Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[bailey mountain brewer]

I have tomatoes coming out of 5' 6x6 rewire cages that have the tops eaten off. The ones that stay below are ok. what could do that? I do have lots of birds in the yarden.

Deer?

 

[passedpawn]

Took my first go at making garlic pepper rutabaga chips. Peeled, steamed, then sliced them. Turned out a bit dense and chewy. Could be worse.

And I managed to use up two whole rutabaga.

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Hard to make chips of any kind in a dehydrator. They always end up chewy, not crunchy. Deep fry.

 

[hottpeper13]

Deer?

It's inside the fenced garden.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

It's inside the fenced garden.

I see... I've seen a deer jump an 8 foot fence, but it certainly would deter them.. hmmm giraffe?? Hahah

 

[Agent]

Start doing some patrols to see if you can spot one (or a couple) of these guys going to town. Just because tomato hornworms are massive doesn't mean they are easy to see.

 

[day_trippr]

Man, ain't that the truth. I've had best luck finding them by looking for their droppings first...

Cheers!

 

[Deadalus]

I've heard a blacklight will show them. BT seems to keep them away so I haven't tried it.

 

[hottpeper13]

That's what the stems look like, but why only the parts coming out the top of the cages? will check today. Thanks!

 

[VApatriot]

I hate those things and yes, blacklights do work to spot them in the dark.

 

[Dland]

A few judicious applications of BT during the summer go a long way to help with hornworms. It also keeps squash borer and and cabbage moths at bay.

 

[DuncB]

BT ?
What is it?

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

BT ?
What is it?

Natural insecticide, like a bacteria that is only toxic to bugs.

 

[DuncB]

Thank you, what's the full name?

 

[day_trippr]

bacillus thuringiensis

 

[DuncB]

Thanks @day_trippr

I will do some research.

 

[day_trippr]

BT has been around for decades and iirc is particularly effective against Japanese beetle grubs...

Cheers!

 

[Dland]

The Japanese beetle one is actually "milky spore", which gives the beetle larvi a deadly fungus infection. Fun fact, you can treat the soil around their target plants such as hops, raspberrys and roses, and it will be effective for years.

BT is a bacteria, has also been around for a long time, it is mostly and very effective on Lepodotera larvi, (moths, butterflys) which is a good reason to target it carefully, so as not to kill benign species. It basically gives the plague to any insects in that classification. It must be applied at least seasonally, though wild versions of it exist and often will wipe out whole masses of infestations such as Gypsy moths, given the right environmental conditions (cold, wet, & windy helps)

 

[DuncB]

environmental conditions (cold, wet, & windy helps)

Sounds like wellington most of the time.
Appears that biocontrol has kept the Japanese beetle out. Many other japanese car imports though!

 

[Deadalus]

I think there are specific varieties of BT which affect different insect species. There is one variety used against mosqitoes for instance. Definitely one works well for cabbage moths. I left off using row covers on my brassicas this year and did a pretty decent job preventing considering I was somewhat lax in my copper + BT spraying. I do have vine borer damage, but did not think to carefully spray the main stems on the lower sections. I usually spray squash to control powdery mildew, but the leaves are so big and they crowd me in my lanes so I am usually trying to avoid breaking leaves off.

 

[Deadalus]

This week's picks. Got some peppers and kohlrabi (kraut) fermenting (1/2 gal jars).

 

[day_trippr]

Awesome!

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

We've made several jars of salsa so far this year, probably change up and make something different with this round. Just haven't decided what yet.

 

[Deadalus]

We've made several jars of salsa so far this year, probably change up and make something different with this round. Just haven't decided what yet.
View attachment 882961View attachment 882962

Ever make relish? I've made sweet and dill relish with extra slicing cukes. I'm not a fan of butter pickles or sweet relish but I liked the dill relish.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Ever make relish? I've made sweet and dill relish with extra slicing cukes. I'm not a fan of butter pickles or sweet relish but I liked the dill relish.

Yeah, we did relish last year so might do a batch of that, and I think I'm gonna do some rosemary pickled tomatoes with our cherry tomatoes. They are like golf ball sized so I'll have to use quart or larger jars.

 

[Deadalus]

I did an easy ferment with cherry tomatoes that was good a couple times, I remember basil and garlic. Rosemary sounds good too.

I've got those tiny ones this year in my pics, not liking them as they split super easy when picking. Stuck them in the dehydrator for sun dried and they are ending up looking like red raisins!

I am also trying out making paprika. I have actual paprika peppers but I'm reading some use bells (but not much flavor?). Seems either a mild or sweet pepper is used. Those are dehydrating too.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

I haven't gotten into dehydrating yet, maybe one of these days.

 

[Agent]

Went to pull the green beans and feed the chickens. Lo and behold, they found a second wind. I only got through a quarter of the patch before filling my bowl.

Also with the help of a few greenbacks, I got the kiddo to help dig one of the carrot beds.

 

[Agent]

Lovely afternoon to spend in the canning kitchen with a 5-gallon pail of random tomatoes to get diced and canned up.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Sometimes they hide.. wth am I gonna do with this likely very bitter cucumber.... ? Chicken food maybe.

 

[DuncB]

Stuff it!