321 replies to this topic

[jschyun]

Haricot verts are basically small skinny beans. The name translates to "green beans". I pick around 1/4" wide. I love them. I recently grew "Straight N Narrow" and it lives up to its name. I got my seeds at Pinetree.

[robyn]

Verts, schmerts.

They're just a variety of bush beans. You could probably grow them in Houston year round. I found a couple of sources and they all pretty much referenced the same type of bean. They are here.

Thanks. They look good. Ordered some today. Robyn

[snowangel]

Is this just a tease for those of up in the Northern area of the Heartland? Sub-zero, feet of snow covering our gardens...

I go to bed everynight with a seed catalogue or gardening magazine...

[fifi]

No this isn't a tease. It is more like...

NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH-NYAH!



BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[robyn]

Is this just a tease for those of up in the Northern area of the Heartland? Sub-zero, feet of snow covering our gardens...

I go to bed everynight with a seed catalogue or gardening magazine...

Are you really in Minneapolis? My heart goes out to you (I have a good friend in Minneapolis - and this time of year the only thing that he dreams about is Hawaii). Robyn

[hillvalley]

No this isn't a tease. It is more like...

NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH-NYAH!



BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

I heard a rumor that the sun even shines there

[snowangel]

No this isn't a tease. It is more like...

NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH-NYAH!

   

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

I heard a rumor that the sun even shines there

But, we have an Ice Palace.

So there!

[lovebenton0]

But, we have an Ice Palace.

So there!

OK. You're right! Ours would have to be a plastic palace. Or maybe that nearby barn, with Xmas lights still flashing.

Bet you don't have 55 degrees out with sunshine today, though. That's why we don't build igloos sorry, Ice Palaces.

Just curious here, as always. Do any of you have scarecrows in your garden? Our neighbors do, and I love seeing them go out to change its clothes so the birds think its someone new out there.

Speaking of pests. . .what is your worst fiend?

[Mudpuppie]

My own chickens are my worst enemies. Today is the first nice full day we've had since, I dunno, thanksgiving. I, of course, wanted to dig. So did they. For some reason we had to compete for the same patch of ground.

Anyway, after I put up the anti-chicken fence, I got some beets and peas planted. Will plant the pea shoots tomorrow if my back isn't out. (The first gardening day of spring is always hell on the back....)

As for pests that I don't feed intentionally, I've found a new nemesis out here in CA -- slugs. Never had a slug problem in TX. (Also have lots of earwigs and occasional aphid infestations.) The slugs are a real pain, but I wouldn't trade them for spider mites, harlequin bugs, fire ants, various loopers and other caterpillars, flea beetles, etc., etc., etc.

[fifi]

We have plenty of slugs on the coast. The SE part of Texas is pretty wet. But I was going to nominate spider mites. They appear out of no where and can kill pretty quickly or will debilitate the plants to the point that you don't get anything. Hard as hell to kill, too. I will even take fire ants over spider mites.

[lovebenton0]

If we're trying to grow a couple rows of sweet corn, then I'd have to say ants, ants, and more ants; pissants, fireants, damants. They don't bother us much as garden pests if we don't grow the corn. So, we've just given that space over to more Tomatoes. (Of course, the fire ants are everywhere else in the yard, and invading the house right now from under the concrete slab. )

I'd have to agree about the spider mites. They just move in as though we invited them! The okra is tough enough to withstand an attack and I can usually just lop off a branch here and there, and keep them under control. But I watch the tomatoes fearfully. . .

The pill bugs are insidious here. They get around the base of the plant and start eating into the stem and roots. Before I realize it my beautiful plants have collapsed to the ground, and no more veggies there! Really have to watch the peppers, and for some reason they have destroyed two palm trees in the yard.

And we have something, I have never seen them, don't know what they are. I call them the squash vampires, because one day my squash plants are big , blooming, pumping out nice firm little babies, and the next the plants have rotted at the base, and the squash is shriveled. I'm lucky to get a couple nice squash before they get vamped. Anybody have a clue here? The garden guys I talked to around here, said if I could just tell them what my vampires look like they could give me some pinpoint help. . . we just don't poison the garden. I miss that nice squash crop!

