Halloween Garden: Update 5
July 21st, 2010 by John WolfeThe last couple weeks have been pretty interesting for my little garden. I’ve witnessed a lot of new plant growth, vicious ant behavior (they’re getting out of control), and the occasional pair of fornicating squash bugs in my pumpkin patch! 
When it comes to the ants, as much as I hate doing it, I’ve already been working on getting rid of them with a homemade concoction. As for the partying squash bugs, I’m hoping they’ll get a room at Motel 6 next time!
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July 21st, 2010 at 11:09 pm
John, that looks fantastic! I know about the ants! I usually go back to their hole and pour boiling water down it. Works every time
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:22 am
Excellent work John. Glad to see youve got your veggies all coming along so nicely. If your seeing squash bugs, you may want to check the undersides of your leaves for eggs and pick ‘em off if you find any. I’ve been removing alot of them lately.
Everything is looking great! Keep up the good work.
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:19 am
Hahahah imagine getting it on and somebody just picking the two of you up and tossing you out of the house. Pumpkin patch is looking good. Hope your corn turns out as well. I had some freshly picked sweet corn last week and it was DELICIOUS. Are you planning on eating the corn, using it for decor, or both?
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
autumnforest,
Being that we’re practically neighbors, I figured you guys probably have the same variety of ants we do. The big black and red ants are the worst and I’m dealing with the former right near my garden. Initially, I tried getting along with them. Everything was cool up until a month ago when one bit the hell out of me, and from there they’ve escalated. Now they’ve started producing a flying version within the colony and I even caught one chewing up a pumpkin bloom a few days ago.
Thanks for the kind words about the garden and for the water tip.
S.K Austin,
Thanks, my friend! I’ve seen quite a few eggs on the underside of the leaves, but I wasn’t sure which pest they belonged to. Thanks for letting me know, as I’m going out today to spray for those little white bugs (which I found out are aphids from a comment on You Tube). I’ll be sure to clean the squash bug eggs off in the process. It’s strange to think how different your climate is compared to mine, yet we both have squash bugs. Guess they’re adaptive little pains in the butt!
Doug,
Thanks for indulging me… I was hoping somebody would get a bit of a laugh about my squash bug romance story!
You work hard on raising a garden and then bugs start pestering it; really all you can do is try your best and make a few jokes about the stuff they’re doing so it doesn’t get you too stressed out.
Glad to hear you had some great-tasting corn! I’ll probably divide my ears up between my dad and grandfather–they both love corn-on-the-cob. Then, I’m going to also incorporate my stalks into the haunt along with a lot more I’ll be getting from a local farm.
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
See what happens? You play a little Barry White to help along the pollination and the squash bugs from across state lines hear it and……
If the red with black ants are bitting and it hurts really bad you may have fire ants! They are a mean breed. I try and get along with our good bugs but if I see a fire ant coming my way I’ll squish it in a heartbeat! I’d never in my life seen an ant that was so aggressive that when it sees a human it will turn and come towards you with the intention of biting until we moved to Texas.
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Is that an ear or two of corn I see? So soon? Amazing John!!! My Poppo would have loved your garden updated videos big time. Your corn is looking, and growing, what I was used to seeing for over 30 years in his garden….my little slice of heaven. Seeing the ear of corn truly had me bouncing for joy in my seat (I know, I’m dorky like that) with excitement. All of gardening is most rewarding on many levels but when the produce comes forward, it’s all the more advantageous. Your garden always radiates a variety of healthy greens my friend! Your doing an excellent job all the way around and on every single level. That pumpkin is something else too. That looked like quite a handful for YOU, with your size hands! Most impressive.
