GreenSeasons
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Our Company
    • Charitable Dentations | GreenSeasons
    • Clients Served >
      • Campus
      • Commercial
      • Government
      • Industrial
      • Residential
      • Testimonials
    • Bios
  • SERVICES
    • Design / Build >
      • Landscape Design
      • Landscape Installation
      • Irrigation
      • Landscape Drainage Solutions
      • Outdoor Lighting
    • Landscape Maintenance
    • Mowing Service
    • Lawn Care
    • Christmas Lights
  • CONTACT
    • Baton Rouge Office
    • Greenwell Springs Office
    • Slidell Office
  • CAREERS
  • BLOG
  • PAYMENT
  • QUOTE

Vegetable Gradens - Tomato Problems - Blossom End Rot

5/23/2014

0 Comments

 
tomato gardening
If you are growing tomatoes, you are either already enjoying yours or waiting for them to ripen, depending on the variety. Unfortunately, some of you may have had some tomatoes that have been affected by blossom end rot and are no longer edible.

Blossom End Rot

Blossom end rot starts at the blossom end of the tomato, hence the name. It starts out as a small, sunken spot. It continues to spread and cause the fruit to ripen early. So look out for a discolored, sunken, dark spot near the bloom end of the plant. Also keep an eye out for blossom end rot in melons, squash, eggplants and peppers. Identify blossom end rot with these pictures.

What Type of Calcium to Use on Tomatoes?

A foliar sprays containing calcium chloride or calcium nitrate applied directly to the tomato and the leaves around it work great. You may also correct soil calcium deficiencies by applying lime or gypsum if you do it prior to planting. This does take some planning and you will have to have a soil test to see what your soil needs also.

Cultural Controls For Blossom End Rot

Plants need water to absorb calcium from the ground. Be sure to not let the soil stay excessively dry. An even moisture level in the soil will keep blossom end rot away as long as there is calcium to absorb. Also, a good layer of mulch will retain moisture longer.

GreenSeasons Homegrown Food
Vegetable Gardens, Chicken Coops, and Fruit Trees

GreenSeasons installs and maintains vegetable gardens, chicken coops and fruit trees in the greater Baton Rouge, greater New Orleans, Slidell, Prairieville, Walker, Denham Springs, Gonzales, Baker, Zachary, Hammond and Covington areas. If you want to eat what you grow, just click here for a free quote  and we will give you a call. 

If you would simply like some advice on homegrown food, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help.  
0 Comments

How to grow watermelons at home

4/12/2013

1 Comment

 
Watermelon will grown on a large vine sprawling out from the seed you plant. The plant loves heat and sunlight. In southern Louisiana this means planting watermelon seeds in late March to Mid April for best results. There are two beautiful things about growing watermelon. First, once they start growing, they need very little attention. Second, they are great to eat!
















1


2

items to grow watermelon

  • Watermelon seeds (pick a variety you like)
  • A sunny spot of land
  • Loamy, well drained soil
  • Leather Gloves
  • Tools for tilling soil (shovel, pitchfork, hoe)
  • Tool for digging small holes (spade, hand)
  • Water

steps to planting watermelon

Pick a spot. Make sure the area has full sun for at least 6 hours a day and good soil. If it doesn't have good soil, you can always add some new soil or compost.

Time for some landscaping work. You can either build a gardening box or make crop rows. I will cover making a crop row today, but both choices work the same for growing watermelon.

Picture
3




4




5




6



7




8
Break up and remove any plants growing on top of the crop area. Till the soil and making sure to break up clumps of soil. If you have trouble doing this or are doing a large area, you can look into renting a gas powered tiller. Make Mounds of soil using your hoe. Space these three to six feet away from the next row.The raised soil will allow water to drain and air reach the plants roots. The lower areas retain more water also.


Level off the tops of your mounds and use either your spade or your hand to make a narrow one inch deep hole for the watermelon seed. Put a few seeds in each hole and pull soil over the top of the hole until it is even with the rest of your mound. Do not press or pack in the soil on top of your seed. Instead, water the newly planted landscape bed using either your finger on the tip of the hose or a setting for your nozzle that imitates rainfall.


For the next week, keep the soil around the seeds damp. About of a week or so later you will see signs of life. Get rid of any plants that look far worse than the others. This will allow for more nutrition for the strong plants. When your new watermelon plants are about 5 inches, add some mulch directly next to the young plants to keep away weeds. Make sure to not cover up your plant. I foresee a very difficult time for you if your plant isn't getting sunlight.

You are in business once you start seeing flowers on your watermelon vines. You can now water your plants twice a week, but only if the soil is dry. If you have gotten a lot of rain in your area, chances are your plants have had enough to drink. Matter of fact, watermelons don't like having water around them. Excess water kind of leads to disease, fungus and sometimes death for the melons. If your watermelons are always wet, you can lay out a 2X4, a piece of tarp or flat rocks and sit your watermelon and its vines on top of them.

Keep your garden free of weeds regularly so they don't block out the sun and consume the nutrients from your watermelons. Also, if you notice your watermelons looking discolored or weird  you may have a fungus or bug problem. If you notice your plants or fruit missing, you have an animal or a people problem.


