Worth's 2017 Accidental Garden.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by jillian

Looking good Worth!

Thank you.

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

They are growing fast too.

I will be growing plants in containers soon, so I need to pay attention here.

Don't pay too close attention I don't have any idea what I am doing and breaking all of the rules.
The tendrils on the cucumbers are almost a foot long.
I just dont see any bees I think they took off down the street to a Crape Myrtle tree that is blooming.
Worth

[Gardeneer]

No honey bees here. Just bumble bees and they are out in the field sucking on the wild flowers. But there are those tiny bees, the size of flies that visit my garden. I get enough cucumbers, melons, watermelons pollinated. With the tomatoes I don't need any them pollinators , broom or e-tooth brush.

[Worth1]

I got up at 4:30 AM and started the attack before dawn while the Hessian Sharpshooters were still hung over from last nights party.
First I sent out Recon to survey the troop movements and encampments then hit them from four fronts including air support with concentrated Sevin spray being careful not to cause any collateral damage by spraying blooms.
Next we put on a full aerial bombardment with deer repellent carpet bomb style around the enemy territory.
Saw one sharpshooter trying to escape and took it prisoner for questioning.
Afterwards we took it out back killed and ate it in front of any enemy observers so as to demoralize them.

Worth
.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Thank you.


Don't pay too close attention I don't have any idea what I am doing and breaking all of the rules.
The tendrils on the cucumbers are almost a foot long.
I just dont see any bees I think they took off down the street to a Crape Myrtle tree that is blooming.
Worth

Worth, so many people give up. You are not. Breaking the rules is the seed of change. I'm doing something of the same nature, but I need to figure out what it is that I need to change and how to do it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Worth, so many people give up. You are not. Breaking the rules is the seed of change. I'm doing something of the same nature, but I need to figure out what it is that I need to change and how to do it.

No I dont give up I wish I could sometimes.
I think it is why so may guys at work goof off so much and come in late take long lunches and leave early.
It isn't lazy it is just some jobs beat people down when they are hard and they give up.

On this note and the reason for the above statement I have a reason for them.
First one of the very if not first threads I ever made on a forum was titled Mint Wont Grow.
I had planted spearmint seeds they sprouted and they just wouldn't grow.
Someone stated that is was probably too sunny and hot for them.
So I took them to the north side of the house and the sprung up like no tomorrow.
That was in 2005 I think.
Now since then I have tried mint here.
I had so so luck but wasn't real happy with the flavor.
It was English mint and not as invasive and the flavor was off to me.
It died while I was working due to lack of water.
I found and bought 3 packs of regular spearmint today and am going to start the seeds soon.
Somewhere on this place with so many types of environments it will grow for sure.
I want it to take over the place where it can if it can because I am not into lawns nor will grass grow in the partial shade here anyway.
Knowing mint will come out of the bottom of a container and spread I will just strategically place the containers with the holes in the soil and see what happens.
One place is an area behind the house that I worked on last year.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

Catnip is just as vigorous as mint, for me anyway. I planted it beside my sidewalk several years ago, and it is everywhere now. I can see plants sprouting 30' away in the cow field.

[Gardeneer]

I always get fresh mint from Asian markets, root them in water and plant .
I planted it in a pot because I didn't want it to invade my herbs garden.


Cole, what is the use for Catnip ? That is other than to please the cats.

[dmforcier]

Actually, catnip is a cooking herb, though I've never used it for that.

Perhaps CR is trying to attract pumas to control his varmints?

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Catnip is just as vigorous as mint, for me anyway. I planted it beside my sidewalk several years ago, and it is everywhere now. I can see plants sprouting 30' away in the cow field.

If this is true, then the cattle farmers should be thanking you!

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/p...ing-flies.html

[SteveP]

Couldn't imagine trying to keep the cats out of a catnip garden.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by Worth1

No I dont give up I wish I could sometimes.
I think it is why so may guys at work goof off so much and come in late take long lunches and leave early.
It isn't lazy it is just some jobs beat people down when they are hard and they give up.

On this note and the reason for the above statement I have a reason for them.
First one of the very if not first threads I ever made on a forum was titled Mint Wont Grow.
I had planted spearmint seeds they sprouted and they just wouldn't grow.
Someone stated that is was probably too sunny and hot for them.
So I took them to the north side of the house and the sprung up like no tomorrow.
That was in 2005 I think.
Now since then I have tried mint here.
I had so so luck but wasn't real happy with the flavor.
It was English mint and not as invasive and the flavor was off to me.
It died while I was working due to lack of water.
I found and bought 3 packs of regular spearmint today and am going to start the seeds soon.
Somewhere on this place with so many types of environments it will grow for sure.
I want it to take over the place where it can if it can because I am not into lawns nor will grass grow in the partial shade here anyway.
Knowing mint will come out of the bottom of a container and spread I will just strategically place the containers with the holes in the soil and see what happens.
One place is an area behind the house that I worked on last year.

Worth

Worth, it has taken me all day to post a reply. It isn't possible for you to give up. You might want to, but you can't. We are alike in this.

From experience, Mint grows very well planted beside a Bodark tree. It also grows well in dappled shade. I have never planted it full sun, so I don't know? I've never grown English mint - I had never heard of it until now. I have grown Apple, Mojito, spearmint, and others. Transplants start growing the day you plant them. They are basically an invasive weed that smells and tastes very good. Growing from seed, I don't know?

