Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[Sbe2]

My plants indoors under the lights are eat-up with aphids. (no idea where they came from) I've tried DE, diazinon, and some kind of spray stuff from Bayer. What works the best is brushing them off with a little tiny paintbrush and then hosing the plants down with cold water, but the next day they are back again. The biggest plants just shake them off, but they've killed a few of the small ones. If i could put them outside I think they'd be okay but it's too freakin' cold. I need to see if I have anything systemic to use that's safe for peppers... Cygon, maybe?

Also, the monarch butterflies are arriving, and there's almost no milkweed up yet because the ground is still cold. It will grow like crazy as soon as the ground is warm, I just hope that's not too late this year.

Lady bugs will work the best. I tried everything on aphids that were on some of my wifes outdoor plants last summer. Lady bugs were the only solution. Not sure if you want them inside though..

 

[bleme]

Lady bugs will work the best. I tried everything on aphids that were on some of my wifes outdoor plants last summer. Lady bugs were the only solution. Not sure if you want them inside though..

This reminds me of a funny story from my childhood. My parents were seriously short on cash one Christmas so my dad dug up a little palm tree from the front yard, put it in a bucket, brought it inside and decorated it. After about a day of warming up, a swarm of lady bugs started pouring out from that tree! There must have been at least 300 of them, all over the house. So maybe you just need a palm tree?

 

[applescrap]

Two tomatoes. Beans, and lettuce are up. Lettuce doing well. I think it hasn't been hot enough for the tomatoes. Also I may have put them in soil that is too loose and got packed.

 

[passedpawn]

If anyone ever sees me mentioning I'm growing tomotoes, please tell me to stop.

Once again, I'm dealing with multiple pests attacking them. There is some sort of boring insect digging holes into them, and also a rat or rabbit or squirrel or something takes a bunch of large bites out of any of the large varieties that are getting ripe (they avoid the small cherry tomatoes, not sure why).

Good news is that the mealybugs were affected by the neem oil. They seemed to disappear quickly after application. Though, I might need to treat again, I think they are at my strawberries. Heading out there now.

None of the pests are bothering my pepper plants (carolina reapers, anaheim peppers, bananas). That's cool.

 

[passedpawn]

This reminds me of a funny story from my childhood. My parents were seriously short on cash one Christmas so my dad dug up a little palm tree from the front yard, put it in a bucket, brought it inside and decorated it. After about a day of warming up, a swarm of lady bugs started pouring out from that tree! There must have been at least 300 of them, all over the house. So maybe you just need a palm tree?

I've never seen many ladybugs around the palms here in FL. I do have a distinct memory from my Ohio boyhood of turning over a small log and releasing a massive colony of ladybugs. I've never seen that many in one place since.

 

[passedpawn]

Amazon sells live ladybugs. Looks like you can get several thousand for $30 or so.

 

[Hanglow]

******* rat has been attacking my greenhouse plants , has devoured a bunch of chillies and marigolds I planted. It also ate all the slug pellets I put down, so I presume it will die a horrible death? Poor bastard I blocked the hole it used up with some aluminium poles but it can presumably still burrow through somewhere else if it is still alive.

 

[passedpawn]

****ing rat has been attacking my greenhouse plants , has devoured a bunch of chillies and marigolds I planted. It also ate all the slug pellets I put down, so I presume it will die a horrible death? Poor bastard I blocked the hole it used up with some aluminium poles but it can presumably still burrow through somewhere else if it is still alive.

Rabbits will eat marigolds (and petunias, saw a rabbit hitting my petunias 2 days ago - he was gobbling the pink petals like potato chips).

I've got some rat poison boxes down around my house. ESAD suckers. There's coyote's that have been killing the little possums and moles in my cul-de-sac the last few weeks, wish they would get on the rats.

 

[catdaddy66]

Finally!! You are looking at the last seedlings to get planted and it only took til Memorial day to do it!

Seriously, I have been planting seedlings that we're started in mid March every night and weekend since late April. I ended up with about 98% germination rate. I have gifted about 50 seedlings but now have over a hundred pots and this 10'x10' plot. These are mostly red habaneros but the rows to the far left and far right are Sunset hybrids (hot banana peppers) and Karma hybrids (red bell peppers), respectively.

