Who stole my broccoli?

I went out today to collect my first taste of fresh organic home grown Broccoli. 

But look. It is missing. 

Cut at almost 45 degree angles.

My cabbage leafs have holes started.

But the criminal is still on board. 

And no it is not the cabbage moth.

Baby Leopard slugs.are eating my Cabbage leafs in the photo above,

Adult Limax maximus

Leopard slugs in the photo below.

 

In the past I have tried the can of beer in a bowl trick and found it too much trouble. 

I have used the egg shells . Would love to pour salt on them. 

I did the rings of copper. But no longer have any copper to use.Penny's are not real copper any more so They do not send off enough charge to create a barer.  

But I am just going to pick them off. And tear off the lower leaves. Add ruff wood mulch.

Would also like to plant garlic bulbs beside the plant. We will see. 

The next photo has Elephant ear garlic  already near ready to bloom.

Could it be The teenage bunny rabbits  

They have been very active  in my yard. 

They are not even afraid of my cat.

Or could it be the ground hogs I evicted from under my home.?

Looks like this will be another year of famine.

I am pro organic and heirloom.

But will be forced to buy store bought broccoli again this year. 

I still have hope for the tomatoes and some of the other produce I planted.

Calling it quits.

With the new moon showing up tomorrow. It is best not to plant. Get your garden ready to plant fall crop and get pest issues under control. Thursday will be a good day to start planting seed.

I do not think I will be planting a fall crop.
The weather has cooled of here in July. This is not normal.
My crop is failing this year so I think I will just try to maintain what I have.

This Minnesota midget melon is looking good.

But this one has splits.

My first ripe tomato has blossom end rot. And my cherry tomatoes are cracking.
I hope others are having better success than I. Please tell me how your garden is doing.

Feast or famine

This years rain has recked havoc on the garden.
Some of the tomato leaves have returned to yellow with spots.
Some leaves have wilted and turned brown.
This is blight. Caused by to much rain.
The news going around calls is "late blight." Even though it is early in the season.
I have fought and though I won this battle in spring.
The tomato plants are over 5 ft tall with fruit developing.
Now look.

I have been pulling leaves and disposing of them.
I have mulch on the ground. But I think I need an umbrella over them to keep them dry.
The cauliflower has so many holes .

The cabbage butterfly moth has had lunch.It is circled in red.

Along with this the caterpillars. and all his friends.

the is no hope for the leaves to cover the heads

This is my potato harvest for today.

On the brighter side. The mushrooms look enchanting.

Todays harvest.

Tomorrows hope is a organic mix of 1 garlic bulb boiled in 1 quart water for 20 minutes. 1 teaspoon red pepper and some ivory soap. To to make a home make insect repellent. Wish me luck.

Garden research. using red and silver ground cover

I am testing colored mulch in my garden this year.
This is my garden today. We finally have sun shine today here in Missouri.

This is my Hillbilly (Flame) tomato in a self watering 5 gallon bucket. I added the red plastic mulch to the top. It will help to conserve watter loss and we will see if the red color will enhance production. Feel free to click on the photos to enlarge for a better view. I am recovering from sinus surgery so my garden is far from complete this year.
There seem to be a difference already The cauliflower on the red side it getting a bit bigger than the silver side
I used aluminum foil on the inside. And silver reflective mulch on both out side edges.I have silver plastic mulch I ordered on the left end and red material on the right.
Peppers in front tomatoes on fence.
The broccoli seem to have small tops. This is caused from heat increasing too soon.
The tomatoes are making a complete recovery from having yellow and damage leaves.
I added more soil and removed all the damaged leaves on the bottom. Then topped it with cypress mulch. Today I added egg shells crushed. This will detour slugs and add calcium to the soil. I snapped off the suckers on the leaves today also. I will be adding a bit of coffee grounds to the soil latter today. They add a bit of fertilizer and deture some animals.
The bush beans are growing by leaps and bounds with no mulch as yet. I will be placing dry grass on them as soon as I can get it done.

Wilted tomato plant, pest or disease?

This years garden will be a challenge to fight off pest and disease.

To much rain is the cause of most of this years tomato problems.