Used to have big ugly grubs, in the top end of the garden; that was a hand extermination project about four years ago. Thought maybe it was the grubs getting to the squash. I think I terrorized them. They haven't returned.

[memesuze]

One of the worst pests hereabouts is the squash vine borer - all of the sudden the stems collapse and your crop is history.

ugly little m******

to be controlled by cutting open the stems and hunting for the m******
the hunt is on

I've successfully treated the vines before by injecting bt [bacillus thurengensis] into the stems. [I never did the cut open and hand-remove technique] Use a syringe about an inch and a half above the soil line, just after first flowering. One of my source books says to inject at 4-inch intervals if the caterpillars are already inside the vines. You could also try pyrethrum powder at the base of the vines. Be sure to rotate your squash planting site from year to year.

[lovebenton0]

One of the worst pests hereabouts is the squash vine borer - all of the sudden the stems collapse and your crop is history.

ugly little m******

to be controlled by cutting open the stems and hunting for the m******
the hunt is on

I've successfully treated the vines before by injecting bt [bacillus thurengensis] into the stems. [I never did the cut open and hand-remove technique] Use a syringe about an inch and a half above the soil line, just after first flowering. One of my source books says to inject at 4-inch intervals if the caterpillars are already inside the vines. You could also try pyrethrum powder at the base of the vines. Be sure to rotate your squash planting site from year to year.

Thanks, memesuze. Got to be it! That's just what my poor vamped squash plants look like. Just never sited any of the larvae. No wonder I couldn't see the little suckers. I just knew they had to be somewhere. Looking forward to some mighty fine squash this year, lots of 'em.

We have our very own nasty here, Southwestern Squash Vine Borer, as well as the usual garden variety.

To check this out, and other pesty info go here.

[fifi]

My sister may remember an "organic" solution to the squash vine borer problem. I will ask.

[memesuze]

the bt injection is what John Dromgoole of The Natural Gardener here in Austin recommends....

[Mudpuppie]

And we have something, I have never seen them, don't know what they are.    I call them the squash vampires, because one day my squash plants are big , blooming, pumping out nice firm little babies, and the next the plants have rotted at the base, and the squash is shriveled. I'm lucky to get a couple nice squash before they get vamped. Anybody have a clue here? The garden guys I talked to around here, said if I could just tell them what my vampires look like  they could give me some pinpoint help. . .  we just don't poison the garden. I miss that nice squash crop!

Duh. Just carefully read your post. My first answer was definitely not correct.

I agree about the borers. I think the only thing you can really do is watch the stems. Check them every day to look for entry points, then dig the suckers out. BT isn't all that helpful. Pyrethrums sprayed on the stem might work if you start really early in the plant's life.

Edited again -- saw memesuze's post. Injecting is a good way to go. The reason BT doesn't work so well on the borers is because they're inside the stem and don't come in contact with it. An injection, though, now that's sneaky!

Edited by Mudpuppie, 09 February 2004 - 07:07 PM.

[sparrowgrass]

I ain't in Texas--2 states up, in Missouri--but I do appreciate the squash borer suggestion. Haven't had a problem with them in this new garden, but only because they haven't found the plants yet.

I bought some broccoli seed the other day--that is all the gardening I can do right now, in the sun room.

[lovebenton0]

Too many to quote you all. Thanks much for the borer advice. Going to look into that bt injection. Be thinking of you all when I enjoy my beautiful squash this year!

Broccoli, sparrowgrass? Another favorite I haven't tried in my garden yet. That may have to go on my list for this year's new attempts. Glad to have you with us anytime. Spent lots of time in Missouri on my Archaeological research.

And if you're looking in on this, snowangel, serves me right to brag on our sunshine. We've had gray wool here for days. But it did start raining, finally, yesterday, and hasn't let up yet. We needed something to break the drought!

[jschyun]

Anyone growing melons this year?

[lovebenton0]

Anyone growing melons this year?

