nothing growing

[TheWaterbug]

that makes sense about the root growth. perhaps they're working on their roots and getting a nice root system down and then they'll go POOOOOF! and surprise me with tons of new growth soon

I find this to be true with squashes and similar plants. It could be something to do with recovering from transplant shock, or just "finding their way" into the soil.

Whenever I transplant squashes and melons, they do absolutely _nothing_ for about two weeks, then grow slowly until their total ground coverage reaches about ~2' in diameter, and then the growth really starts to accelerate. And then you can't stop them!

Per jal_ut's suggestion I direct-sowed all my pumpkins this year; I'll keep notes and see if they suffer a similar "pause" at the 2-3 true leaf stage.

I think there's merit to his argument, because every time I've transplanted potted squashes or melons (whether purchased or sown myself into starter pots) they're always root-bound by the time I transplant them.

The zukes I bought from Home Depot this year were a perfect example. When I peeled off the peat pot, all I saw was white; I couldn't see any dirt at all because the roots had grown up against the pot and completely "coated" the inside. No doubt the roots had a really hard time growing straight out into the soil after such a difficult incubation.

[sheeshshe]

that will be an interesting experiment. please update!

UGH!!! my jade beans have been disappearing as they come up. I just found 2 cutworms. can't win! 3 rows of beans and 1 1/2 rows of beans remain. sigh. time to buy more seeds I suppose!

tomorrow I check out the clay field and see how that is going. I haven't been in a week, it might be a complete disaster. if there are groundhogs, I am going to be super sad. I need to get out there much sooner from now on so I don't feel paranoid.

[sheeshshe]

OOOOH! they changed the temps for the next few days to 50's at night and high 70's, yeah! woohooo!

[luvthesnapper]

It sounds like you're about on time, for the most part. I'm ~650 miles south of you, and all I have ready is green beans, and peas. Hopefully the animals don't get all your plants.

[img]https://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd154/tonytwotime_2007/Garden%20Pics/SN852198.jpg[/img]

[sheeshshe]

WOW! that is amazing! my green beans just came up, and got decapitated amazing that you have some ready already! WOW!

[SLC]

So... Seriously you should take pics from week to week just for kicks. I just took pics today and compared them to those I took 10 days ago and you wouldn't believe the difference! But I didn't realize you were in Maine, although, I am in Connecticut, and our weather hasn't been all that different... But I did find that after it was warmer for a few days that did help, as well as when I watered them with Miracle Gro for the first time...they really seemed to shoot up within like 2-3 days after that. What I also noticed in the pics I compared was that some of them had the same amount of leaves, like you were saying...BUT...those same leaves were bigger...so...you never know.

[sheeshshe]

Yeah, I normally do weekly pictures each year.... but I didn't this year, probably because everything looked so pathetic it didn't look picture worthy LOL!! OK, sure, I'll take some today

[sheeshshe]

SO frustrated!! each night I have more and more bean plants cut down. stupid cut worms! I started with 3 rows and now down to 1 1/2 rows. Found 2 cut worms the other day, just found 2 more. How many more could there seriously be? this is insane. I guess I have to put something around every silly plant. If I let it go, I'll just end up with no rows of beans!

[patientx3]

it is more the night temps that come with the 70's temps. its been high 70's all week and 50s at night and finally they are starting to do something. but the next week is supposed to be mid-low 70s and 40's at night

I know your pain, its been about the same here in Washington. My green beans are growing painfully slow (I think they've been about the same size for a few weeks). My cherry tomato plant is actually been growing fairly well and opened a few flowers in the last week, but I know from last year that I shouldn't count on those turning into tomatoes anytime soon. They had flowers around the same time last year (sooner actually) and there was no sign of tomatoes until about July.

[luvthesnapper]

Did you try some insect spray, like Neem oil? I had cabbage worms a while back, and neem oil knocked them out pretty quickly. I started off just smashing them with authority when I found them, but they spread quickly, and I couldn't keep up.

Off topic, I hear it's being used by veterinarians as an internal treatment for tapeworms, pin worms, roundworms, etc.

[rainbowgardener]

Not sure the cutworms would be real susceptible to Neem. Neem kills when ingested by leaf eaters. Cutworms eat stem and roots. It would be impossible to spray the roots and difficult to be sure by spraying the stem that they ingested enough. The cutworms stay underground most of the time so are protected from most sprays.

If you put the collars around your plants that protects them. Otherwise, cutworms like slugs, earwigs and others are active at night. We should all get used to regular patrols of our gardens by flashlight! If you come out at night, you should be able to spot them and kill them.

[luvthesnapper]

Couldn't you water it in, then spray? I've read about people doing that for cutworms.

[sheeshshe]

I've tried spraying neem and that didn't help. my main pests right now are, slugs and cutworms. that is what is eating my stuff. oh and the turtle shell bug thignies, but those are so slow moving, I just go out there and pick them off. they stay on the same plant all day long it seems.