Tomatoes like water on the roots not on the leaves.
Because leaves need to be able to evaporate water to pull more up from the roots

See the withered leaves are from to much water then not enough.

tomatoes need about 1 inch of water per week 3-5 gallons of water per plant. With the the summer heat , they need 11/2 to 2 inches per week. If the roots are shallow the plant will likely dry out faster (causing wilting). Watering once every 2-3 days is a good idea. By using a stick to check the depth 8-12 inches deep is about right where the water should reach.
Anoth cause of wilting is Fusarium and Verticillium Wilts
Is a soil borne fungus, the first symptom is wilting during the hottest part of the day, along with lots of yellow leaves. There is no cure for this .

So this was not the reason for this one plant to wilt.
hot, humid weather could have done this too. As the plant has now recovered.
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This plant is a diffrent story

Septoria Leaf Spot of Tomato
And or

With all the rain I think I may have early blight,

The leaves are turning yellow. Spots and holes are on some leaves.
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This is both pest and disease caused by aphids and ants.

But the leaves are damaged

Then to top it off the soil under one of the tomatoes has more ants than soil. So is this a insect problem? Or a disease? Or all of them? I would say All !
1. over-watering, which causes blight. Is the main reason.
2. Ants are the 2nd reason. They are attracted to aphids.
Which contributed to the disease of the plant.

Water only the bases of your tomato plants, and try to water in the morning. Plants sitting in dampness overnight may become more susceptible to blight. But this in my case is too much rain. All I can do is make an umbrella for them with soda bottles for the small ones and plastic tarps for the bigger ones.


Ants and Aphids Usually an ant problem is a symptom of an aphid infestation.
aphids suck plant juices from leaves, stems and fruit. They cause distorted and stunted growth as well as discoloring and wilting. They are also vectors for virus diseases. They attract ants, bees, wasps and flies because of the production of honeydew. Ants farm them and protect them from predators for food.
Link to more information on aphids

What I did to stop the damage.

I did not like to do it but I added seven dust to the ground for a day . Then removed the top soil and replaced it with fresh clean soil. removed all the damaged leaves and covered the plant higher with soil and cypress mulch. This made a big improvement to the plants health. When it rains, I covered them with plastic this also helped to protect them from too much water on the plant leaf.

Click here for an update.
The plants are doing better now.

Beneficial Insects

Beneficial Insects

Assassin Bug -- Caterpillars, Flies
Big-Eyed Bug -- Aphids, Caterpillars, Leafhopper, Mites; attracted by Clover, Goldenrod, Soybeans.
Braconid Wasp -- Aphids, Army worm, Cabbage worm, Corn borer, Codling Moth, Elm Bark Beetle, Horn Worm; Attracted by Dill, Parsley, Yarrow.
Damselbug -- Aphids, Caterpillars, Leafhopper, Thrips; Attracted by Alfalfa.
Ground Beetle -- Caterpillars, Cabbage Maggot, Colorado Potato Beetle Larvae, Cutworms, Slugs, Snails; Attracted by Clover.
Honeybee -- Pollinator
Hover Fly (Syrphid Fly) -- Aphids
Ichneumon Wasp -- Beetle larvae, Caterpillars, Sawfly,
Lacewing -- Aphids, Corn Ear worms, Mites, Thrips
Lady Beetle -- Aphids
Minute Pirate Bug -- Leafhopper nymphs, Spider mites, Thrips
Predatory Mite -- European Red Mites, Spider Mites
Praying Mantis -- Also predates beneficial s
Rove Beetle -- Aphids, Cabbage Maggot, Flies, Mites, Spring tails
Soldier Beetle -- Aphids, Beetle larvae, Caterpillars, Corn Root worm, Cucumber Beetle, Grasshopper eggs ; Attracted by Goldenrod, Milkweed, Hydrangea
Spined Soldier Bug -- Caterpillars, Sawfly larvae
Tachinid Fly -- Caterpillars
Tiger Beetle -- General predator
Yellowjacket -- Flies, caterpillars

