Harvests, Pests and Heat in the Garden

[@mybelovedchaos]

So often I go out to the garden in my pjs expecting just to grab a couple things but I end up out there for an hour or more. You'd think I'd learn my lesson to not go out in my jammies but I still do it!

[@growingmyown]

I am always in my PJs too ,that's why I don't show myself in my videos😂😂

[@BBettaGarden]

I'm a huge fan of learning lessons over and over and over again 🤣🤣

[@susanok2264]

I'm so feeling why you don't want to go out in the garden late in the day. Here in my California garden, when sun goes down raccoons, skunks, and coyotes visit my enclosed yard....in a fairly suburban neighborhood. The raccoons are the most aggressive. We only remain outside if there are lots of people around. Love your garden and videos.

[@BBettaGarden]

Years ago, I had dreams of sitting on my back porch with a glass of wine as the sun goes down but now..not so much🥹

[@salysok2378]

big fan , im a gardener up in Calgary alberta Canada, and i have been listening to your pod cast every week for the last 3 years , great inspiration thank you

[@BBettaGarden]

Wow, thank you so much for supporting the podcast and it's great to see you around these YT streets 😊😊.

[@elvianwana1194]

I too am afraid of raccoons. When my husband arrives home from work after dark, he "guards" me as I shine my black light.😂 Your joy is infectious! Wishing you continued success with your garden and with your channels. : )

[@BBettaGarden]

Gardening in pairs as a safety measure against raccoons, now that's an idea! 😊 thanks so much for your kind words. Wishing you a healthy and bountiful garden!💚

[@meekstylz9962]

I got my beat 'em back stick has me rolling. I need one for the groundhogs.

[@BBettaGarden]

Groundhogs, yeah you definitely need a beat em back stick 🤣.

[@elwandaa1882]

Hey Ms. B! I always enjoy the walk through your garden. Your vlogs are awesome.😊 During the summer, I usually go out in the evening to check on my plants or do some harvesting. It's just too hot. Installing drip irrigation has helped me tremendously as well as the garden. I probably spend 30 mins or less in my garden 😊 As always, thanks for sharing another awesome video!😊

[@BBettaGarden]

Heya Ms. Elwandaa! Thanks so much for your support. How are the bugs in the evening. I am feeling like I need a hazmat suit at night, lol.

[@MaryD121]

It's up to 111 here in AZ, so gardening tasks have to be done before the sun comes up. I will check in on them periodically during the day to see what is surviving the heat.

[@BBettaGarden]

growing food in 100+ temps will forever and always be impressive to me💚. I've been out in the garden a little later than normal this month and while it's been interesting (seeing and experiencing things I wouldn't normally), I'm still a huge fan of getting up and getting to it early. 😊

[@georgiapeachnut2490]

Ms. B you're doing such a great job tending to your garden inspite of the heat.🤗

[@BBettaGarden]

Thanks so much💚 we had cooler temps this week but it's going to warm up this weekend/next week. I'm getting myself ready, lbs.😊

[@laurasmith2223]

Miss B I just love you and your garden. 🥰

[@BBettaGarden]

Heya Laura! 💚

[@growingmyown]

I have those little flies on my corn plants too.. beautiful garden.

[@BBettaGarden]

So both sets of corn has started to put on ears. Fingers and toes crossed for both our corn harvest 😊💛.

[@alfredwashington5703]

Hi neighbor, your garden is literally my inspo…building the beds out and preparing the yard for spring 2025 planting, hopefully I can share a pic when I’m done.

[@BBettaGarden]

Heya neighbor! Virtual 🙌🏽 for getting ready for next year. You're going to be ready to hit the ground running come spring.💚

[@StephsHealthMatters]

Those hornworms are monsters 😢

[@ninastone9054]

❤❤oh look at all the compost material!! Harvest looks good. I jut picked some okra today. We don't even eat okra that much but it's almost gumbo season.. we plant it for the flowers. Hummingbirds seem to enjoy

[@ninastone9054]

Lol so I wrote my comment right before you mentioned that you don't compost.. do what works for you❤

[@BBettaGarden]

Heya Nina! One part of me says..one day I'll give it a try and the other part of me says, I'm looking out my window every morning for raccoons 🤦🏾‍♀️😊.

