I Got Two Mounds Of Zucchini

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Bob Bauer
April 27, 2018 (Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 1 minutes

April 27, 2018

I got two mounds of zucchini and two mounds of cucumbers planted today from my jumbo four packs. They were only three weeks old but we're starting to get root bound and needed a dose of half strength fish emulsion. I put some of my portable cold frames on them so if frost occures they won't be harmed. Ten corn are up so I'll be listening for the wind turbines in the morning. It's nice to have a neighbor for a warning system..

The corn is small enough that I could cover them with styrofoam cups, but the box fan that I used last year blew a lot of air, and covered the peppers, eggplant and beans too. I'm reluctant to use the oscillating sprinkler because l want the ground to dry out to prevent sow bug damage. I've even held off on mulching the mounds, and am reluctantly watching the cracks develop as the ground dries. The rule of thumb to always keep the ground covered is getting modified by a common sense method of pest control..

April 28, 2018

I'm trying something new with my cold frames this year. I've coved the dirt up around the inside and outside to prevent sow bugs and slugs from getting at the transplants. If they are attracted by the odor of the plants, that scent will be wafting away from a foot off the ground on the warm air coming from inside the cold frames. They may not even know the transplants are inside since there will be no odor at ground level..

If sow bugs randomly search for food, and are able to climb up the plastic walls, I'll spray WD-40 around the top. I know slugs can climb the plastic walls but I don't think they will be able to smell the transplants. I put Deadline inside just in case..

April 29, 2018

The cucumbers you gave me are extremely UV sensitive. You saw where I put them in the shade, with a huge cedar tree to the west of them. This morning some of the leaves were partially gray..

I suggest you put yours in shade for a few days to absorb the reflected UV before you even introduce them to morning sun. Then only two hours of sunlight for the first two days, gradually increasing it for a week..

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