The Veggies

Still not planted yet. I am waiting for DH to buy me some fencing. However, I think I am going out today to pick some sort of fencing. I grew very impatient. Yes, he will do it, but there is a chance I will be planting these on the ground around June.

The above photos are bought from my local farmers market. None of them are heirlooms. Last year I was able to buy a few heirlooms, but no luck this year.

Indian corns.

Okra, long beans, spinach, & peas.

So Far in my Vegetable Garden

7-18-13

 Green bell peppers, the green leaves are gone. Got eaten by deers.

Tomatoes

Snap peas, eaten by deers too.

Eggplant (deers don't like)

More eggplants

More tomatoes

Our Vegetable Garden

As usual, we covered the area with black plastic to kill the weeds off the area. We only put them when we knew there will be no more snow coming. And this year, since I still have the mound from last year, we didn't bother tilling the soil. Plus, if we did, up until now, there will be no plants because it is still pretty wet.

When I put the Indian corns and squash, I cover them with straws and it helped control the weeds. Here are tomato, eggplants and bell peppers. I have to de-bug the eggplant everyday. Those flea bugs are eating the leaves of the eggplants.

Here are the plot of potatoes.

I still have about 1/4 of the garden empty and still have the black plastic cover on. By this week, I will add more peas and corn to that side.

My Garden's Update

This are my Rapunzel, the leaves are getting eaten by something, the same with my pak choy. Yes, that is our cat, she follows me to my garden. The grass/weeds are better than my vegetables. This was the part I weed first, and look are them weeds now.

My carrots are getting bigger everyday. But little bunnies keeps eating the leaves on some.

This is my biggest roma tomato and our cat modeling behind it.

My one and only big rabe broccoli I have. The rest are just 1 inch tall.

Caterpillars on Tomatoes

It sounds like you're seeing tomato hornworms, which can grow to an alarming size! Like most caterpillars, hornworms can be controlled by using Bt, Bacillis thuringiensis.However, since tomato hornworms can do a lot of damage in a short time, you may want to remove the ones you see by hand. Note: If you see a caterpillar with what looks like grains of rice all over it, relocate it elsewhere in the garden rather than killing it. It has been parasitized by a certain wasp laying its eggs on it. These small wasps are harmless to humans, but will help the hornworm population in check. (The parasitized hornworm will die anyway.)

Tomato Blossom Drop

Tomato blossom drop is usually caused by above 90F or below 50F temperatures. To protect plants against heat, provide shade from the hot afternoon sun. To protect against cold temperatures, cover plants with a floating row cover.

Whiteflies on Tomatoes

It sounds as if you have whiteflies, which often show up late summer or early fall. They multiply rapidly when temperatures are warm, but will die off as cold approaches. They such the juices out of foliage, leaving behind tiny yellow spots, called stippling, which can weaken the plant. The best way to keep whiteflies at bay is to start early. Next year, monitor your plants carefully and when you first notice the whiteflies, start the following control methods. You can still apply these methods this year, as well.

Start with the simplest method first, and if that isn't successful, move on from there. A strong blast of water from the hose often works. Spray underneath leaves where the whiteflies tend to cluster. Do this daily if you notice insects.

Whiteflies are attracted to the color yellow. You can purchase or make yellow "sticky" traps from yellow cardboard smeared with petroleum jelly. They fly to it and get stuck.

Soapy water sprays are another possibility. Use 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons of liquid soap per gallon of water. Use regular, not concentrated soap. Don't use soaps with lemon, as the citric acid can burn plants. Start with the lower amount and work up as needed. Spray as often as needed. As with any spray you might wish to test it on a few leaves first before you treat all your plants. Spray early in the morning before the sun heats up.

Next on my list would be an insecticidal soap spray. The insecticidal soaps are made from plant-derived fatty acids and target soft-bodied insects. Unfortunately, there's really no way you can target the bad guys without at least some effect on the good guys. If you can regularly monitor and tolerate some damage to your plants, over time Mother Nature strikes a balance, with the beneficials coming in to control the bad guys. Healthy, vigorous plants will withstand insect attacks better than weakly growing ones.

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.

Removing Suckers on Tomato Plants

Removing the suckers, called suckering, encourages earlier, larger tomatoes, and it keeps the number of fruits low in relation to foliage, which improves the flavor of the fruits.

Suckering is the process of removing the side shoots that grow from the node where a leaf attaches to the tomato vine. There are many different techniques. One method is to allow three suckers to develop into strong stems. Then keep pinching new suckers that form to encourage the plant to put its energy into fruit production.