Comments on: Weekly Gardening Update

By: Trillia

Trillia — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:25:09 +0000

I have just started gardening and I started with a tomato plant. I started one from seeds which is doing rather well and I have one that I started from a small plant. This morning I noticed that one of my plants had a lot of dry brittle leaves on it. I brought it in from outside the other day because it was so hot outside (it’s in a container) and watered it. I am wondering if it is brittle because of drying out or do I need to replant it in a larger container? Any suggestions are welcomed

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:00:32 +0000

In reply to Sherry.

Hi Sherry! I’m using Pasco County Water 🙂

By: Sherry

Sherry — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:52:22 +0000

I love reading the posts on your garden! Especially enjoying the photos Liza! Are you watering with Pinellas County Water or Reclaimed?

By: Christina S

Christina S — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:35:32 +0000

In reply to Christina S.

Oh yeah, my Granddad told me NEVER to count the tomatoes on your plants or those will be the only ones you get from them. (Old wives tales) lol I catch myself doing that and run AWAYYYYY from the tomato plants.. LOL

By: Christina S

Christina S — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:30:09 +0000

In reply to Addicted to Saving.

Yellow leaves are for sure a sign that they need a shot of Nitrogen (the first number when buying a fertilizer or plant food is the nitrogen) get one that has a higher first number for when you run into yellow leaves. The brown basil stems look like the beginning of root rot. ( too much water) Get those bad boys in something else fast! If you want it to bush out instead of up, that is where topping comes in. I would top it at (just above) the 2nd or 3rd branch. Basil is a hardy plant so it won’t hurt it one bit to cut it there. it will split it and give it two tops also. it makes it grow out instead of up.. at least for the time being. If you end up feeding your cukes more than once every 2 weeks.. remember not to do that to every single one of your plants.. some can handle it .. some just can’t. LOVE the egg shell idea! I had forgotten about that until she mentioned it! 🙂 The black stuff on your basil sounds like you have “black soot aphids” see if you can find a insecticide that is ok to use with edible plants. Your watering will vary for some plants.. the pepper plants probably will end up needing more water than most others. (mine do!!) I am going through the yellow leaves with the cukes too. I have to give them a pretty strong dose of nitrogen and I will keep you updated as to how many times I do mine tog et them right.. lol.. let’s hope I don’t kill them first.. ha ha ha ha. I can’t believe I missed this post. I was watering my garden and thinking .. you know, I haven’t seen Liza’s post on how her garden is doing. Maybe I will see if I missed it. Guess I did. I know..you can fuss at me for not paying more attention.. LOL Personally, I think your garden looks WONDERFUL and one would NEVER be able to tell that it was your first one. AMAZING JOB CHICA!

By: Pamela Gayle

Pamela Gayle — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:13:47 +0000

Basil, could be a combination of shock and over-watering. Sometimes I intentionally crowd my plants in, I use a clean mulch (shredded newspaper works well make sure you wet it during dry times or you may be littering) and also make sure they are well fed. Some plants like the competition and will actually grow bigger. It simply takes a bit more work checking for slugs etc ~~ a few crushed egg shells around the base of you plants helps prevent slugs from getting to them. (the shells are too sharp for them). And eventually the shells break down and add more nutrients to the soil

By: Pamela Gayle

Pamela Gayle — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:06:05 +0000

I haven’t read all of the replies. But one reason for the leaves yellowing could very well be shock. Cucumbers are sometimes very sensitive. I also agree with the responses I did read about the cage for the tomatoes, Immediately upon planting that way as it grows you can “groom” the plant to grow inside it. One more tip for tomatoes, as they grow you can strip off some of the lower leaves ( a few at a time) so that the energy goes directly into making the fruit. Best of luck and welcome to one of the most rewarding hobbies! Much success to you!

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:58:50 +0000

In reply to karen.

Karen – do you live in Florida? I’ve had many Floridians tell me to water in the a.m. because supposedly if I water at night there is a chance for mold? What do you think about this? I’m definitely open to watering at night if that helps the plants thrive more!

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:57:33 +0000

In reply to KATHY.

Hi Kathy! I used miracle grow when I started the garden 🙂

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:55:07 +0000

In reply to Cathy V.

Cathy! I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one looking for instant gratification like I was with my Jalepeno plant! 🙂 I’ll be curious to hear how your cucumber and squash plants do. I’m concerned about pollination for both of them although I don’t know if squash needs to be pollinated? Oh the things I have yet to learn!

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:51:19 +0000

In reply to Rachael.

Rachael – I love the advice on google image! I’ve been googling all of my veggie plants and now have a better idea of what their sizes should get to! Thank you!

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:49:56 +0000

In reply to Mimi.

Hi Mimi! I am going to replant the basil in my raised garden bed and see if it does better.. I’m thinking it is dying but maybe if it has more space it will do better.. Thank you for the advice!

By: karen

karen — Sat, 21 May 2011 15:35:46 +0000

when transplanting move the plants that like the same type watering together in one garden as much as possible such as basil likes to be kept moist almost wet at all times and when it get s leggy cut it back i recommend watering in the evening this way you get more water to the plants and less evapoartion thru the hot sun during the day and less likely you can burn the plant if it get wet and then in the sun

By: Louise

Louise — Sat, 21 May 2011 00:54:56 +0000

In reply to Addicted to Saving.

