August 18, 2019
I tried a product called Sluggo the other day and got excellent results. It's an organic slug control method that relies on iron phosphate to stop them from eating your plants. It's safe for children and pets and is certified organic, so it won't hurt the soil organisms either. I had a row of beans that were getting eaten and I applied the pellets along side of them. The next morning half the pellets were gone and there was no more damage..
I found no dead slugs but read that iron phosphate doesn't kill them, it just makes them stop eating until they die. The row is covered in bird netting so the only other organism that could eat them would be sow bugs. It doesn't kill them either but they may get full and leave the plants alone..
August 19, 2019
I got to thin my broccoli and cauliflower starts yesterday. They are growing like crazy in this heat. I got excellent germination again, and they plowed up with a vengeance. I've started watering the seeds in with half strength fish emulsion when I plant them, and the results are noticeable..
I knew that seeds don't require fertilizing because they have enough stored energy to get them through their first set of leaves, but by making the soil around their roots rich in nutrients, they surge ahead in their growing instead of hesitating upon emergence. They will get thinned again to four inches apart before transplanting because I have the best success rate by digging 2' soil cones. I can get almost zero root cutting if I catch the plants at about four inches tall, and soak the soil around them thoroughly beforehand..
August 20, 2019
Your veggie starts need water every day this time of year. The soil can't hold enough water in the top two inches to sustain a tiny plant through the heat of an August summer day. Water can't wick up fast enough from below to keep up with the sun's demand on their leaves. I knew this, but found some of mine fallen over in the afternoon sunshine. I usually water in the morning, and had forgotten to yesterday, so by three o'clock they were exhausted..
I had to quickly scramble up some shade and get them rehydrated. It was fun to see them starting to stand back up again in fifteen minutes, because I knew I had caught them in time. The flush of meadow grass that came up after our last thunderstorm has all but burnt off now, except for in the shady areas. It's dull green under the trees, and if we don't get rain soon, will have germinated for naught..
