Bug Problems

The biggest thing I learned this growing season is to allow nature to take it's course in most cases. In most cases if I saw a pest if I looked hard I would also find an insect that fed upon it. I let the praying mantis and ladybugs do what they could. The greens (swiss chard & collards) however needed a helping dose of neem oil spray. A spray now and then usually repelled the wrong sort of bugs from attacking their leaves.

Caterpillar feeding on Dill

An eggplant that did not survive the onslaught of black flea beetles that attacked early in the season. A spray of neem oil repelled enough beetles to allow several to grow.

Once the plants got big enough, the neem oil spray was not necessary. They survive regardless of the visible holes in the leaves.

Cucumbers

I removed both of my cucumber plants from the garden this week. The dried stems and the last crinkly skinned fruit finally convinced me they were past help. They caught some sickness from the beetles that were feasting on them. I've planted some new seeds and am hoping they grow in time for us to enjoy cucumbers before winter. Two of my pepper plants are showing signs of weakness and I'm still at a loss as to what's causing it.

Here's a picture of this week's harvest; greens and herbs have proven reliable and the tomatoes are the newest addition to our dinner table.

Clockwise top left: Calendula Flowers, Basil, Swiss Chard, Collards, Jalapenos, Honey Yellow Tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, Brandywine Tomatoe, Anaheim Chile Peppers

Thunderstorms and Spiders

Today within 2 hours we received over 2 inches of rain and we're expecting even more rain. I'm hoping this translates to greener leaves and better tomatoes in the garden. In the last couple of days there has been an increase in the variety of insects in the garden. Some red mites on the Brandywine tomato leaves one day was followed by the appearance of cobwebs and spiders the next. I'm thinking the straw provides a good home for predator (beneficial) insects. The swallowtail caterpillar is missing from his favorite dill plant and to my relief he is not on the adjacent collard greens; I didn't want to have to touch him, it's kinda gross.

Harvested today: Salad Bowl Lettuce, Baby Butterhead Lettuce, 2 Kohlrabi bulbs (which are now pickling in the fridge) and enough Kohlrabi leaves and Collard Green leaves for omelets.

Flea Beetles and a Swallowtail Caterpillar

In the garden this week, I came across two types of bad insects. One is the swallowtail caterpillar that will one day become a butterfly so I left him alone to eat this dill plant. The other is a horde of black flea beetles that poked a bunch of holes in all of my eggplants (five). I'm not really sure what to do at this point; I've used diatomaceous earth & neem oil spray. Maybe the eggplants are way too damaged. I tried plucking the bugs off today and am applying neem oil to the surrounding plants (sweet potato in particular). Hoping at least one of my eggplants survives.

Today I planted a Best Boy Tomato and a Beefsteak tomato in containers using layers of straw and gravel for drainage at the bottom. The soil is a mix of compost and perlite. I used the Neptune Fish Emulsion to feed my plants today (maybe the nasturtium leaves were turning yellow from not giving them enough nitrogen).

Swallowtail Caterpillar on a Dill plant

Flea Beetles and/or Aphids have been eating my eggplant seedlings.

Best Boy & Beefsteak tomatoes are planted in pots with straw, compost, perlite and gravel.

Garden Pics

Kohlrabi are about 2 to 3 inches wide now

Roma Tomato has leaves that I think are being eaten by insects

I think this is fennel (front) and in the back a zucchini decided to start growing finally

Swiss Chard (red version in front and yellow in back)

Collard Greens were being eaten but now seem to be recovering.

Chamomile seedling starting out. I have three growing currently.

Salad Bowl Lettuce (left) Butterhead Lettuce (center) and Broccoli Raab (right)

Cucumber plant at the base of the teepee

A cilantro plant that began from seed and behind it is a shallot plant

The sad looking plant in the back is a sweet potato and the plants in the front right are eggplants.

Danielle's Jalapeno plant growing happy new leaves

The New Mexico Chile plant is doing fine

Nasturtium plants are growing. I have about five of them.

Bay (left) and Lemon Verbena (right)

 The weather has been nice and we're expecting beautiful weather all this week (highs in the 70s and 80s).

Broccoli Raab harvested

The high today was 87F. The Broccoli Raab is supposed to grow in cooler temperatures than what it has been recently. It seems like we skipped spring and went straight from winter to summer. The Broccoli Raab unfortunately sent up shoots when it was only 2 inches tall and very thin. Next time I'll have to plant it way earlier or grow it over winter. The top little rounded pieces are the shoots and you have to catch them before they flower (My Vegetable Gardener's Bible book says you have 24 hours after they send up shoots). I'll try planting them again in the fall (hoping for better results then).

Also in the picture you can see little holes in the leaves of the Broccoli Raab. These holes are appearing everywhere: my pepper plants, tomato leaves, collard greens and kohlrabi. I sprinkled some diatomaceous earth over the weekend over the trouble areas. I have heard from other gardeners that this could be slugs and things I read online seem to confirm it too.

I am looking forward to harvesting the Kholrabi soon so I can plant some more tomatoes.