of attack.

Yes, I follow you on the squash!Very funny!

[mrsmac2001]

We keep deer out of the garden because we have a dog. I have never had a problem with snakes in the garden but I do have them in the yard.

We may not have too many problems with them in the garden because of how well we keep it tended. No weeds allowed, all tomatoes tied up, cucumbers are are ran up fencing and not allowed to lay on the ground actually nothing really hovers on the ground except maybe the green beans, everything else has great space under it. I hadn't really thought about it before.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by mrsmac2001

We keep deer out of the garden because we have a dog. I have never had a problem with snakes in the garden but I do have them in the yard.

We may not have too many problems with them in the garden because of how well we keep it tended. No weeds allowed, all tomatoes tied up, cucumbers are are ran up fencing and not allowed to lay on the ground actually nothing really hovers on the ground except maybe the green beans, everything else has great space under it. I hadn't really thought about it before.

Do you have any photos? How do you control those weeds? I've tried everything short of Napalm with no luck at all!

[mrsmac2001]

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

Do you have any photos? How do you control those weeds? I've tried everything short of Napalm with no luck at all!

No recent pictures. As for weeds we till so often when you walk out in the garden you sink past your ankles. Anything we can't till under or close to we pull them also we use preen after all seedlings are up. If you don't do this they will not come up.

[wyomom]

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

Deer are a real problem here. I plant lots of iris, which they tend to not like. I think I will have to encase my veggie garden in chicken wire. Yes, I have tried all the deer repellants and I'm just not sure if they made a difference or not!

About snakes, I love to take a stroll around the yard with my coffee each morning. One time a snake was in the rock garden, and he scared me so much I screamed, flailed my arms, spilled coffee UP IN THE AIR, and it came down on m head, so I covered my head, all while screaming. My neighbor saw this and asked me later if I'd been having some sort of attack.

Yes, I follow you on the squash!Very funny!

I was laughing with the vision of you, the coffee, and the snake! They are basically harmless, but give a fright when spotted. I too have been such a sight!
So, here's one for you...
Late August a few years back, the kids and I came home from a day of shopping. I went around to the side of the house to let my 102lb Chocolate "love" Lab out of her yard. Not even making it around the corner did my "snake senses" go into full tilt. I kid you not, there was a 6.5ft, 60lb boa constrictor in my yard! Now, if you are unfamiliar with Wyoming, these do not grow naturally around here!!! I started screaming "OMG OMG OMG", hearding the kids back to the front yard, and heading over to the other gate to let my chocolate love out! The snake was in with her! My dog was looking at me like I chose to get a pet such as this, then punished her with babysitting it! The neighbors (who were from NY and I had yet to meet) come running. "Are you ok? We thought one of your kids fell off one of your decks or something!" (we have 5 decks on a 3 story house..nightmare for parents!) I pointed to the Boa and they took a few steps back, said a few choice words, then proceeded to pick it up and remove it!
Long story short, we live a very short distance from a pond.... a pond in which people dispose unwanted reptiles apparently!!!! An older couple who live in the neigborhood commented when I told them the story "oh, ONE finally came up eh?" one? ONE?!!? Any year now, I expect the gators to start showing up! Geez, not only do we deal with bears, mountain lions, antelope, deer, & garden snakes, I have to be on the look out for gators and boas?!!? Sooo not right!

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by wyomom

I was laughing with the vision of you, the coffee, and the snake! They are basically harmless, but give a fright when spotted. I too have been such a sight!
So, here's one for you...

I kid you not, there was a 6.5ft, 60lb boa constrictor in my yard!
I pointed to the Boa and they took a few steps back, said a few choice words, then proceeded to pick it up and remove it!
Long story short, we live a very short distance from a pond.... a pond in which people dispose unwanted reptiles apparently!!!! !

I'm glad my neighbor didn't have a camera, or I'd be on utube with the snake dance!

Your neighbors actually picked up the snake? What are they, nuts??

OK, so when we are protecting our veggie gardens from pets, we will include snake protection as well.