Oh, and it's hit 100° both days this weekend and should til Wednesday, per the local forecast.

Whew!!

 

[user 211287]

Took my extras and late starts outside. None were really critical to the grow. A few though are nice enough to figure out some place to put them.

But first, this is Stumpy. He is a Jays Peach Ghost Scorpion from Juanitos that did not like his shipping. Pics do not do him justice. He looks great and will be getting a nice pot soon.

5 Extra aji panca,... a couple each of, Thunder Mountain, Big Jim Heritage and Tekne Dolmasi...I will probably only make a good effort for the Thunders and the Big Jims. At least 2 of the Aji Panca for sure.

Extra Bolsa de Dulce i plan to isolate in case i really like them.

The best TFM and all the bonnets for that matter are starting green up better. New growth is looking pretty good.

All my sugar rush peach are trying to pod up on me.

One JPGS is also

The 2 Bolsa de Dulce really look nice now.

My Early Girl experiment on the front porch. Hoping the damn squirrel dont find it there. Plant is a STUD!!! Cost me $14 at Costco in a big pot with basket. Tag says its from BloomIQ. Ive had great luck with a few of their peppers in the past also.

Mini red rocoto going crazy with beautiful purple blooms

Aji Oro is starting but its still pretty young.

 

[HoppyDaze]

All peppers all the time

 

[catdaddy66]

I have Habs and Bells!! Also some sweet banana peppers have begun to grow but nothing is mature... Yet!

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Pics are from last week.
My tomato plants have exploded, but a few of them I'm dealing with blossom end rot [emoji35]
Pepper plants are still short but the cayennes have peppers on them, and one of the habeneros is starting to flower.

My bush beans and pole beans are both flowering.

The collards have slowed down significantly since I took this pic. It's too hot for them, but they haven't tried to flower just yet.

 

[applescrap]

Hail, of course. Broke 12 drip heads clean off. Repaired and planted today. The drip is back on and really working. Osmocote in each as the norm.

 

[applescrap]

Pics are from last week.
My tomato plants have exploded, but a few of them I'm dealing with blossom end rot [emoji35]
Pepper plants are still short but the cayennes have peppers on them, and one of the habeneros is starting to flower.

My bush beans and pole beans are both flowering.

The collards have slowed down significantly since I took this pic. It's too hot for them, but they haven't tried to flower just yet.
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Great work. Beautiful gardens. The brocolli? is well on it's way. I like the mulch. Man I feel so behind. I like your PVC trellis.

 

[Hanglow]

Yeah that looks great. About a month or two ahead of me LUL


Been cold here, some eof the squash I planted have died. I've set a rat trap in my greenhouse to try and catch the ****** who ate my chillis. Still don't know what it was, could be a squirrel, mouse rat or pigeon for all I know.. Thankfully I have a bunch more plants at home to replace them, although two of the plants eaten were espelettes and I only had 4 of them to begin with.

Also bored with rhubarb, I've had rhubarb crumble, rhubarb eves pudding, rhubarb compote and also chucked some into a saison. Bring on the strawberries and blueberries please

 

[brewcat]

Got one raised bed planted. Will plant the other in a few days. Probably should have planted more eggplant... Also trying okra in containers this year. Overall this year is a bit more experimental... Already thinking about next year...

 

[catdaddy66]

Got one raised bed planted. Will plant the other in a few days. Probably should have planted more eggplant... Also trying okra in containers this year. Overall this year is a bit more experimental... Already thinking about next year...

Let us know how the okra do for you. I was split doing them this year, but ultimately didn't. Next year will be different!

 

[brewcat]

Let us know how the okra do for you. I was split doing them this year, but ultimately didn't. Next year will be different!

Will try to remember! The past two years I have grown them in raised beds. The production just wasn't there. By the time they matured the days started cooling off. Will be interesting to find out what I get this year.

 

[applescrap]

And now, hail again! Tarps and clips on cages.

