Calling Tucson/Southern Arizona Gardeners

[tuk50]

Great looking harvest .... yummy..
only got one tomato this morning, but the squash, cucumbers, greenbeans, okra and eggplants are doing very good this year...
my sweetpotatoes are sad looking this year, so I cut some more slips and started another batch this morning, so, hopefully we might get some, but later in the summer.

[tuk50]

I saw the strangest thing yesterday afternoon.. while working in the garden late in the afternoon a rabbit was chasing a roadrunner .. they went in a couple of tight circles then the roadrunner headed out in a straight line through the cactus.. and the rabbit was hot on his tail.. never have I seen an interaction between a rabbit and roadrunner before and there was no mistake .. the rabbit was hell bent on getting him. I knew the rabbits were tough here in the desert, but usually not mean.. LOL.

[desertlzbn]

Maybe the Road runner was trying to get the baby bunnies

[salix]

Tuk, that story reminded me of an episode many many years ago - squirrel vs. robin. They went round and round, up and down trees, our sundeck and stairs and now I can't remember the outcome. I believe the squirrel was getting too close to the robin's nest, initially.

[tuk50]

There are a lot of small bunnies and little quail running all over for the last week or so..... its the only thing that seems to make sense... what ever, I was cheering the rabbit on, not that it needed any enouragement.. LOL!

[desertlzbn]

Haven't been on much, dealing with garden and family stuff while it is monsoon season and it is a little cooler in the evening. I stopped spraying when it was so hot, now I have a mealy bug infestation again, so am just dealing with that. I hope I can get them under control and get some winner plants in. Pretty discouraging sometimes. It just is to danged hot in June. At least the monsoons cools it down a bit.

[satya]

Well desert dwellers... I suppose it lessens the pain a wee bit to hear this isn't an easy year for many... though, I'm sorry for you as well. Have been feeling a little discouraged the past few days, watching my plants nosedive faster than I'm used to. Everything seemed to be doing so well - even in the June heat before the rains! I have just jumped back into the garden this year after mostly letting my beds go to grass and weeds the last 3-4 years. Had a busy stage of life... without time to spend growing. On my return to the yard this year I created three new raised beds (Feb/Mar) and, think a lot of my issues stem from planting out too late on most things. I was preparing soil when things should have already been growing. I'm in central Tucson, near the university.

Here's a couple pics. Notice the center mater with beginning stages of low leaf drying/yellowing... which I thought was either normal or perhaps a watering issue. They're head height heirlooms (1 foot raised) and were producing very tasty fruits after some pretty serious BER was corrected. I'm not sure how to read the leaf curl, so maybe you can tell me? The left one is a "Black Cherry" that was producing LOTS of fruit and blossoms even in the heat. I used a mister and have 40% shade cloth (22' x 25') covering three beds. I had scads of pollinators hovering around even with the mister.

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What I'm (now) thinking must be russet mite... started with one plant... a "Black Beauty" which was offering up LOTS of nice apricot sized fruit. A leaf, a branch, here, there... just started going brown and crispy. Then a little wilt was occurring on the green parts despite trying to adjust the water "by feel" for what I thought the plant might need! The wilt wasn't bad, mostly it was just crispy crittering one section at a time! That plant is now gone... and, others nearby are 50% or better defoliated... with remaining leaves browning fast! This all happened in about 4 weeks, from late June to now.

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ALSO, I have yet to see one single female blossom on any of the dozen or so squash plants (three varieties) with 10-15' vines. Armenian Cukes have vined at least 15', and, have only 3-4 pieces of fruit which are odd looking... really fat! ...almost like a cross between squash and cuke.

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Okra plants seem stunted... growing like molasses... one centimeter a week (seeds sprouted in June and are still under 1 ft.! Took at least two weeks to sprout!) I've had a persistent aphid issue, trying to control at first with Dr. Bronners and olive oil mixture. About under control now after getting some Neem oil, too. Sure stunted the plants though... especially all the newest shoots.

Lacinato Kale planted in late Feb, is actually still going!!! Bell peppers are not doing too bad. Also had some BER for awhile, seems better now.

It's all therapeutic, and of course I enjoy learning improvements, but it's getting a little pricy without much to show for it, if ya know what I mean! I've never had so much trouble with bugs before... EVER! (except maybe horn worms) All suggestions to abate discouragement... are welcomed!

