Might explain why ants get in peas and beans so much. All the legumes "fix" nitrogen into the surrounding soil.

I've used "trap crops" for aphids before. You plant something they like a week or so earlier than your main crop so they'll be drawn away. Maybe could try planting some greens and pour on the Miracle-Gro to keep 'em away from the other stuff ?

Well from what I have read ants dont go after the plants. Probably some one from up north wrote the article. BUT, from what I have seen , a ant will dip their chops into the plants. After I killed most of the aphids I seen the ants running like crazy all over the leaves. I think they were in search of aphids to farm. They seemed to also be biting into the leaves, unless there was some microscopic bug they were attacking, they were getting there "sap" fix themselves. I was thinking of using those fly glue strips and wrap it around the stem at the base of each plant. No ants bugs should make it up to the foliage.
But for aphids mix a spray bottle with vegetable oil, soap ,and water,spray it directly on them and check back in a hour or so they will be dead. It works. But again for those mainly that use soaker hoses, spray the plants at least once a week or when you see bugs getting out of control. On the stems and under the leaves. This works good to get the numbers down on aphids.


I like to push the limit on nitrogen when getting lush green foliage so I will always be dealing with aphids. When I want the plants to start producing I concentrate more on the second of the N-P-K level. Its a balance.

The sevin took care of the issue for me. It was on the plants for about 24 hrs and last night I sprayed the plant off really well. Seems to be good now.

I think I am going to get some liquid seven also to keep in a spray bottle. I dont want through it all over the garden. Just to spot check things.

Hey Tin Head, finally started getting orange habaneros! Just needed more time to ripen, as suggested. #@!$% stink bugs are showing up in the peppers now. Thinking about trying some liquid Sevin. Problem is my sprayer is tied up with material for Cut Ants. I'm sure it would take care of the stinkers, but it would be WAAAY off label!

I had these posted on the THF during our down time, since we're back here ya go...

Today's harvest (after about 4 days of not picking)...

Another trick to keeping aphids away, as Siberman pointed out, is to grow companion plants that repel or "trap" aphids (2 different approaches). Here's a good link:

Link

I just put out that picture of Fatty in a dress and it seems to have done wonders at keeping the pests away...

Cantelopes are doing well.... used a water bottle for size reference....

Those are AWESOME!!!! I had one that ripened and the freaking bugs got to it the morning I went to pick it... My watermelons are doing okay still, so we'll see...

Thanks LSS....your pepper crop looks great.....

I'm really jealous about those cantaloupes, I only had two, and they never got very large, they were almost all seeds. I was going to replant for fall, but my wife wanted those pots by the fence for pole beans.

Here is mine, it was the last big harvest. Now I'm about to tear it up to get ready for the fall garden.

That's AWESOME! My tomatoes gave up in early July, except the cherry tomatoes...They are making a comeback now, well most of them...Depending on where you are located, you may want to try the Lemon Boy tomatoes next spring...Those things are GOOD and less acidic than the standard varieties...

Those are cherry 100's and celebrity. I bought a couple of heirlooms and neither made a thing. I'm in Lavaca county about 2 hours from the coast.

You could probably get away with planting them earlier than I can...As long as you protect them from a late frost...The heirlooms and larger tomato plants won't set fruit once you hit the 90's for more than 2 to 3 weeks...So they need to go in as early as possible...

I put them in the Monday before Easter. I was hoping for better results.

Now that I'm at the lake, I wait for a particular doe to make her appearance. She's an odd one and she eats with cows on a farm between my house and Morgan, TX. When she comes to graze in March, it means spring is here and there won't be a late frost. Whether or not spring is on the calendar, if the doe is there, the time has come...Also, spanking the plants everyday once the blooms showed yielded great results for me. Although it was a bit time consuming...

I was in there everyday at the beginning, they just didn't take off. I was going to plant like I do every year, the day after Easter but the forecast was in my favor so I planted a week earlier. I had great rain this year and had one of my best garden to date. The ash from my wood burning heaters did the trick.

Well, I know how you feel, I planted some Brandywine tomatoes a couple of years ago and didn't get squat...The plants were HUGE, just no tomatoes...Very frustrating...This year, I did get to try a Brandywine and they are good and big, but I won't plant more than 4 ever again...

If you dont mind me asking how big is your garden? Nice haul.

For those of you who run soaker hoses, do you run them in the furrows (between the rows) or on top of the row?

I'm confused how watering several inches below the base of the plant, and 6" to the left/right, will be able to get water to the plant's roots.

Well, you do know that roots grow out, not just down right? The root system should mirror the plant's leaf canopy...So however far the leaves spread the roots should spread as well...

I tried soakers, but they didn't put out enough water, so I now run a sprinkler that I purchased at TSC when it was on sale...

I run them on top of the rows and let gravity pull the water down. Most plants seem to have the main roots down deep but a lot of feeder roots at the surface or below the surface a inch or so. My squash has the roots pretty shallow and My maters have the roots a little deeper. If your plants are in a area that has flat soil the roots will spread out a little further. If they are in rows/hill/mounds the roots will obviously spread out but angled down instead of straight out. With a set up like LSS's it would be difficult to use soaker hoses. You would need a lot more water pressure to water 1000 square feet with a soaker hose. What I like about soaker hoses though is theres no wasted water. If your worried about getting enough water you can always run 2 lines down the row. Gravity usually pulls the water down and fills the bottom of the rows. Instead of running one long line , water pressure is 0 by the time it get to the end of the line. Try using a spliter and your regular hose and from there split into 2-3-4 individual hoses , might help.