Food 2021 Garden Thrad

I read up on that, how are you implementing the mylar on your trellised stuff?
Well, like I said, no plant has actually started UP the trellising - they're only a few weeks old. :) But at the base I ended up the last half of my efforts with sparkly paper plates - cut a slot and circle in the middle. Seems to work great. So far I only have stickys on the trellising. I'm hopin I don't have to go up the trellising.
I found one of the enemy this morning - crushed it like the bug it was. Arrrg!
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: Domon
I wonder if i could wait out the cucumber beetles. Theres only one generation per season, and they live for 60 days, starting in june.

If i planted a second batch of cukes at the beginning of august, I could harvest in mid-oct. My season allows for that.

Alternatively, getting the cukes in the ground so they were mature before june 1 would be a win too, but im never that organized
I was wondering about the "one generation" part. Internet says up to 4 gen./season. I'mma run down all the rows with some nematodes. It's raining here - perfect time for that. Those little shits just suck. :(


Life Cycle​

Adult beetles overwinter in plant debris and garden trash. Females leave their winter sites in early spring and deposit up to 800 orange-yellow eggs in the soil near the base of plants. In about 10 days hatching occurs and the larvae feed for three or more weeks before pupating. First generation adults emerge 10 days later. A complete life cycle requires 6-9 weeks. Up to four generations can be produced in a single growing season.
 
oh, that contradicts what i read :(

Larvae transform to pupae in the soil and emerge later in the summer as adults. Adults return to cucurbit plants and feed on the foliage later in the summer. It takes about 40 to 60 days to go from an egg to an adult. There is typically one generation per year.


maybe that 1 season comment is cause its minnesota and their season is like 42 days long :p
 
  • Haha
Reactions: wetwillie
oh, that contradicts what i read :(

Larvae transform to pupae in the soil and emerge later in the summer as adults. Adults return to cucurbit plants and feed on the foliage later in the summer. It takes about 40 to 60 days to go from an egg to an adult. There is typically one generation per year.


maybe that 1 season comment is cause its minnesota and their season is like 42 days long :p
60 days from May 15(when they showed up) to July 15 is 60 days. I could easily get two generations here in Michigan. Your season isn't really much longer than mine, it just has less erratic period at each end of the growing season. I often don't have a killer frost until early October.
 
VXQ9aYMl.jpg
zFr5NxGl.jpg


These are two separate broken branches from my Poblano



It has been a long long time since I've shot at anything alive out of anger, malice, mischief, or any of that. However, looking at what the god damned squirrels have done to what would have been my best performing Poblano pepper plant...

oYKRwj.gif
 
Got the ValveFence (tm) @Valve1138 up yesterday and today.

24 inches of 2 inch pvc driven into the ground as post sleeves, 1.5 inch pvc in the sleeves, 10 feet (8 above the ground). Hooks at 7ft for the deer fence to hang from for setup and tensioning. Rest of fence ziptied on, 6 inches of fence run along the ground so shit doesnt squeeze under.

Got all but one panel nice and taut. My corners are 90 on the money, no sag, because i built in the tensioning by tipping them out 12 degrees on install knowing theyd get pulled in by the tension of the fence.

7x7 gate built in too. Feels good man.

Gotta run a couple strands of electric to keep the munchers from messing the bottom of it, but that wont take but an hour or two.

PVC poles are a bit of an eyesore compared to the invisible fence though, ill probably spray em black and the end of the season.
 
VXQ9aYMl.jpg
zFr5NxGl.jpg


These are two separate broken branches from my Poblano



It has been a long long time since I've shot at anything alive out of anger, malice, mischief, or any of that. However, looking at what the god damned squirrels have done to what would have been my best performing Poblano pepper plant...

oYKRwj.gif
aint anger or malice. Just defense.

Dont take any joy in it, but know it has to be done.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: wetwillie
I'm thinking a more productive use of my time would be to find out how to attract the many hawks in my area to my specific backyard. Have them get acclimated to the fact that small brown furry things like to hang out on my fence.
 