[satya]

Something I forgot to mention above is that I'm also maintaining a small patch for my mom on the east side of town. She had a total collapse of a huge zucchini plant two days ago from what I guess is SVB!! The plant only two pieces of fruit because of the same issue of no female flowers till just about now. We were excited the see the female flowers beginning to appear and just about to start hand pollinating. Obviously, I had not been inspecting the base's of the plants well, and didn't notice any damage till the collapse. I am not there every day either! Oye, the stem looks like crap! Seems to be only one affected plant at moment, but not sure... and, it was the best plant! Her Lemon Cuke is also not producing any fruit! Is there any hope of getting rid of these SQB guys? Have heard once in the soil, the same will happen next year!

[satya]

Okay... definitely russet mites! Thanks to Desertlzbn for the cue! After waiting all week for the Amazon order... which included a small $7 (60x) plastic microscope... sprayed with Take Down this morning. I was able to ID the little buggers under the scope yesterday, munching away. The Neem spraying earlier in the week along with nature's moisture, at least slowed 'em down, but once the rain left and the heat kicked in again, damage started accelerating. Wasn't sure if there'd be anything left standing by the time the Take Down got here! Hoping for a chance of recovery. Do plants come back after they are 70% defoliated? Also, not sure about the lower stems... as to what kind of internal damage has occurred. They look pretty brown, but the tops of the plants are still alive. The mites were spreading to the fall starts I still have in pots as well... but, I'll just strip the damaged parts and bury the stems deep, and hope for the best. Beginning to get mealybugs showing up on the squash, too... along with PERSISTENT aphids. Have largely successfully battled the aphids with soapy neem, or just the water hose... but they just keep coming! I wonder if the wild purple verbenia or purslane is drawing them? I've also spotted my first female blossom forming on one Indian squash vine!!! Will probably be at least a week before opening though.

[desertlzbn]

First it its great that the take down seems to worked, add for the plant coming back, you may get lucky, I had one plant completely defoliated and leaves are coming back on it.

[desertlzbn]

How is every one doing

[flyingbrass]

Hi,

I need to order some pepper seeds soon. I'll get them and tomatoes started in a couple weeks. I need to round up some floating row cover, or material to use for that. I'd like to keep any whiteflies off the plants as long as possible.

Sweet potatoes that I started from a store bought one grew like weeds. Actually better than weeds. I had planted only in a 3x8 bed, but they spread over a good portion of the garden. I dug them up on Oct. 1. Got over 45 lbs. Bugs had gnawed on a small percentage, but I only had to throw a couple out.

The things are still coming up. Tips I cut off on Oct. 1 have been sitting in plain water since. They rooted after only a couple days and are still alive. Sweet potato is an amazing plant that seems great for growing here. The greens are edible too, but I haven't tried any.

As for tomatoes this year, I think I'll go with fewer plants. Probably 4 Sophie's Choice and 6-8 full size plants. If they produce even semi-decently I'll still have more tomatoes than I know what to do with.

Oh, another thing I plan to do in the coming weeks is take some trash bags to the local park and bag leaves from the deciduous trees to use as mulch this summer.

[Tracydr]

I had a terrible garden last summer, partly my fault and partly the weathers. Things will be different this year, I hope. Started some tomatoes yesterday and I'm starting some more tomorrow. I'll have extra plants, if anybody would like to trade. I'd be interested in peppers or other types of plants, even bean seeds or that type of thing. Or, tomatoes that I don't have. Desertizbn, maybe we could trade again? Also, I'm looking for some common, determinate seeds, I have some great heirloom and OP seeds I'd be willing to trade. I just want some run of the mill varieties that can produce like gangbusters in a fairly short season, all at once, to get canned or put into my fermented salsa, even dehydrated if nothing else. I just ordered A couple of hybrids from Pinetree, but neither was a determinate, which is what I was looking for. I'd also be interested in Marglobe or it's relatives. ( I just ordered Bonnie Best so don't need that one).
Anyway, just getting impatient for my winter garden to give me some produce. At least some chard and kale would be nice. We've gotten a tiny bit of chard and tonight we get a micro salad. Plus, tons of basil and garlic chives. More peppers and eggplants than we can possibly eat, although we're pickling and making hot sauce, which goes pretty fast. But, craving fresh greens and their just not coming fast enough. Also, wish my lonely artichoke would hurry up, it was so good last spring.
That's another thing I have for give away. A bunch of cardoon babies. I'm afraid to plant them because I heard how rampant they are and I'm not discipline enough to keep them from taking over.
Someday, I'll have a real farm and orchard. In a cooler or eevn cold state. Zone 6 or 5, if I get my way. Not if my husband gets his way, though. We'll continue living in a zone 9 if it's up to him. No further north than South Texas, if he has his way!