[@annejones1978]

Awesome garden !

[@BBettaGarden]

Thank you!💚

[@worldhealthrn]

I propose that we call them koala worms or koala green bc they hug the stem like a koala hugs a tree...and that makes them sound much less heeby jeeby inducing😊

[@BBettaGarden]

koala worms, I love it!😊

[@queensgarden55]

I use a rain gauge too. I have continue plan and replan because need cover beds due animals. So tomatoes and peppers grow tall. So heavy pruning looking more placement determinate and indeterminate tom. Take care. Happy gardening.

[@BBettaGarden]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Happy gardening 💚!

[@worldhealthrn]

Corn harvest...my first yrar ove had success waiting until the silks turn brown and dry and i can feel the cobb totally covered in kernels through the husk

[@worldhealthrn]

Corn harvest...my first year Ive had success waiting until the silks turn brown and dry and i can feel the cobb totally covered in kernels through the husk

[@BBettaGarden]

I think those are the two best tips I've seen and read as I've been learning about growing corn. Thanks!

[@queensgarden55]

Really like your method. Always interesting. Have try find yor podcast.

[@BBettaGarden]

Thanks so much! And I hope you enjoy the podcast.💚 *** Check us out every week on the BACKYARD GARDENS PODCAST anywhere you listen to podcasts including: Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0mhebHqc22jfPsO21BymjO?si=Q4y-vJVWQx-5KRNUVUVEtw Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/backyard-gardens-gardening-for-everyone/id1478272793 ***

[@valeriescott2754]

Hey, I have to water my plans all most ever day .I live in an apartment in Hammond, Indiana 😢🥒🍅🫑🤗

[@BBettaGarden]

Heya garden neighbor! We've been getting just a little rain here in Chicago, but not nearly enough. 🥹

[@IAMGiftbearer]

Your garden is beautiful! I think the 70s and 80s are the optimum temperature for most vegetable plants. Here in Georgia our conditions have not been that great for several years. It's too hot and humid for the tomatoes to set fruit. I an never row basil outdoors even in the fall, so now only row that indoors under a row light. Even then it's a bit tricky to et it to decent size. I finally have a good amount to harvest leaves from in a cut and come again fashion. My cucumbers did pretty well nd Fresno and Jalapeno peppers are just starting to have some harvestable fruit, but the bugs are a constant struggle. Surprisingly we have not seen any hornworms this year but ladybeetles and stinkbugs are the biggest problem. Like you said, it's always more work than I think it will be. I usually try to work in the garden just before dark and on days it's not raining, but sometimes I have to come out when it's still hot in order to get things planted in time and to check for bugs.

[@BBettaGarden]

Lady beetles and stink bugs, yikes! I must say, you've given me something to think about..Ive felt like the 70/80 temps are the reason I can grow collards all year long, but I think you're spot on about the temps in general. It's a bit of a sweet spot. Thanks for helping me look at it a bit differently!💚 hoping you can stay cool while in your garden!💚

[@ninastone9054]

I work in the garden when i can. It's just too hot and the sun burns my skin.. i do it early or late evening with sleeves and hat

[@BBettaGarden]

I definitely believe the more we cover our skin, the better. The sun gets soooo hot.

[@FaithandFabric]

I love the podcast you do with Ben! You mentioned you made a garden layout for the full year in a single spot within the Planter app. Would you share an image? Would love to see how you did it!

[@BBettaGarden]

That's a great idea! I'm thinking I can post it either on my community page her and/or the Backyard Gardens Community Gardens FB page. I'll come back to tag you once it's posted. Thanks for the suggestion and for listening to the pod!💚

[@emkn1479]

I’m always so surprised and confused when I hear that a gardener in a cooler area has a later first frost date than me! No fair 😅

[@BBettaGarden]

Me too!!! 😊😊

[@freenspirit0525]

You can use leaves to make fertilizer

[@BBettaGarden]

Great tip! Thanks!

