DGBAMA first grow

[chillardbee]

I love having wasp around, especially the Mud daubers, they are sleak caterpillar killing machines. When they sting their prey, it does not kill but paralizes and the caterpillars can stay alive for weeks while the larvae of wasp feed on it, TAKE THAT, you bastard caterpillars.

 

[Boboro]

I like the dirt dobbers. If they can sting ppl. they dont. Ive scraped down thir nest with them flyin round my head.

 

[DGBAMA]

OK, so skipped a week on my pic updates so here we go.......no "I told you so's" about plant spacing please........the way they are acting; with a little help from the weather I think things are about to get REAL crowded.

The garden/flood patch:

as of 07/16. Will get a current pic up tomorrow.


My nicest plant, one of the Havannah, has reached above waist height; if only they all looked this good.


One Silver River now has a 37" wingspan.


The Lower leaf yellowing in this patch seems isolated to the area where a majority of my water drainage comes down the hill; I have concluded that all the rain has left me nitrogen defecient in this high drainage area, so hit them with a good shot of fertilizer today and will see if the yellow ones "green up" in the next few days.


Hill patch; WOW what a difference a couple weeks makes. And the better part is by the way the plants look, I am just beginning to see the real meaning of a "growth spurt".




in a view from the upstairs window, the plant spacing is not as horrible as it appears from ground level.



The "Flowerbed Patch": remember, these were planted a week after both the other patches. Most uniform and healthy group growing.




And the not to be forgotten stray Silver River, that were planted in the wife's flowerbed, my "first planted".

 

[Knucklehead]

Hey, hey, hey, I think you're on your way.

 

[Boboro]

On your way to a good harvest.

 

[chillardbee]

no "I told you so's" about plant spacing please........

I wish someone would of told me so. But then I guess I knew in my heart that my spacing was crazy.

 

[deluxestogie]

Plants are looking good. I would look hard at stalk-harvesting some of the crowded ones, when they are ready. That would clear its own path as you go.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

Well the THUNDERSTORMS are on me again this afternoon, and my plants with all there newfound growth apparently get top heavy when soaking wet, so they are toppling over everywhere.

Off to the garage to start cutting support stakes while the rain comes down to provide them some support when it quits.

Any input on how close a stake can be placed to the base of the plant without damaging the root system?

 

[johnlee1933]

Well the THUNDERSTORMS are on me again this afternoon, and my plants with all there newfound growth apparently get top heavy when soaking wet, so they are toppling over everywhere.

Off to the garage to start cutting support stakes while the rain comes down to provide them some support when it quits.

Any input on how close a stake can be placed to the base of the plant without damaging the root system?

There will be some root damage. There's a lot of root. You don't have to place the stake too close to the stalk. 6 to 8" away won't damage the ball much and you can still get good support.

 

[DGBAMA]

Thanks JL.
Just cut a bunch of 5' stakes, now for a break in the rain to hopefully stand everything back up without breaking any stems.



And I was thinking yesterday I needed to think about stringing them before they got too big.

 

[Knucklehead]

I just got the tiniest of showers. Not enough to wash in the fertilizer. Drip irrigation doesn't do any thing for washing in pelleted fertilizer. Of course, this dry isn't bad either. I've been able to suspend work on my third ark. the first two got washed away before completion.

 

[DGBAMA]

All excited today. I see the beginning of a flower bud on my first plant.

The Lonnie's Havannah that took off almost immediately after transplant and is probably a week or so ahead of the rest......





Someone who has grown this variety, here are the measurements; please let me know if this is typical.

Height 51" (I am guessing another foot before the flowerhead really emerges?)

Leaf Count: 22 from first decent lower leaf to the bud (including immature leaves)

Lower (near mature) leaf size: 24"L 12"W

Also guessing another week to be ready to bloom? Guess it is time to get bags made.

 

[Mrs BeeKeeper]

I wish someone would of told me so.

Um... *someone* did tell you so.

 

[Knucklehead]

That's great DG. Hell, I got excited when I saw my first sucker! At least it was progress. That's a gorgeous plant.

 

[Chicken]

thats some nice looking soil,,, but ive installed underground telephone cable in alabama. i know it took some work to get that '' dirt'' to turn into '' soil ''

 

[DGBAMA]

thats some nice looking soil,,, but ive installed underground telephone cable in alabama. i know it took some work to get that '' dirt'' to turn into '' soil ''

veggies planted in that patch for last 10 years. adding new organic every year. and cannot count how many wheelbarrels full of rocks removed.

 

[DGBAMA]

Lost one of my turkish plants yesterday.........cutworm about 2" long. Justice was self serving though. I saw the plant apparently with a broken main stem about 8" above ground level, bent over. A closer look revealed that the stem had been 3/4 eaten through until it toppled over.

The justice part..............guess mr worm did not realize there was another 12" of stalk above him.........when it toppled he had his head in the center of the stem.............I found him dead with his head crushed in the stem as the plant toppled and killed him.

 

[marksctm]

Good to hear the little bass turd got what he had coming to him.
Plant got the final punch.

That's a nice looking plant.
Nice size leaf too.
I'd like to grow that next year.

 

[AmaxB]

Yeah BABY! Your smokin DGB is lookin real good.

 

[workhorse_01]

Glad to see your patch that big. I think the plant with the bud that deep will grow taller than you expect. Wait until the flower pods separate before toping and get that extra height. I cant wait to read about how fat they get after topping.