What a Difference a Year Can Make!

I had an occasion yesterday to take a few pictures of the garden.  Several turned out worthy of saving. When I printed one of them out and placed it in a folder that I keep, I couldn't help but notice that it was a similar shot to one I took just one year ago.   I thought some of you might want to see the comparison of what our garden looked like just one year ago in June of 2012 and what it looks like now.  Amazing.

Green Meadows CG  June 27, 2013

This second photo was taken early in the morning so I didn't have the advantage of the morning sunlight that is lighting up the first photo.  In the first photo the first section of 24 beds had just been finished at the end of April and most of the raised beds were planted in May so the vegetables were just starting to gain some size.  This year our beds were planted in March and early April.

When to pick squash

Can you guess which of these yellow squash has
just been sitting around developing lots of seeds?

At this time of year and with as much rain as we've been getting squash grows like crazy (as do the cucumbers but that is a story for another day.) One day you have tiny barely formed squash and 2 days later you have eating sized squash.

If you are trying to grow baseball bat sized zucchini than just leave them on the vine. But if you want nice tender zucchini, you'll need to pick frequently. And carefully look under every leaf.

The zucchini in this picture range from baseball bat
size to young and tender.

Picking frequently encourages the plant to keep producing and it also keeps the vegetables from getting rotten from sitting on the ground. The goal of all plants is to reproduce by flowering, fruiting and setting seed. The larger you let your veggies get, the closer to completing the life cycle the plant gets. Which means the plant will decide it doesn't have to flower and set any more vegetables for you to eat.



Mosquitoes and Taxes

This year the first mosquito bit me on April 15th. Kind of appropriate I thought since both are vexing issues.

All the rain we've had this year has been good - it means we haven't had to water in the garden as much and all the veggies are doing exceptionally well.

But all this rain is also bad because it is really hard to keep up with dumping out all the rain water that accumulates in anything that will hold water. We don't have too many places in the garden that collects water but there are a few so we still have to be pretty diligent about it  After all, mosquitoes only need a teaspoon of water to lay eggs, hatch and grow to maturity.

Don't forget to keep checking your slug and snail traps - if they aren't refreshed or emptied constantly they can end up raising a crop of mosquitoes instead!  (see picture to the left - oops!) Warm weather makes mosquitoes breed faster because there is nothing to slow down their life cycle.

There are two easy ways of combating mosquitoes. Do mosquito patrol after every rain and try to tip over everything that has caught rain water. (If possible, try not to have anything that does catch rain water. Or at least minimize what does catche rain water.)

Use mosquito dunks to prevent mosquitoes. These work really well to kill any larva present and prevent more larva from hatching.  The dunks are non-toxic to birds, fish, frogs, cats and dogs.  If you have spots that are hard to get to or you catch rain water to reuse when it is dry, just put some of the mosquito dunk in there and voila, your problem goes away. You just have to check every few weeks to see if you need to add more mosquito dunk pieces.

Usually you only have to add pieces every 30 days but because we have had so much rain (6.5 inches since June 1st), it is washing out my mosquito dunk crumbles that I had put in the saucers under my pots with plants.

You do NOT have to put dunks in birdbaths unless you never empty or clean them out. If you are keeping clean water in your birdbath you will never have a problem. If you don't do anything with your birdbath for a week then you will end up with mosquito larva in it.

Mosquito dunks can be found at Home Depot and Lowe's in the insecticide for homes area. At the Lowe's on Dallas Hwy it is found on the same aisle as bird feeders and birdseed.

Tiny visitor on coneflower aka (also known as) Echinacea

Passiflora incarnata aka Passionflower aka Maypop - waiting for a tiny visitor

Photos from Friday evening (6/28/13) in the pollinator beds. 

More Harvest pictures

6-25 Mike's Harvest

6-26 Jim's Harvest

Guess the number of Potatoes! Win a Prize!

Mike digging potatoes

The Ice Cream Social on Saturday has many parts to it.

Eating! Socializing & Fun in the shade of the pecan tree!

Homemade Ice Cream Taste Off !

Guess the Number of Potatoes we grew!



