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three suggested forums root crops, tubers squash/melons/ pumpkins

20 years ago

three suggested new forums root crops, tubers squash/melons/ pumpkins

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Comments (6)

organic_nut
20 years ago
well Squash Melons and pumpkins are an absolute necessity.
aka_peggy
20 years ago
ummm...because....?
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It's not an actual drainfield if that's what you mean... we apparently have a holding tank or an overflow tank above the actual septic tank and that was where I was thinking. It leaks or overflows or something to send more nutrients downslope. All I know is there is no drainfield there, but the grass grows faster than everywhere else in the yard. Or is the septic runoff itself the problem? I can search the forum tomorrow when I have more time... just wondering what the issues are. So, am I reading correctly that if I plant two types together, this season's corn may not develop true to type? The sweet corn (golden bantam) is 83 days and the popcorn (SA yellow) is 105-115 days. Does this mean the sweet corn is likely to pollinate earlier than the popcorn? Would it be reasonable to stagger the planting more to make sure the popcorn pollinates later? My growing season is 170 days, so I should have time, right? I am doing some SFG, but not entirely... I give my tomatoes a little more room, I give my broccoli and cauliflower more room, etc. Beans and peas are easier to set up in a long row for trellising, so that's what I do. I don't try to squeeze my zucchini into a square foot, but I do stake them (makes dealing with powdery leaf mildew much easier), so they don't take up nearly as much room as they would if I just let them grow on the ground. Basically, if it works well in a SFG set up, I'll do it... otherwise, I do what works best for the plant - but I don't have a large plot set up for rows. I'm mostly working in my expanded front flower beds, former weed beds along the sides of the house, and this year expanding into my hilly back yard (for large things that don't work in a SFG). Slopes? We live outside of Pittsburgh, so flat ground is an uncommon find. We have steep slopes and slight slopes, I have no idea of actual % grade. Good for sledding, not great for teaching a young child to ride a bike, lol.
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Advantage to starting beans, melons, cukes indoors.
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Happy looking beans, misterpatrick. trishcuit - it seems to be widely assumed in the US that beans don't transplant well. But if you live in a place where it takes months for temps to reach high enough to germinate beans it is standard practice. I sow some runner beans inside to start with then later in the season direct sow them. I started 6 runners last week. When they appear I will sow 6 more and when they appear 6 more. AT the same time as I plant these out I will sow 6 in situ and when those appear 6 more in situ and then one more lot when they appear. That way I get a double row of beans 36 bean plants of different ages. The earliest sown will start to produce in June and then the other plants will continue in succession until frost kills the vines. I do not possess any lights but I do have a small electric propagator. I start the beans in a glazed porch where I also do my tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, brassicas and lettuces. I start green beans outside in June because I need so many more plants to get a reasonable crop.
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Would additional Related Forums be helpful?
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Comments (10)
Personally I think too many sub forums are confusing and there is always a tendency to not see the sub forums or consider them 'slower' and post to the general forum anyway. There is a tomato, pepper and herb forum, but questions on the veggie forum still come in on these crops. On the tomato forum there is a sub forum for tomato diseases, but disease questions still get asked on the tomato forum. I think 'specialty' forums are great, to a point, but after that point it becomes confusing and not really that helpful. While there are times of the year that certain forums really get hopping, there are usually other times of the year when one can hear an echo in them ;-)
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Vertical squash to TRY to stop squash vine borers
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Comments (27)
Update that marigolds and nasturtiums without flowers did not repel the svb,neither did my homemade concoction of tobacco, redpeppers, black pepper, vegetable oil, and dish soap. It rained a few hours after I applied it, today new eggs all over them. I'm giving up organic at least with the svb, trying stuff with methoxychor, or best I've heard yet is this: "A second planting of summer squash made in early July will mature after adult borers have finished laying eggs. " Another nice suggestion: "Mulches are known to harbor squash bugs" http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/squash_pest.html "Iowa State University Organics Research Program conducted trials of various control methods for squash bug and squash vine borer. Researchers found that mulching with newspaper and hay, combined with tightly secured row covers on the plots (a level 2 control), provided very effective control of both weeds and squash bugs in pumpkin (C. pepo)Âespecially in the wet season of 2002.(4, 5) The row covers apparently excluded squash bugs, preventing them from entering to lay eggs. Gauze row covers (e.g., ReemayÂ, AgriforceÂ, AgribonÂ, TufbellÂ) [Section 205.206(b)(1),(2),(3)] physically exclude pests and prevent them from reaching the plants in large numbers. Preventive strategies have become more important with recognition of A. tristis as a probable disease vector. Hand picking and trapping of A. tristis, or slitting each vine to remove the larva, in the case of M. satyriniformis, represent attempts to control pests after they have begun rearing another generation in numbers sufficient to cause economic damage and pest buildup. Such labor-intensive controls may be uneconomical for large plantings." "Some products acceptable in organic vegetable production that are effective against squash bugs include diatomaceous earth, sabodilla, and neem oil. Growers that anticipate using materials to control heavy pest infestations must list these materials and the circumstances for their use in their organic systems plan. This plan must be submitted to and approved by the organic certifier before the producer uses any material." What is a sabodilla? I found a tree by that name, is it the same thing? Here is a link that might be useful: svb info
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instar8
19 years ago
Cause there's a ton of esoteric forums for all kinds of other houseplants, annuals and perennials, tomatoes, beans peppers, but only the veggie forum for anyone interested in anything other than gourds.

I'd think that "Root crops" would have its devotees, and "Melons, squash,cukes,etc." would draw in anyone not just loooking to grow giant punkins.

Actually, "Melons" could probably hold its own...
mrbrownthumb
19 years ago
but only the veggie forum for anyone interested in anything other than gourds.

What about Edible Landscape, Community Gardens, Four Season Vegetable Gardening, Potager Gardens, Organic (maybe even the farm forum or companion plants)Square Foot gardening, Asian Vegitables? It's hardly just the veggie forum there are plenty of forums (fori?)where these posts would be appropriate. Heck there's a post in Companion Plants (about Squash & Cukes) from July that was just responded to on the 16th of this month.

Your audience is pretty fragmented as it is- adding more forums won't really help. I think the thing that needs to be addressed is getting people to think about where they should post. You mentioned houseplants in your example and I see a lot of people will post there about succulents while we're limping along in C&S forum getting a trickle every now and then of new threads and participants.

The problem isn't that there aren't enough forums it's that there's too many options which leads to member fragmentation which leads to slow forums or not enough participation in your area that would create an enjoyable visit for you.

What GW needs are more mods that can move threads to the appropriate area and send a friendly message stating something along the lines of "I moved your post to XYZ so you would reach people that share your interest."
instar8
19 years ago
I'm thinking more about forums like tomatoes and chilies that have attracted a good number of devotees willing to discuss, compare, argue and help others on a seemingly endless basis....there's nothing sadder than to post a question and only get a generic answer or a link to a search you could do yourself.

I come here to talk to people who've been there, done that, and have kept coming back for the fun of the passionate posts, and i just think there'd be enough melonheads to support a forum.
remy_gw
19 years ago
Hi,
There already is a forum for Squash and Pumpkin. Unfortunately it is called the Gourd Forum. At the top of the forum, it says it is for discussion of all 3. It probably would get more traffic if it was called the Squash, Pumpkin, and Gourd forum.
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: Gourd Forum

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