there was barely anything left!
Above, the Roma tomato bed was the worst. I pulled 2 plants from the right side completely and had to prune radically.
Below, the Red Zebra tomatoes. I purposefully pruned these up like a tree early on, but only the one on the right had blight symptoms, and now looks pretty pathetic! I know the plant doesn't have enough foliage to survive now, but am hoping for the fruit to ripen before I pull it completely.
The Yellow Pear tomatoes were a total loss and were pulled. I was able to save a few ripe ones, but sadly it was toast.
The frustrating thing is that I anticipate this stuff from the get-go, I always prune up so there is light and air circulation underneath, only water from the bottom, etc. We did have an unusually cool, wet month of May when they were set out. I also noted that I had the same problem only with these varieties last year, and used the same seed packs... I'll be throwing them out pronto.
Now, some good news! My other tomatoes seem unaffected by anything other than heavy loads.
Heirloom Brandywines & Hillbillies
Hybrid Orange Wellington is a good producer in containers, these were in containers last year too, and withstood being knocked over countless times in storms.
Today, we were kicked in the gut again... Squash Vine Borers!
Above is one of the Sugar Pie pumpkins. I had never seen a SVB moth in real life before but when it landed I did a double take, immediately recognized it from Loch's bug briefings and started hollering at hubby to come over and help. I happened to have a bottle of Neem Oil insecticidal soap spray in my tool caddy and nailed it repeatedly - it then basically gave me the finger and flew off. I ran inside and looked up exactly what the eggs looked like so I could get them before they hatched and burrowed in, and ran back outside. After briefing hubby we went to start searching all the bases of all the squash plants. While peering in there it landed again right in front of us. Chaos ensued, me spraying Neem at it like G.I. Jane unloading a machine gun, hubby chasing it with a fly swatter, and the dogs in the house barking trying to figure out why we seem to have had gone off the deep end. Anyway, we didn't get it and now I'm freaked out and keep going out there to look for eggs, I'm thinking about sitting on the deck with binoculars and lying in wait! I know it's going to be bad because it's not even a race to get the squash before the SVB damage kicks in - they haven't even bloomed yet! I'll have to be more careful with my machine gun spray once they bloom, I surely don't want to hit any bees!
I'll finish with some good things...
It was 79ºtoday, only 42% humidity, and it just doesn't get any cooler than that around here, thank you, Mother Nature!
Got the deck cleaned up and rearranged...
and shocked my fish by cleaning the pond!
Thanks to all of you for your helpfulness on the zucchini planting, I'll be doing that tomorrow. We are expected to remain below 82 degrees until Friday, when the heat gets kicked back up again.
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteI've tried commenting numerous times, but for some reason blogger won't let me. (I'm on hubby's computer, so I'm not about to "experiment" and try to change things.) I'm sorry you've had early blight on your tomatoes and are having squash bug problems. It is going to be a rough gardening year here, too. Squash bugs are still here, and so are the aphids and white fly. Normally I only use organic "weapons" but if this keeps on, I'm about to start chemical warfare on the bugs. Hope it won't come to this...
By the way, I love the picture of your garlic hanging on the porch curing.
Anke
Oh gosh, you poor thing.....those tomatoes look wonderful, too!
ReplyDeleteAnke, it seems to be rough all over, and all types of extremes regarding the weather. I'm going to coin a new term in honor of 2011... "responsible chemical warfare" LOL... I'm trying my darndest not to use it, but when I do I make sure there's no "friendlies" visiting the area! I have heard from other bloggers with this widespread comment problem that if you uncheck "keep me signed in" then it will work?.
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E.G., at least my precious Brandywines are going strong, I'll definitely be ordering them from the same source next year! I thought of you immediately when I realized that I was looking at a SVB, not because you have them, but because I regard you as the "Squash Man"... I thought "E.G. would know what to do!", but instead I ran around the yard with a flyswatter like a crazy person :)
My goodness you have your hands full already! After reading this post the first time, I went outside and checked all the plants. Then I went to the plots and checked the plants. Those damn SVB's got all my squash last year!
