What did you do in the garden today?

[CatInTheHenHouse]

The first of my Trail of Tears beans is starting to get its purple coloring and I saw the first bloom on one of my melon plants! I really hope fall holds off for me to actually get something off it.

 

[Smokerbill]

OMG a REAL ONE. A REAL RED LADYBUG on the Lovage!!
View attachment 4190729

I miss seeing those. When the darned "beneficial" ladybugs began being sold to home gardeners for aphid control it decimated the native populations. Now for the most part all you see are the foreign pale orange "ladybugs" that congregate in the fall and take over attic spaces. A real nuisance.

The native ladybugs I grew up seeing in northeast Kansas weren't that deep of a red in color, but were a rich, dark orange.

Got the stressed out beans watered, along with the peppers and a half dozen tomato plants. My thinking is that a little heat stress is good for plants. The tops may look a little wilted but it encourages the roots to dig down deeper to find water and more nutrients, making the plants stronger.

 

[OnlySympathy]

The first of my Trail of Tears beans is starting to get its purple coloring and I saw the first bloom on one of my melon plants! I really hope fall holds off for me to actually get something off it.

Those are pole beans which look pretty similar to black turtle beans right?

 

[jxp]

Found what I think are potato beetle larvae chomping on my eggplant. The potatoes 5 feet away is completely untouched View attachment 4190663

Both Jerry Brown and Farmer's Almanac recommend planting eggplant as a catch crop for potato beetles. You're watching old passed-down wisdom in action.

 

[OnlySympathy]

Both Jerry Brown and Farmer's Almanac recommend planting eggplant as a catch crop for potato beetles. You're watching old passed-down wisdom in action.

Nooo I care about my eggplants a lot more than I care about my potatoes

 

[OnlySympathy]

Got to love listening to your neighbor scream at his pregnant wife while trying to enjoy the garden at night

 

[jxp]

I've thought that a freeze drier would be GREAT for onions, garlic, and potatoes. Hubby doesn't think it would be worth the cost.

I wish I could test drive one for a week and see if it would be a good fit for us.

Online, the Harvest Right 5 tray (medium) is $2400, the 6 tray (large) is $3000 at TSC, and the same on their website, which list these prices as "on sale."

Whenever I feel the need or desire for something but am hesitant to indulge the cost, I keep an eye on this site. Patience is a virtue.

hibid

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Those are pole beans which look pretty similar to black turtle beans right?

I’ve never grown Black Turtle beans but Trail of Tears beans are pole beans yes, the seeds are usually black and the pods start green and either turn purple or get purple streaks on them. They have strings in the pods too.

 

[OnlySympathy]

I’ve never grown Black Turtle beans but Trail of Tears beans are pole beans yes, the seeds are usually black and the pods start green and either turn purple or get purple streaks on them. They have strings in the pods too.

Sounds pretty similar!

 

[OnlySympathy]

Both Jerry Brown and Farmer's Almanac recommend planting eggplant as a catch crop for potato beetles. You're watching old passed-down wisdom in action.

Well I can unfortunately confirm it is definitely a good recommendation. I decided to go take a look at the damage and see if I could find any more and well the pictures speak for themselves. These are the closest potatoes to the eggplant

And this is the eggplant