The Fabulous Prize for the Guess the Number of Potatoes Contest

Today and Friday the potatoes are being dug up. During the Ice Cream Social on Saturday you will be given the opportunity to guess how many were produced. There will, of course, be a fabulous prize for the person who comes closest to the correct number.

There will also be a prize for the best tasting ice cream. Be sure and have your ice cream at the garden, ready for tasting by the Judge by 12:30 pm. Also be sure to bring an ice cream scoop or other big spoon to dip it out with.


Another bad bug to destroy - Leaf-Footed Bug

Today's bad bug to watch for - leaf-footed bug. This particular species is Leptoglossus phyllopus. There aren't high numbers in the garden yet but they are showing up.

If you look at the lower part of his leg there is a big flat/winged spot which looks like a leaf (which is where the common name comes from.) In large numbers they can do a lot of damage just like squash bugs. Unfortunately, leaf-footed bugs aren't specialists like squash bugs and they will feed on tomatoes, bell peppers, egg plant, beans, cucumbers, and squash. They also like blackberry, apple, pears and pecans.

Leaf-footed bugs pierce plant tissue and fruits with their proboscis and suck the juices out. Unfortunately, their saliva injects toxins which do even more damage. And even more unfortunately, these openings create a pathway for secondary pathogens to enter and cause further damage to the fruit and/or plant.

We won't be able to control them on the blackberry bushes or pecan trees but we can control them in the garden. The best thing to do is hand remove them and squish them if you see them to prevent more eggs being laid. Consistent use of an approved insecticide (as in approved for our community garden) will help to control the nymphs and adults.

For more information and to see various stages of their life cycle -Leaf-footed bugs

Water wand and Shut off valve tips

Shut off valve - either for a single hose or to attach two hoses.
The yellow rings is the gasket. Gaskets can be any color.

Several people have asked me about where to get the shut off valves for water wands if they don't come with them.

My favorite one is made of brass and I get it at Home Depot. It does cost around $6 dollars but it lasts for a long time.

One thing to check on any water wand or shut off valve that you buy is how hard the little on/off lever works. If it sticks or won't turn or is really hard to turn, chances are, it will keep doing that or get worse after you buy it. I always test mine before I buy them.

If your water wand is leaking where you have attached the hose, it could be because the gasket has come loose and needs to be pushed back in place. Or you may actually need a new one. Replacement gaskets are easily found.

One reason the nozzle things don't come off the hoses very well at the garden is they are frequently missing gaskets. Put a gasket in and voila...they come off easily again.

You can also put shut off valves on the water faucet/spigot at home and then you can run two hoses at the same time. Or leave the hose on and still fill a bucket or whatever you want to do.

Weekly Calendar June 26 - July 3

Thursday June 27
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Master Gardeners in the Garden

Saturday June 29
11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Ice Cream Social
Come one! Come All!
Ice Cream Social - Details

Mexican Bean Beetles

For some reason I thought all lady bugs were good bugs. Unfortunately, there are a few lady bugs that are very destructive to plants. One of them is the Mexican Bean Beetle.  The adult is a yellow to copper color and has 16 black spots on it.  In the garden right now I have found the larva feeding on leaves but not the adult or the eggs even though I know they are there since I've found the larva. So here are two links to show what those forms look like.

This links shows the adult, larva and pupa stages of Mexican Bean Beetles. This link shows eggs through adult stages of development for the Mexican Bean Beetle.

Good lady bug larva
     You really DO want larva that looks like this in your bed! They look mean and fierce but they are not harmful to humans, only other insects. This lady bug larva is a very beneficial predator since it eats aphids and other bad bugs. You need to be careful not to spray pesticides on them because you don't want to kill them.

Good lady bug larva

Bad lady bug larva ie Mexican Bean Beetle
When the leaves of your beans start getting spots that are skeletonized, look on the undersides of the leaves for what is eating them. Just as with the squash bugs, you need to look on the undersides of all the leaves to find and remove the the bad critters.

