Lettuce going to seed

Most of the romaine and bib lettuce everyone planted is either going to seed or is ready to be harvested. Don't despair, you can plant more seeds and in a few weeks you will have more lettuce varieties! The lettuce will grow alright into June. While it can grow over the summer, it is not very happy with the heat, and may not grow very well unless it is under the canopy of some other plant's leaf shade. Beans and eggplant seem to produce better in the summer.  

With the recent rain, the tomato stems are sagging under the weight of the expanding fruit. If you have not tied up your stems, you might want to do so. Or carefully weave the stems through the bamboo.

Cross Pollination between Squash and Cucumber

Several gardens have some funky, round little cucumbers and we discussed the issue of cross pollination between the squash and cucumbers.  According to a few experts, while both are in same specie, cross pollination is unlikely.  Cross pollination can occur quite easily between squash varieties.  You might find this article from Purdue University intersting: http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/allen/Documents/Hort%20ACH31%20Cross%20Pollination%20in%20Cucurbits.pdf
and this link on ehow.com helpful:
http://www.ehow.com/info_8427323_can-cross-pollinate-squash-cucumber.html

Squash, Squash

Several gardens now have GIGANTIC yellow squash and they need to get picked.  If you cannot get to your garden, maybe ask a friend to pick for you.  The squash are rapid growers. 
I also noticed my cabbage is barely beginning to head...YAY!  I am hoping it stays cooler so we all get cabbage and broccoli.

Garden Maintenance Today

The aisles were weed-wacked today along with ant killer applied to the them.  If your plants are growing out in the aisles, instead of climbing the bamboo, they might get weed wacked.  You can carefully wrap the cucumber tendrills around the bamboo to get them started going up instead of spreading.  The cucumbers are much easier to harvest if grown vertically and it keeps the little green worms out of them.  The worms also get into the squash.  If you notice a pin-sized hole in the squash, the worms are in and feasting.

Squash Overnight!

Just from the time I posted last night until about 10 am today, those mentioned squash are now atleast 6 inches, maybe more...ready to go!  Gardens #2 & 12 for sure.  Romain too...on many.

Weed Block on sale at Ace Hardware

Ace Hardware has a $5.00 rebate on the 3' x 50' 18mil black weed block this week - final price is $4.99.  If you use your ACE card, you can get the rebate online, it is very easy.  If you don't have an ACE card, the store in S. Daytona on US1 is VERY helpful in giving extra receipts, AND the rebate form. There is a limit of 2 per person.  I got 2, so this coming fall if I do not plant, I will cover my garden to keep the weeds OUT!

Tomato Yellow Spot is BACK...yuck!

As of today, I noticed the yellow spots on some of the tomato leaves.   Last year we had a terrible problem with this fungus/blight (read the archives).  The best thing to do is pick the infected leaves off.  You can try taking a sample to one of the garden stores and see if they can diagnose better, or offer some "chemical" help.  The stuff spreads wickedly and fast.  It appears as a brownish spot, usually on the bottom leaves first, then starts yellowing.  Soon all the leaves start turning brown and wilting.

I am sorry to say, the wind seems to blow it, so there is not much escape.  Just try to pick off the infected leaves, and the sooner the better.  It only takes a couple of days to spread like wildfire.

Crops will be ready SOON!

This photo was taken on Monday evening, April 2.  This squash is about ready to be harvested.  I think most everyone has some tomatoes and some might start harvesting in two weeks.  The outer leaves of the romaine/lettuce are ready NOW.  The romaine/lettuce goes to seed very fast, especially with our unusually hot temps for April.  You will notice a tall stalk growing from the center of your romaine, which will flower.  Once it 'goes to seed' (flowers), the leaves become bitter and rather inedible.  Also, I noticed some of the variegated zucchini are getting close to harvest on couple of the east side gardens.  It only takes a day or so, particularly when it rains a bit, for crops to just grow like crazy.  So, picking is necessary much sooner than most anticipate...or the crop rots.

Generally, if you let your squash get too large, more than 6 - 8 inches, the seeds get large and tough, the fleshy part becomes stringy and dried out.  While you can use them (some got to be a foot+ long last year), you also risk worm infestation. 

As for the cabbage and broccoli.  The early heat is not their friend.  If the heat continues, I am not so hopeful for these crops, or a very productive harvest.  Previously, the gardens have been great for both crops, but, it was not this hot so early.

Another reminder, due to the heat.  If you bring additional plants and do not put them in the ground when you bring them, you are risking loosing them.  One 8 hour period in the sun with the dry wind, the soil parches in the small pots. Your tender plants will wilt and die rapidly.  In the very least, put the pots under the shade of your squash plant leaves.

I think everyone will agree that the gardens are looking quite nice!  Many people are keeping up with the weeds, and, again, don't forget to weed in the aisle around your plot.  It is a community garden, so let's try to keep it looking nice all year!

Weed Guides



Castor beans, just sprouted - pull now before second leaves grow.  Although they look like a watermelon or cucumber sprout, they are a REAL problem if you let them grow. 

Castor Bean seedlings with second leaves.  If left to grow, they will become a tree and need to be removed with a truck and chain.  Their root system spreads rapidly, and if you wait too long to pull them up, when you do, you will disturb your vegetable plant roots.



This is 'baby" ragweed.  It looks like parsley or young carrot.  There are alot of these, and they need to be removed from your garden.

THE WORST!  After another rain, the roots on these weed grasses will be so hard to pull you will be sorry you did not get rid of them when you could pull them with your finger tips or just use the edge of a hoe or weed tool to scrape the surface of the dirt to pull them out.  This bunch is in the path.  Don't forget to weed in the path around your garden BEFORE the weeds take over.  If they grow in the path, trust me, they will spread to your garden and your neighbors' garden.  If you use the hoe around your path, it takes about 5 minutes when these weeds are teeny. 

Harvesting Lettuce/Romaine