Melons here! We always give something a shot. I love to eat 'em, and mr loves to drink his melon requirement.

Mr always goes for a small icebox variety watermelon in "his" end of the garden. I like the cantaloupes up on my end, but am thinking about trying a hard rind this year, like honeydews.

Or??? Any suggestions?

What are you growing jschyun? Anyone else?

[lovebenton0]

Good morning! It was such a beautiful morning here outside Austin that I thought I'd share this with you all. Where else in Texas would you see this hit the majority news rag?

For your amazement/amusement check out these garden tips for Fairies in Texas gardens from the Austin American Statesman.

And I thought I was just attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

[QuinaQuen]

Anyone ever tried pea shoots? I got some seeds this year from the Kitazawa folks. First time out. Still too wet to plant them right now, but soon....

One of my favorite veggies!! I love watching people try them for the first time when they realize it tastes just like peas. If I had a garden I would give this a try. I wonder how hard they are to grow?

Well now I have to try them.

I'll be off to Breeds soon as I can. Sounds perfect for me since I do really well growing the plant but not the peas.

Breeds? Honey, the climate in Austin is very different from the climate we get here.
Nevertheless, haricots are uniquely suited to out wacky GulfCoast climate. But wouldn't you rather buy the 2footers for a song from Kim Hung while growing nice litltle cowpeas in your yard?

[lovebenton0]

Anyone ever tried pea shoots? I got some seeds this year from the Kitazawa folks. First time out. Still too wet to plant them right now, but soon....

One of my favorite veggies!! I love watching people try them for the first time when they realize it tastes just like peas. If I had a garden I would give this a try. I wonder how hard they are to grow?

Well now I have to try them.

I'll be off to Breeds soon as I can. Sounds perfect for me since I do really well growing the plant but not the peas.

Breeds? Honey, the climate in Austin is very different from the climate we get here.
Nevertheless, haricots are uniquely suited to out wacky GulfCoast climate. But wouldn't you rather buy the 2footers for a song from Kim Hung while growing nice litltle cowpeas in your yard?

I can't find it now, someone mentioned Breeds for them. I have a weird always humid little section behind our storage building where the moonflowers and passion flowers grow like it was Houston. Thought I would try them in there, for an experiment. I'm stuck here all the time and piddling is what I'm able to do best.

I love those cowpeas! Farmers called them cream peas around there, but they were the same thing. Used to have about a 30 ft square plot of them in the wilder section on my land outside Bastrop/Elgin. But we lived in a geolocical river bed area there, within a few hundred yards of the existing Sandy Creek flow; all sand! The garden was way out, in the old hog pen area, and I fed it with horse manure tea. Thirsty coyotes and loose cattle were my biggest/baddest pests out there! The cowpeas grew on the edge of that. I'm in heavy clay, lots o' rock here; about a mile and a half down our road is Lake Austin. Without any help the Lantana grows to giant proportions in my yard. But they just don't make good eating. The giant rosemary bushes make up for that.

[jschyun]

What are you growing jschyun? Anyone else?

Mmm, icebox watermelons.

I got some seed in trade last year and was meaning to try growing them in a month or two. I got a charentais melons called "petit gris de rennes" and a watermelon called "blacktail mountain". I wonder how they'll do.

Last year, the rats ate up all my melons. I had trained some up a trellis but the ones that were on the ground grew the best. I got to eat one of my melons (cantaloupe) and it was very sweet, just wonderful. I only got 2 melons on that plant, and I left the other one to ripen a little further, but the rats got to it first.

I garden in a coop garden that is surrounded by an open field filled with gophers and rats. Ah! Sometimes a coyote will come by and I pray that he eats up a lot of gophers along the way, but housing here is crowding them out. 20 years ago, this city used to have some open land and you could ride your bike down to the farmer's shack to get groceries. Now, there's no such thing.

[Mudpuppie]

Good morning! It was such a beautiful morning here outside Austin that I thought I'd share this with you all. Where else in Texas would you see this hit the majority news rag?

For your amazement/amusement check out these garden tips for Fairies in Texas gardens from the Austin American Statesman.

