2021 gardens

[Dotch]

Did some more fall garden planting last nite. First though I had to tear up a little more real estate so there'd be room for all of it. Got 3 double rows (twin rows on 30" centers) of snap peas planted so at least there was that. Can put some hog panels in easily for trellises. Figured I'd better get them in as past experience has taught me that earlier is usually better if you want a chance to make it work. It's fairly dry though so if it goes too long without rain, will need to water the rows to get them to germinate more evenly. Should be able to get my fall/winter radishes & greens in this week. They're a little more forgiving but when you have conditions that allow you to plant, you do it. Otherwise, it suddenly rains for two weeks and you're left holding the bag or seed packets until next year. 

[glenn57]

There's a bad case of BER around these parts as the neighbor has it too. Anyone got a cure for Blossom End Rot? Great lookin tomatoes until you look at the bottom. I see the experts say it's usually do to a lack of calcium & was lookin for some pointers as to what you guys do to prevent it.

gunner.........i use epsom salt, about every 3rd or 4th watering i but a tablespoon of it by the stalk before i water them. i've only had 3 with it this year.

been doing this for quite a few years and seems to help. i've also been told that inconsistent watering can do that????????/ 

[glenn57]

Did some more fall garden planting last nite. First though I had to tear up a little more real estate so there'd be room for all of it. Got 3 double rows (twin rows on 30" centers) of snap peas planted so at least there was that. Can put some hog panels in easily for trellises. Figured I'd better get them in as past experience has taught me that earlier is usually better if you want a chance to make it work. It's fairly dry though so if it goes too long without rain, will need to water the rows to get them to germinate more evenly. Should be able to get my fall/winter radishes & greens in this week. They're a little more forgiving but when you have conditions that allow you to plant, you do it. Otherwise, it suddenly rains for two weeks and you're left holding the bag or seed packets until next year. 

ive thought about putting in some radishes but with the lack of rain and this heat.....i have no confidence they'll do anything. 

[KEN W]

As soon as tomatoes start to appear, I put straw around them Trying to stabilize the moisture. Not hay.....full of weed seeds. Always seems to work.

peppers will also get blossom end rot. Straw around them also.

[Gunner55]

He put some mulch around the base of 'em to help hold the moisture. He was pretty careful to only water around the base of the plant as well as the amount & timing of his watering too. The pc I read most of mentioned too much fertilizer as a possible culprit, which is what he thinks happened. That causes the plant to not get enough calcium where it needs it most. That's interesting about the Epsom Salt, glenn.  Thanks guys!!

[Dotch]

Some things on straw: Clean straw is a great mulching material, as long as you know the source and what was sprayed on the small grain crop it came from. Why? Isn't that how you keep the weeds out of it? Yes, but here comes the agronomist's butt: If the field was sprayed with something like Curtail which is good on Canada thistle, there can be enough residue in the straw to damage sensitive plants which means most broadleaves. It might not kill them but it's certainly capable. Had several instances where people were using grass clippings from lawns that had been sprayed with it and some major problems arose. It's extremely water soluble so if it rains, it comes out of the clippings quickly and washes into the soil.

We've also seen issues from manure where pastures were treated with clopyralid, the active ingredient in Stinger, or aminopyralid, Stinger's younger cousin. The stuff runs right through the digestive tracts of animals unmetabolized and departs in their urine & feces. It accumulates in the bedding. This gets hauled out and spread on the fields. Not a problem if you plant corn or small grains on that ground but plant soybeans there and you can find out in a hurry how sensitive they are. I forgot a few years back when spreading manure that field would be soybeans next year & it killed out a nasty hole in my customer's field. Buy straw that wasn't sprayed? Typically it'll have more weed seed in it. Here if it isn't sprayed, it's generally underseeded to alfalfa, limiting your herbicide options. Not trying to throw cold water on using straw, just keep both eyes open and avoid making a mistake with it is all.     

[Dotch]

Planted 7 rows of fall/winter radishes last nite. Gotta water 'em in tonite along with the snap peas. That oughta make it rain. Worked before anyway... Sent a bunch of fruit and veggies to compete at the Freeborn Co. Fair. Mine were the only pears there so I should win that class handily...

[mike89]

interesting on the straw... 

[roony]

I use to use straw around the tomatoes and I had good results. The last couple years I have been using fabric around my tomatoes, cukes, and a few other things. Its spendy but you can use it for several years.

[KEN W]

Excellent post Dotch. Never thought about sprays on straw affecting the garden. I use a lot of straw on my strawberries. to keep the berries off the dirt and for winter cover. I do know that.....Don't plant potatoes where you put manure. They get full of scab.

