((Serious Gardening))

[Kassaundra]

Whewwwww! All the corn is planted. 3 beds of it. 3 sisters style w/ southern peas, and tiny pumkins. Didn't plant those yet, waiting to see what comes up w/ the corn, (I don't have good success w/ corn) I'll plant the peas and pumkin the beginning of next week. That won't be nearly as hard since the beds are already made. I planted merit, serendipity, peaches and cream, and tender treat.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have heard of serediptiy and tender treat, but I have eaten peaches and cream ... yummy

We would buy it at the roadside stands back in WI. It was so good!

Maybe in a couple of years I will be able to figure out gardening at high altitueds enough to plant some corn.
The neighbor planted some last year and it only got about 3' tall with 1 ear per plant. I think I can do better.

 

[Junkmanme]

Quote:
It is worthwhile to NOTE that the height of the corn plant AND the number of ears per plant is dependent upon the type of corn seed that is planted. Many, if not most, of the hybrid corn varieties can be EXPECTED to produce only one ear of corn per plant. Some of the other corn varieties, including heirlooms such as "Golden Bantam" or "Country Gentleman", will produce more ears per plant...particularly "field corn" varieties.

-Junkmanme-

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
I'm sitting here learning alot...don't mind me.
Can anyone answer this question?
I don't have a clue about pests...

Beetles have wings under their hard shells...so better to crush them.
Skelatal leaves can be from grass hoppers or blister bugs too.
Neem oil works on many bugs and is broad spectrum - meaning it kills beneficial bugs as well. Spray in late evening after the bees and pollinators hve made their visits. Spraying during the daytime in this heat will scald the plants.
Milky Spores works if applied in the Spring before the grubs transition into June bugs and other bugs like japanese beetles. The different sized grubs make different sized beetles....many different kinds.

 

[Smittenroade]

Quick Note: Anyone who is growing inside and has trouble with spider mites. I have heard great reviews on a Dawn Dishwashing Liquid soap, the same kind used in oil spills for animals, mixed with 90 percent water to clean the leaves of the plant.

(I have not tried this myself)

 

[OHhappychicks]

Hello serious gardeners!! I've seen this thread for quite sometime, but have never posted as I'm NOT a great gardner at all! But I do love the rewards! My DH is the gardner. He plants and harvests and I perserve. I hope you all don't mind if I kinda butt in and ask a question to you experts about our tomatoe plants. What is wrong with them when the leaves are curled and drying up. Several of them have died. I haven't been in the garden for a while and I just noticed this. I didn't have my glasses on, but I didn't see any insects. We have several that have little tomatoes on. I don't remember having this problem before. I thought at first they looked like they needed water, but we have had 2-3 inches of rain in the last week and the ground still has plenty of moisture in it. Any thoughts? Thank you for your comments.

 

[krcote]

Quote:
I have this very problem with two of my plants! They sit right next to others that are perfectly normal! It's like they said, "Quick, we are going to die, must put out fruit!" I dug mine up to check for grubs and replanted when I found nothing. There are no parasites anywhere on the plant that I can see.

 

[NanaKat]

A few thoughts:
While tomatoes are tropical plants, they don't like to have their feet really wet and the weird temps we are having is playing havoc with tomatoes....Wet feet and dry hot winds above. Sometimes the plant will shed its lower leaves to sent nurishment to the upper regions of the plant.

If the leaves are curled and look distorted, it could be a virus. The portions of the plant that are distorted can be pruned out or the whole plant should be pulled and distroyed...don't put it in the compost.

Plants within the same variety sometimes just don't thrive as well as others. I have some Arkansas Traveler plants this year. Three of the twelve are simply not growing. They are planted in the same bed. They are only 12 inches tall while the others are three feet tall. They were purchased plants and were in the same cell pack...so I'm thinking it was the way they were started...stunted from the beginning.

If the leaves are yellowing before they turn brown, could be a deficiency in either magnesium or PH...sprinkle a tsp of lime around the base of the plant and scratch it into the soil.

 

[Junkmanme]

Quote:
It could be "Curly-Top Virus".

Link to Oregon State University: http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/ShowDisease.aspx?RecordID=1078

A "Google Image" Search for "Tomato Plant Diseases" can help you MATCH UP the appearance of your Tomato Plants so you can GUESS at what the problem might be.

Also, you might want to check the Forum for Tomatoes at GardenWeb.

GOOD LUCK !!!
-Junkmanme-

 

[Smittenroade]

Quote:
I think it's the chaotic weather...curled up, drying leaves can be nutrient def. overly hot, the plants not "sweating" perspiring well, it could be a host of things. But unless you have a greenhouse not many people are having luck with tomatoes this year. So, know that you are not alone lol my tomatoes are pretty sad as well...Tomatoes are pretty tender plants and (IMHO) not a novice plant to grow. It really doesn't take much to send them into a spiral of unproductiveness and there's lots of pests that like them.

It's been 103-105 for a week straight now in Texas -_-