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READER OUTLINES LATE-SEASON GARDENING DILEMMAS
A recent letter from a reader stated, "Each year I find myself with a late-summer list of mystery questions about my garden." Thanks for your questions, Debra, and I'll attempt to offer some ideas that may help next year.
Question: This is the second year my tomatoes had blight. Is there anything I can do to prevent it next year? I tried mulching with straw and grew wheat! Can cucumbers get it?
There are at least three different tomato blights. The most common is a fungus called Septoria Leaf Spot. Once it's present, Septoria fungus stays in the soil, so moving plants to "virgin territory" may help next year. Otherwise, the trick is to keep soil away from lower leaves of the plant. Best way to do this is with black plastic laid on the ground at the time (or before) you set tomato transplants into the ground.
Tomatoes like it hot and the plastic helps warm the soil. Organic mulches aren't as effective because they tend to insulate the soil and keep it too cool.
Cucumbers aren't susceptible to tomato blight but they can be devastated by anthracnose fungus. Some varieties are more resistant than others to anthracnose. Best pickling cuke is H-19 Arkansas Little Leaf.
Question: Why do I have a giant pumpkin patch, lots of flowers, and no pumpkins?
Chances are the bees failed to pollinate your pumpkins. Next year, if bees don't seem to be working your pumpkin patch, you will need to step in and play bee yourself. Pollinating is an easy procedure. You simply break off a male flower (the blossoms on the long, skinny stems) and brush pollen from the stamens of the male flower onto the pistols of the female flower (found on shorter stems with a tiny pumpkin forming just behind the flower).
Question: What's the trick to growing beautiful white heads of cauliflower?
There are several tricks. One is to grow cauliflower as a fall crop rather than seeding it very early and growing it as a summer crop. Cauliflower that heads out during warm weather is often strong tasting, darker colored and has larger, grainy curds.
Next year, wait to direct seed until early May or set out transplants in early June. Then, when the heads start forming, blanch the heads. Blanching is kind of like putting baseball caps on the cauliflower heads so they don't get sunburned. Some gardeners tie up the outer leaves around the head, while others take old leaves and simply place them on top of the heads. Either method will result in lighter-colored cauliflower.
Question: How can I get slugs to leave my morning glories alone? I've tried beer.
Are you sure you served your slugs the right brand of beer? Seriously, any brand of beer will do, but the container of beer must be dug into the ground so the edge of the container is at ground level.
Another trick is to lay plywood boards or 2" x 4"s on the bare soil between the rows. Each day after the sun has warmed the ground and the board, turn the board over and sprinkle salt on all the slugs that slithered under and attached themselves to the board to stay cool.
Some people use copper strips to control slugs but after listening to the rationale for this method, I decided it won't work unless you've got a degree in electrical engineering.
Thanks, Debra, for your great questions, and thanks Jackie Smith ("Master Gardener Extraordinaire" from Belle Plaine) for your excellent counsel on how Debra can solve her gardening dilemmas next year!
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It pays to just wander around the yard once in a while. Last week I discovered hundreds of cankerworms devouring leaves on my river birch tree. They had consumed about 10% of the foliage and, judging by their appetite, they didn't intend to end their meal until the branches were bare. An application of insecticide put an end to their meal.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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