Roma/Plum Tomatoes

I will try to can some of these tomatoes this year. This would be my first time doing it. I went to WalMart yesterday trying to find some preserve jars but no luck. Not only that but they moved everything around and I don't know where everything are. Will try BJ's tomorrow for the jars.

Most of the leaves are getting dry. You know its getting cold at night by the look of it. This is only one of them. I have at least five tomato bush.

Long/Yard Beans (Sitaw)

I am very lucky with my sitaw this year. I already freeze a lot of it already. You can see my process under "Too Much" post In My Kitchen. Right now the greens ones are changing color because we are having some cold nights.

This is my purple sitaw and actually behind it you can see an Albino sitaw. Makes me wonder why they are white well actually its very light yellow green in color. I already have some seed for next year. A lot more than I had this year, and I will be putting patches of vegetable garden along my property too next year.

Squash (Kalabasa)

Sguash flowers.

This one had been like this forever. Never gotten big since it become a fruit.

I think I will pick this one next weekend. I'm not sure how to tell if they are ready to be pick. I just have to take my chances then.

I edited this post because I was waiting for the gourd to change color. At first I thought this was pumpkins but DH and I keep waiting for it to change color but never did. So we figure this is actually a squash. I can't tell by the seeds. They all look the same, the pumpkins and gourd/squash.

Corn

This corn brought by my parents from the Philippines is over 8 feet tall. I guessed when they are planted here in the US they grow very tall. I wonder if the same goes with children. I am not tall and I was born in the boondocks of Philippines. Is that mean that my children will grow very tall (laugh). Anyway most of the corn in the farm around my house are ready to be pick, but this one is only starting to have some cobs. I don't think I'm able to harvest any corn this year. I missed Philippines corns.

Okra

Here are my okra this year. The leaves got attacked by Japanese beetles this year. I could not spray it with anything because I'm scared of chemicals getting in them. I was also surprised because this kind of okra got branches. The one I planted last year is straight. I guess my seeds is not the original from Philippines. I should ask my parents to send me some before spring next year.

Bell Peppers

I don't think that I will be harvesting any bell peppers this year. Our warm season is very short and we are having such cool nights since the beginning of August.

Root Crops

Root crops need a deep, loose, well-drained soil to grow well. Is the soil in your garden compacted, or heavy and blocky? If so, work in some organic matter. As organic matter decays, it releases compounds that make soil more "workable," as well as promoting good moisture retention and providing nutrients to plants. You may find that building a raised bed makes a difference for your root crops, since they'll have a looser soil to grow in. As long as you thin the seedlings and water your crop regularly throughout the growing season. Another thing that comes to mind is fertilization. If you feed root crops too much nitrogen, they'll produce a lot of top growth and little in the way of roots. Have your soil tested to see if you need to balance your soil's nutrients -- that may make the difference.

Harvesting Tomatillos

Harvest your tomatillos when the light-brown papery husk has folded back to reveal the golden berry. Very ripe fruits will begin dropping to the ground. Check your plant frequently--when you see fruits with the husk folded back or you see fallen fruit, it's time to harvest!

Blight on Pole Beans

Those are classic symptoms of a common bacterial disease called halo blight. This disease thrives in high humidity with temperatures in the low 70s. It's mostly a problem east of the Rocky Mountains and is spread primarily by infected seed or plant debris left on the soil. Infection usually begins with small, brown, angular, water-soaked spots on the lower leaves. The spots later expand and the leaves turn yellow, sometimes producing the characteristic halos around the spots. The disease can eventually defoliate the plant and infect the bean pods. If you notice the disease on young plants, pull them up, destroy them and replant. Consider growing less-susceptible varieties such as Blue Lake. If the plants are already producing beans when the disease strikes, harvest what you can, then destroy the plants as soon as production begins to decline. In the future, try the following preventive steps. Buy disease-free seed from a reputable company. Plant beans in the same ground only once every three years. Choose a spot where they'll get morning sun so foliage dries quickly. Use a wider spacing between plants for air circulation. And don't work in the bean patch when it's wet.