 

[bleme]

That's some crazy weather Scrappy! We have sort of the opposite problem here with some plants wilting as it heads north of 100F.

We had a 'sort of' garden success last week though. My daughter was growing a cabbage for school. Every day we were picking the cabbage worms off and it seemed to be thriving but hadn't produced a head yet. As the weeks went by, we weren't seeing anymore caterpillars and stopped paying such close attention. Then one day I do out to water it and all the caterpillars have turned all the big exterior leaves to lace but left a nice 3.5lb head of cabbage. Sadly, her teacher said that she was the only student to grow her plant successfully!

 

[estricklin]

Will try to remember! The past two years I have grown them in raised beds. The production just wasn't there. By the time they matured the days started cooling off. Will be interesting to find out what I get this year.

I've grown up growing and eating okra, it LOVES the heat, doesn't produce as well when temps aren't high. Here, when the temps are 90F++ okra produces extremely well. Even just a few plants can supply a family of 4. I've never grown them in containers, but I would say if you do, keep them fertilized well, and make sure they get full sun. Clemson Spineless is the "go to" variety, and I think it's available in a dwarf version as well, which would be better for container growers.

 

[estricklin]

Here are some photos I took, mostly today, of my garden's progress. The potatoes (though not in these photos) are laying over, and about ready for harvest. My tomatoes are doing well, peppers are starting to produce, and tomatoes look good too. I got my corn hilled today, and my cabbage weeded. I think I may have an Aji pepper coming along, the "chacheetos" are tasty! I have 1 ghost planted, and a couple more still under grow lights.

Will post pictures of my okra soon.

 

[catdaddy66]

Just found and eliminated a half dozen tomato hornworms! I was wondering when they would begin their attempts at destruction. One was found on a pepper plant which was news to me.

Overall I think production is ramping up, with banana peppers busting out and cherry tomatoes setting a bunch of fruit. I have harvested all of my bok choy and spinach so far this year. I have kohlrabi seeds that I can start inside in August or September.

 

[jrgtr42]

I finally got my plants in the ground. I had a dozen or so tomatoes, 4 cucumbers and a dozen peppers of different varieties.
Unfortunately, it seems like most of the tomatoes didn't make it - I don't know if someone ate them or they just died. I have 3 or 4 left, 2 cucumbers and 10 or so peppers that made it.
I may need to break down and get a couple tomato plants from the store (I hate doing that...)
I don't eat the tomatoes, but my wife and kiddo love them, so the more the better.

 

[applescrap]

Here are some photos I took, mostly today, of my garden's progress. The potatoes (though not in these photos) are laying over, and about ready for harvest. My tomatoes are doing well, peppers are starting to produce, and tomatoes look good too. I got my corn hilled today, and my cabbage weeded. I think I may have an Aji pepper coming along, the "chacheetos" are tasty! I have 1 ghost planted, and a couple more still under grow lights.

Will post pictures of my okra soon.

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Looks awesome as always. Did you till the yard up for the garden?

 

[Apple_Jacker]

Great work. Beautiful gardens. The brocolli? is well on it's way. I like the mulch. Man I feel so behind. I like your PVC trellis.

Collard greens actually.

That PVC trellis was very easy to make too.

EDIT: 2 of the tomato plants in the garden bed are now taller than that PVC trellis (it's 6 feet tall). I'm also starting to get some tomatoes turning red.

 

[estricklin]

Looks awesome as always. Did you till the yard up for the garden?

Thanks! Yeah I use a tiller, I have a large one for breaking up the ground and going between rows, and a smaller one for cultivating. I still have lots more land I could plant on if I wanted, but I'm probably pushing close to .75 acres or more now.

 

[applescrap]

That is so cool. I am realizing that we bought a house with way to small a yard. I cant build a little brew shed, no room to garden, no room for chickens, no space for camper, etc...

 

[catdaddy66]

Have peppers on most every plant (about 3 dozen!) and tomatoes on over half. I have fertilized more frequently this season than last and the results show. Cukes have slowed a bit but look healthy.

My two peppers that I am trying to "air prune" are my strongest in terms of size. Should have quite a harvest by month's end.