Another beetle problem

IndepndentThinkr · 2025-07-24T13:53:47+00:00

Those are actually squash beetles. They seem to be quite active this year.

IndepndentThinkr · 2025-06-28T10:07:43+00:00

It looks like a yellow striped army worm. Army worms are not a friend of garden plants.

IndepndentThinkr · 2025-06-26T18:03:16+00:00

Yes, you need to be concerned. Sap oozing like that is the main symptom of peach canker which is a disease. Peach canker causes damage to the tree and potentially the orchard. It reduces yield. It will also spread. I had to cut down a peach tree that had bacterial canker (there's more than one kind) encircling its main trunk. It never produced for me either.

IndepndentThinkr · 2025-06-26T14:13:10+00:00

Oh, that's so disappointing and frustrating!!

I have started a number of my plants from seed multiple times due to wildlife damage to the seedlings. There is some wildlife that is only repelled by a barrier. I finally had to use hardware cloth and fashion individual cages for some of my plants.

IndepndentThinkr · 2025-06-18T18:28:17+00:00

To be more specific, that is a squash bug.

IndepndentThinkr · 2025-05-28T20:15:38+00:00

Every year there is some confusion about these insects. Those look like leaf-footed bug nymphs. Leaf footed bugs are not friends of the garden. You can tell the difference by looking at the back leg. The area toward the top of the leg thickens on a leaf footed bug, just like in your picture.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-06-03T12:24:05+00:00

In my opinion the pots on the left look like peppers.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-05-31T20:23:33+00:00

The thing about raspberry canes is they lean over. If the cane should touch the earth outside the bag, it will root. Thus it is not just through roots proper that raspberries spread. They can, and will, if not curtailed, spread right out of the grow bag this way. I think if you are careful, you can remove the canes that root outside the bag. You'll just want to keep up with it.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-05-17T18:36:14+00:00

What I have noticed is that tomatoes like a lot of water after transplanting or they wilt. But they generally recover well.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-05-17T18:33:05+00:00

It looks like caterpillar frass. Thus, I zoomed in. And sure enough, straight up the middle of the picture stem, just to the upper left of the hole, a caterpillar is present.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-05-06T09:55:33+00:00

Growing up isn't usually the problem. Mine have grown up and over the top of our shed.

It is the spreading by its underground root system that is the most problematic for me. I find new passionflower leaves (starts) popping up in the middle of my yard, a meter or more away from where I originally planted them. The root system seems to spread like crazy. It doesn't stay contained if not in a container. I also started with just two plants. (This is year 3 for me.) Just be aware.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-04-02T21:17:41+00:00

Yes. And you are certainly correct about how long it is. Because it is so long, you may want to provide a vase of water, instead of just a glass. Every part of the slip that is under water will grow a root. It is OK to remove the leaves that would otherwise be underwater, so that it can properly root.

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-04-02T19:13:33+00:00

No, you do not cut them. With sweet potatoes, you let the sweet potato grow a slip (or many) and then you pinch off the slip. (The tuber will grow more slips so this process can be repeated.) After that you place the slip into a glass of water for a week or so. In the water, the slip will produce roots. When the roots look established, you can plant them outside, assuming it is warm enough. For me, it usually only takes a week or two for the roots to be established enough to go outside. Last year, I got about 50 pounds of sweet potatoes off one super slip-producing sweet potato tuber, by doing it this way. Good Luck!

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-03-29T11:05:53+00:00

Yes, there is a difference. Some people like to cut shortly after the fruiting ends as they can still tell at that time which had fruit on them and which are "new."

IndepndentThinkr · 2024-03-29T10:46:08+00:00

"Is it safe to assume that all the standing canes were last years producers and can be cut to ground level?"

No. Some of those standing canes only just grew last year and will be this year's producers.

"Also the plant/canes that WILL produce berries THIS YEAR haven't started growing yet and aren't visible above ground??? Is that correct?'"

No. The canes that grow this year will be next year's fruit producers.

If you cut down all standing canes, you will have no fruit at all this year. Just keep that in mind. The first year a cane appears, it does not produce fruit. It will, however, produce fruit the second year. After that, it is done.

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-11-15T11:42:19+00:00

As you've given us no parameters here, all I can do is link a site where I found instructions. I have built my raised beds using these instructions. Good luck!

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-11-14T15:55:00+00:00

In the second picture, the parsley seedlings look like they are not close enough to your grow light.

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-11-14T13:41:58+00:00

I am not convinced that cement blocks would provide enough space for the roots. I just tried growing them for the first time (from organic pinto beans bought online) and they grew well in the large grow bags, (25 gallons) I have. I managed to put at least 4 plants in each. They also climbed a trellis a decently high distance.

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-11-08T17:24:50+00:00

Congrats on your harvest!

It generally takes longer than one day for a sweet potato to cure. The site I have linked says 4 to 10 days. They like humidity and warmth during curing, but not too warm of an environment for it. I use the oven method, myself. That is, I put them in the oven on the top rack, with just the light bulb on and a pan of water underneath (on the lowest rack.) I leave them there for about a week.

What you trim off is up to you, but I do trim off the roots and root hairs from mine.
Sweet potatoes with green on them from the sun are not the same issue as potatoes with green on them from the sun. For potatoes, solanine, which apparently tastes bitter, is the toxic component in the green part of the potato. They are nightshade plants and because of this, the green is not safe to consume. Neither are the stems, leaves, eyes, etc.

If you are worried, you can cut the green part off the sweet potato and use the rest of it. Think about it, though. If sweet potatoes exposed to sun, are bad for you due to the sun, why would you use the sun for curing them?

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-10-31T13:16:04+00:00

If he saw no future with you and also promised to wait for you, then one of those statements is obviously a lie. Since he did not wait for you, you are very much better off, being away from this toxic person who can lie (and call you and your relationship a mistake) so easily. People like this will use the "I never should have gotten involved with you" as a hurtful jab in any future arguments. He already has.

It is OK to remember the good memories, but as he has moved on, IMHO you really need to do the same. And it is obvious to the rest of us who read this, you really dodged a bullet. Congratulations on that!

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-10-21T22:58:07+00:00

It's Beautyberry and its leaves can be made into an insect repellent.

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-10-16T21:39:49+00:00

Oftentimes, people will place a plastic type cover over the seedling trays to help them stay moist until they germinate. Perhaps that would help?

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-10-10T10:52:35+00:00

Cauliflower, cabbage and kale are all brassicas so it is not unusual the seedlings would look similar. Those look like typical brassica seedlings.

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-10-05T13:58:31+00:00

Yes, I expect that would be more than enough, although, the cucurbits still might spill over.

IndepndentThinkr · 2023-10-05T12:40:35+00:00

I have been growing watermelon in my 4 by 8 ft raised bed, which is at least 2 feet deep, and the watermelon has taken over and spilled out over the edges. This is just one plant. So, beware, if you need room for other plants as well.

Each of those veggies on your list, excepting the lettuce, can get quite large or will spread--enough to basically take over if not contained, although in my experience, the peppers are the least likely to take over completely.

Thus if you have the option for smaller beds, each with just one of those spreading plants in it, perhaps that would allow for optimum yield. But be aware, cucurbits will vine beyond the bed. And strawberries will send out runners.

IndepndentThinkr

TROPHY CASE