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by flyingbrass

Hi,

I need to order some pepper seeds soon. I'll get them and tomatoes started in a couple weeks. I need to round up some floating row cover, or material to use for that. I'd like to keep any whiteflies off the plants as long as possible.

Sweet potatoes that I started from a store bought one grew like weeds. Actually better than weeds. I had planted only in a 3x8 bed, but they spread over a good portion of the garden. I dug them up on Oct. 1. Got over 45 lbs. Bugs had gnawed on a small percentage, but I only had to throw a couple out.

The things are still coming up. Tips I cut off on Oct. 1 have been sitting in plain water since. They rooted after only a couple days and are still alive. Sweet potato is an amazing plant that seems great for growing here. The greens are edible too, but I haven't tried any.
I could probably give you all your plants except for Sophie's choice if you'd like. I have quite a variety and I'm planting another dozen or so tomorrow.
As for tomatoes this year, I think I'll go with fewer plants. Probably 4 Sophie's Choice and 6-8 full size plants. If they produce even semi-decently I'll still have more tomatoes than I know what to do with.

Oh, another thing I plan to do in the coming weeks is take some trash bags to the local park and bag leaves from the deciduous trees to use as mulch this summer.

I like the leaf idea. I've been thinking of asking some of my neighbors with big trees if they wouldn't mind. All of my trees are pine and citrus, except for the African Sumac. I think that one drops a lot of seeds and I don't want to spread the seeds to my garden.

Took me about a week of hard work to dig out all the Bermuda roots in my sweet potato garden. I didn't get many potatoes. I guess I needed to start them earlier and give them a little more water. Ah, well. I'll save what I have and maybe try a few next year. I'm going to use that big space for something that is more useful to us, probably yardlongs, squash and cowpeas. Maybe try a few peanuts for grins. I'm the only one who will eat sweet potatoes, anyway.
Once I got all the darn Bermuda out, hauled a big load of manure compost and put in some little cole crops, broadcasted radishes, and a bunch of other random seeds. I also put in a short row of Blue Lake bush beans, in a warm spot, just to see if I might have better luck than I do at warmer times of the year.
I ordered a few things that I need yesterday from Pinetree. I still want some Christmas Limas, some teparies and maybe some interesting peanuts. I will probably bulk order the beans from somewhere and get the peanuts from SESE.
Well, that's it from me. I have a bunch of artichokes to get in the ground tomorrow. As well as the tomatoes to get planted. Best wishes to y'all!

[desertlzbn]

I have not planted much this summer and fall, have been battling some depression, not wanting to really do much in the garden. My parents are here now, and my Mom is helping me with garden stuff. I think I just have been so discouraged with how bad the tomatoes have been for me, that I have not wanted to do anything. I also am having a hard time with the heat in the summer. It has been so nice these last couple of weeks, and I have been really enjoying it.
I have some Napa cabbage growing, some bush beans and some tomato plants that have came up all by themselves in the same bed. I got some chicken manure from a friend that I gave tomato plants to, and those same tomato seeds are now growing in that bed. I transplanted a few to the greenhouse SWC's, so we will see how they do this winter. I do have some sulfur to combat those dreaded russet mites.
I am going to plant some snow peas, and some green peas, along with beets and other winter stuff this weekend.
In April, my cousin left her 4 yr old with my aunt, and I have been taking him on the weekends for her while she is working, and that has been a huge undertaking. I am going to get him to help me with planting this weekend.
I am in the process of painting my house and all outbuildings, but my wife wants me to wait until after xmas to paint.
Oh, did I mention my parents snowbird on our property all winter? just one more stress added, I love them but it is crazy when they are here.
I am still torn whether or not I want to sell plants this year. I want to do other stuff than just being home all weekend for 3 months selling plants.
On one hand I can make about 500 dollars, or more, but it is a lot of work, and I feel very burned out with it, partly because to really make any money I have to take the plants out to sell, it is not to far, but a huge pain in the butt. Well anyway I sure hope that everyone has a good winter season, and that your gardens are growing well.