If you plant your melons in April, they will probably be fully grown by August. Smaller melons will take less time while larger melons take longer. To check if they are done, flick the melon with your finger and if it makes a lower pitch sound, it is probably ready. You can also check the bottom of the melon. If the bottom is yellow, it should also be a good sign it is ready. Do not water your watermelon for five to seven days before harvesting. This will give a better sugar to water ratio in your melons so they will taste great! Cut the watermelon from the vine and enjoy your hard work.


If you have any questions, please ask in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.
1 Comment

Keeping Satsuma Trees Healthy

9/26/2012

0 Comments

 

WHAT IS A SATSUMA?

Satsumas are a variety of Mandarin orange.  They usually perform very well in the southern United States given full sunlight and a moderate amount of water.  That isn't to say they don't also have their occasional health problems.  Treating a satsuma is nearly identical to treating other citrus plants.
Picture

fungus problems on satsumas

Sour Orange Scab, Brown Rot, Greasy Spot, Anthracnose are all very common and usually can be taken care of by applying a copper based fungicide.  Sooty mold is usually the symptom of insects on your plant.  Treat the insects and the sooty mold should clear itself up.  Some of these fungus are spread by rain splashing off of the ground and getting to the leaves.  A good preventative measure is to keep the area around the tree mulched.
Picture

Insect infestations on satsumas

Scale, aphids and whiteflies seem to love satsumas.  Paraffinic oil  or Horticulture oil can easily take care of these pests. Permethrin is another option that can be used to treat whiteflies if you find you need additional control.  Be sure to spray both the tops and bottoms of the foliage to get total coverage.  Leafminers can be controlled using spinosaid made for citrus plants.  Spinosaid should be applied when there   is new growth on the plants or when the leaves have fresh damage for best results.  Mites affecting satsumas can be treated with a miticide.

pruning satsumas

Most satsumas don't need to be pruned very often, if ever.  If you do choose to prune, major pruning should be done in early spring.  Dead or infested limbs should be removed at the time they are discovered.

how to fertilize a satsuma tree

Citrus plants usually need a little more iron and magnesium than most other plants.  You can treat the soil around the tree with a fertilizer utilizing a higher amount of both iron and magnesium.  Alternatively, you can use a chelated foliar spray on both the tops and bottoms of the leaves to ensure proper absorption.

safety

With any pesticide, be sure to read the label to make sure it is okay to treat your plant with it.  There are plenty of pesticides on the market that will treat your problem quickly but may also harm you if you ingest the fruit due to their residual control.
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Charlie Casselberry

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    June 2016
    April 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Aeration
    Allergies
    Ants
    Azalea
    Bed Bugs
    Butterflies
    Compost
    Diseases
    Diy
    Drainage
    Fall
    Fertilization
    Flowers
    Fountain
    Fruit
    Fundraising
    Fungus Control
    Gardener
    Gardening
    Gutter Cleaning
    Holiday Lighting
    Home Care
    Homegrown Food
    Horticulture
    Hurricane
    Indian Hawthrones
    Indoor Plants
    Industrial
    Irrigation
    Landscape Architecture
    Landscape Bed Cleanup
    Landscape Design
    Landscape Lighting
    Landscape Maintenance
    Landscaping
    Lawn Care
    Louisiana Super Plant
    Mechanic
    Mosquito Control
    Mowing
    Mowing Equipment
    Outdoor Events
    Overseeding
    Palms
    Pest Control
    Pets
    Plant Health
    Planting
    Podcast
    Pools
    Pressure Washing
    Pruning
    Roaches
    Rocks
    Rodent Control
    Roses
    Rye Grass
    Safety
    Shrub
    Sod
    Sports
    Spring
    Sprinkler
    Summer
    Termites
    Top Dressing
    Travel
    Tree Work
    Tree Work
    Tropicals
    Vegetables
    Weather Proofing
    Weeds
    Winter
    Winterize

    RSS Feed

Picture

Contact

225-752-2333
wecare@greenseasons.us

Services

Landscaping
Irrigation
​Mowing

About

About Us
Markets
Brands
​Site Map

Locations

GreenSeasons
Baton Rouge Office
11628 S Choctaw Drive, Suite 227
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70815
Review Us!
Greenwell Springs Office
14461 Frenchtown Road
Greenwell Springs, LA  70739
Slidell Office
56010 Highway 433
Slidell, Louisiana 70461
Review Us!
© 2020 GreenSeasons
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Our Company
    • Charitable Dentations | GreenSeasons
    • Clients Served >
      • Campus
      • Commercial
      • Government
      • Industrial
      • Residential
      • Testimonials
    • Bios
  • SERVICES
    • Design / Build >
      • Landscape Design
      • Landscape Installation
      • Irrigation
      • Landscape Drainage Solutions
      • Outdoor Lighting
    • Landscape Maintenance
    • Mowing Service
    • Lawn Care
    • Christmas Lights
  • CONTACT
    • Baton Rouge Office
    • Greenwell Springs Office
    • Slidell Office
  • CAREERS
  • BLOG
  • PAYMENT
  • QUOTE