What did you do in the garden today?

[TillyPeeps]

All the indeterminate tomatoes are starting to ripen. Gonna be covered up in tomatoes in a couple of days. One of them, 'Galahad' has come down with what I believe to be verticillium wilt. I've always had a problem with this and chose the tomato varieties I did to deal with it. A couple of the dahlias have it also while the others seem to be as healthy as can be. I'm going to harvest the ripe tomatoes today before culling this plant.

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The one right next to it, 'Bobcat' is flourishing so far. I'll know not to plant 'Galahad' next year.

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And the bell peppers (also hybrids although I can't remember the variety) are doing well .

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I foresee stuffed peppers in our future.

Finally having to start watering everything although we have a higher chance of rain in the next couple of days. Fingers crossed!

I'm trying to use aspirin to prevent tomato diseases. Here's some information:

https://www.therustedgarden.com/blo...FwdkD0YkhhTTDKufqisYeY4Vv5AB10KSkGecO-pbqTGxl

So far, I don't have issues this year, so it may worth it. You can get some uncoated aspirin from Amazon.

 

[TillyPeeps]

Yesterday was THE day of the week to spend in the garden: cooler, much lower humidity, and mostly overcast. But I wasted the day buying a car instead. It's way, way down on my list of favorite things to do.

At least it doesn't top my list of most hated things to do.

Anyway. I did the first picking of black raspberries! The birds are finding them, so I need to get there before they do. The dang birds got all my cherries!

My black raspberry season is almost over. I think the wild black raspberries in my yard are not very good (no berry flavor and sour), so birds barely touch them and I just feed them to chickens. Not even all chickens like it.

 

[Smokerbill]

Finally, in the fourth season of trying I've succeeded at growing beets! There's still a minor problem with the soil I'm guessing. For some reason some of the leaves just randomly start drying up and shriveling/browning, starting at the edges and working in toward the leaf rib. There are still plenty of leaves remaining for my beet greens, so I'm happy. I think I'll try planting some fall beets.

That small one came out accidentally.

 

[RoseHawke]

I'm trying to use aspirin to prevent tomato diseases. Here's some information:

https://www.therustedgarden.com/blo...FwdkD0YkhhTTDKufqisYeY4Vv5AB10KSkGecO-pbqTGxl

So far, I don't have issues this year, so it may worth it. You can get some uncoated aspirin from Amazon.

Trust me. I've tried everything (including the aspirin trick.) The heat and humidity just does them in and makes them susceptible to every fungus/bacterial disease/pest under the sun. I've got them under 40% shade cloth for the first time this year though, and I'm finding that it does seem to help. Usually, they'll start dropping blossoms in this sort of heat (90° at 10:20 am, and a heat index of 103°,) but that doesn't seem to be the case this time.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

What Neem oil do you use? We have not had good results with Neem. It seems nothing organic will work on squash bugs and cucumber beetles. I just have to check twice daily for eggs and culling the pests.

Captain Jack’s in the ready-to-use spray bottle.

 

[TillyPeeps]

Trust me. I've tried everything (including the aspirin trick.) The heat and humidity just does them in and makes them susceptible to every fungus/bacterial disease/pest under the sun. I've got them under 40% shade cloth for the first time this year though, and I'm finding that it does seem to help. Usually, they'll start dropping blossoms in this sort of heat (90° at 10:20 am, and a heat index of 103°,) but that doesn't seem to be the case this time.

Yeah, fungus diseases are tough to fight. Every year, I grow Momotaro tomato which seems rarely having disease issues. It's also early and crack resistant. The flavor are great too. The other tomato types always have some problems, but I still looking for more trouble free ones with good flavor.

 

[Rick589]

He's so pretty! I like the name Calico, or Patchy.

Second fiddle comes to mind.

 

[Rick589]

What Neem oil do you use? We have not had good results with Neem. It seems nothing organic will work on squash bugs and cucumber beetles. I just have to check twice daily for eggs and culling the pests.

Are you using cold pressed oil and mixing it yourself?

 

[Rick589]

Finally, in the fourth season of trying I've succeeded at growing beets! There's still a minor problem with the soil I'm guessing. For some reason some of the leaves just randomly start drying up and shriveling/browning, starting at the edges and working in toward the leaf rib. There are still plenty of leaves remaining for my beet greens, so I'm happy. I think I'll try planting some fall beets.

That small one came out accidentally.

View attachment 4168787

You and me both. One of the supposedly easiest vegetables to grow hates me.

 

[Rick589]

What Neem oil do you use? We have not had good results with Neem. It seems nothing organic will work on squash bugs and cucumber beetles. I just have to check twice daily for eggs and culling the pests.

I think the trick with squash bugs is catching them early. Once they hit adult stage I don’t think any pesticide works well.