NOTE:
SEE rex research for Plants with Broad-Spectrum Pesticidal Properties

Insect-Repelling Plants

Insect-Repelling Plants

Basil -- Flies, Mosquitoes, Asparagus Beetle
Borage -- Tomato Worm
Calendula -- Asparagus Beetles, Tomato Worms
Catnip -- Ants, Aphids, Cockroaches, Flea Beetle, Japanese Beetles
Chrysanthemum -- Mexican Bean Beetle
Cosmos -- Mexican Bean Beetle
Coriander -- Aphids
Dandelion -- Colorado Potato Beetle
Dead Nettle -- Potato Beetle
Fennel -- Fleas
Flax -- Potato Beetle
Garlic -- Aphids, Apple Scab, Borers, Japanese Beetles, Peach Leaf Curl Disease, Spider Mites
Geranium -- Cabbage Worm, Red Spider Mite
Henbit -- General insect repellent
Horseradish -- Potato Beetle
Hyssop -- Cabbage Moth
Lavender -- Mice, Ticks, Moths
Marigold -- Mexican Bean Beetle, Nematodes
Mint -- Ants, Aphids, Cabbage Moth, Fleas, Mice
Mole Plant -- Mice, Moles
Nasturtium -- White Flies, Squash Bugs, Striped Pumpkin Beetle, Wooly Aphid (apple)
Oregano -- Cabbage Butterfly, Cucumber Beetle
Parsley -- Beetles
Penny royal -- Fleas, Flies, Mosquitoes
Pot Marigold -- Asparagus Beetle, Tomato Worm
Radish -- Cucumber Beetle
Rosemary -- Bean Beetles, Cabbage Moth, Carrot Fly
Rue -- Flies, Japanese Beetle, Cats, Dogs
Sage -- Bean beetle, Cabbage Moth, Carrot Fly, Slugs
Southern wood -- Cabbage Moth
Sunflower -- Army worm
Tansy -- Ants, Fleas, Flies, Japanese Beetle, Moths, Striped Cucumber Beetles, Squash Bugs
Thyme -- Cabbage Worm
Wormwood -- Animals

Corn

Varieties I am trying this year include
- Stowell's Evergreen Sweet Corn, This is among the oldest sweet corn that is still in production, predating 1949. It is still a favorite of many, producing tasty white kernels. The plants used to be pulled up when completely ripe, and hung upside-down in a cool pantry; the ears would last well into the winter, in a semi-fresh state. In 1873, the seeds sold for 25 cents per pint.
- True Gold Sweet Corn, Attractive ears are filled with sweet, yellow kernels that have a fine flavor. This newer open-pollinated corn is becoming a favorite of gardeners everywhere. Productive 75-day corn that is a great home and market variety
- Chires Baby Corn . picke fresh and put into stir-fries and soups. This variety produces up to 20 tiny ears on its multi-stalked plants; pick just after the silk shows at the tips of ears, or let mature for popcorn!

Growing facts:
Plant your corn in full sun and well after any risk of frost. corn, does not transplant well, so direct seed is best. Your corn should receive at least eight hours of sunlight a day. Soil temperatures should be about 60 degrees F for proper germination, and slightly higher for the super sweet varieties. Generally, May and June are good months to plant. soil should drain well , or kernels may rot if the soil doesn’t dry well and they stay too wet. It is always a good idea to add organic compost to your soil. This will balance out drainage and other factors like pH which should be around 6.0 to 6.5. To raise the pH if it is low you can add the powdered limestone during fall so that your soil will be ready by the next growing season Water well after planting, and again two to four days later if there has been no rain.

Corn roots are extensive, reaching as deep as 6 to 7 feet in the soil, and thoroughly spreading throughout the upper 2 feet or so in the soil. Finer roots have more area for their weight than larger-diameter roots, so are more efficient at moving into soil and taking up water and nutrients

Cross-pollination can occur between different varieties of Corn, affecting taste, color, and other qualities. To prevent this, isolate each type by at least 700 feet, about 300 meters {or allow at least 14 days between times of maturity.}

Do not plant sooner than 10 days to 2 weeks after the date of the last killing frost. If you plant too early, your seedlings may die or their growth can be delayed.Since Corn is wind pollinated, it's better to plant 4 or more short, side-by-side rows than 1 or 2 long rows. This will help pollination and ear development .Plant your seeds approximately one inch deep and space them about a foot apart in each row.

Organic corn is free of pesticides that suppress the immune system, accumulate to toxic levels, and can trigger allergic reactions. Organic corn has significantly more antioxidants than other corn: 58.5 percent more. Organic corn also has a lower environmental impact. It uses less water to grow, causes less runoff, and requires uses no petroleum based fertilizers to grow (which cuts oil consumption).

