|
Post by macmex on Feb 24, 2023 11:47:51 GMT -6
As long as you don't plant them right on top of one another I would think they'd get along fine.
|
|
|
Post by Tucson Grower on Feb 24, 2023 13:01:06 GMT -6
The arroyo crosses the front of my property along its southernmost edge, roughly east to west. It's separated from the dirt road, in front, by a 5-6 foot tall, chain-link fence. When we first moved in here, back in November of 1999, the arroyo was nearly devoid of vegetation, almost nothing but sand, since then many native cacti have colonized much of it. There's even a young, 2 foot tall saguaro cactus, near to the fence and about in the mid-point, of the lot. Its seed likely came from one of two, ~20 foot tall saguaro cacti a few dozen yards farther back in the front yard. They've reached the point where they're just starting to grow their first set of arms/branches. They've been blooming and producing seed since before we bought this place and moved in here. Most of my front yard is still pristine native vegetation.
I just created three small plots for planting peanuts in this arroyo. I'm also planning to add garlic, and a few asparagus plants - separated by a few feet, long the south edge of the arroyo, and groups of different sunflower varieties, on the northern bank of the arroyo, supported from wind, by the outer branches of creosote bushes growing there. I will likely need to relocate some cholla cacti that are common there, too; as well as some prickly pear. The many barrel cacti should be okay. I just don't want to wind up as too much of a cactus pin cushion.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 25, 2023 15:36:06 GMT -6
We're still planning on a few days above 50° here. It sure seems like old man winter is really dragging his feet on the way out the door this year.
|
|
|
Post by Tucson Grower on Mar 3, 2023 19:52:06 GMT -6
I received the elephant garlic. It looks like it did well, through the shipping. Tonight it may frost, but hopefully that will be our last frost this season. I'm planning to plant the garlic and some sweet corn, tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by FrostyTurnip on Mar 9, 2023 7:52:18 GMT -6
I found spoiled leaves on my garlic and tiny black bugs. My eye sight is poor. I looked up pests and found they are probably thrips. But I also saw a parasitic wasp on the leaves, like a tiny fly. After pondering potential solutions, I decided to leave them all alone. Let the wasp do its thing. I might lose a crop, so I’ll keep an eye on it and buy bulk garlic from the store if I need. I had very good luck with the lady bugs versus potato beetle in the past, so we’ll see how this plays out.
Next winter, I’ll cover the garlic. Lesson learned.
|
|
|
Post by macmex on Mar 9, 2023 10:34:03 GMT -6
Garlic is one plant that I never even think to check for pests. Well, guess they can be found! Bet your course of action will work out fine.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Mar 9, 2023 20:12:38 GMT -6
My garlic still looks peaked, from the tops being burnt off by the arctic blast a while back, but I haven't noticed any pests yet.
It's supposed to frost here a couple of times later in the week, so maybe that will slow the bugs down some?
Ticks are really, really, bad this year. I found a dozen or so on myself yesterday after working to clear the garden and get some fence built. I picked about 40 of them off of Ranger, my 4-month-old beagle pup. That has already become an every-evening thing. I don't remember ticks being this bad this early in the season before.
I sure hope the grasshoppers get waylayed by something soon. They were horrible here last year.
|
|
|
Post by macmex on Mar 10, 2023 6:54:00 GMT -6
With all the rain we've had this winter, I suspect the grasshoppers won't be much of a problem this year. We'll see. Since I was diagnosed with a tick borne disease I've started treating my clothes with permethrin, spring and early summer, to prevent tick bites. It really works well. Need to start doing that very soon. I've only found a very few ticks so far.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Mar 11, 2023 1:37:20 GMT -6
George,
That Permethrin treatment sounds like something I need to try this season. I got Lyme Disease one year while working in New Jersey. I got very sick with a high-grade fever that lasted for more than 30 days. I had a big, red, bull's eye on my belly where that infected tick bit me, I had migraine headaches daily, and it felt like every joint in my vertebrae was fused together from the base of my skull to my tailbone. My tongue swelled up in my throat until I could hardly swallow; the swelling would actually trigger my gag reflex and cause me to throw up what little I was able to eat. I was six feet tall and was 26 years old at the time, I lost weight down to 108 pounds that year, looking like a living skeleton. I was so lethargic that I hardly moved from the bed from May until July that year, (1988).
Back then, Oklahoma Doctors didn't know what it was. They treated it with antibiotics and called it good. That was way before the Internet, so it took a while for word to get this far West that Lyme Disease was even a thing.
Ever since then, ticks really make me feel poorly when they bite in any numbers. A few days later, after a group of ticks bite me, I always feel like I have the Flu with achy joints, fatigue, swollen glands, a bad headache, and a low-grade fever.
Exactly, how do you do your Permethrin treatments? It sounds like I need to give that a try. P.M. me if you're not comfortable about posting it here.
Also, I'll bet I have another load of rabbits needing to be trapped out very soon. With Easther only weeks away I'll bet the market is there for them. Especially the white ones. Thanks, George, give me a holler if you're interested, Ron
|
|
|
Post by macmex on Mar 11, 2023 10:12:34 GMT -6
Ron, I will start a thread on dealing with ticks asap. Can't right now. The whole thing with Lymes is very sad. Corruption in the medical/Insurance industries has kept doctors from actually dealing with it for decades. Have had at least two friends, out East, who committed suicide because they were told that their problems were all psychosomatic, when, I'm positive, they had what I had or something very similar.
Anyway, I have to scram right now. Having a "Willie Wonka morning here: "So much time, so little to do... NO! STOP! REVERSE THAT!, So much to do so little time!"
|
|
|
Post by Tucson Grower on Mar 17, 2023 8:55:29 GMT -6
Since I had no luck starting 6 seed of my eBay purchased seed, I think I'll presoak and paper towel/ziploc the remainder of the seed.
My experience is that, of all garden seed, allium seed are most notorious for losing viability the fastest.
|
|
|
Post by FrostyTurnip on Mar 31, 2023 11:29:28 GMT -6
I found spoiled leaves on my garlic and tiny black bugs. My eye sight is poor. I looked up pests and found they are probably thrips. But I also saw a parasitic wasp on the leaves, like a tiny fly. After pondering potential solutions, I decided to leave them all alone. Let the wasp do its thing. I might lose a crop, so I’ll keep an eye on it and buy bulk garlic from the store if I need. I had very good luck with the lady bugs versus potato beetle in the past, so we’ll see how this plays out.
Next winter, I’ll cover the garlic. Lesson learned. For the record, the garlic are just fine with exception to frost damage on the tips. I bet the frost eliminated most of these bugs. Yesterday I found a lady bug sunning on a garlic leaf. Today, I’m noticing them everywhere.
I find my lady bugs adore stinging nettles. If my garden can afford it, I weed around these and water them to encourage their growth which I arrest about mid summer to use as fertilizer. Cut 2” above grade and they usually have time to bolt before summer ends.
|
|
|
Post by Tucson Grower on Apr 1, 2023 11:43:51 GMT -6
It's been more than a week since I pre-soaked and paper towel/ziploc treated the remainder of the eBay garlic seeds and kept them on the 80F heat mat - nothing, bah.
|
|