2016 Summer Florida Garden

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Thanks Marsha - so far we have not had antracnose on the mangos I picked. I haven't picked anymore since; mine take > 1 week to ripen in the brown bags. Ate 2 mangos so far and a bunch of pineapple - yum.

Picked peppers are the shi★★★★os - seeds were originally from Ginny (Fishurgiirl); EOY pepper dropped and germinated. I pulled the seedlings, separated them and gave clusters of plants away. These were from my 2 plants that I kept.

Next experiment is leaving plants when I go away in August. I will use parthenocarpic cucumbers (cucumbers that do not need pollination) because plants will be permanently covered in tulle while I am away. The plants also need to be big enough to withstand the intense sun and 90 degree temperatures.

This is the most amazing part; I wrapped 2 seeds in the wet paper towel late at night on 7/3. The next afternoon (12-18 hours later) they both had germinated.
On 7/4 I planted the 2 seeds in ProMix and both popped up by 7/5 AM. The power of humidity I guess.

Cucumber count as of this AM is 56. Who said you couldn't grow cucumbers in Florida after March?

I am glad for you that your Kents are healthy. When they are smaller, earlier in the season, they take longer than a week to ripen. Later on when they are getting larger, 5 days, then only 3 days when it is nearly August.

What kind of parthenocarpic cukes? Sweet success? I sowed one in an EB directly, so far- nothing. I might try 1 more seed in the paper towel like you did. That was fast germination.

[Barb_FL]

Yes, Sweet Success. I never sow cucumbers directly; I use to sow in the cut-off 1/2 gallon milk carton and then when I'm ready to plant, I just cut the sides and place them in their final home. I've also planted in broken round 3-4" containers and then just pull down the sides. This time, I planted I planted in a normal 4" square container.

I'm loving the paper towel / baggie method of sowing. So much faster and no helmet heads (peppers). I'm leaving the baggie outside so it is hot and humid.

[Barb_FL]

It's so hot; I never remember so many days over 90 degrees. Even in 2015, when it got hot in April and that pretty much halted tomatoes from setting, it never got over 90 during the summer.

So all I have is Pineapple, Mangoes - both are benefiting greatly from this heat,
peppers which I shade and cucumber plants.

Early this AM I picked 6 more cucumbers bringing the total to 101. Yesterday, I picked 12. None have been affected by worms/catepillars due to tulle. I also think the lizards are helping out; they hang around when I'm putting the tulle on in the evening and then I see them chomping on something. Probably a bug that tried to get in but couldn't and became easy pickings for the lizards.

My fridge is full of gallon ziplock bags; there are only so many people to give cucumbers to. It was easy when I had tomatoes to go with the cucumbers, but just cukes????

My husband is going to pickle some even though they are not the pickling variety. Anyway, for what I can't give away and we don't eat, will become food for my composting worms. They love cukes but right now are getting Mango skins.

[efisakov]

Barb, enjoy while you can. Last year I picked too, too, too many. Gave away, pickled, squirrels had some as well. This year I had only one so far. Ants are all over them. I used DE with soap. Trying Neem oil now. I am not giving up.
rrrrr

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Barb, enjoy while you can. Last year I picked too, too, too many. Gave away, pickled, squirrels had some as well. This year I had only one so far. Ants are all over them. I used DE with soap. Trying Neem oil now. I am not giving up.
rrrrr

Ella, probably the ants are there because they are herding aphids. Stong soapy water 3 times separated by 7 days should do it. Add a little bt if you have pickleworm issues.

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Ella, probably the ants are there because they are herding aphids. Stong soapy water 3 times separated by 7 days should do it. Add a little bt if you have pickleworm issues.

There were aphids, I believe I washed them off, but the ants are bringing new once back. I already sprayed twice. Thank you, Marsha.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by efisakov

There were aphids, I believe I washed them off, but the ants are bringing new once back. I already sprayed twice. Thank you, Marsha.

They can be very persistent little ba$tids!

[Barb_FL]

I never had aphid problems with cucumbers; In the past, if I've seen ants it meant that pickle worms were chomping on a fruit and their frass was attracting the ants.

Ella - do you see tiny holes in your fruit? I think BT would work.

The pickle worm type moths only come out when it is dark and are fairly small. It is often recommended to use row covers for nighttime protection. I'm basically doing this using tulle.

Several years ago I made tulle rooms with PVC pipe for tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. I bought bolts of it at that time so it didn't cost anything for this experiment. Actually, I started this experiment for former spring plants but it wasn't until I saw some pickle worm damage in the Snow cucumbers.

These plants have had tulle on at night from day one. When the plants were small and fit within the cages, it took about 2 minutes to cover/pin up.

Now that the plants are really big, I drape it over / under the plants leaving no gaps and attach with clothespins.

One of the things I learned by doing this is how early the bees are. I'm out there around 6:45 AM to take the tulle off and bees are buzzing around the first plant while I'm taking off the tulle on the 2nd.

I haven't sprayed at all this summer; I've had zero cucumber loss but now that it is really hot, I have about 10-20% damage in peppers. Definitely bug related vs birds or squirrels. It is usually a blemish on the side of the pepper; I'm thinking a bug bit into it. These peppers become worm food.

So far, I've seen / killed 3 stink bugs by the pepper plants and have seen a few brown flat squash bugs by the cucumbers.

When the cucumbers plants go down, it will be because they ran out of gas or got infected from daytime bugs. Leaves are definitely getting crunchy.

This is the first time I bothered to count # of fruit; it seems more than usual but can't be sure.

[efisakov]

Barb, I do not see holes on cucumbers. BT is great on many things, the only difficulties is to spray with it, since it does not dissolve in water. I even tried using blender few years ago.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Barb, I do not see holes on cucumbers. BT is great on many things, the only difficulties is to spray with it, since it does not dissolve in water. I even tried using blender few years ago.

Ella BT comes as a ready liquid if you buy Thurcide, or Biotrol,Monterey makes a liquid BT too and several other brands. I think Safer has one too. Mixes easily in water. I googled " buy liquid BT" many popped up.

[Barb_FL]

Cucumber plants - 131 cukes later - still looking good

Future Replacement plants - Sweet Success

Future Replacement Plants - in EB with Tulle

Cukes picked Saturday AM

Cukes picked Saturday PM to finish out the 3 weeks

[efisakov]

Very nice, Barb. It looks like you found the way to grow cukes in FL.

Thank you, Marsha. Good to know.

[ginger2778]

Those cukes are beautiful. My one sweet success seedling got transferred into the EB yesterday.
I have 4 muncher variety growing in another. All are still very small.

[Barb_FL]

Beit Alphas - Keep producing. I had one loss due to caterpillar hole from the plant in the Root Pouch. It was #150.

Goal - 200 cucumbers!

Peppers - Still producing - still having lots spoilage; at least 25%. Since it started, I've seen a beetle, a couple of stink bugs, a couple of the brown flat footed bugs. I have not sprayed. The spoiled fruit will go to the composting worms.

Sweet Success plant - 1 week later

Mango Update - Earlier in the week, I found one of my beloved Kent mangos on the ground chewed up. Out came the tulle !

Choc-Anon - This AM when I was unveiling the Cuke plants, I heard a thump; ran over the the Choc-Anon Mango Tree to catch the thief, and the mango fell down by itself. They do taste really good when ripe.

Pictures below and how they compare in size with Kent.

[efisakov]

Looking delicious, Barb. My son loves mangoes. He gets a box of them every week.