What'd your garden teach you?

[Cornbelt]

Now that the gardens are about done, what did everybody learn? I learned not to get my pole bean seeds mixed up with bush beans. Also found out how well sulfur works keeping mice away from planted seeds, and that sticker weeds love horse crap.

[charles p]

Do not save seeds from hybrid tomato plants for the following year.  Seeds from hybrid plants will produce something other than the parent plant.

Mulch!  Had the least amount of weeds this year after I mulched with wheat straw.

[highwayman]

insect identification. strange looking bugs in the garden this year.

[Graybeard]

I didn't really do a garden this year, haven't for ten years or so really but do plan to next year tho will likely keep it small. I did plant some tomatos and pepper this year.

Lessons learned I guess would include getting the tomatos planted before going on the prairie dog hunting trip to OK not afterward and that my small raised bed isn't quite large enough for five plants and that my whisky barrels need watering way too often with tomato plants in them.

I had more worm problems with them this year than in the past as well but still we got a lot of tomatos and they sure were good. I should have planted more pepper than I did. Next year I hope to turn an unused part of one of our flower gardens into a veggie garden. I think we have an area about 15'x50' or maybe 60' long that can be used.

[gypsyman]

To do more of a variety of plants. Did enough tomatoes and green and hot peppers,zuchini. Didn't do any beets,carrots or peas. So will have to get some of that canned, which makes me winch, being the cheap bast*** that I am. Have to remember next year, diversity.  gypsyman

[hillbill]

i learned not to plant corn rows so close that yu cant get the tiller in between the rows to till.grass took it over and bout choked it out. couldnt keep up with the hoesing.was the first year id ever grown corn.i need to do sum research on a bug that was killing all my squash plants too. it basically chewed them in two right at the base of the plant.need to figure out how to combat them.

[Arier Blut]

Hillbill might be a cutworm.

I learned that the jap beetle traps drag them in from a long ways. Had more this year than any other year. Next time will put them at the edge of the down wind side of the property.

[hillbill]

well i know what a cut worm is ,but these bugs looked like small active black stink bugs, same shape, bout half the size and dark colored. sevin dust or spray really didnt seem to affect them much.they would cluster around the base of the stem and suck out the sap or whatever.then the plant would break off right at the ground.im thinking of pileing sum brush on my squash area and burning it to klill the eggs.ive had squash in this part of the garden for 3 years or so, maybe i need to move them?

[hillbill]

also i need a later bearing type of tomatoe to keep bearing right up to the first frost. either that or plant them in the shade so they dont bear as soon.

[Arier Blut]

Sounds like the squash bug, they look like a mini stink bug.
http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/vegpest/cucs/squabug.htm

[hillbill]

yup that was them exactly.thank yu sir!

[scootrd]

I learned to listen to the boss, work on my spacing of plants and  not plant as much Zucchini and yellow squash next year. They Started crowding other plants out  mid growing season and carrots were encroached upon and grew very puny 

Either that or I can ignore the boss and expand the size of the garden a bit more. I do love my ' ini and squash!!!!  

[Arier Blut]

Scootrd my carrots have never done worth a dern. Always tiny. Soil is great (sandy loam), ph and fertilize as well. Do they like a cooler temp to grow in?

[charles p]

When you see white butterflies, you have probably waited too late to dust for insect damage, but get out the Sevin and go to it.

Bayer makes a chemical that the roots of plant seedlings are dipped into before planting.  This will take care of the squash vine borer and a few other culprits, I'm told.  Expensive and it only takes a few drops per gallon.  Works systemically.

[scootrd]

Scootrd my carrots have never done worth a dern. Always tiny. Soil is great (sandy loam), ph and fertilize as well. Do they like a cooler temp to grow in?

I live in a cooler temp environment
We have had good success with our carrots (minus the ini and squash snaffu.)  We really have never done anything special. Our soil drains fairly well.. we ensure they are planted to take advantage of full sun we plant the seeds a little less than 1/2 inch deep around mid may , and cover with thin layer of mulch. I water every evening to keep soil wet and harvest about mid August - September. 

[Swampman]

I need more and bigger containers which I bought.  Banana peppers & green onions are my best producers.  Also don't plant different kinds of tomotoes too close together.  You'll end up with crosses.

[bearmgc]

I planted my corn seeds too close together. I moved my peppers to a different location and they didn't do very well. They did much better against my western wood fence. My squash needed more room, but still produced a bumper crop.