Grundle's 2012 Grow Log

[leverhead]

BarG

I have one Virgin ear left, I'm old enough now I just don't remember what I was saving it for. Pretty soon you ought to start carrying a spare pair of shorts, your plants will make it. I'm beginning to believe mine will.

 

[BarG]

Lol.....heh heh heh, I dont know what to expect this year, I'm sure I'll be amazed.

 

[johnlee1933]

BarG

I have one Virgin ear left, I'm old enough now I just don't remember what I was saving it for. Pretty soon you ought to start carrying a spare pair of shorts, your plants will make it. I'm beginning to believe mine will.

You are one lucky fellow. People have been bending both my ears for so long I don't believe either one is virgin. The upside is they are starting to fade a little so I may get some relief yet. :< ))

John

 

[leverhead]

My Dad says he got his ears pierced so that he could put up with my Mother, his ear drums.

 

[BarG]

If anyone around here still has virgin ears you can probably hear a resounding echo between them.

 

[Grundle]

The last three days have been increasingly more hot than the previous. When I first transplanted the seedlings the high was 82 the next day. Over the weekend each day was a little hotter until today, it is already 93 degrees. I think that normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I decided to try the no-dig bed concept which has me concerned for the plants towards the end of the day. I have noticed that one of the great features to this plant bed turns into a negative when it gets very hot out.

The no-dig bed drains very well, which is good for keeping the roots from getting waterlogged, but unfortunately it dries out very quickly. My planting bed is always damp to the touch in the morning and by the time I get home from work it is powder dry. Pushing my finger into the bed, it is consistently that dry all the way through the first peat layer (several inches). Tonight when I get home I will do a deeper assay to find out what layer the moisture is being conserved. I am primarily concerned about the plants establishing strong roots into a moisture laden layer before I back off on the watering.

I have already lost one plant to the heat, but the rest are doing very well. I read some of the other grow logs where it was postulated that over watering was occurring so I deliberately waited longer last night to water the plants, and now I am convinced this is not my problem. I have had the habit of watering around 5:00pm after checking the moisture of the bed and seeing the plants visibly wilted. Generally by 9:00pm I will check again and see that they have visibly stood back up and are looking healthy again. Last night I waited until 9:00pm before watering. When I finally watered the plants were still wilted and drooping and did not look well at all. Checking this morning the plants looked great, and stood back up (all except one which doesn't look like it will make it).

For now I will continue watering around 5:00pm and I am considering watering in the morning to give the plants a moisture base to better make it through the day. I am still undecided on that approach however. They kept promising rain this weekend and it never came. I really put off watering, because I thought I would overwater and kill the plants. Seeing as how fast that bed dries out, I am really not that concerned any more.

Okay, now for some pictures

 

[johnlee1933]

I will be interested in responses to this. I have been adding sulphur to try and drop my Ph a point or so but if pine needles work I could add a bunch this fall.

John

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I thought I read a long time ago that even though pine needles are acidic that the amount they actually lower the soils' pH is almost zilch.

 

[Chicken]

i'd suggest watering in the morning, instead of the evening,,,

 

[Jitterbugdude]

i'd suggest watering in the morning, instead of the evening,,,

Another interesting topic. When to water and why?
I water in the evening. It gives the plants all night long to absorb water and nutrients before the sun dries everything out. I laugh when I hear these so called master gardeners say you should not water at night because you will get the leaves wet and that will encourage mold/fungal growths. Well I guess they've never been outside at 5:00 AM in the morning because the dew soaks everything to the point that all the plants are dripping wet.

 

[dkh2]

I know for growing Giant Pumpkins and the such watering at night
is an invitation to disaster it encourages Powdery Mildew for one
I would avoid watering disease-susceptible plants at night. If water sits on plant foliage for hours, it can encourage fungal diseases to attack leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit. Plants susceptible to leaf spots, fruit rots, and flower blights are best watered in the morning, when the warming sun will quickly dry the leaves and discourage fungus development.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

If water sits on plant foliage for hours, it can encourage fungal diseases to attack leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit..

That's my point.. water DOES sit on plant foliage for hours. Go out to your garden at 11:00pm and you'll see all the plants heavily covered in dew. This dew will drip all night long onto the other leaves until the sun burns it off. Mother Nature does this every night. Fungal disease problems arise when you take a garden hose and start squirting your plants to the point where you are transferring water ( and possible spores) from one plant to another!

 

[johnlee1933]

Yep. My Dad set a piece of window glass on edge in a piece of rain gutter leading into a gallon jug. Each night dew would collect on the glass, run into the gutter and drip into the jug. Mom always had plenty of "distilled" water for her steam iron.

J

 

[Grundle]

Great discussion guys! I took chicken's advice and watered this morning as well, to "help" the little guys make it through the day. It will be another scorcher.

Last night one of my plants was uprooted. The little bastard squirrels got to it and I was pissed. Fortunately I put it back in, and the plant looks good this morning. I already pulled my traps out and there are going to be some scarce squirrels soon.

I have noticed my little plants are putting out new leaves. Looks good I'll have 1 week comparison photos up this weekend.

 

[BigBonner]

Ok I will tell you why you can not water during the heat of the day or alot early in the morning .
Water will scald tobacco .

I have had it to rain heavey in the day time and water standing or muddy ground will kill tobacco when the sun comes out and it gets hot .

I have lost a quarter acre because of scald .

 

[dkh2]

Well I suppose if you have acre's upon acre's of plants watering at night
is beneficial at night during scorching hot weather.
I myself don't use over head watering I drain my rain barrels with a hose and do a irrigation method.
Even though rain barrels are illegal in Washington State (The water Belongs to every one)
Like I said before when it comes to Pumpkins the last year I grew them the conditions were ripe
for Powdery Mildew unbeknownst to me and it spread like wild fire in a week
A white powdery crust developed on the leaves and a entire year went to hell in one week.

 

[dkh2]

And with that I'm off to work

 

[dkh2]

But not till I hit 500
Do I win a prize

 

[Michibacy]

Great discussion guys! I took chicken's advice and watered this morning as well, to "help" the little guys make it through the day. It will be another scorcher.

Last night one of my plants was uprooted. The little bastard squirrels got to it and I was pissed. Fortunately I put it back in, and the plant looks good this morning. I already pulled my traps out and there are going to be some scarce squirrels soon.

I have noticed my little plants are putting out new leaves. Looks good I'll have 1 week comparison photos up this weekend.

I always water before I go to work in the morning, tell you what...if it does scald them, I don't notice, nor do they apparently. My little YTB's seem to love the extra water, get a nice deep green and have shot up new leaves like crazy...

I do use overhead watering, but it's fairly low impact and low pressure, I really haven't noticed damage. It all dries just fine, if the leaves get heavy from water, they dry off and get stronger as I see it. What do I know though, just an amature

 

[Grundle]

@Bonner, @dkh2 - Man you guys are really making me worry now. Too much water, it will die, water at the wrong time it will die, not enough water it will die I am contracting the rare illness Nicotania Paranoica where I will twitch and shake until I can come home to make sure the plants are still okay.

I wonder if smoking can alleviate this?