The Rusted Vegetable Garden

Friday, May 4, 2012

Gardening With Kids: Get Them Dirty! (A Blog Series)

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Ask some children questions about vegetables like where they come from or how they are grown. You may be surprised to find out that some kids don't know that radishes and carrots grow in the ground. You might hear that potatoes come from a tree and lettuce grows on a vine. Think about it... you don't know something until you know something. A lot of children's exposure to vegetables is the grocery store. Yes, one child when asked "where do tomatoes come from?" will say, "the grocery store." You and I know better but do they? Why not teach them?

A chance to teach is a chance for a child to learn. I will be writing an ongoing blog series this season dedicated to getting your children dirty in the garden. My goal is to inspire you to teach your child and children in your circle. Aside from the wonders of a garden, learning skills needed to grow, the reward of picking a harvest, deeper life lessons can be taught and learned. I will write about those as well as practical ways to help children enjoy the vegetable garden and learn about the foods they eat on a daily basis.

I will add pictures to this series as I take them. I still have to grow the vegetables before I take the pictures. Giant 'Mammoth' sunflowers are on the list of pictures and one of the first entry in the blog series.

The Rusted Garden Annual Vegetable and Tomato Plant Sale is May 6th and May 13th!

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My annual tomato, pepper, herb and perennial plant sale is the weekend Sunday May 6th 8-1pm. I will also be selling plants on Sunday May 13th 8-1pm. Please email me if you need my address.

I was hoping the tomatoes would be at full size but the 10-14 days of cold weather really slowed their progress. I think they will be good size come this Sunday but perfect size will come next Sunday.

I will be selling the following for $1 a plant. If something looks a tad weak, take 2 plants. I will also be selling heirloom tomato seeds for 1$ a pack. Each pack has over 75 seeds.

10-15 kinds of Tomatoes: heirlooms, cherry, container and 2 pounders.
5 kinds of Peppers: sweet and hot
Cucumbers
Zukes
Squashes
Beans
Basil
Parsley (Huge)
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Lavendar
Taragon (Huge)
Fennel (Huge)
Coleus
Daisies
Dianthus

Thursday, May 3, 2012

May is Time to Start Managing Pest and Disease in the Garden

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It's only May 3rd and it is garden bug battle time. I have been putting down iron phosphate since March. The green cabbage worms are here. I found 3. They are hard to find but if you have holes in your cabbages and leafy greens... they are there. Look closely.

I just hit the ground and surrounding areas with more iron phosphate. I purchased Bt which is a naturally occurring bacteria found in the soil that kills... you guessed it - the green cabbage worms. Who, FYI, come to land on your greens as eggs from those mothy looking white butterflies you see psychotically dashing around the garden. Not so cute anymore aye! One tablespoon of Bt per gallon. Spray the leaves well and forget. Humans can ingest it with no effect. Please don't try that. The worms eat the leaves and die a few days later.

I also dusted my greens and kholrabi with a light dusting of Sevin Dust. I use it. I have researched it and found it is worth the use of this insecticide. I use it sparingly and not on vegetables I will be eating within a weeks time. However you plan to manage pests and disease... it starts now in Maryland Zone 7.

Good Luck!

Below is a bit of a blog entry. It shows you what they look like. Click here for the full article :Finding the Green Cabbage Worm

Look Closely: They are Green for a Reason

They are green and tend to vary to the color of the leaf. Once there is a hole - they are there. They will also leave dark green droppings. The droppings will que you to their general location. Look closely. The eggs are laid in groups. So if you find one caterpillar there are others. It may take a few days to get them all. If you double click the photos they will enlarge. They may be on either side of the leaves or resting on the stem when they aren't feeding.

The Caterpillar is Right on the Point

I Moved it for a Better Look

Removed and Killed

If there is one there is more. Carefully check the leaves with holes. They don't like to move. Check the front and backs of the holed leaves and down the stem. I found three on this plant.

