DesertChris' High Desert Extreme Gardening Glog

Pulpiteer · Mar 3, 2013

I hope the concoction you have takes care of those things. Sucks to have to resort to that, but man you don't want to lose those plants. Good luck!

DesertChris · Mar 3, 2013

Exactly...
I have probably 50 plants, and a ton of seedlings so far...
and tons of stuff in the germ trays...
I hate resorting to pesticide, but at least it is really early in the grow, so not as bad as if it was later.

We'll see how well it works....if not i'll have to go to a local nursery with a pest sample, and get advice / another product.

DesertChris · Mar 4, 2013

Current count of growing stuff

Hot Peppers:
4 overwinters showing signs of life
58 plants of various sizes
93 seedlings and hooks
11 hooks in germ trays, to be transplanted in cups tomorrow

Sweet Peppers:
22 Orange Bell seedlings (from a particularly nice grocery store fruit)

Tomatoes:
About 375 seedlings

Tomatillos:
18 seedlings

Eggplant:
3 hooks in germ tray

Turnips:
200 or so seedlings in the ground in the garden

Still a ton of hot pepper seeds and varieties in the germ trays, a few more I haven't sown yet, and a few still to obtain seeds for.
10 varieties of sweet peppers to sow still.
And then there are the dozens of regular food crops I haven't even thought of starting yet! (but the seeds are in a box in the kitchen)

Tons and tons of gardening to do before the frost days end.

DesertChris · Mar 5, 2013

Sawyer said:
I'm sure you already have something that works for you, but I've had good luck on aphids with this Bayer Natria product. It's a mixture of sulfur and pyrethrins, so is relatively safe for non-insects. I've stopped aphid infestations cold with one application.

Well, I wasn't sure if what I had was working, even though I soaked everything big time.....It seemed like a long term slower acting stuff....
Especially when I found a fresh Datil seedling with one on the stem, and everything above the little bugger looked sucked dry

So I got some of that stuff you recommended today, and just gave everything an even better drenching in it

Hopefully between the 2 products, it'll be the 1, 2, punch, that knocks them into the afterlife....forever....

Sawyer · Mar 5, 2013

Fingers crossed.

DesertChris · Mar 5, 2013

I still can't seem to figure out what they are.
Not aphids......or anything else I can find online....

Sawyer · Mar 5, 2013

You don't think they're some sort of scale insect? With over 8,000 species, it might difficult to find online the exact species you have. You could show a picture to your local county extension agent. I'll bet they will know what it is.

DesertChris · Mar 5, 2013

They start out flatter, and oval shape, and super slow to move, but they do move....then emerge from that as a little tiny green winged bugger that jumps away if poked.....
very odd....

Oh well, hopefully they are all dead or dying now

If not, I will go for a third variety of liquid death....
I'll get em one way or another

Sawyer · Mar 5, 2013

DesertChris said:
a little tiny green winged bugger that jumps away if poked.....

That sounds like some sort of leafhopper, though I've never seen the young of those to know what they look like. Post a picture?

DesertChris · Mar 5, 2013

Just tried to get a photo, but epic fail....cell phone is tough for close ups.
I'll try again tomorrow in better light (outside)

KiNGDeNNiZ · Mar 5, 2013

Nice to see even in the high desert u can grow. Inspiring as I'm giving some plants to my buddy out in hesperia. His backyard looks the same as yours. All dirt. So I'm assuming he will be putting them in pots. But nice updates.

DesertChris · Mar 5, 2013

KiNGDeNNiZ said:
Nice to see even in the high desert u can grow. Inspiring as I'm giving some plants to my buddy out in hesperia. His backyard looks the same as yours. All dirt. So I'm assuming he will be putting them in pots. But nice updates.

Thanks!

Your buddy should do just fine, it is less windy over there (but just as hot)
And the crazy hot temperatures seems to make even mild stuff like jalapenos go to a whole new level of heat!!
This is the first year for superhots (other than starting a bunch of the superhots back in October), so i'll definately find out what super hot, dry, windy conditions does for them....lol

The crazy thing is the area I live in was a lake bed long long ago in a galaxy far away...
My geologist buddy says the "soil" is great for growing stuff, just super sandy and gets super compacted.