ReplyDeleteMove north, young woman, move north! We may have a short season and have to go to great lengths (greenhouse or hoop house) to grow tomatoes but we don't seem to have the insect or blight problems like you do.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say though that your unaffected tomatoes look great! Yay for heirlooms!
You absolutely killed me when I got to the part about your hubby running around with a flyswatter! In all seriousness I'm terribly sorry about your poor tomatoes. I noticed leaves starting to yellow at the bottom of Matthew's plant today, so I'll be reviewing the virus photos again. Thanks for your kind words over in our neck of the woods. :)
ReplyDeleteYour poor tomatoes! But I've got to tell you, girl, you are SO smart about gardening! I come here to learn things. I am a total novice compared to you. Keep up the information!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your blight problems. The image of you and your hubby going nuts in the backyard battling a moth just cracked me up!
ReplyDeleteAnd I like your term 'responsible chemical warfare' I'll confess, I attacked the flea beetles on my eggplant.
Judy
Oh, I went through that early blight in 2009, and it wiped out an entire row just one right after the other.
ReplyDeleteAbout the SVB moth.....GET OUT THE DAMNED SHOTGUNS!!!
Ack! I hate bugs taking out my precious plants. And I feel your pain with the blight. But you do have a bajillion other superhealthy plants that look amazing!
ReplyDeleteI need to turn you on to Plectranthus amboinicus AKA Cuban or Mexican oregano or sage. I have a variegated variety from Mr. Subjunctive of Plants Are The Strangest People. It is awesome in pasta sauce!
love that deck...great post. you seem equal to any infesting army. woe-betide all intruders!
ReplyDeleteI would expect no less in the warfare department on those bugs! Former vet and current military wife with all that training certainly came in handy here! I hope you find the eggs and get good photos too! Regardless of the pruning and all, everything still looks great!
ReplyDeleteI hate those little SVB feckers. They are the worst.
ReplyDeleteYour surviving tomatoes look GREAT!
Bummer about the blight. If you're like me, your favorites are the ones that keel over first! And I'm sorry about the SVBs. I know first-hand how damaging they can be. Maybe the boys can do regular "SVB patrol" with insect nets to catch the adults before they lay too many eggs.
ReplyDeleteRobin, sorry to freak you out LOL!
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Mama Pea, it seems California is the only place with no troubles LOL, when I lived there it was smooth sailing 365 days a year... too bad about that cost of living and no snow thing LOL!
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Author, no joke, we looked ridiculous out there!
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Mama Tea, you make me blush :)... seriously though you just wait a few years and I'm going to have a ton of questions for you about root veggies, root cellaring, northern tomatoes and RHUBARB! Everyone's an expert on their own piece of land, I say!
Judy, I'm so responsible I went out and talked to the flower buds on the pumpkins this morning - I said "please don't bloom today, I want to nuke the borers, okay?" Then Finn came out to ask me if I had packed his school lunch yet and saw me and just shook his head... :)
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Gran I think I remember reading about that, I guess we all have to deal with it sooner or later, doesn't it make us stronger? LOL...
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Kenneth, I have something called Mexican Sage in a pot! Is Saudi hot enough for you yet?
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Dmarie, why thanks!
APG, I think where my prior military training came in is when I started seriously considering draping netting over the little deck, calling it my "hooch" and wanting to look for SVB with my binoculars :)
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Kelly, my first time dealing with them and NOW I understand why everyone hates them so!
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AGWH, I wish my boys would, I think they would just antagonize them until they laid even more in spite LOL
Who says California has no troubles? It still has Arnold Schwarzenegger, doesn't it? ;o}
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mama Tea completely! You really do your research, and you know gardening. I come here to learn things too! And be entertained, of course. :)
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