Yesterday I put the strings on my trellises. The fava beans get a grid pattern to hold them upright in the wind. As they grow I'll put more layers onto the grid. Eventually I'll have three. The peas have one that is two dimensional. Just lines of string between the T-posts. I'll have to force them on it though. They would really rather climb up the carrot row cover than up the trellis.
While I was weeding the carrots I noticed a couple of spots that had plants like this. It is a classic sign of the cutworm. Cutworms hide just under the soil near where they pull in their stolen leaves. So I rooted around in the soil until I found them and then squished them. They really took down a lot of the carrots, but I wasn't paying enough attention. I should be more careful.
I'm also noticing some root maggot damage in the cabbage patch. I cover to keep those flies out, but obviously I wasn't 100% successful. The two plants that are wilting might live but I doubt it. Sadly such things are all too normal and I'm sure they won't be the last plants to bite the dust this year.
Today I was out weeding just to be outside and decided the lettuce was big enough to plant. This is my third secession so far this year. I hope I keep it up, but the odds are I'll forget about it at some point and then the lettuce will be over. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the next succession started.
My carrot seedlings tend to be munched by sowbugs, I rarely find a cutworm. That's a nice way to keep your favas under control, much more attractive than my rusty old tomato cages. But I need something sturdy enough to drape bird netting over when the favas are seedlings, otherwise there would be nothing to support...
ReplyDeleteoh yikes- I haven't seen any of those yet- but I'll keep my eyes open. I just have a leaf miner problem. So everyday I scrape off leafminer eggs. It's a glamorous life.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful I don't have problems with root maggots or cutworms. At least not yet. Sowbugs are a big problem in the greenhouse, taking down new plants. But unlike a cutworm they usually eat most of the seedling. Sluggo plus controls them well though. Nice looking lettuce plants! I'm trying to guess if some of them are romaines, since they look sort of upright.
ReplyDeleteIndeed two of them are romaines. Little Gem and Paris Island.
DeleteI'm just happy that the cutworms and slugs haven't followed me to Scituate. I built a pea trellis today...one that was inspired by the those I saw in colonial williamsburg. I don't usually do a trellis for my fava beans but I just might based on your post!
ReplyDeleteI let the chickens in the garden before planting in the hopes that they would eliminate some of the cutworms. Not sure yet if it made a difference.
ReplyDeleteThree successions of lettuce - impressive. At this stage, I can't think much past the planting that's already in the ground, especially with all the other seedlings scheduled to be transplanted within the next week or so. And I'm (finally!) hoping to get a harvest this week from that lettuce patch - I feel so behind compared to everyone else that seems to be harvesting left, right & center already.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet had to deal with cutworms...I'm still hoping I never will! Although, last year we had our first squash bugs and leaf hoppers so we'll see how this year goes.
ReplyDeleteI'm growing Favas for the first time this year (just planted), and my Pinetree seed packet didn't say anything about support. I have them planted 9 per square foot. Would you suggest I do a trellis like yours? I have bamboo and twine, so I'm sure I could make it work...
ReplyDeleteThey don't "need" support. But if you get any wind, when the pods start to form they will be heavy enough to lodge them. Sometimes the rain and wind is enough even without the pods.
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