[Dotch]

I know you know your stuff Ken as do most others here. I've become a sort of bastardized county agent only w/o the pay or bennies. I never know what someone is going to dump on my desk when I'm out. There were also some straw bale gardening people that had trouble with clopyralid although that like many things got swept under the rug. Didn't fit the narrative. 

[mike89]

Hey Ken W I like the red/green reference!!!   

[Dotch]

Some friends and foes to keep an eye out for from yesterday. The first one is a minute pirate bug. Voracious aphid eater. Looked like he'd sucked the juice out of the soybean aphid closest to it. 2nd one is a soldier beetle, also a soft bodied insect eater. Big enough to tangle with the ants that tend to protect the aphids so they can collect the honeydew, basically sugar. Last one is spider mite stippling. They're tiny and live primarily on the undersides of leaves. While this is on soybeans, they'll also infest string beans and can get into sweet corn, especially when it gets dry enough and they have nothing else to eat.

[LPS]

We have had something the last few weeks that has made hundreds of small holes in our radish leaves.  When I water it looks like small mouse turds washing off the leaves.  Is that bug poop or the bug?

[Dotch]

Like I tell people, without a "good" picture, it's pretty hard for me to say for sure. Bad, out of focus pics are the same way.

I can guess that it's likely flea beetles, the same thing we encountered in the yellow & oriental mustard fields I scouted when living in North central ND. We've seen quite a few red-headed flea beetles here in both corn & soybeans. A lot larger than those in brassicas but inconsequential in both of these crops.

[LPS]

I will try to get some pics

[Dotch]

They may be difficult to photograph Barry as they hop around pretty quickly about the time you want to snap their picture. Had a beeotch of a time getting this red-headed flea beetle on a soybean leaf to cooperate. When I grabbed it to get a closer pic of its red head, their elytra is so hard and slick, it squirted out of my fingers like a slippery seed. This release from the U's Jeff Hahn does a pretty good job of detailing who flea beetles are and what they do. They would take out entire fields of commercial mustard if not treated ahead of time back in the day. If you want a yellow sticky trap, I could mail you one since I'm in the business of mailing certain people chit...  

Here's a photo of a sticky trap I removed from a corn field this afternoon with 113 corn rootworm beetles on it; 76 westerns and 37 northerns. Part of a study to ascertain what's happening with our Bt traits among other things. The things I won't do for entertainment. 

 https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/flea-beetles

[KEN W]

Red Green...."If women don't find you handsome, they will at least find you handy."

[KEN W]

Fles Beetles love radishes. Leaves look like they are shot with a shotgun.

[LPS]

I will at least show you a shot of the leaves.  Happened pretty fast too. 

[Dotch]

I can remember Mom dusting the radishes when I was a kid. They'd emerge & the flea beetles would show up quickly in numbers. Without prompt treatment the radishes were goners. Have seen a few occasionally here over the years but nothing like those days. Was surprised to read they're capable of 2 generations. With the heat we've had this year that may be what's happening.   

[Rebel SS]

Just like those friggin' Jap hump bugs of yours. 

[Dotch]

How are they doing BTW? Not that I miss them. I'll get my fill of the little bastages in a couple weeks when we're out on Crop Tour. Hopefully none of them hitchhike home in my duffel bag like they did a few times...

[LPS]

Here is a pic of the radishes.  There doesn't seem to be anything on the tomatoes or green beans. 

[Gunner55]

Stopped at the veggie stand that says they're from GR yday again for some more corn & they had some cukes, as well as some tomatoes so they picked some up. Brother asked the guy about his BER, he said it was a calcium deficiency also & would give them more water.

[KEN W]

Yup....that's Flea Beetles. Really tiny. They like radishes and any Cole Crop....Broccoli, Cauliflower etc. I put fine mesh netting over that stuff to try to keep them at bay.

[Dotch]

Yup, in fact most appear to be pale striped flea beetles. If you blow the pic up, you can see some of them scattered around on the leaves.

[LPS]

I do see them.  I thought they were gone.  You guys know your stuff.  Glad they don't do tomatoes.  We are about to pick the radishes so will be done with them for this year.  Thanks.

[mike89]

I do see them.  I thought they were gone.  You guys know your stuff.  Glad they don't do tomatoes.  We are about to pick the radishes so will be done with them for this year.  Thanks.

now could be a good time to plant radishes for september picking...   

[Rebel SS]

I just bought two big bunches....