Monday, June 05, 2006

cucs and zucs


For the past two years, I have failed to raise healthy cucumbers and zucchini. The plants have died early on. This year I'm determined to break the cycle.

Allie and I went to Longview Gardens Saturday. I asked the sentient beings there how I might escape this cycle of wilt and death. I've asked before, of the same sentient beings, in summers past, but the desperation must have shown on my face, because they chose to take me to their leader, the co-owner.

When we finally found her, she appeared to be imbued with golden light, like the good witch in The Wizard of Oz. She winked at me.

She told me to get some large empty cans and cut the bottoms out. Then bury them in the dirt so the tops are almost flush with the top of the soil. Then plant the plantlings inside those submerged cylinders.

The reason: bugs crawl up to the plant at soil level and lay eggs inside the stems. And that kills the plant.

She also said to spray the stems regularly with diluted neem oil.

So this is what I have done.

May God have mercy on my soil.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

please tell me if this works. i gave up on both these plants a few years ago for the same reason.

Joe Miller said...

will do.