WEBlue

Agree with this, though it usually takes around 3 full years of growing cucurbits (melon/squash family) in one area before the soil gets too 'infected' & prevents full growth in the same plants the following year. The best thing is to search out new soil some distance away and try another crop.

Here's a good thread on the problem from GardenWeb:
Watermelons not growing well. - Vegetable Gardening Forum - GardenWeb

Southy_SWFC

Can any of you lovely posters help me identify what is eating away at my broccoli?

Southy_SWFC

WEBlue

Up north here in New England, my brassicas get eaten by cabbage moth worms--green worms that hide on the underside of leaves. I pick them off & squash, but more hatch out & if I forget to check for a day they've gobbled so many holes the leaves are like lace.

I think there is a spray that's not harmful to the plant or to humans called BT, but I've never tried it.

I found this page that shows some common broccoli pests--who knew there were so many!

Broccoli Pests and Diseases

Southy_SWFC

Thanks, I'll go and take a look at what Home Depot stocks later.

WEBlue

Another tip I remember from gardening in Blighty is to plant so very aromatic herbs around & between the brassicas. However, last year I did plant onions around my cabbages & still the cabbages were ravaged, but this year I might try something even smellier like basil. Rosemary's supposed to repel insect pests too ....

Bob

So anyone starting to plan for the summer yet? Or you folks in warmer places, have you already started to grow stuff?

Mud season is pretty much appearing...it will be a while before anything happens around here....

Mallory

We got spring fever in this 83 deg F weather, and went out and bought quite a large Magnolia tree. Don't ask how much it cost!

sir_eccles

Well, I haven't planted much yet but the garden is looking ok for now. Lots of stuff bursting up and flowering.

Spent the last couple of weekends dismantling and moving a shed to open up a wasted corner.

Pulaski

I might try to get the tiller out this weekend if the weather is dry and the ground not too soggy, which it has been recently. We haven't grown anything for a couple of years, but we might try some "low maintenance crops" such as beans if the ground tills up OK. I'll still probably need to put up the electric fence to keep the deer from eating them though.

lizzyq

We are hoping to try straw bale gardening this year, if we can source the straw bales relatively locally.

WEBlue

The snow is starting to melt nicely here now, even exposing some of my garden areas.

I had good luck with milk jug starter containers last spring, so I'm planting several with lettuce & herbs right now to set outside. They'll start sprouting when they warm up enough.

Cold Frame for Herbs: Make Milk Jug Seed Starters

cindyabs

87 today and pear trees blossoming etc. Pollen count is wicked high and cars all have chartreuse tinge.

WEBlue

Ah that sounds lovely! Yes, even the pollen all over everything (--nightmare for some allergy sufferers, I'm sure!).

We're visiting family in western CT & it's only in the mid-30s with lots of snowheaps still about. But just this morning I saw some green shoots of crocus trying to push up out of a spot where the snow has melted away.

Spring is trying hard to come here!

sir_eccles

The artichokes just visible in my pictures above are finally starting to bud. Looks like at least two of them. Yummy.