[@alice_rabbit8345]

I have a feral cat colony that lives in my yard, they take care of any mice! I also get skunks and opossums but they eat lots of pests so I’m ok with them!

[@BBettaGarden]

Good point. And I never thought about the pests the opossums that visit eat. I guess I say the same about the raccoons but.. I think I'll leave them as an enemy of the garden, lol:

[@queensgarden55]

I compost in trash u can look up. Place holds on bottom and side worked well. Even better with heat.

[@BBettaGarden]

Hmmm, sounds like you're on to something. Sometimes the squirrel eat away at the kids of our regular garbage cans..I wonder if they would bother it..hmmm. Something to consider though. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@queensgarden55]

@BBettaGarden Never had problems with squirrels bothering compost in cans. If only I could keep them away from some other things.

[@CustomCroshae]

Love that shirt need in hoodie form. Can u show what u do with them right after harvesting like storage

[@BBettaGarden]

Hands down my favorite shirt (sometimes it makes its way on, on non gardening days 😊). And I will be trying to incorporate more of what happens once it comes out of the garden into my videos. Thanks for sharing the interest😊💚.

[@queensgarden55]

Have to have schedule cause always planning 😄 Wish I wa early riser but after 40 years Nursing I just say no. Pool two days weeks , so in garden Mon Wed Fri most days. If need do something mild pm after pool. Part garden in west hot certain time and east side cooler most times. Last one take care.

[@BBettaGarden]

You've definitely earned the right to sleep in😊

[@Peaches2Plums]

❤❤

[@BBettaGarden]

👋🏽👋🏽

[@PeppaRookie]

Awesome time gardening with you as always. Yes the lemon basil ALWAYS bolts but it attracts the good pollinators and smells amazing. Which beans are you growing in the greenstalk? My greenstalk is still empty because I haven't figured out which bean I can grow in it .

[@BBettaGarden]

Glad to hear it's not just my lemon basil.😊 I've been meaning to get back to you month varieties but I always forget hen I'm in the backyard. Drum roll 😊😊 Jade, Tenderette and Contender! TTYL!

[@jaybay9944]

Happy you managed to find them hornworms 😃 what's your way in getting rid of them?

[@BBettaGarden]

Heya! I quite literally leave them on the curb with the thought that maybe a bird will fly by and enjoy. 😊

[@sthomas480]

Im in sc, i have to get outside by 7 if i have garden work bc by 10am im sweating like crazy omg

[@BBettaGarden]

Same!!!!!!!!!!! 😊😊

[@hobbygardeninthewoods]

Hi Do you have any tips for powdery mildew on zucchini plants? Your garden is GOALS!

[@BBettaGarden]

Thanks so much! I kinda surrender once my zucchini plants get powdery mildew. I can share that if you catch it early, I have prolonged the plant's life by pruning heavy and making sure the plants has really good airflow. It's not a cure but may buy you some time. P.S. I did just pull a plant that had powdery mildew but the plant hadn't produced anyway so it was time to go.😊😊

[@RedScareClair]

I've never seen any mice by my compost but i have seen an opposum 😅

[@BBettaGarden]

It's been maybe a year since I've seen an opossum strolling along the garden 🥹. They are big and creepy and I know they will fight if they need to but somehow they are further down my fear list 😌.

[@ninastone9054]

I have a decoy tomato plant that i dont csre about and it is hardly producing but whenever i found a hornworm on my producing plants, i remove and place them on my decoy plant. I have about 5 on the decoy plant now. What concerns me is none of them have the white eggs yet. The parasitic wasps that plant that eggs in the worm arent around my area anymore. Im guessing. I hate that. But i leave the worms to grow into moths that can be ate by bats or small owls

[@BBettaGarden]

Hmmmmmm, now that you mention it, it seems every year there is a plant that doesn’t do so well. And now that you mention trap plants, I’ve found hornworms eating some of my pepper plants..I always have plenty of those and can spare one!😊😊