So my summer veggies did about fair. My sugar snap peas petered out, and my tomatoes developed septoria leaf spot (I identified this disease on the VA Tech Cooperative Extension page - see the links to the right!), but our mini-pumpkins and pickling cukes produced bumper crops. I think my soil be infected with nematodes that cause root galls, but apparently there's not a lot to be done about it organically except to plant french or african marigolds. The marigolds suppress the bad nematodes for a few seasons. I found this information about nematodes and other garden problems in Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver by Fern Marshall Bradley. Five Stars!
Are there people out there who think that gardening is boring? I'm at a loss, if there are . . . there's always something going on . . .
So, for the first time, I'm going to plant some cool season crops! I've got broccoli and swiss chard already in the ground, and lettuces on deck (literally it's sitting in the shade on my deck, but also figuratively on deck, like the baseball term meaning "the next person to bat." I'm laughing at my own joke, so be quiet about it already.)
We live in an area that gets frequent critter visits; deer, rabbits, raccoons, there's apparently a bobcat around as well. My hubby has a photo of a deer eating one of my tomatoes. Why was he taking photos and not chasing the deer away, you ask? Me too. I asked that question loudly and frequently when I heard about it.
I've been using a repellant product called "Liquid Fence"from Gardener's Supply. It smells like garlicy fox peepee - I'm a big garlic fan, but this particular combo may not be appetizing for some. The odor does dissipate fairly quickly. Although I wouldn't suggest spraying right before you host the neighborhood end of summer picnic in your backyard. Give it a day or two. Having noted the odor issue, the product does seem to work. I sprayed three weeks ago (with very little rain), and I've had no critter visits to note.
So, as my first venture into the world of cool season crops progresses, I will certainly keep you up-to-date. Go get your hands dirty!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
