Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[bailey mountain brewer]

So what are you all doing about these vine borers?.. I think I had an attack on my zucchini, first year for that, I got a few zucchini a couple weeks ago and now the plants are dying, I wasn't sure why but based on what I'm reading im thinking it could be squash bugs.

 

[corkybstewart]

So what are you all doing about these vine borers?.. I think I had an attack on my zucchini, first year for that, I got a few zucchini a couple weeks ago and now the plants are dying, I wasn't sure why but based on what I'm reading im thinking it could be squash bugs.

Squash bugs are the worst. Once you're infested it's hard to eradicate them. I check under the leaves for tiny brown eggs and cut that part of the leaf off and burn it. Spraying the bugs with regular dish soap and water kills the adults, when you can find them.

 

[Deadalus]

So what are you all doing about these vine borers?.. I think I had an attack on my zucchini, first year for that, I got a few zucchini a couple weeks ago and now the plants are dying, I wasn't sure why but based on what I'm reading im thinking it could be squash bugs.

Every year I think about staking them up. Then I think the suggestion is to put foil around the stem. The juvenile borer gets in to the stem at ground level. Seems like work to stake them up so I haven't tried it.

I read recently though something that sounded very workable. The guy plants new ones when the first round bloom. When the new one blooms, the old one can come out if it's dying. I usually plant three of each variety but they all usually die of something. Powdery mildew used to get them first but I treat that now. But then the vine borers started getting them. Last year I did cut them out but that was hard on the plants and they died off. I will at least try that again this year, finer cuts.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Gotcha, I read somewhere that wrapping medical gauze or something of that sort around the stem can help as well... I took a close look at my plants last night, I didn't see any bugs in the stems, so I'm not 100% sure that was my problem, maybe some sort of fungal infection. But I'll be doing more research, I also started a second batch of new plants.

 

[corkybstewart]

Gotcha, I read somewhere that wrapping medical gauze or something of that sort around the stem can help as well... I took a close look at my plants last night, I didn't see any bugs in the stems, so I'm not 100% sure that was my problem, maybe some sort of fungal infection. But I'll be doing more research, I also started a second batch of new plants.

I've never seen squash bugs(vine borers?) in France, and the one thing that usually does great here are the zucchini. Last year not so much, it stayed too cool I think, and this year it's been too hot and dry. But we're getting a steady supply, just not enough to feed the village like usual.

 

[Deadalus]

I don't have a good mental picture of the adults so unfortunately I don't see them either! Someone reminded me earlier today about checking the underside of leaves for eggs. They are brown, small but visible to the eye. They get deposited in between the leaf veins, where the veins form an angle. I've spot checked for them, recently and in the past, but haven't found any before they've tunneled in. I'd be more thorough if I had evidence they are around. Tape is suggested to pull them off.

Another suggestion is that since they are cyclical, to plant late summer for fall harvest. I just don't have a planting schedule that works for. I've been winging planting times and bed spacing a bit widely in recent years. A lot like my brewing "schedule"!

 

[Dland]

So what are you all doing about these vine borers?.. I think I had an attack on my zucchini, first year for that, I got a few zucchini a couple weeks ago and now the plants are dying, I wasn't sure why but based on what I'm reading im thinking it could be squash bugs.

Edit; Looks like the text I tried to post did not make it through the posting of pictures.

This year I staked the squash for the first time, and it helps with the borers, along with paper or fabric row cover. I did find one, I cut it out & killed it. Also I treated the stem with Capt Jack deadbug, a BT type bio control, but only carefully applying to stems, avoiding the flowers so as not to kill the bees.

Squash bugs are pretty easy to catch kill, but one does need to visit garden every day and look for them.

 

[Dland]

Harvested garlic last week, now curing on hood of the shop princess.

 

[Dland]

Chard, beats, broccolini, basil, eggplant, beans,squash, lots of peppers. Growing tomatoes in containers this year due to blight spores in soil

 

[mbg]

Looks like blossom end rot on the right. The left might be considered cat-facing. I know a little bit about BER. Ultimately it involves calcium, but lower magnesium somehow affects the calcium uptake. Some people add epsom salt at planting or early broadcast but you need to be careful not to overdo it. I will add a tbsp/gal to my copper treatments once early in the season.Once BER occurs, you may be able to fix it by dusting with agricultural lime. Long term a good idea is to get your soil tested and then amend it. States usually have free soil testing through ag. extension or at state universities. BER occurs on the blossom end from my understanding. Also suggested as a factor is watering periodicity but I haven't seen a definitive explanation of why and I can only gather it is irregularity in the number of days.

