Would like to grow tomatos, cucumbers, squash, melons, roots crops, peas Cucumber, squash, melons, and most root crops are best direct seeded rather than used as transplants. Same goes for peas. This is not to say that some of them can't be started as transplants, just that most studies show they do quite a bit better if direct seeded. So that just leaves tomatoes on your list. ;) They should be started approx. 6-8 weeks before your transplant out date. Starting transplants months earlier, unless one has quite the ideal set-up such as a greenhouse would provide, only results in spindly, leggy transplants that are stressed. They don't tolerate the required hardening-off period and don't transplant well and are often more susceptible to disease and pest problems because of the stress they have endured. Dave

Terpguy, I'm grinning about the Dr. Bronners. In the 70s, when all the back-to-the-landers first got going, anything "natural" was way in, and nothing was more way in than Dr. Bronners peppermint soap. We used it full strength for showers - poured on rough loofahs, of course. :) Washed dishes with it, cleaned floors and windows and cars - it was ubiquitous. I feel more grounded w/ a small bottle in the cabinet at all times and have never minded the strong aroma - probably still influenced by the mindset of the time. When the eucalyptus and almond Dr. Bronners came out - well, the stratosphere was a better place. That said, a commercial grower offers this recipe for a homemade insecticidal soap: For a gallon of water - 1/2 to 1 cup alcohol 1 tbsp cooking oil - Canola being preferred 1 tbsp Dawn dishwashing soap One question - what are people's thoughts about 1600 X-clude? It's also recommended by one of the commercial growers. The label says active ingredients are Pyrethrins; Piperonyl Butoxide, Technical (equivalent to 1.76% [butylcarbityl] [6-Propylpiperonyl] ether and 0.44% of related compounds); and N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide. All these are under 3%. It's swell to use - in the garage (if it's gotten too cold outside), outside w/ no wind and in late afternoon (no direct sun), or in the greenhouse, put a lot of plants together, stand a couple of feet away, and spray with a few sweeps back and forth. Repeat in a week. Supposedly, it's okay to use in the house, except for fish and birds, but I won't do it w/ our 3 cats and 2 dogs. The can has those warnings about if it's swallowed, if in the eyes, if on skin or clothing, and if inhaled. Nope. The label says it kills just about everything that attacks indoor/outdoor plants and ornamental trees, including ants and gnats, plus kills cockroaches, spiders, flies, crickets, silverfish, fire-brats(???), and moths. There are several pdfs available online that give complete label info, but I don't know how to link to them here. This last summer, my plants stayed inside. The 2 summers before, they got sprayed w/ the 1600 X-clude twice before coming in, plus a couple of times during the summer. This year is the first time I've had problems w/ pests. Dunno if it's cause and effect. Spider mites got going before I even knew it - barely beyond newbie grower. Since then, I've used lots of Safers or equivalent and have wiped a lot of leaves w/ alcohol. Another factor may be that I used to wash leaves w/ my fingers under running water whenever plants were flushed, and I've cut way back on that for several reasons - too many orchids being one. Bottom line is so far, I've been reactive, rather than pro-active. Good topic, Kevin, esp. because orchids have to be inside in the Northland. Whitecat8 Here is a link that might be useful: 1600 X-clude

Reading, and understanding, various articles published from reliable sources is a good way to learn. Those articles, along with real life experience that can support what is in those articles, can go a long way toward helping someone solve problems others have solved years ago. If numerous articles, from reliable sources, tell you the same thing more than likely the information is pretty good. So if a large number of papers from respected horticulture schools say that allowing the top 2 inches of soil in a pot plagued by Fungus Gnats will break the life cycle of those pests it more then likely will. If one allows the top 2 inches of soil in a pot to dry out and finds that there are no more Fungus Gnats then that person would grasp that concept. What I have found over the years is that when this method fails it is because the person it failed on did not follow directions.

Hey Jesse, With only a few plants you may want to try spraying them off regularly. Outside, a spray with the hose will knock off most of the aphids. Repeat every day until populations are down. I have about a dozen plants inside. The small ones get sprayed off in the kitchen sink. The larger ones go into the tub and take a shower. I stick the pots into plastic bags and clip them shut with cloths pins to keep the soil from washing all over and getting too wet. After three baths 5 days apart mine have stayed aphid free for awhile...but I'm guessing they might return. I've also filled a spray bottle....4 cups water, 1 teaspoon dish detergent (whatever generic brand I had around) and spray with that if I see a few stray aphids. It seems to work okay without the other ingredients added. There is a "recipe" around showing 1 CUP of detergent to a gallon of water. I was told that is INCORRECT and it should be 1 TABLESPOON of detergent. That is close to the 1 teaspoon to 4 cups I used. I think the 1 cup/gal would cause some serious leaf damage. One plant of mine kept getting way more aphids than any others. It wasn't a variety I really wanted to keep so one afternoon it was set out on the front porch in 20 F. driving snow. When my husband unlocked the door and came in later he wondered why that plant got locked out in the cold. Aphids, was the answer. He asked if people could get aphids and is worried about what might happen to him if he comes down with them :) I think we'll stick with showers and soap sprays IF he gets buggy :)