And I thought I was just attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Bah. When did the Statesman start requiring registration? It must be very, very recent.

[robyn]

Just an update. I put my peas in the ground a couple of weeks ago (couldn't do it in March - we're at 80+ here in north Florida in May). They've sprouted. But it's cold. Hope this wasn't a fool's errand (peas aren't really a Florida crop - but I couldn't resist). On the other hand - it just took me 10 minutes to plant the seeds after I cleaned out the bed - which I had to do anyway so the early spring flowers - like Louisiana Iris - would show nicely.

For those of you not familiar with Louisiana Iris - it's something I discovered at a Farmer's Market in Tallahassee (have never seen it in a nursey here). Not a true (bearded) iris. But it looks like one. And it seems to grow great here. Doesn't need a ton of chill hours - and it can take the summer heat - and rains. Suspect the only thing it wouldn't take is baked soil - since it's native to the swamps in Louisiana. I just have it in a bed which is watered regularly - and it does fine. There are internet sites where it's available. If you plant it - give it some room - because it spreads if it's happy.

I got the haricot verts seeds from Swallowtail Gardens. Nice web site - good service. Thank you for the recommendation. I'll wait until March to plant those.

Some of you who are interested in gardening are probably also interested in other aspects of nature. I recommend a web site - Journey North - a global study of wildlife migration. It's funded by the Annenberg Foundation. Although it's designed to be an educational resource for children - adults can have fun with it too. For example - I report my sightings of monarch butterflies and migratory robins. Don't have much occasion to report the comings and goings of caribou - unless I've had too much to drink . There's something for everyone - no matter where you live. Don't be afraid to join in if you're an adult - and if you have children - so much the better. And spring is the best time to report what's going on. Take a look. Think you'll like it. Robyn

[jschyun]

By the way, thanks to you Texas gardeners that let us 'foreigners' to invade your thread.

I love gardening! Finally a thread is starting on the CA forum, but I expect it to die a fast death. It's too damn early.

[lovebenton0]

By the way, thanks to you Texas gardeners that let us 'foreigners' to invade your thread.

I love gardening! Finally a thread is starting on the CA forum, but I expect it to die a fast death. It's too damn early.

Thanks for the fun link in your previous post, jschyun. I'm sending it to my godson; they do home schooling and I try to supply him with all kinds of maps and other fun/educational science and nature links and books. I think he'll like this one, too.

And don't give up on your CA garden thread; post every once in a while to bring it up current. More gardeners will jump on it before too long.

I'm dying to get out there to plant, but I need to do some starters in here first, give the plants a chance to escape our last frosty nights for another month or so.

We have to watch the melon carefully out here or it will just run and not produce. We never get that many, but they are oh so sweet.

Bah. When did the Statesman start requiring registration? It must be very, very recent.

Oh, didn't realize that myself! I probably registered way back when I was doing City work and just didn't remember. Sorry.

[Mabelline]

I've two things to tell youall about that are fabulous!

www.burpee.com/features/bigmamas.htl has those enormous roma that the old fellers call "sheep's cods"! Those grew so spectacularly that I despaired of ever finding them. They are a new introduction to Burpees, I believe.

Now, one of the greatest plant catalogues I've ever gotten is from www.mountainvalleygrowers.com. This catalogue rocks. They are in Squaw Valley, CA, and they have plants we talk all the time about on in the Med. cooking threads, for instance.

Angelica,Vanilla grass (which dogs love like cats to catnip)Greek Bay,22 different lavenders,Syrian and Greek Oreganos,Patchouli,Fo Ti, Vietnamese Cilantro,Clary Sage,betony,Moroccan mint,Egyptian mint....

I'm am now in severe soil withdrawal till we are situated. You lucky, lucky Garden Gulleters! They even had cardomom plants! Happy gardens, my friends!!

[fifi]

That Mountain Valley Growers site is awesome.

Vanilla grass (which dogs love like cats to catnip)

I just got this instant vision of a pair of bassets passed out on their backs, ears askew, tongues lolling.