bend wyatt one crop

bend wyatt one crop

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Coffee grounds, squash bugs and zen.....Just Ask, Wyatt!

Wow! Lots of gardening questions this week! Turning on the Terrier Think Tank!


Frankie Furter asks about coffee grounds in the garden...
Dear Wyatt,
Now, I have a question... What are your feelings about spreading used Coffee Grounds in gardens and put around Acid Loving thingys like Azaleas and BLUEBERRIES? I don't know if you have White Castle hamburger places near you... butt all the ones here in OHIO will actually SAVE all their coffee grounds fur their customers. My MOM puts ALL of ours in a Bucket and then scatters them over the garden when the bucket gets full.  Frankie Furter


Frankie,
We use coffee grounds in the garden too! The Rhododendrons like Sumatra, the Blueberries like Columbian and the Azaleas like French Roast! Just pulling your tail..hee hee!
But, you are right! Acid loving plants, like coffee grounds and it's a wonderful way to recycle them. You can also mix the grounds into your compost pile! 
(I like lattes, myself!)




Pip asks about creating a small zen garden....
Dear Wyatt-
We have a gardening question for you - do you have suggestions for creating a small zen garden in our yard. What kinds of plants? We have seen some beautiful pictures of these gardens with sand, etc. but wondering if those work with lots of rain? No hurry on this! Your pal, Pip
Japanese Garden, Portland Oregon
Pip, 
You want to create a border and probably use really small crushed rock (not round rock or sand), or else the neighbor cats will think that it is a giant litter box! It is also easy to rake a pretty pattern into small crushed rock (we use speckled granite). You need a special wooden Zen rake. We found one online.

 We like to border the zen gardens with moss, ornamental grasses or containerized bamboo and small evergreens. Keep it simple, it's all about the Buddha stones! Have Fun!!




Ruthie has bugs eating up her cukes, melons and squash!
Dear Wyatt,


Hey we have a gardening question for you! We identified two (there are probably more we haven't seen) different bugs in our garden and they have just about killed the cucumber crop and are now sinking they're teeth into the watermelon and squash. 1. Squash bugs 2. stripped and spotted cucumber beetles. We have been spraying our plants with an oraginc soap spray (store bought) but it doesn't seem to work. They are attacking my grape plant too! So today out of desperation mommy mixed several jars of cayenne pepper, garlic powder and oil. The sprayer got plugged up and so mommy had to pat the stuff on leaf by leaf...which can get a little frustrating. Especially considering it will just wash off the next time she waters them. Do you have any advice? We definantly want to stay organic. Mommy is feeling a little discouraged... Licks, Ruthie


Ruthie,
Yucky Bugs! I found this information in the Organic Gardening Magazine..hope it helps! Also try floating row covers over your squash and cukes next time you plant. Good Luck, Ruthie! Dogs like squash...so tell those bugs to take a hike!!  Wyatt
Staple down the row cover fabric over newly planted crops.



Squash bugs feed on all members of the cucurbit family, which includes cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and summer and winter squash.
The adults overwinter in garden debris and begin laying eggs in early summer.
In the OG Test Garden, we reduce squash-bug numbers, and their damage, by killing their eggs before they have a chance to hatch.
Find the eggs
Squash bugs lay eggs on the undersides of leaves in evenly spaced groups.
Get in the habit of scouting your squash plants for the shiny, yellowish brown to reddish eggs.
Also, keep your eyes peeled for the small, light gray or green, wingless squash-bug nymphs, which suck on the plant's sap, causing the leaves to wilt, blacken, and die.

Squish the eggs
Kill the squasheggs by gently rubbing them back and forth with your fingers, making sure you don't damage the leaf.
Squash-bug nymphs are also often present near squash-bug eggs.
If you see any squash-bug nymphs, be sure to squish them, too.

Thanks for all your questions!
See you next Friday, with more answers to your gardening questions.
(Stanzie wants to answer any questions about vermin control or digging!)

Wyatt 

25 comments:

  1. Wyatt, what are your tips for desert friendly colorful plants? We dont want cacti with the pups but have to plant soon before the big backyard reno is done!

    Stop on by for a visit
    Kari
    http://dogisgodinreverse.com

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  2. Woof! Woof! I missed my ZEN garden in my old house. Now the beach is my ZEN. You will love our new place, its a flower farm. I do have lots of questions as I am not allowed to roam around the grounds. Golden Thanks for your tips. Lots of Golden ALOHA n Woofs, Sugar

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  3. Great advice. We don't think scotties and a zen garden go together.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & roxy

    And definitely a roxy doesn't go with the garden.

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  4. Mum says that coffee grounds are an excellent snail deterrent too. Apparently they don't like to "walk" or glide over them - so you need to encircle your tasty garden beds with them.

    Great advice - I can't imagine a zen garden with a schnauzer either!

    Tail Wuggles, Rubie

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  5. Great advice Wyatt.
    I have a question. I am embarrassed about the state of our garden in Aberdeen, Scotland. But when I suggest to Gail that she gets to work on it, she says, "but Bertie, that would mean less time taking you out for walks". It is quite a dilemma isn't it? Can you please suggest some plants that would thrive in our relatively Northerly location, and which would not impinge too greatly on dog-walking time?
    Your help would be much appreciated.
    Toodle pip!
    Bertie.

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  6. What an informative post, Wyatt! My mom will be saving her coffee grounds from now on!

    Love ya lots,
    Mitch

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  7. Wyatt - you have so much sensible advice and my peeps loved the look of that Zen garden - but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't last an hour (or less) with my sister Caoimhe not to mention the cats :-) woofs and licks from Magic xx

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  8. I has heard bouts usin' coffee grounds around plants. We needs to do dis cuz da hoomans drink sooooo much coffees.
    A zen garden would be so cool but we has way too many feral kittehs in da 'hood...hehehehe.
    Squash bugs, nevers seen them. We has hads an explosian of Kudzu bugs cuz Clemson bred them and released them out into da world to control our Kudzu and nows these bugs is everywheres and they can't be killed.

    Puddles

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  9. Hi Wyatt... It's ME...(Frankie Furter) here usin SARGE's thingy to comment.... THANK YOU fur the grrreat info.

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  10. Very informative post. I love the zen garden pictures.

    Cindy

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  11. Awesome information my friend! I'd love to have a Zen Garden but "zen" Fred would wreck it! hee!hee!

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  12. Thanks Wyatt this is most helpful. One follow up question. We have a flower bed (about 9 feet by 5 feet) right up against the house in the backyard. It's crazy overgrown so we need to clear it out. Do you think it would be smart to use this for a zen garden or should we create one away from the house? My concern is that there might be lots of rain run off from the roof? Maybe we should plant a rain garden in this space near the house? What do you think? Feel free to answer on a future Friday.

    Thanks for the great pictures and advice on crushed rock! Wouldn't want Rosie to get any ideas!

    Your pal, Pip

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  13. Good tip on not useing sand. You really are The Mater Gardener. Yes I am useing Bert's puter.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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  14. Delightfully informative post!
    We especially like the Zen garden info, thx!
    We're looking forward to leaving our terrible SE drought conditions and traveling to the wet Pac NW...we've never been this time of year!
    Leaving next Tue.!
    xoxo

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  15. What a great post! We really learned a lot!
    Here's a question for you! Our dad dug up a Texas quince that was WAY too invasive. It took him a REALLY long time to do it and lots and lots of muscle. Other than getting me and Dave to help him DIG, which we would have been more than happy to do!, is there a better way to remove TX quince? They're out of control!
    Thanks!
    Play bows,
    Zim

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  16. Hi Wyatt!! Thanks so much for this great info! We have seen some of those pesky eggs but were not sure what they were. But from now on we will be sure to kill 'em. The coffee bean stuff is really interesting! Might try that!

    Thank you so much!

    Licks,
    Ruthie

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  17. Wyatt, you have the best advice.:)

    Love,
    Teddy Bear & Sierra

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  18. Great advice! I want to ask Stanzie how to keep devil squirrels out of my yard.

    Nubbin wiggles,
    Oskar

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  19. Well Wyatt, you are just a world full of information!! I'm really impressed. I know nothing about gardening at all. You are one special doggie.

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  20. Yes, extremely informative-thanks! We printed it!

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  21. I was reading along, thinking, "This is great information; thanks so much," and then I got to the bug part. Squish bugs with my FINGERS? EEwwww. This from a person who has been known to scoop up dog vomit with her bare hands (at least I know where it's been). I think I'll add some surgical gloves to the garden tool box!

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  22. Wyatt, Wow you were very busy this week with your gardening answers. I guess our peeps should have/take gardening classes in school!

    Thanks for helping us.
    Violet Mae

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  23. I don't have squash bugs but I love to squash aphids!

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  24. I've only ever played with a desktop Zen garden, having a big one in the backyard would be a whole lot of fun!

    Plus, puppy paw prints are totally Zen, aren't they?

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  25. Dear Wyatt, Mama and i read your blog all the time and pretend that our garden looks like yours instead of ours which is more akin to a junkyard. Mama is planning to re landscape much of the yard and she's hoping to plant a whole bunch of plants that mosquitos and fleas and tickies don't much care for. Do you have any ideas for us? THANKS! Koly & the Mama

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