[MichelleInWASt]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Also thinking about mammoth size nylons for watermelon hangers.
That will be a wee bit uncomfortable.
Worth

That's what Amazon is there for!

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by MichelleInWASt

That's what Amazon is there for!

Right.
It caused me to look up legs thighs and so on with google.
I am shocked at what I consider and most men consider attractive in legs is not the skinny toothpick chicken bone legs I see running around.

Not all cats are attracted to catnip it is hereditary.
I had one that was hog wild over it.

Worth

[Worth1]

I have been up surveying the battlefield since this morning before sunup.
I have yet to see the enemy sharpshooters anywhere near my okra.
What they do is suck on the blossom stem before it blooms and it dries up and falls off.

From Texas A&M.
Okra Q. How often should okra be harvested and how can you tell when it is ready?

A. Okra requires frequent harvesting. For peak quality, it must be harvested before the pods become tough. Okra matures rapidly, especially in hot weather. Approximately 4 days are required from flowering to harvest maturity. Okra should be harvested every other day. Pod size will vary with variety, but length will generally be 4 to 6 inches. Test larger pods by cutting through them with a sharp knife. If it is difficult to cut through them, they are tough and unsuitable for serving. Remove old pods from the plant or it will stop producing.


Q. Can okra plants be pruned during late summer or early fall for additional production until the first killing frost?

A. Yes, but it might be best to simply make a mid-summer planting instead of pruning off spring-seeded plants. When pruned, the plants will develop a bush rather than a single stalk which usually makes harvesting difficult. Pruning should be done 80 to 100 days before the first anticipated fall frost is anticipated allowing the plants time to produce additional pods.


Q. Can seed from this year's okra crop be saved for next year's planting?

A. Yes. Okra is a self-pollinated crop and seed can be saved from one year's garden for the next. Toward the end of the season allow some of the pods to remain on the plant and harvest them when they become fully mature and almost dry. If you allow okra pods to remain on the plant and fully mature, subsequent production is greatly curtailed.


Q. Is there anything special about the red podded varieties of okra?

A. No. This is a selection or variety which produces red- colored okra. When cooked, the red color disappears and the pods take on the normal green appearance.


Q. Small drops of liquid are oozing from various areas of the leaves and stems of my okra plants. What causes this?

A. You are describing natural secretions from the okra plant through glands on the leaves and stems. This is a natural process of the plant and causes no damage.


Q. What causes my garden okra to fail to grow properly when planted in the early spring?

A. Maybe it was planted too early. Okra should be planted 3 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost to produce an abundant supply of fresh garden okra. If planted before soil temperatures warm up and before night temperatures average above 50 degrees F., okra fails to grow properly. Okra is a close relative of cotton and should be planted about the same time cotton is planted.


Q. I transplanted some okra I purchased at a local nursery. It is stunted and not growing. What should I do?

A. Please, don't waste your garden dollars! Always plant crops such as beans, beets, cantaloupe, carrots, chard, collards, corn, cucumbers, kale, mustard, okra, peas, radishes, squash, turnips and watermelons from seed. These plants are difficult to transplant and transplanting offers no advantage over seeding directly in the garden.

Me
I dont find some of the statements above true at all.
Except for the part about garden dollars.
Paying the amount of money they charge for a wee container of okra or any of the other stuff is over the top expensive.
What advantage it does have is help keep the diapering family owed nursery in business.
If this helps then so be it.



Q. Are there any foliage diseases that affect okra in the garden?

A. Several foliage problems occur on okra. One commonly observed is Ascochyta, a disease normally found on cotton, a close relative to okra. Losses from this disease are minimal and do not warrant a control program.


Q. My okra did not grow properly last year. When I removed it at the end of the season, the roots were damaged by galls and swellings.

A. The damage was a result of root knot nematodes. Root knot is a species of nematode which causes galls or swellings on plant roots. It restricts the uptake of nutrients from the root system to the foliage, resulting in a yellow and stunted plant. Root knot lives in the soil and can survive on a number of weed and vegetable crops. It is best controlled by planting a solid stand (close enough for root systems to overlap) of marigolds three months before the first killing frost of fall and/or planting cereal rye (Elbon) for a winter cover crop. Cereal rye should be shred and tilled into the soil 30 days before planting a spring crop.


Q. What causes okra pods to be crooked and bent rather than straight?

A. This could be caused by insects feeding on the pods. Certain sucking insects, such as stinkbugs and leaf-footed bugs, inject chemicals into the pods causing the pods to stop or slow down growth in that area. The other side, which is growing normally, results in a curved or bent pod. The pods can still be eaten. No control is necessary unless the bugs are still feeding on the plants.


Q. I have long funny-looking insects running around my okra stalks. Do they hurt the plant?

A. These insects are sharpshooters. They suck juice from the plants causing buds to shed. Control with Sevin. Use as directed on the label.

Q. I have ants all over my okra. Do they hurt the plants?

A. It was once thought that ants did not hurt okra production and were mainly visiting okra plants to get honey-dew produced by sharpshooters, aphids or other sucking insects. However, that was before the imported fireant. Fireants feed on the base of developing blooms before the bloom buds open causing them to abort. This will cause okra to stop producing. Locate fireant mounds and kill the mounds or use baits around the outside of the garden area to kill the inconspicuous mounds.

[Worth1]

Just as I suspected the sharpshooters are colonizing the big patch of giant blood weed rag weed what ever you want to call it across the street.
It is a hatchery for these darn things.
Worth
Sharpshooter command center.
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