Dr. Necropolis does have a VERY good point there
That would suck in the worst way if, “somebody just picking the two of you up and tossing you out of the house.” Especially with a pad like that….nice cool, clean, fresh new garden to the neighborhood. LoL….who wouldn’t get a little randy with that 
I do love your sweet and soft sense of humor John. You tend to hit us at thee most unexpected times. Yet again….more thanks your way and **ppsstt** nice touch 
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Your white bugs are most likely affids and you can use lady bugs to wipe them out. Your local organic supply can take care of that. We have a beetle here that burrows into the vines and kills ours fairly quick. You should be alright as far as rot problems with the pumpkins. If your environment isn’t wet, like ours, then they will be fine. I know this gets said a lot but, you have the best speaking voice and should be a DJ or a narrator or something. Tomatoes split because of both water fluctuation and too cool temps. Add a dark mulch around the base and/or black plastic to keep the temp up. Your night temps get cool there. Tomatoes like it hot and plenty of water. Everything looks great! Good luck!
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Camile,
LOL! I was wondering if you saw my comment about Barry White.
I didn’t realize how bad those squash bugs were when I was making the video. I went out yesterday and scoured every leaf in my patch looking for their eggs like S.K. suggested. In all, I probably mashed over one-hundred eggs! I hate doing it, but I’ve also had to start killing the adults, since throwing them over the fence wasn’t doing anything more than giving them some exercise. No doubt, they came right back shortly after I left the backyard.
I’m not sure what my wonderful garden ant pals are considered. I lived in San Antonio, TX for a few years and I know the fire ants were really small there, but super powerful. The guys I’m dealing with are about five or six times the size of a little sugar ant, and they can be painful, but I remember those Texas fire ant bites hurt even worse! Wow! those things are mean. I don’t blame you for squishing ‘em.
Goldie,
Thank you! After counting today, I have one ear that’s maturing, another one that’s coming along and three others that are in various stages of growing silk. I’m sure I could have learned a lot from your Poppo in the process of him watching my videos. I’d love to have had his feedback. That pumpkin has quickly become my baby and I’m keeping an eye on it closely now, especially seeing how much the squash bugs are lovin’ it, literally!
Ha! Yeah, I never thought of my garden in that way–being a little love nest!
Thankfully there are a few who are enjoying it and benefiting the garden at the same time, like the bees. Glad you got a kick out of my squash bug humor, my friend.
Ethan,
Thanks for all the helpful tips! Thankfully, I already have some ladybugs out there who found the garden on their own. I’d like to get some more, but I’m a little concerned about it, because I’m spraying an organic spray for the squash bugs and I don’t want to kill ladybugs. The spray I’m using won’t kill the adult squash bugs, but it has been knocking out the tiny, freshly hatched babies I’m seeing.
Yeah, we’ve only had two rain showers the entire summer, so I don’t have to worry about moisture getting under the pumpkins I guess, other than the one that’s growing in the well/moat, since I really flood the pumpkin mound when I water.
When it comes to the tomatoes, some split and some don’t. Lately we’ve barely been cooling to the mid or upper 70s at night. Is that still too cool?
Thanks for your kind words about my voice. I’d love to work on some narration stuff/voice-over work, especially pertaining to Halloween or the paranormal. Though I’m not directly applying for things like that, I’m hoping the more contacts I make through Season of Shadows and the more people in the business of spooky/paranormal stuff who come across my videos it will help that eventually become a reality.
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:28 pm
LoL, see John….LoL I sure am glad I’m not the only one saying this:
Ethan said: “I know this gets said a lot but, you have the best speaking voice and should be a DJ or a narrator or something.”
I love how it was slipped right in there like that and onto more gardening talk. Nice touch Ethan
John, if only your SOS visitors knew just how often you get that from other comments to videos you’ve made on youtube. LoL! I’m curious though, have you been told that most of your adult life or has it been something fairly recently that many are saying? With the rich, deep and crisp tones your voice gets to, I would imagine you’ve been hearing this for well over a decade now, yes? I just HAD to say something back to that, sorry hun 
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Now you’re going to get me blushing with all this voice talk.
I only remember a few comments in my twenties about my voice, so I guess it is more recent that I’ve received a little bit more feedback about it. It’s probably getting deeper and crisper now since I’m starting to turn into an old man, LOL!