Please help my veggies

[laura-n-sasha]

Hi all,
I was wondering if having ants around the beans is OK or not? The ants seem to be all over them, more so than any of my other plants. I have tomatoes and cucs, peppers and herbs all in pots, but the ants seem to love the beans the most.

If they are not supposed to be there, what should I use to change that? Right now the beans are showing flowers, which I would take to mean that the beans would come after, but I am not sure how they are pollinated.

Actually almost all of my plants are in the flowering stage right now, I only have two small tomatoes on my grape tomato bush, only one tomato on my regular tomato plant, only had one jalapeno pepper so far, only flowers on my cucumber plants, and my basil is flowering and the stalks are turning woody already, sob .

The soil is Mel's Mix, worked great last year: Vermiculite, compost, and peat moss, equal amounts. But this year I have everything in pots because we have deer and rabbits. The plants are all on the picnic table and they get good sunlight usually.

I thought I was watering too much, so cut back, but they are all in pots, and I started to get curling leaves plus some that looked almost burnt, so have been watering every day.

Some of my plants will have to go up a screen or trellis soon, and it will be a little difficult with them all being on the table, but I will try to make it work.

Any help that you can offer as to about the ants other questions would be greatly appreciated.

[frugalfranny]

Sorry can't help, I don't do beans... but we have lots of great gardeners here and I am sure help will be on the way soon!! so will be watching this so I can learn too.......

Always something new to learn with gardening.

[Contrary Housewife]

The small black garden ants are generally harmless and will not hurt you or your plants. They will actually eat other small insects.

What you need to look out for are leafcutter ants -- you'll see "bites" taken out of leaves. And look for aphids -- very tiny little pale green bugs. [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid[/ame]

If you have ants *and* aphids there is a problem. Ants will "farm" aphids -- raise them and care for them so they can eat them later.

As for the basil... pinch the flowers off so it keeps producing leaves.

[laura-n-sasha]

These ants are very small - they are the kind that we think of as sweet ants - they go after anything sweet.

I have not seen spiders or aphids at all, as we have a bug zapper and tons of frogs and lizards all over the place.

However, we do have pine trees around us. Pine needles are getting into the plants and I have to pick them out every day. That might be part of my problem.

[Shelli_wnj]

Subbing 'cause we seem to be having similar problems. I don't have any tomatoes on my plants yet. Tons of flowers but no tomatoes. My beans are just leaves right now, and my pepper plant started to grow a pepper, and I found it still in the beginning stages on the ground. It has been unbelievably wet this season, I think they are drowning!

[MomToTwoBoys]

Could the leaves be curling because the pots are too small? I had that issue and then moved them into larger areas. They ended up blooming pretty well afterwards.

Have you treated the veggies with some Miracle Gro plant food? That reminds me, I need to do mine again. I'd get some of the water soluble stuff and attach it to your hose, give it a nice soaking (depending on the size of your containers) and do that every seven to fourteen days. Your plants may not be getting enough nutrients either, even with the soil mixture.

The Miracle Gro might keep the ants away too.

[frugalfranny]

I don't have any tomatoes on my plants yet. Tons of flowers but no tomatoes. It has been unbelievably wet this season, I think they are drowning!

If it has been that wet and the bees haven't been out you might benefit by buying some of the spray to use on the flowers (unless you 'paint brush' them...or even shake the plant)..just spray the blossoms with one squirt........to get the fruit started. I had to do this a couple years ago when our spring was so cold that I seldom saw any bees. Got my first fruit started. Ask for Blossom Set Spray.......can use on tomatoes and other veggies. Got mine at Ace Hardware I think. Couldn't find it at Lowe's or HD.

Contrary: .....aphids can be white too......just had them on my minature rose......any color.. they are horrible little critters!

[laura-n-sasha]

I have not seen very many bees, had lots of wasps but not so many anymore. There also do not seem to be very many butterflies around here either. I will try that spray to see if it works.

I am hesitant to use miracle grow, as there should be plenty of nutrients in the soil. I just do not think the flowers are getting pollinated.