BlackCat08 said:Ate my first Early Girl tomato tonight. Lots more starting to change color......Groundhog spotted behind deer netting in the wood track behind our house. You can bet I'll be watching him. Got more traps set just in case. Picked up cantaloupe at the store tonight to bait the traps with.

Great on that first ripe tomato. Not so good on having a Groundhog!

For 2 days now, I have visible white mold on top of the soil on one end of my community garden box. My cucumbers are planted there. Monday, I removed the mold and many of the cucumber leaves so air could circulate and the sun could dry the soil. Late yesterday the mold was back. Baby cucumbers are effected if they are lying on the soil, otherwise, the plants still seem ok. The problem is there is one gardener who, every other day, uses his own sprinklers to water the entire garden. Marilyn can attest that the weather has been very humid and rainy for days. Master gardener recommends to insert another trellis (these are pickle bush variety) and tie up plants best as can so not touching soil, aereate soil by poking lots of holes so moisture can escape, then mulch with newspapers, before the plants become contaminated. Anyone have any experience with this?

Wow! Everyones garden is looking good! Your way ahead of me, got a late start. Picked 3 summer squash and some radishes so far.

Sorry, Jan....have never had mold on the soil, but it is terrible rainy this summer......sounds like the advice to trellis them was good....hang in there! Thanks, Rita, fore the okra tip....I will watch every day....must be picked between 3-4" or they get woody.....

" is terrible rainy this summer......sounds like the advice to trellis them was good"
Marilyn, I have been trying to train them up 2 trellises for a few weeks-remember I planted the bush variety in error? They prefer to trail on ground, contributing to the problem. The suggestion to add a 3rd trellis was given as they seem to be growing away from the established ones, and will not reach to tie onto them. I am literally chasing it with a 3rd trellis! I'm running out of steam...and $$$!!!

Janice another easy way to get those cucumbers off the ground is the use of sticks. It's not always pretty but it sure is cheap enough. I use sticks that I collect from my woods area. Find ones that branch out and place under the plants to support them. I do this with my bush beans to keep them off the ground. Keeping the plants slightly raised off the ground might help to get some air in and dry it out a bit.

Also a few sticks at either end of plant and twine tied between to hold the plants up works as well. Old bedding sheets cut into strips works great in place of twine.

Good advice.....trellises are expensive.....I let my peas climb up bamboo stakes....that might help as well.....

I have a t pee set up with bamboo sticks as well.

Wow, I have never heard of a mold in the soil problem like that. Don't have any helpful advice just hope you find a solution.

I would be very annoyed with the person using the sprinkler!

This variety does not want to climb, it wants to ramble on the ground. The sticks are a good idea, but none available at garden or my home. I spent>2 hours today in the hot humid garden getting the vines off the ground, removing the mold, (which actually had improved d/t my efforts yesterday) making holes for aeration, getting all the vines off the ground by tying them to the trellis already there, removed all old leaves and soft baby cukes. Placed 1 layer of newspaper on ground and a layer of dried grass clippings on the newspaper. To prevent any new mold from contaminating the plants. Also, we never got today's predicted downpours, humidity to leave tonight, so that should take care of it. Many of other boxes are overgrown, new gardeners don't understand about air circulation, but no one else has complained about mold. I check my box daily, so I caught it quickly. I will never plant picklebush cuke seeds again!

Meredith79 said:I would be very annoyed with the person using the sprinkler!

He's incouragable! He used to be garden vice president until the town completely took charge last year for political reasons. He displays his anger, which is substantial, by being uncooperative with garden rules. He is a nice guy when calm and sober, and works very hard in garden doing extra chores and helpful to inexperienced gardeners. It will work out. Town officials like him and are attempting to engage his cooperation. They consider him an asset as he is an accomplished gardener.

If he is a good gardener doesn't he know overhead watering causes problems and disease? If I watered my gardens with overhead methods I could kiss them all goodbye to mold and mildew and leaf spot.

Meredith79 said:If he is a good gardener doesn't he know overhead watering causes problems and disease? If I watered my gardens with overhead methods I could kiss them all goodbye to mold and mildew and leaf spot.

That's the angry behavior. He knows better , but if I catch him doing it again, there will be trouble! He's actually doing better- Last year he kept vandalizing his own boxes and then would tell everyone it was town officials doing it. They just ignored him or perhaps didn't known he was doing it. He was doing a lot more drinking last year. He walked out of the 1st garden meeting this spring, so I was surprised to see him at the garden on opening day.

phoebesviolets said:
He was doing a lot more drinking last year

Lol That explains a lot!

It certainly does! I picked another 4 ripe toms yesterday while restaking the plants.....the rain was so heavy, most of my stakes had fallen over....most of the plants have to be tied again....Heading to the farm this afternoon to pick blueberries & will drop off some tomatoes for my son....his are still green.

The squash I picked. Plus this is the first tomato harvest for this year.

I can practically taste those tomatoes!

Meredith79 said:I can practically taste those tomatoes!

I ate two of them already! Yummy.

Awesome! I have a few ripening in the kitchen......they fell off when I was tying up the plants...have picked 4 cukes, & the beans will be picked today!