Mary,mary Quite Contrary

[ness]

I'd snip off those yellow leaves and discard them. I also always prune off the lower stems so no leaves are close to the ground to prevent splash up and soil-borne disease. And try to water below the foliage -- not over the leaves. I use a wand and tuck it up under everything when I water.

I've been using a copper fungicide, but it's gooey, clogs my sprayer and is a pain to clean up. I'm gonna go with something else -- I've heard Ortho Max broad spectrum fungicide is good.

[BilletHead]

Yes I have been snipping the yellowish leaves. Might try the ortho max too if it gets any worse. Right now just a couple of plants,

Thanks,

BilletHead

[Quillback]

Just harvested a cucumber. My first piece of produce from this years garden.

[exiledguide]

We don't do much veggies anymore most grown in containers. Lost our tomatoes weren't growing and turning yellow replaced them when we got back from Iowa a couple of weeks ago (super sweet cherry) and they are doing great. Banana and gypsy peppers are doing great and we had our best strawberries and snow and sugar snap peas are doing well. I have no idea why things went the way they did I couldn't believe how well the peppers did with the cold wet weather we had. I just composted what was left of an average lettuce crop this morning. I think between my back and age I might be done farming. Na I'll get my back surgery over the winter and be back at it again next year. Just glad we have farmers markets.

[ness]

Had a hot spell and now it's cooling down for the weekend. Sposta get some rain too. Already picked a bunch of Cylindra beets and pickled them. Have a couple of the Sun Gold cherry tomatoes ready to pick. Heirloom maters are looking great -- hope to have some Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Black Krims soon. Have picked a few banana peppers - the rest of the peppers are coming along slowly. I'm a day or two away from a bunch of green beans -- Dragon Tongue and Rattlesnake. About another week and I'll have 4 heads of cabbage to do something with -- maybe kraut. My early stuff always seems to up and quit too soon. Spinach and snap peas went kaput a couple weeks ago.

Big news for me is the first year for a crop of black raspberries. Third year I've had them -- didn't get the net on soon enough last year and the few I had coming on got eaten by the birds (who then crapped them onto my car).

exiledguide -- You might want to look into square foot gardening. I've got back issues too and have done well with it. It's raised beds with very light soil that doesn't need tilling. I lug a milk crate around with me and sit on it when I need to do something. Four-foot wide beds make it easy to reach into the middle. Dense planting minimizes weeding, and gets you a lot more stuff in a smaller area than rows do.

[tippet7]

Freakin groundhog did major damage to our garden. Ate the melons, cucumbers, hopefully the cucs can be salavaged. Had the bow at the ready last night to take care of the groundhog, i shot just under his chest from about 60 ft, standing on my back deck about 10 ft off the ground. I will get that big rodent soon.

[BilletHead]

Sounds as if mot of you all's gardens are doing pretty well except for yours Tippet. There is not anything worse that all of your hard work going to a invading critter. My labor of love is doing pretty good here. We only have one tomato turning and it is a black cherry. Kind of hidden and Mrs. BilletHead knows it is there too. I wonder who will get it first? I know If I do I will carefully slice it in half so she gets a bite

And here it is.

More of the same and like Ness one cherry variety is enough but I have planted a bunch, it is a good thing the Grandchildren and friends/neighbors like them too. I can stand and feast right off the vine until I get my fill. The things are loaded.

Brandywines are not setting on well but the Black krim are.

Peppers 5 types are getting full and have been eating the sweet bananas which have a little fire in them. Picking and eating squash too.

I can also relate to the back issues. They have been in my lumbar area four times and If I have my way NO MORE! Happy gardening my green thumbed friends,

BilletHead

[jdmidwest]

Picked my first cucumbers today. One mountain fresh table tomato and several grape tomatoes. Corn is about waist high. Squash is starting to bloom.

Plenty of moisture this year. Looking at a cool spell this weekend. Okra is foundering like last year. Beans are not doing much, growing slow. At least the rabbits are leaving them alone. They keep the lettuce bed mowed down short. It is in another part of the yard next to the house.

I used to have fun with the ground hogs. They don't call them whistle pigs for nothing. Catch them out in a row, whistle and they stand up real pretty for a head shot.

[Jeff Olson]

Very nice spread Billethead! just wanted to let anyone know that might be interested, I have fresh tomatoes, zucchini. cucumbers, potatoes for sale at the Point Royale floral shop. they are open 10 to 5 Monday thru Friday & 10 to 2 on Saturday. nice and handy stop for anyone fishing in that area, or doing anything else! best of luck to everyone on their crops!

[ness]

I'm starting to get mater anxiety. I've got 4-5 really nice ones that are not quite ready to pull. We've got an old tree line across the back and it's home to a lot of squirrels. They've been known to wait until they're just about ripe then eat just enough that it ruins the tomato. These cooler days should help the maters set a bunch more fruit, but I'll still be pist if those first ones don't make it inside.

I'm growing Sun Gold cherry tomatoes for the first time this year. I'm not a huge cherry fan, but I've heard so many good things about this variety that I gave it a shot. They've been coming on for a couple weeks now, and they sure are tasty. Real good tomato flavor with a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. Almost a fruity taste. Another couple weeks and I'll be swimming in these things. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-7929-sun-gold-f1.aspx

Harvested a nice bunch of Rattlesnake beans last night, some more black raspberries and a few gooseberries. It's been a banner year in the garden so far.