Thank you to Ross for speaking at the June meeting.

VEGGIE GROWING EXPERIENCES

 ROSS MITCHELL

SEEDS

-problem with buying seeds here that don't germinate

-get variety from Canada or US

-my best source here is the chemical store in Joco across from the church

-keep seeds in the freezer

SWEET CORN

-get seed from up north

-when 2" high spray with raid

-when 1 ft high spray with metham, hill them up, fertilize with 17 17 17

-then spray every 3 weeks with metham

ASPARAGUS

-started from seed and had a plant in 1 yr.

-then replant in a 1 1/2 ft deep  hole, spreading the roots out, cover with soil

 and add soil up to ground level as the plant grows

-no fertilizer

-needs lime twice a year

-susceptible to fungus, use a fungicide

CUCUMBER

-in a deep hole put manure then soil and then plant seeds

-put 4" of soil on top of the seeds

-plant under a screen

SQUASH

-start and plant same as cucumbers

-gets white fly, spray with raid 3 to 4 days in a row

-don't spray when there are flowers

YAMS

-do not plant in cold weather, Dec to Mar

BEANS

-more exotic types susceptible to white fly

-ordinary variety need almost no care

-fertilize with 17 17 17

SUGAR SNAP PEAS

-very easy, grow up on a wire frame

-fertilize with 17 17 17

TURNIP, BEETS, CARROTS

-very easy

-prepare the soil with diazanon

TOMATOES

-not much luck but trying again

-this time preparing the soil with diazanon, planting in plastic with holes

-use fungicide weekly until fruit appears

-fertilize with 20 20 20

FRUIT TREES

-plant at ground level and water daily for 1 week

-then water weekly

-every 6 months spray with malathion

-prune on the inside to open up the tree

-insufficient water - dry fruit

MANGO FIG AND PAPAYA

-susceptible to fungus

-spray for 3 weeks in a row when fungus appears with a fungicide

BANANAS

-no fertilizer but use compost

-need good drainage

-lots of water

-when stalk forms and appears to have as many bananas as you want,

cut off the flower and cut all but 1 banana off the last hand of bananas

-thin trees to 1 new plant

-after harvesting bananas, cut trunk high and leave to feed the new plant