What Did You Do In The Garden?

[Dirtmechanic]

Ugh Bugs! I just made up some boric acid nectar with yeast for the mosquito traps. I am improving my game because nothing I have made at home has worked very well so far but this has a chance. 1% boric acid. I read half that would attract males but the 1 percent kills the larvae etc. I used 6 cups water (1500 mL) and basically 2 tbsp Boric acid roach powder. The mL and g thing is based on water and the powder was far lighter so by grams the powder basically doubled the volume when I did it by mass. Now, I am off to try replanting some big tomato prunings because they are done but some of the tips are looking good and putting out the little roots along their stems. What are those called again? I never remember the name.

 

[Zeedman]

Now, I am off to try replanting some big tomato prunings because they are done but some of the tips are looking good and putting out the little roots along their stems. What are those called again? I never remember the name.

Adventitious roots?

 

[baymule]

One of the more unusual members of the gourd family was desperately in need of renewal this year - after two previous failures. Fortunately, it is thriving this year, and setting a lot of... pods?
View attachment 42890 View attachment 42891
Cyclanthera explodens (a.k.a C. brachystachya). The tiny fruits can be eaten raw when young; cucumber-like, but bland. The thorns are soft. That odd question-mark shape is part of the plant's seed dispersal mechanism. When ripe, the pod turns yellowish... and at the slightest touch, "uncoils" and expels seeds violently. They will easily travel 6' or more. I harvest seed by firing the pods into a box or bag; some shoot out so hard that they bounce back out! The Grandson will probably have a lot of fun with them - while wearing safety glasses.

These plants do NOT like alkaline soil splashed on their leaves; they were yellow & sickly until I mulched around them. I have no idea what pollinates them. I never see bees on the tiny flowers, but there are over a hundred pods set on these vines already. The first seeds should begin to ripen in a week or two.

Besides entertaining the grandson, what do you do with them?

 

[baymule]

I found this really cool bee on the lettuce flower.

And one of my favorite crops, winter squash!

I mowed some in the garden and watered the corn. I'll harvest tomatoes later today.

That bee is cool! So pretty.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Adventitious roots?

I could go with that. Trees do that out of the bark of the trunk when they get it trouble and that is what I heard an arborist mumble. Or maybe it was "advantageous".

 

[digitS']

I like to choose my weeds for their redeeming qualities.

I've enjoyed having Lavatera in the Dahlias.

When I first began to grow quite a few dahlias - especially - I suppose that I was overly optimistic about the roots overwintered indoors. There are always some that completely fail to emerge. So, there's a spot bare ground out there big enough to swing a cat in!

How do you fill it in? and what can compete with the big dahlia neighbors while blooming about the same time. The lavatera filled the bill. It doesn't really look like a dahlia but in one garden, there were always larkspur volunteers. A few larkspur, a nice big lavatera - it looked like I planned that flower bed that way .

I absolutely cannot say anything about invasive nature. What I have learned from comparing gardening experiences with gardeners living elsewhere is that what gets outta hand some places is difficult to grow elsewhere. Self-sown hollyhocks seem to only tolerate shady ground beside the house. Does Okra get outta hand?

Steve
who is anticipating a rainy afternoon in the 70's tomorrow and another weekly run Monday to harvest from the big veggie garden before it's too hot & smoky, yet again ...

 

[flowerbug]

i weeded for an hour or so while it was still cool enough out, came in for a break and then it was lunchtime with one of my brother's and we did a pretty short garden tour and sat outside for a while, but like me, he doesn't do great sitting around for long.

during the tour we saw signs of the tomato worms getting started up so tomorrow morning early it will be time to get out there and see if i can track them down before they hide for the day. by signs i mean little poops on the ground. at least three worms out there and one of them already big.

chances of rain in the forecast but i'll water tomorrow too, it's important to keep some water on the clay so it doesn't start cracking and the tomato plants always like having more even water supply too.

saw the first hint of blush on a few tomatoes.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

I've enjoyed having Lavatera in the Dahlias.

When I first began to grow quite a few dahlias - especially - I suppose that I was overly optimistic about the roots overwintered indoors. There are always some that completely fail to emerge. So, there's a spot bare ground out there big enough to swing a cat in!

How do you fill it in? and what can compete with the big dahlia neighbors while blooming about the same time. The lavatera filled the bill. It doesn't really look like a dahlia but in one garden, there were always larkspur volunteers. A few larkspur, a nice big lavatera - it looked like I planned that flower bed that way .

I absolutely cannot say anything about invasive nature. What I have learned from comparing gardening experiences with gardeners living elsewhere is that what gets outta hand some places is difficult to grow elsewhere. Self-sown hollyhocks seem to only tolerate shady ground beside the house. Does Okra get outta hand?

Steve
who is anticipating a rainy afternoon in the 70's tomorrow and another weekly run Monday to harvest from the big veggie garden before it's too hot & smoky, yet again ...

I have some trifoliate orange for your growing pleasure.

 

[seedcorn]

Weeded grasses out-a never ending job. Planted beets and 2 zucchini to see how they fare. Planted some butternut late. Looking like a complete failure so far. 1 of 4 hills came up and the one up, is doing nothing.

 

[flowerbug]

do you think one of those germ lights will help show tomato worms? the health insurance company sent us a box of gadgets when the virus was getting really bad, Mom wanted to throw all the gadgets away but i said i'd keep them and i never even thought last season to try it out to see if it would help me spot them. we had a really bad infestation of tomato worms last year and i never was able to find all of them so the plants really got chewed up.

what ye think?