Mid-Summer Gardening

This year on the Plant Pro, we've been following the URI Master Gardener Demonstration Vegetable Garden through the seasons. Last time we checked in, the Master Gardeners were planting seeds in the greenhouse. Now, the garden is in full swing and Master Gardener Susan Estabrook joins us to provide a mid-summer garden update.

Weather
The weather is always a huge factor in a vegetable garden and, as usual, the weather in Rhode Island has been unpredictable. We had a very early heat wave and thought that we might get a jump on the growing season. Then, the temperatures dropped and it stayed cool and very wet. We ended up planting most things late and it took until early July for the vegetables to begin to take off. Fortunately, July has been hot and sunny and the garden looks fantastic.

Eggplants
We planted several varieties of eggplant seeds in the greenhouse in late February and moved them into the garden in early June. They got off to a slow start but have begun to recover with the warm weather, which eggplants love. The plants have begun to flower and we expect to harvest in mid-August, about 73 days after we moved the plants outside. We have notices some flea beetle damaged on both the 'Black Beauty' and 'Antigua' although the damage is more severe on the "Black Beauty.' You rarely see the tiny adult flea beetles but you can recognize the damage by "pinhole" damage on the leaves. Protect your plants by covering them with lightweight row covers (sometimes called floating row covers) available at garden centers or in catalogues. The adult flea beetle is oval, 1/16 to 1/5 inch long (0.15-0.5 cm), varies in color from blue-green to black and is an excellent jumper

Mulching
Mulching your garden is an easy way to conserve water, reduce weeds and disease. This year the Master Gardeners used chipped straw as mulch. You can use any organic material from shredded old newspapers to grass clippings mixed with leaves. Keep the mulch into a around two inches deep or less so that water can infiltrate.

Watering
Vegetable gardens need water to survive but too much water can cause problems as well. Ideally, provide your garden with about an inch to an inch and a half of water each week. Deep, weekly waterings promote deep root development whereas daily, light watering promotes shallow surface roots and makes the plants more vulnerable to drying out.

Unwanted Visitors
We have received many complaints this summer about animal damage in vegetable gardens. A few rabbits or woodchucks can undo weeks of gardening work overnight and is disheartening to even the most dedicated gardener. We have spotted a woodchuck and a number of rabbits in the URI garden this year. Woodchucks tend to be more thorough in their destruction, eating most of a plant. Rabbit nibble at plants so the damage looks as if someone has moved through the garden with pruning shears, clipping off leaves one by one. Both animals can be incredibly destructive. Rabbits are also very prolific: a single female can produce as many as 36 offspring in one season so prompt action are required. If you have some visitors in your combing through your garden here are a few tips that can help alleviate your problem.

The most effective long-term solution is a fence. It should be at least 4 feet tall, made of stout wire mesh, and buried about a foot deep - both woodchucks and rabbits are burrowers and will easily dig under the fence if it isn't buried. You should also angle the fence outward on top so as to discourage woodchucks from climbing into your garden.

Another protection method is to use repellants. Unfortunately, these are only moderately effective. They must be applied almost daily and anytime after a rain or watering the garden. There are a number of commercial organic repellants on the market or you can make your own from hot pepper and garlic.

Alternatively, these critters can be trapped. This can be an effective method of stopping the damage. However, before using a trap you need to decide you are going to do with the animal after it is caught. It is illegal to transport woodchucks, raccoons or skunks in Rhode Island due to possible rabies. Contact the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Fish and Wildlife office for more information on rabies. (789-0381). You also may hire a private firm that provides animal pest management services.

For more information about Rabbit and Woodchuck control go to Factsheets.