Remove and Kill Them

Container Watering Challenges and Supplies to Meet the Challenge

One of the struggles of container gardening is watering. Watering is the key to any successful container garden. Where the cool months of March, April and most of May give us a false sense of security… the hot days of June, July and August can wreak havoc on container vegetables. Tomatoes are very sensitive to water levels. Too much water too fast and tomatoes can crack. Too little water and general watering inconsistency not only stunts growth but can lead to tomato blossom-end rot. I found I enjoy creating self contained watering bucket systems. I look for the cheapest method possible and take time looking at the cost of various irrigation supplies. I use what I find, from standard irrigation supplies, and adapt it to my bucket containers.

I can’t help notice the lawn at the same time as I take care of the garden. Where full sun for my garden is a blessing, the baking sun quickly dries up the lawn. I just about have enough time to manage the garden. Finding the right sprinkler system and sprinkler heads to water the lawn and garden has also become a bit of a quest. Things you have to keep in mind with a garden is that over head watering can create an environment for disease. Finding the right watering system is often a key to successful gardening. A good link that helped me understand and find water efficient landscape design tips is http://www.epa.gov/watersense/outdoor/landscaping_tips.html. Where I might have a good sense of the needs of the garden when it comes to watering the water sense tips really helped me with understanding the needs of the landscape.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Complete Guide For Managing Slugs and Snails in the Vegetable Garden

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This is an updated version of a KNOL article for combating slugs and snails in the vegetable garden. I added to the information and added videos.

How to Build a Garden Beer Slug and Snail Trap
How to Use Iron Phospate to Control Slugs and Snails

Slugs!. Nothing more to say. Here is one way to help manage them in the garden. A beer trap will attract and kill slugs. It won't cure the problem of slugs in the garden but in will significantly reduce their numbers.

How to Build a Garden Slug Beer Trap

by Gary Pilarchik LCSW-C

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Why Build A Slug Beer Trap?

Click to enlarge. Bok Choy - damaged by slugs - The Rusted Garden Blog

The evidence is my Bok Choy! Bok Choy!. No it's not a war cry to attack and destroy slugs. It is the casualty. All the holes in the leaves are from slugs. You will notice coarse sand around the base. It didn't help. You will notice pulverized lime on the leaves. It didn't help. So I added beer traps.

The truth is... managing slugs in the garden takes a multiple step approach. This Knol shows you one way to help reduce the number of slugs in your garden.

The Supplies

Garden Beer Slug Trap Supplies - The Rusted Garden Blog

You can purchase foil tins at your local grocery store. The shape and depth of the tins don't really matter. I suggest tins that are 1 - 3 inches deep. Any bottle of beer and some yeast is also needed to build the trap.

The slugs are attracted to the yeast. A little extra yeast sprinkled in with the beer helps to bait the trap.

Selecting the Location

Cabbage and Bok Choy Slug Damage - The Rusted Garden Blog

Select a location that is fairly close to the crops you want to protect. I tried protecting the above vegetables with coarse sand. The heads in the middle are Bok Choy or Chinese cabbage. They were fiercely attacked by the slugs and I am keeping them as a casualty crop. I let the slugs attack them and they pay less attention to my other crops. Right between the cabbages is where I will build the beer trap.

Placing the Tin

Place the tin at ground level - The Rusted Garden Blog

There isn't much to say but dig a hole and drop the tray in. The edges of the tin should be flush with the garden soil. We want it to be easy for the slug to crawl or fall into the trap. Once they fall in, they drown.

Baiting the Trap

Fill the beer trap with beer and a bit of yeast - The Rusted Garden Blog

Fill the trap about 1/2 to 3/4 the way full with beer and drop in a bit of yeast. The trap is set.

Trap Locations

Protection for my spinach, turnips and parsnips - The Rusted Garden Blog

Two traps for my cabbage patch - The Rusted Garden Blog

A trap with my other Bok Choy plot - The Rusted Garden Blog

Maintaining the Traps

I found I have to change the beer every 2-3 days. Three days might be pushing it. If you wait longer it doesn't do much more than sour and smell bad. Don't forget to add a pinch of yeast to the trap when you change the beer.

Beer traps work well and should be part of your attack in your war against slugs. I have not found a way to kill every slug but find you can really decrease their numbers in the garden.

I recommend this Knol for another pest: Controlling Leaf Eating Caterpillars with Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt)