bend wyatt one crop

bend wyatt one crop

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Pumpkins and Fleas...Hmmmmm


Our first gardening question this week, comes from a new fur pal in London, Molly!
Dear Wyatt,


When is the best time to plant our pumpkin? Here the weather is wet and cloudy and has been for several weeks.


Best wishes
Molly The Wally
London, England

Dearest Molly,

First let me say....Wow! You are cute, what big brown eyes you have....And you like pumpkins and I like pumpkins too! Why do all the great girls live so far away....but, back to your question...
Pumpkins and squash like heat to do their thing, just like tomatoes and peppers. Once your temps are over 65 F/ 18 C  it's probably okay to put your pumpkin seeds or starter plants out. We usually have to wait until the end of May, just to get the muddy soil worked up and make sure their are no more frosty mornings! You might want to cover up your pumpkin seed with a little layer of mulch or grass clippings, just so the birds and mice don't find them before they sprout...everybody loves pumpkin seeds...BOL
Their are so many fun varieties of pumpkins now. Some of our faves are Cinderella and the white Ghost Pumpkin.

Our next question this week comes from Kolchak, from the blog Kol's Notes!

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

Dear Kol,

For the most part, Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitos don't really give a rip about plants one way or the other. They just want a bite out of you and your mama! 

But there are things you can do to make them feel unwelcome. Get rid of any standing, stagnant water...Mosquitos like that. If you barkdust or mulch your flowerbeds, you might consider cedar chips or small rock instead. It's less likely to get bug infested. Keep grass short and get rid of decaying debris piles.
Rosemary

It's interesting that bugs are repelled from the same smelly plants that deer do not care for and deer and wildlife carry fleas and ticks...hmmm, we might be on to something! Try planting fragrant herb plants such as: Rosemary, Lavender, Lemongrass, Geraniums and Mint. It certainly can't hurt and plus it's something to add to your Tasty Tuesday recipe ideas, Win-Win!!


Happy Digging!
Wyatt

Leave a comment with your gardening questions or e-mail me at wyattsriot2010 at gmail.com
We will tax our tiny terrier brains to answer your questions each Friday!


Posted by Wyatt at

17 comments:

  1. STELLA and RORY from Down UnderMay 10, 2012 at 11:04 PM

    Thanks Wyatt for the info about plants that keep mosquitos away. We love lavender and geranium so that's good news for us. No worries, and love, Stella and Rory

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  2. UnknownMay 11, 2012 at 2:32 AM

    You are such a charmer handsome, thank you. In appreciation of your kind comments tomorrow’s blog will be the weather forecast. We hear there are rumours that the sun may make an appearance this weekend!

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  3. DukeMay 11, 2012 at 2:48 AM

    Great advise as always, Wyatt! The Rosemary is so beautiful when it blooms!

    Love ya lots,
    Mitch and Molly

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  4. ScooterMay 11, 2012 at 6:25 AM

    Hey Wyatt!
    Wow, what great Q&A this week! Pumpkins are supposed to be good for our tummies too.

    I have a question for next time: Since I live in the woods and our yard has tons of trees, we grow moss instead of grass! BOL. With hardly any sunshine getting through, what kind of flowers could my Mom plant that would be pretty colors and won't just die in the shade?
    Grr and Woof,
    Sarge, COP

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  5. GOOSEMay 11, 2012 at 6:33 AM

    Great Q&A today. Next week MOM and the peeps from our church will put in our Community Garden. It is so cool that all these people come out to help out. And dog oh dog there is so much at harvest time. We help supply our local shelter with fresh veggies. And we have a large area for pumpkins for any and all kids to come and pick there own.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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  6. Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and MomMay 11, 2012 at 8:01 AM

    We let the grandpeeps plant some seeds in peat pots last week. They planted pumpkins, watermelons, sunflowers, and morning glories ... then they got carried away and mixed the seeds. Now we have all these different things coming out of the same pot and can't tell which is which. All the sprouts look different! :o(

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  7. 3 doxiesMay 11, 2012 at 9:47 AM

    OMD, look at them eyes Molly has! Her is very luvelry Wyatt.
    My mum loves them white pumpkins cuz orange doesn't go withs her decor...don't ask.

    We hads some of dat Rosemary stuffs and my dad chopped it down. Nows I thinks mum will be buyin' more afters dis postie cuz her hates bugs.

    Puddles

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  8. rottroverMay 11, 2012 at 10:19 AM

    Herbs and geraniums are plants that our mom can actually grow!! YAY! Thanks, Wyatt :-)

    -Bart and Ruby

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  9. Frankie Furter and ErnieMay 11, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    Hey.... I have a BUNCH of Apple Mint growin around the FRONT of my house.... to keep the bugs away... and To use in Iced TEA and those delicious Minty Julips that my mom Loves.
    Apple mint Grows really fast and multiplies better than a third grader... And Drought hardy too!!!

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  10. ♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥May 11, 2012 at 11:04 AM

    Hmmm, wonder if those plants would help keep away the rabbits - any ideas for that one, Wyatt?

    We love your helpful gardening tips.

    Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

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  11. The ThugletsMay 11, 2012 at 12:46 PM

    Wyatt your gardening tips are brilliant. You sure have green paws!
    Have a great weekend
    Big Nose Pokes
    The Thugletsx

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  12. LorenzaMay 11, 2012 at 8:27 PM

    Now.... I wish I had a garden!
    Super duper tips!
    Kisses and hugs
    Lorenza

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  13. BassetmommaMay 12, 2012 at 4:35 AM

    Thanks for the info, Wyatt! We love rosemary and mint and always have it around our patio!

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  14. Kolchak PuggleMay 12, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    Thanks so much Wyatt! You're the BEST! Mama loves all those smelly herbs and stuff, so she'll love planting a yard full of them. I hope Mama can make it look at least half decent, eh!

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  15. AnonymousMay 15, 2012 at 3:04 AM

    Thanks for the suggestions on the plants that may repel fleas! I'll have to tell Mom about this :)

    Waggin at ya,
    Roo

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  16. DexterMay 15, 2012 at 6:11 PM

    Oh dear. We had pumpkins in our garden exactly once. They grew like totally GIGANTIC and went all over the place and choked some of the other plants to death and kind of scared me.

    Slobbers,
    Mango

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  17. Frank The TankMay 16, 2012 at 4:17 AM

    Hi Wyatt, Some more great information, I loved hearing about the pumpkins, Halloween is My Mums fave holiday, she loves to cook with pumpkin and squash and loved the photos!! Mum planted pumpkins in the garden once and I dug them all up, I walked in the house with a pumpkin leaf and root in my house, Mum yelled and made me drop it, when she went out to the pumpkin patch it was all dug up and my puggy paws were everywhere! Oops! Love, Licks and Hugs from your Friend Frank xxxx

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