Last year we moved some "soil" from the area in the yard that had cows for 20 years and layed about 8-10" of it down in the garden plot.
Everything (well, most things) grew like crazy, and I didn't fertilize a single time....just provided water.

DesertChris · Mar 5, 2013

OK, as of right now, there are 61 hooks and seedlings in the germ tray that need to be put into cups

But it has to wait until tomorrow, since I transplanted 144 tomatoes out of the germ tray today, and need to do about 144 more tomatoes tomorrow....

Getting super busy on the potting table!!

Although I did manage to transplant a pair of Birgit's Locato seedlings today

I'll have to get the list out, and see how many of the varieties on my list have germinated, but I do know it is most of them

Devv · Mar 7, 2013

We have some similarities with soil and climate. I feel for ya with the wind, Mom lives in the high desert in Az. and it's crazy. We have wind here too but it's driven by fronts, two in the last week with gusts from 40-55.

I like what you're doing and wonder what method you use to water? It never rained on the garden until Sept. last year. We have a large garden and I mostly hand water to conserve, but it's time consuming. As for critters rabbits can be a challenge, they eat the corn as it comes up. Devour pepper and tomato plants as well. I've tried electric fences, shooting them, scents and they still come. This year I'm trying a 42" rabbit fence with concrete at the bottom.

Do you plant so much because of attrition? We do here, the birds tear up the tomatoes and fruits in the orchard.

Do you use a sun shade? I'm done here by mid June without one. I used corn to shade in the past and it helped.

I'm cloning Rosemary to make a natural wind break. It could help with pests as well. Ya just can't kill Rosemary.

Good luck and keep up the good work,

Scott

DocNrock · Mar 7, 2013

Glad to see your glog up and running. Looks like a great list you have. I'm very familiar with the Lancaster area as I run at Willow Springs a couple of times a year (open track days). I know someone out that way who is a keen gardener and seems to do well in the high desert conditions.

Regarding the pests you've identified, I too have seen those. I'm also not sure what they are. Perhaps the instar stage of some more recognizable adult pest. In any event, Imidocloprid is a systemic insecticide. It does best when put in the soil and allow the plant to take it up. It is slow to become effective but is long-lasting once inside the plant tissues. Unfortunately, it also distributes into the fruits. Perhaps a better choice is Acetamiprid. It is similar, but is effective as a foliar spray and breaks down within five to eight days. It is also effective on contact.

Good luck! Last year's garden looked awesome in the photos. Sounds like you are going bigger and better this year.

DesertChris · Mar 7, 2013

Devv said:
We have some similarities with soil and climate. I feel for ya with the wind, Mom lives in the high desert in Az. and it's crazy. We have wind here too but it's driven by fronts, two in the last week with gusts from 40-55.

I like what you're doing and wonder what method you use to water? It never rained on the garden until Sept. last year. We have a large garden and I mostly hand water to conserve, but it's time consuming. As for critters rabbits can be a challenge, they eat the corn as it comes up. Devour pepper and tomato plants as well. I've tried electric fences, shooting them, scents and they still come. This year I'm trying a 42" rabbit fence with concrete at the bottom.

Do you plant so much because of attrition? We do here, the birds tear up the tomatoes and fruits in the orchard.

Do you use a sun shade? I'm done here by mid June without one. I used corn to shade in the past and it helped.

I'm cloning Rosemary to make a natural wind break. It could help with pests as well. Ya just can't kill Rosemary.

Good luck and keep up the good work,

Scott

Thanks Scott!
In the Garden from last year I put in a set of water lines off one hand turned valve. Then it split into 5 lines....Each line had several bubblerheads, except the lettuce etc area that had sprayers.....
I use flood irrigation with channels and wells to each plant group.
So I just turn it on and watch.
I'll be doing the same thing to the 2 new garden areas we are putting in.

The Rabbits are a pain!!
We put chicken wire all around the chain link fence, and that stopped them for the most part.
My pack of Bird dogs patrol 2 sides of the garden as well

Yes, I start way more than I need due to attrition from elements, Birds, rabbits etc..... Once they get some growth on them they survive pretty nicely though.
Also, I plant things in groups, super close together. That helps protect from the wind, and they can shade each other.

It does get blazing hot, but if you get stuff through the heat of the summer, the fall harvest can be quite insane!! I made 15 gallons of spaghetti sauce from mostly roma and cherry tomatoes last fall.

Shade....There is a BIG tree on the western side of the garden, and it shades different parts of about half the garden during the day. That thing is a godsend!
Also we put up a 5' shadecloth along the western fence, and that blocks some of the wind, but also gives some shade as the sun gets lower in the sky.

We love rosemary, I need to plant more, my gal, and the daughter, boil it and use it for a skin cleanser every day!!

DocNrock said:
Glad to see your glog up and running. Looks like a great list you have. I'm very familiar with the Lancaster area as I run at Willow Springs a couple of times a year (open track days). I know someone out that way who is a keen gardener and seems to do well in the high desert conditions.

Regarding the pests you've identified, I too have seen those. I'm also not sure what they are. Perhaps the instar stage of some more recognizable adult pest. In any event, Imidocloprid is a systemic insecticide. It does best when put in the soil and allow the plant to take it up. It is slow to become effective but is long-lasting once inside the plant tissues. Unfortunately, it also distributes into the fruits. Perhaps a better choice is Acetamiprid. It is similar, but is effective as a foliar spray and breaks down within five to eight days. It is also effective on contact.

Good luck! Last year's garden looked awesome in the photos. Sounds like you are going bigger and better this year.

Thanks Doc!
Awesome about going to Willow Springs, We went to a Bike race there last year.
Next time you head up here let me know. Maybe you can stop by and check out the garden and have a cup of coffee etc...

Yep, that pesticide didn't work fast, and luckily I only sprayed foliar, so maybe not too much will linger in the plants forever... I used Pyrethrins next, and it knocked the crud out of those bugs....I think I need to do it again, because I am seeing a few survivors....
I am glad (and sad) that I am not the only one who has seen them, because I was starting to think they were some pest from outer space that only came here to hang out on my plants!!
I still want to know what the heck they are though.

I'll look for the stuff you recommended too.

Yep, it went great last year, so we are more than tripling our growing area

We share/collaborate with the family next door, and grew tons of food for 9 people, and gave a lot away to friends.
This year we focused on heirloom seeds varieties that grow well in hot weather, and the neighbors spent around $300 on them.....So we are going to get very busy sowing all that stuff very soon!!!

DesertChris · Mar 7, 2013

Transplanted this from the germ tray today.....looks like TWINS in a helmethead....
I carefully checked and there are 2 seperate roots

I just hope they take off their helmet!
It is a seed Stupidjerk sent me labeled "Aji Joe Surprise"

I transplanted probably 150 tomato seedlings, and maybe up to 150 hot pepper seedlings today!!
From the germ trays and into cups....took forever... but now they can grow grow grow

StupidJerk · Mar 8, 2013

That double helmet head is pretty strange. Aji Joe told me that is the Maui Purple. It's definitely a purple variety of some sort. I have one that should start podding up soon, that should help clear things up.

DesertChris · Mar 8, 2013

StupidJerk said:
That double helmet head is pretty strange. Aji Joe told me that is the Maui Purple. It's definitely a purple variety of some sort. I have one that should start podding up soon, that should help clear things up.

I don't know if the Twin Helmethead will survive or not....they are pretty skinny with no sign of the cots coming out....but who knows, maybe they'll "surprise" us

If they do survive, I may need to gently add some soil to their cup and bury them deeper to help strengthen them up.

Devv · Mar 8, 2013

I had 2 for 3 sucess this year performing helmet head surgery. I waited until they greened up and stood up straight. By then the helmet was pretty dry and some cots were showing, I used tweezers and grabbed them at the edges and very gently squeezed, like picking up a quarter by the edges. They kind of popped and then I was able to remove them. The HP22B survived, the Habanero looked OK, no damage but gave it up a week later. The third was strange, the cots grew through the helmet but it had a stangle hold on the stem just below the cots. I was able to use nail clippers and slowly remove it. That one was another HP22B.

Good luck with your Babies! I hate to see a single one not make it!

Scott