Bean leaves that have been eaten

 

More than likely you will find a larval form that looks like this (see picture below). They don't sting which means you can just pick them off by hand if you don't have too many. Be sure and take them home and throw them in the trash at home. Or if you enjoy squishing them, do it on a hard surface.

Just as an FYI.....squishing bugs in loose mulch doesn't always kill them. There is too much give in the mulch. You really need a solid hard surface like a rock or a piece of wood.

Mexican bean beetle larva

If you have a bad infestation you need to be very diligent about spraying insecticidal soap, Azamax or Neem oil on them. Be sure to get the undersides of every leaf and spray way down into the plant so every surface is coated. Even then you will have to pay close attention to keep them under control because it is very hard to get an entire stand of beans sprayed properly.

Water Spigots, Leaks and Pressure Problems

This past week we had a water leak which made the ground around one of the spigots very wet.  The problem was caused by a spigot handle that had become loose.  We were afraid it was about to break off like it did once before and cause a flood.  This time the fix was easy.  The county came out this morning to double check everything and they went over a few tips on handling the spigots.

 



Grasp the faucet with both hands

Lever fully extended correctly

The spigot needs to be turned on in a way that does not push or pull the water pipe. The proper way is to grab the lever with one hand and hold the spigot with the other.  This way the pressure will be even and you will not be pulling or pushing the pipe.  

 

Also, the lever needs to be pulled up until it is completely extended for the water to be on.  If you only pull it up half way, the water with not be on at all or not on fully. 

Lever half way up



Once you have extended the lever fully and the water is flowing, you can always bring the lever partially down to slow the pressure if needed.



Lever at right angle to the hose is
in the closed position

We have put ball valve controls on all of the hoses.  These allow you to turn the water fully on at the spigot and, with the ball valve in closed position, you will not have the water flowing from the hose.  You can then easily get the hose back to your bed before switching the ball valve control to open.

Lever in straight line with hose is in the
open or water flow position



Most of you already know all of these things but I thought it would be worth going over just in case there might be a gardener that is not familiar with the spigots and valves. If anyone notices water leaking or has any kind of problem, please be sure to let us know so we can get the county involved when necessary.  

Thanks, Carol

 

Pollinators in the Garden

To celebrate National Pollinator week, I spent quite a bit of time chasing bees, beetles, wasps and flies in the garden trying to take their pictures.  It was interesting how few honeybees I actually saw in the garden doing their job. They aren't missing, they just prefer the clover that is blooming in the grass. But don't worry, we do have lots of pollinators working in the garden! 

Most vegetables need something to pollinate their flowers
to form fruit. This tomato obviously has had a visitor or two.

One of the hardest working insects in the garden are the
 bumblebees. Sunday I found them pollinating squash,
 cucumber, tomato, pepper, artichoke and okra flowers.

Notice the pollen sacs on the legs of this bee! It has already visited quite a few flowers
to gather this much pollen. Can you find the tiny little pollinator in this picture? 



Pollen is dusted over the entire body of this bumblebee! It was fun
 watching it circle around and around the artichoke flower and crawl
through the flower gathering as much nectar and pollen as it could.

 

A lady bug (also known as a lady beetle) was busy
inside a cucumber flower.

This sunflower had quite a few different species of native
 bees and wasps busily working away on it. .

Passion vines provide nectar for butterflies and are also a host plant for Gulf Fritillary caterpillars.
Look at the far left of the picture and you can see a  caterpillar  hard at work eating the leaves of the plant.

Two native bees flying in to visit the onion flowers. It really is amazing how many insects
 utilize the them. Next year I'm going to plant onions in the pollinator border just so
 they will flower and attract more pollinators to the garden.

Harvests from the Garden

The first of the summer vegetables are coming in -  Thanks to everyone who sent in pictures of some of their recent harvests. I know of other pictures out there...some wonderful onion harvests, carrots galore, tons of lettuce.

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchinis, beans, okra, potatoes, radishes, peas and carrots are starting to come in.

These two pictures are just some of what Mike and Sue have been harvesting recently.

Vann's grandson was very proud of the white carrot they pulled the other day. He was also a huge help when we spread mulch last Monday. We had to work very fast to keep up with him.

Alas for the peas, they are history until the fall. But they were very tasty until it got too hot. Mike,  I love the bowl they are in!

Jim already has okra  to go with his peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers!

Mark had two beautiful garlic bulbs. Awesomely huge ones!   John was so excited about his zucchini. He has been fighting the squash bugs to get them and his plant is doing good right now.

                                                                     
                             These are the potatoes Vann grew in her potato bag. They were gorgeous! Even with a late start she had some nice sized potatoes. I was quite envious of her harvest. Maybe next year I'll get an early start on a potato bag and have this many potatoes.

Sue has tons of onions and garlic to use now that they have all been harvested. And lots of room to put additional plants now that they are all out. Decisions, decisions!

Mark and his Gnome buddy have a nice harvest of cucumbers, tomatoes and beans. The beans are really coming along fast.

Squash Bug Life Cycle

Squash bugs unfortunately are one of our biggest pests at the garden. For some reason we have been afflicted with them in great numbers ever since the garden first started. Squash bugs are bad because they spread disease from one squash plant to the other and they also reduce the productivity of the squash plant.

It is easy to see the adults but not so easy to see the nymphs when they hatch out.  You have to really examine all your squash plants (leaves, stalks, base of the plant) on a very regular basis to control them. Usually the eggs are found on the undersides of the leaves however in one bed the eggs were found on top of and underneath the leaves.

Look for the adults and  nymphs down in the base of the plants, along stems and the undersides of leaves. If you hand pick (and kill) every adult you see, you won't have nearly as many eggs to remove. And if you remove the eggs as soon as you see them, you won't have any nymphs to deal with either.

Spraying with Azamax will help but you have to be careful not to spray any beneficial insects and to spray at the correct time of day as well as when it isn't windy.

Here is a very handsome specimen, lurking, waiting to find a mate.

Ah ha....several squash bugs have found significant others and are now mating

 

Squash bug eggs are really gorgeous however every one of these eggs will become a pest. All of these need to be removed. The best way to do it is to just cut off the piece of leaf and then take it home to put in the trash. If you just drop the eggs on the ground, throw it in the compost pile or in the woods, the eggs will STILL hatch out!

These eggs are very close to hatching. Notice they have

 turned very translucent and some are almost white.

 

Baby squash bugs that have just hatched out. Soon

they will be adults looking for mates.

Weekly Calendar Sat June 15 - Fri June 21

June 17 - 23
National Pollinator Week
Watch for a post about why pollinators are beneficial

Monday June 17
Mulch Moving Project
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
We will only be working in the shaded areas! As the shade moves, we'll move.
Mulch moving project Details

Thursday June 20
MG's at the Garden
8:30 am to 9:30 am

Lovely mulch! Wonderful Mulch!

We have two huge piles of mulch to be spread in the garden. Thursday morning Wesley from RPM Tree Care brought us a HUGE truck load of chips. He was nice enough to dump them in two places so we don't have to move quite as much of it a long distance.

So...the bad part is that now that we have mulch, we need to spread the mulch. Monday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 pm we'll work on spreading the mulch. It will be hot but we won't be working in the full sun, only in the shaded areas.

The rule of thumb for spreading the mulch is if you see bare dirt, that area needs a layer of mulch that is 1.5 to 2 inches deep. If it already has some mulch a layer that adds an additional 1 inch will be sufficient. I know, picky picky....but if we put that mulch on thick enough we'll keep the weeds beat back and we won't have to go through what we did earlier this year!

The huge pile in front of the shed needs to be spread into the center aisle and under the pecan tree. Yes, we did just put some mulch under the pecan tree but it was more leaves than chips and won't last long. Another additional inch will help keep the weeds at bay.

The 2nd pile needs to be spread over all the big community paths. The section that goes from the center of the intersection to the gate has had mulch put on it before but needs another inch on top since that section gets so many people walking on it. The other two sections have lots of bare dirt so we need a good 2 inches spread on those sections.

To make moving the mulch easier we've bought another pitchfork and 2 more garden rakes to help spread the mulch.