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Posted: Jun/10/2008 4:40 PM PST
I am fairly new to vegetable gardening, just doing it for a couple of years now. I did not have a good yield from my organic garden this year. I am planning to do more research and prep for this fall's garden hoping to improve it. I am also planning a much larger garden. I added horse poo at the end of the season and it seemed to help. Frankly, I am afraid to use the compost we are creating as I have not tried it and had alot of pests last year. Any suggestions? Also want to mention my mother is very ill with ovarian cancer and I am so depressed that I am finding it difficult to engage in my research and prep other than on this website. Please help! Karen |
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Posted: Jun/10/2008 5:04 PM PST
I am so sorry to hear about your mom- and I understand depression. Feel free to PM me if you need to vent  As for the low yield- I'm not sure what to tell you. I had my first veggie garden in 5 years last year, grew it organically, and had a low yield too. I think it takes a few years of adding organic matter to the soil, and applying the correct organic pesticides at the right times to see increased yields. Gardens Alive has a bunch of good products. I've been experimenting with an oil/water/dishsoap/garlic spray. It's been keeping everything but my ornamental climbing beans pest free (By everything I mean my veggies and brugmansias, all the other plants have to rely on beneficial insects) I also allow certain plants to grow in and around my beds because the bugs seem to prefer eating them over my plants, examples are asiatic dayflower, horsenettle, and virginia copperleaf. As for not trusting your compost- If it's from a "Hot" pile that is turned fairly often and has a high temp it should kill any pest eggs and larva. Just remember to NOT EVER add diseased or suspected diseased plants to the pile- discard those into the trash. Why not have a small "experimental garden" to test your compost? Believe me about the "pest plants" and the beneficials- they really work! I'll try to remember to take a pic from my one garden- you can see lots of bug-eaten pest plants right next to untouched ornamentals
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Posted: Jun/11/2008 2:52 AM PST
I'm sorry about your mom. I will keep her in my prayers. I'd like to see those photos, too, Aurora. That's the way to do it! |
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Posted: Jun/11/2008 9:54 AM PST
I would like to see the photos too. I have had better luck with Organicide and host plants, such as nasturtium, sunflower, and geraniums. Some of the others won't grow here in south FL. Thank you for your prayers and kind thouguhts. |
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Posted: Jun/11/2008 1:22 PM PST
Here's some photos of the "pest plants" The first is a Horsenettle amid my Joe-Pye plant. The second is Horsenettle next to an annual. I don't remember if it's Tithonia or Italian White Sunflower. Last is Horsenettle next another unknown plant. That plant is about 4 ft tall, with lots of small yellowish green flowers, and exudes a white sap when broken. Attachments:    |
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Posted: Jun/11/2008 2:20 PM PST
I've never heard of horsenettle. Do you know if it will grow in Zone 10 and do you have any seeds? |
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Posted: Jun/11/2008 6:36 PM PST
According to my Wildflower book it should grow in Fla. It's in the Nightshade family with prickly stems and white or purple flowers. If the bugs leave enough of the plants left to produce seeds I'll be happy to collect and send you some  It has a very pretty flower in it's own right which is how I believe it found it's way into my garden. I rescued some a couple of years ago. They do self-seed readily- don't say I didn't warn you  There's a bunch of great pictures of it here: http://www.all-creatures.org/picb/wfshl-horsenettl e.html remove any spaces in the URL Attachments:  |
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Posted: Jun/12/2008 1:25 AM PST
Now, that's successful companion planting! |
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Posted: Jun/12/2008 5:40 AM PST
I would love to say I did it on purpose Witt, but they grew where they wanted to. I left them where they were for 2 reasons:1. They have thorns and are therefore painful to pull up 2. I noticed that the bugs were eating them |
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Posted: Jun/12/2008 7:03 AM PST
That's great Aurora. It would be great if you have seeds to send me. My gardening begins in August again. Thanks. |
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