Greetings!
I suspect the dry brittle leaves are not from underwatering…. especially if you are watering them everyday. (but of course, I could be wrong) I have my plants in earthboxes this year and as long as I keep the boxes filled with water, they get exactly the amount of water they need. Some of the leaves on my plants also turn brown and brittle at the edges and dry up. (lower leaves) However, the plants are thriving and producing wonderfully right now. One thing I noticed which REALLY surprised me…. my cucumber plants take the LEAST amount of water than my tomato, squash and green pepper plants! Go figure! You’d think that because they are mostly water content that they would need more water right? But apparently, they don’t. Surprised me for sure!

By: Alicia C.

Alicia C. — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:32:00 +0000

Cukes don’t like to be transplanted, so they may just be mad at you! If they don’t make it, try seeds. They like lots of water (think about how much is in just ONE cucumber!) They also don’t like it when it’s too hot out.

I learned all of this last year, when I planted my first ‘real’ garden. It really is exciting to watch this stuff grow!

By: KATHY

KATHY — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:12:37 +0000

I see you don’t have any mulch in your garden. mulch helps keep the moisture in the garden . if you have concerns about the basil you should replant it to a little bigger pot that has some room to grow but not too much. did you add some peat moss to the dirt when you started or did you use mircle grow moist?? you can also use a tomato cage over your cucumber plants and gently wrap the vines to train them. also if your plants are in the direct sun not all plants like that .hope this helps. kathy

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:25:28 +0000

From my experience (I’m a city girl now) cucumbers do much better in the shade than the full sun. We have a very short growing season up here in New England, and I don’t have space for a garden now, but, when I did my cucumber and zucchini did well in the shaded area of my yard. I even had pumpkins and zucchini grow from my compost pile! I’m so jealous, everything is so luscious.

By: Dee Dee

Dee Dee — Fri, 20 May 2011 02:31:21 +0000

Your basil needs cut back. When it gets leggy, you need to cut the taller stalks back just above the lowest set of leaves. I have several basil plants and we love using fresh basil. You can dry it and store it. Snip it and place several leaves in each cup of an ice cube tray, add water and freeze. Then use for soups, sauces, etc… Or make Pesto. Pesto is easy to make and it can be made with a variety of nuts,not just Pine nuts. (I used a bag of FREE Planters Black Pepper Almonds last time)

By: Cathy V

Cathy V — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:49:04 +0000

I spent $8 on a hanging cherry tomato plant that already had green fruit on it for the very reason I wanted an early reward. 😉 It has definitely paid me back. I did ask at Walmart if the fruit and plant died, could I bring it back. Did you know that places like Home Depot and Walmart have guarantees on your vegetable plants? If they die you can bring them back for a refund.

I have a container garden as opposed to a raised bed with tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers, Jalapenos, yellow squash, cherry red peppers (where all the leaves randomly fell off???) and romaine lettuce. They are all doing fairly well, I saw a tiny little tomato on one of my tomato plants today. Very exciting! And I have flowers on my squash and cucumber plant. Though my cucumber leaves have white spots on them? Probably not a good sign. 🙁 Anyway, glad your garden is doing so well! I agree with all the tips above.

By: Addicted to Saving

Addicted to Saving — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:07:32 +0000

In reply to Louise.

Hi Louise! Thanks for the advice! So you think that it may be overwatered? Even though some of the leaves are brittle and literally fall apart they are so dry? I am going to look into a drip hose too – I have read a lot that that is the best hose for watering!

By: Louise

Louise — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:52:19 +0000

Cucumbers do much better when not watered from overhead. Also, they can easily be overwatered. Try cutting back on some of the watering and also try a drip hose. I don’t think they would need to be watered twice a day… I have battled with cukes for years and finally have been producing beautiful, green, tall, high fruit yielding plants! I am in the central Florida area and have horrible sandy soil and can only grow in pots or raised beds where I can control the soil. Also….always keep on the look out for cucumber beetles and other pests that cause damage to plants. My biggest battle over the years have been squash bugs! They wiped out a whole garden of mine one year!

Happy gardening! Looking forward to seeing future pics of your beautiful harvest!

Blessings,
~Louise

By: Dianne O

Dianne O — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:18:38 +0000

Iput the wire thingy’s on when I plant or very shortly after. That was no disturbance of the roots. Your garden looks awesome!!

By: Rachael

Rachael — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:08:55 +0000

I would put the wire thingy in now. I got a small one for mine and I should have gotten the largest one! Mine are toppling over! I don’t know how big yours will get maybe different types grow different sizes. I have cucumbers growing up a tee pee I put in the middle of my garden. I only water once a day at around 10. Lately I have only been watering every other day or so, and I have already gotten cucumbers off them. I don’t think it is because you are watering too much or too little. Maybe it is leaf rust? I can’t really tell from the picture. Maybe do a google search and compare your leaves to other pictures. I had it on my beans. I planted all my zucchini too close too cuz I didn’t know how big it would get. I think it will be fine they will just grow around each other since it is pretty big. I don’t think you should try to move them. I did that with my sweet potato plant and it died 🙁 What I did was a google image search for the different veg I am growing so I knew what to look for as they grew 🙂 I hope this helps!
Rachael 🙂

By: Mimi

Mimi — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:57:28 +0000

It looks to me like the basil isn’t planted in a deep enough container. The leaves are also yellowish and that indicates lack of nitrogen. Perhaps a larger, deeper container, and adding half strength fertilizer to the container weekly will help.

Cucumbers is hard to say with the picture being so small. Here is a link to an article on cucumber diseases. Pay close attention to the bacterial wilt:

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/hortcrop/pp656w.htm#wilt

If you are going to move any of those plants in the raised bed, doing it sooner is better than later. Some plants don’t like being moved very much at all. Try taking a shovel and cutting down on two sides of the plant, then leave it for a day or two before moving the whole rest of the plant. That might help. Good luck!