I'm thinking a more productive use of my time would be to find out how to attract the many hawks in my area to my specific backyard. Have them get acclimated to the fact that small brown furry things like to hang out on my fence.
or just protect your plants
 
Got the ValveFence (tm) @Valve1138 up yesterday and today.

24 inches of 2 inch pvc driven into the ground as post sleeves, 1.5 inch pvc in the sleeves, 10 feet (8 above the ground). Hooks at 7ft for the deer fence to hang from for setup and tensioning. Rest of fence ziptied on, 6 inches of fence run along the ground so shit doesnt squeeze under.

Got all but one panel nice and taut. My corners are 90 on the money, no sag, because i built in the tensioning by tipping them out 12 degrees on install knowing theyd get pulled in by the tension of the fence.

7x7 gate built in too. Feels good man.

Gotta run a couple strands of electric to keep the munchers from messing the bottom of it, but that wont take but an hour or two.

PVC poles are a bit of an eyesore compared to the invisible fence though, ill probably spray em black and the end of the season.
:pics:
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: wetwillie
Got the ValveFence (tm) @Valve1138 up yesterday and today.

24 inches of 2 inch pvc driven into the ground as post sleeves, 1.5 inch pvc in the sleeves, 10 feet (8 above the ground). Hooks at 7ft for the deer fence to hang from for setup and tensioning. Rest of fence ziptied on, 6 inches of fence run along the ground so shit doesnt squeeze under.

Got all but one panel nice and taut. My corners are 90 on the money, no sag, because i built in the tensioning by tipping them out 12 degrees on install knowing theyd get pulled in by the tension of the fence.

7x7 gate built in too. Feels good man.

Gotta run a couple strands of electric to keep the munchers from messing the bottom of it, but that wont take but an hour or two.

PVC poles are a bit of an eyesore compared to the invisible fence though, ill probably spray em black and the end of the season.
I am curious - not pics-ing you but would like to "see". I don't have 8' outer fence(deer are never a problem) but I'm thinking 10' T-poles? The full idea for me(at the next place) would be 10' t-poles, 8' catle fence with 1" mesh stainless (chicken wire) for 2' up, 2' down in the ground. I've been doing stainless zips on my trellises this year as the plastic one break. meh, maybe I should be better about picking the plastic one's up when they die.
 
I am curious - not pics-ing you but would like to "see". I don't have 8' outer fence(deer are never a problem) but I'm thinking 10' T-poles? The full idea for me(at the next place) would be 10' t-poles, 8' catle fence with 1" mesh stainless (chicken wire) for 2' up, 2' down in the ground. I've been doing stainless zips on my trellises this year as the plastic one break. meh, maybe I should be better about picking the plastic one's up when they die.
10 foot t-poles were my pole of choice, but I couldnt get them. Out of stock everywhere for the past 6 months. There was also a pricing function in that I would have needed to buy new hardware for t-posts when with pvc posts I can drill stuff into em just like i could with wood, so I can use my existing stuff.

Cattle fence is probably complete overkill to be honest. 2 feet of metal on the ground is a good idea, but stainless might be overkill, galv is probably fine.

regarding zips, you need to get the UV-resistant ones. Ive had a bunch of those out for 5 years with no issues
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: wetwillie
10 foot t-poles were my pole of choice, but I couldnt get them. Out of stock everywhere for the past 6 months. There was also a pricing function in that I would have needed to buy new hardware for t-posts when with pvc posts I can drill stuff into em just like i could with wood, so I can use my existing stuff.

Cattle fence is probably complete overkill to be honest. 2 feet of metal on the ground is a good idea, but stainless might be overkill, galv is probably fine.

regarding zips, you need to get the UV-resistant ones. Ive had a bunch of those out for 5 years with no issues
I hear you on the zips - I had a bunch left from various products and yeah, not worth a shit outdoors. THe UV-ones last a nice long time.
THe cattle fence wouldn't be overkill for me - I'd use it for trellising stuff critters don't bother much. 10' poles - same here, folks at store say they've never seen them stocked on site, you have to order them. The hardware hasn't been an issue for me, don't really hook much to the fence or poles.