I was just out there and I didn't even think of looking for cutworms. ugh. maybe I need to go back out its dark here now, I was trying to see if there was anything else that needed diatomaceous earth:) I'm hoping that will help the cutworms, but who knows!

[Kisal]

Maybe this has already been mentioned -- I didn't read all the way back to the first post. I used to push the bottoms out of paper cups, then put the cup upside down over the plants to protect them from cutworms. You can start with those little cups designed for the bathroom, and move up to larger cups as the plants grow.

When you place the cup over the plant, turn it back and forth a few times to work it into the soil a bit. This is a very old-fashioned method, but it was always quite effective at protecting my plants from cutworms. [img]https://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/Kisal_photos/dunno.gif[/img]

[sheeshshe]

I do that when there are small amounts of plants, like in my daughters garden. but 3 rows of beans, it is a bit much. for some reason they really like green bean plants too. I'll do something, I have to.

[applestar]

I don't know if this will work, but I read about these traps for them somewhere and it can't hurt to try, right?

One is that farmers used to poke a straight hole with the hoe handle and cutworms would try to hide in them, so you can find them all trying to fit into the hole in the morning.

Another is to dig a straight-sided hole and put a straight sided can -- like soup can or cofee can that they won't be able to climb out of snug inside of it.

If you try them, let us know the results.

[sheeshshe]

neat! I might try the hoe handle hole thing


I found FIVE more cut worms this afternoon! there were 5 more beans chopped down and I found all 5 cutworms. GRRRR. EVIL things! I hate these things so bad. every year I wind up with a few bean plants because they're so terrible!

on a lighter note, my grapevines I put in this year are happy and apparently like my acid soil!

[sheeshshe]

SOOOOO mad!!!! 3 more bean plants down, 2 more cutworms found.

How many more could there possibly be?? I've got rid of at least 10. 5 yesterday, 2 today, 2 the day before yesterday, 2 another day...???

this is seriously frustrating me. I had so many bean plants

I planted more. I guess in go the collars. I hate to do it because they're supposed to go in 1" below the surface right? and it is so difficult to do that. someoen told me to put nails right up against the stems and they can't cut. that didn't work at ALL.

[sheeshshe]

Annnnd just found 5 more cutworms. gosh! I cut up a bunch of toilet paper rolls and put them around them. hopefully it works. it only took me an hour LOL. I hope this doesn't drive them to something else because they can't eat the beans. I'll be worse bad if they take out my struggling tomato plants!

[applestar]

;x You need more natural predators.

In my garden, I think they are moles and birds -- thrush family like robins and grackles, sometimes towhees, as well as flickers -- maybe some beneficial nematodes. Possibly chipmunks as well?

Do you maintain a water feature like birdbaths, small pond, etc.? That helps to draw birds that won't come to a feeder.

[sheeshshe]

No, I don't have any of that there. I doubt my hubby would let me do a birdbath, he would dump it because it is a 'mosquito breeding ground'

I tried a bird feeder once, but the squirrels just kept breaking the stupid thing

[rainbowgardener]

You need to get a little more creative! You are smarter than they are, right?

For the bird bath, a water wiggler is great:

[url=https://www.birdbaths.com/bird-bath-accessories/bird-bath-wigglers-&-bubblers/waterwiggler.cfm]water wiggler[/url]

but any little bubbler or mini fountain is fine too. No mosquitos will come to it as long as the water is moving. Apparently birds like moving water too. The water wiggler is nice because it's battery operated so you don't have to have electric wires out to where your bird bath is.

For the bird feeder, there are a variety of squirrel proof ones. This is the kind that has worked best for us:

[url=https://www.hayneedle.com/sale/perkypetsquirrelstumperbirdfeeder.cfm?source=placpc&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=OIN156&gclid=COGf-d2a1rACFUSK4AodeCYT3w]squirrel proof feeder[/url]

There's all different sizes and shapes of them, but basically a feeder tube inside a metal cage. Little birds can get through to the food but squirrels and also big birds like starlings can't. And the metal is very solid, they can't demolish it. We tried a lot of things before we got to these and the squirrels always got it eventually. But we have had these for years now and the squirrels do not get any more birdseed (except of course what the birds drop on the ground, but that's okay).

Any other excuses you would like me to demolish?

[sheeshshe]

Nope! I think you covered it all

You think that will solve my cutworm issue? I tend to think that birds in the garden will mean they'll eat my strawberries and other veggies etc. I haven't had an issue with berries being eaten before. If I bring them, will that change for me? That is a reservation I have.

[sheeshshe]

by golly. one of my tiny tomato plants has a flower. WHY?? LOL. it isn't anywhere near the size of a tomato plant that could even HOLD a tomato. hehehe. the thing would fall over with 1 tomato on it ROFL! well, at least it is growing... slowly, but still growing!

Starting tomororw, the next 3 days will be in the 90's. 60s at night. the tomatoes will like those night temps! grow plants grow!!!


haven't seen any more cutworms! maybe I got them all!