• Corn borer — This moth's larvae feeds on all above-ground tissues of the plant. The cavities they produce interfere with the translocation of water and nutrients, thus reducing the strength of both the stalk and the ear shank. Some methods of control include using a pest-resistant variety, destroying infected stalks at the end of the season, and harvesting early before the moths have a chance to lay eggs.
• Corn earworm Larvae right adult left— These caterpillars feed on the tips of the ears of Corn, devouring the kernels and sometimes even destroying the silks before pollination has completed. This results in deformed ears that are susceptible to disease and mold. They can be controlled with Bt, a natural bacteria that produces toxic proteins that kill certain insects. You can also till in fall and spring to expose pupae to wind, weather, and predators, release beneficial insects such as trichogramma wasps, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, and damsel bugs, or use botanical insecticides (always read instructions and cautions before use). To control corn earworms, some people apply a couple drops of mineral oil on the silk. Apply it after pollination. The mineral oil suffocates the earworms.
  

• Smut — Corn smut is caused by a fungus, and it can be removed by hand and buried or burned. Since the spores can get into your Corn through injured parts of the plant, try to avoid injury of roots, stalks, and leaves during cultivation. Also, plant disease-resistant varieties when possible, and at the end of the season, plow diseased stalks to bury any surviving spores.
• Stewart's disease (bacterial wilt) — This disease is caused by a bacteria that's transmitted by several insects, namely the flea beetle, which will over winter and spread the disease once it starts feeding on the new year's crop. To control it, plant disease-resistant plants whenever possible, eliminate or discourage the presence of flea beetles, and don't use seeds that were produced in a field contaminated with Stewart's wilt.
• Flea beetle - Flea beetles, so named for their tendency to jump when disturbed, love Corn. They produce a characteristic injury to leaves known as "shot-holing." Young plants and seedlings are particularly susceptible to this damage. You can use Seven Dust or organic Neem oil to control them.

COMPANION PLANTING
NASTURTIUMS worked well at keeping away the Corn borer for me last year.

beans, cucumber, white geranium, lamb's quarters, melons, morning glory, parsley, peanuts, peas, potato, pumpkin, soybeans, squash and sunflower.

3 sisters method
A classic example is to grow climbing beans up corn while inter-planting pumpkins or . squash The corn provides a natural trellis for the beans, pumpkins smother the weeds and helps corn roots retain moisture.
Corn is a heavy feeder and the beans fix nitrogen from air into the soil. The beans do not feed the corn will it is growing but when the bean plants die back they return nitrogen to the soil that was used up by the corn. A win-win situation. Another interesting helper for corn is the weed Pig's Thistle which raises nutrients from the subsoil to where the corn can reach them.
Keep corn away from celery and tomato plants.

pest control

In a small dish, place about equal parts dish soap and apple cider vinegar. Set it out, and watch the fruit flies collect! This ideal came form Melanie

Make you own Flea Collars





And now a treat for chocolate lovers.
DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG

Green garden

I started my garden by laying out newspaper you can also use cardboard to control the weeds. Add a layer of composted manure, topsoil, peat moss . I do not have a compost heap ready to use yet. But next year I will so it can be added to the layers. I also added dry grass. And topped with dry grass. and used coffee grounds to both fertilize and keep my cats from digging in the soil. The still wander the ground and keep bigger pest out of the garden but do not add there fertilizer to the ground. Whis is unwanted in the garden.

I added companion plants like Nasturtiums, marigolds, and cinnamon basil . To control unwanted insects that damage the veggies. The clover was allowed to grow and multiply as it added wanted nitrogen to the ground. Corn needs all it can get as it removes it from the soil.
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Every little thing helps in one way or another.

It can be as simple as using cloth or paper bags

Or save on electric use by using compact florescent bulbs
I bought 2 chickens so I will have healthy eggs for my hubby
And will spend zero on gas to provide him with a good healthy breakfast.
I grew my own veggies with no pesticides or herbicides.
And it used no gas to go in my yard to pick fresh produce for use to eat this crop.
I recycled by using 5 gallon buckets headed for the trash from my local grocery store. I used them to grow some of my tomatoes upside down. All 6 of the buckets will fit on the 4x4s and I can put cross boards on the end if I want to expand and grow more in the sane amount of space. This way also keeps some pest from your plants.