Cat-facing is sometimes suggested to be from insect damage maybe even bird peck. I find it seems to happen a little more frequently with specific varieties, usually the convoluted less smooth types, like Costolutos as an example.

Thanks to all for the information.

One other thing I did before planting this season was add some brown clay soil from a drainage trench project. Could this have caused this?

 

[Deadalus]

Thanks to all for the information.

One other thing I did before planting this season was add some brown clay soil from a drainage trench project. Could this have caused this?

So I did a little further reading on BER, which concurred with what @bailey mountain brewer relayed. Calcium is not very soluble. The Ca is taken up by the roots and the fruit needs a steady supply. Water falls as rain and moves through the plant and back out to the atmosphere-evapotranspiration. Ca is dissolved in the water and transported from the roots then through the xylem up to the fruit and leaves. But the fruit gets waxy as it enlarges, which slows transpiration and the leaves respire more in hot weather. Ca is thus deposited in greater amounts in the leaves. The leaves however do not transport the Ca through the phloem (another pathway). Thus BER when water uptake is irregular and/or affected by higher temperatures. Spraying Ca on the leaves and fruit is suggested to be not very effective as only the younger fruits can absorb it and the leaves don't supply it. @corkybstewart 's suggestion to add soluble Ca to the roots seems a solid approach.

As far as clayey soil, clays have a higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) then larger particles (silt and sand). Ca is positively charged, your clay could be holding onto the Ca more strongly.

Long term seems keeping healthy values of Ca in the soil and regular watering are key.

 

[VApatriot]

Hatch chiles and Santa Fe Grande peppers from the garden this morning.

 

[corkybstewart]

Today's harvest. Tomatoes, green beans, yellow zuke, cayenne and espaulette peppers

 

[VApatriot]

Sweet brined Santa Fe Grande peppers made yesterday, hot water bath canned.

 

[Deadalus]

Friday's picks, which got cooked and canned. That was the last of the pickling cukes.

I picked some more this afternoon. This is the box I wanted to use but it was occupied by this big guy.

So had to go get another box!

 

[Agent]

Yall made me go check on the rutabaga.

I was simultaneously amazed and unhappy.

 

[Deadalus]

That was kohlrabi in mine, if you were thinking otherwise. I did have some kind of gash/crevice in one of them. They sometimes don't bulb properly either. I left three growing but I'm not sure they will fill out.

What do you think caused that middle rutabaga to do that? Was there a rock there, seems like the root extension is off centered? Or was something just eating on it?

 

[Agent]

I should give kohlrabi a try, as I wage war against root maggots in my radishes, turnips, and rutabaga. That big one definitely had early maggot damage, and a couple late ones as well. That and rapid growth makes most things freakish. After topping it, that big one was still over 5lbs.

And I only have nearly a hundred "normal-ish" ones I need to deal with sooner rather than later.

 

[Bramling Cross]

That's a whole month's worth for my wife.

My jealously knows no bounds. You, sir, won the lottery.

 

[corkybstewart]

We were gone 4 days, came back to a huge haul. That's 3 times as much green beans as we've gotten in the last 3 weeks.

 

[hottpeper13]

I put a fine layer of wood ash on the planting square then place radish seeds and top with soil. No maggots. I wonder if it would work for turnips or rutabagas?

 

[Oldskewl]

Sweet brined Santa Fe Grande peppers made yesterday, hot water bath canned.

View attachment 882034

Would you mind sharing your brine for these peppers? My peppers this year are not producing many flowers/peppers. Weird. We had a dry spring and a long stretch of wettness in early summer. Now we are back dryness.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Today's pick.

 

[corkybstewart]

Today's pick.
View attachment 882231

Nice haul, but I'm curious about the Amish Macaroni Salad. Noodles are not what I usually associate with the Amish.

 

[corkybstewart]

Yesterday's tomatoes, and some beets for this evening's salad.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Nice haul, but I'm curious about the Amish Macaroni Salad. Noodles are not what I usually associate with the Amish.

Well good question, all I know is the style has sweet pickles relish in it... clearly this wasnt made by the Amish so I can't say how it got the name.. Im in central PA .. lots of Amish, but I'd have to ask one of them if they make macaroni salad to get the correct answer. That container is actually just a scrap container we put cuttings into for our chickens.

 

[hottpeper13]

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.

 

[Agent]

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.

Like the top of the tomato fruit or plant?

 

[hottpeper13]

The plant. They left immature cherry fruits alone, but ate all the flowers and leaves.

 

[Agent]

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.