Garden Turned Contrary.

[jdmidwest]

We had the monsoon set in a few weeks back that resulted in 3 weeks of rainy, cloudy weather. We never did get too much rain, but we lost alot of good hot sunshine during that time.

My tomatoes were doing great, then all of a sudden, the vines just died, leaving a load of green tomatoes. Grape tomato vines died out about 3/4 of the way. Grape tomatoes were swelling and busting before ripening.

Cherry tomato that grew out of the compost bin again this year is healthy and producing.

Okra looks great, but not blooming and putting on. Cucumbers died just like the tomatoes. Squash are still hanging on but not setting any fruits. Bell Pepper are doing great.

I plowed under the dead cucs, pumpkins that never set a pumpkin, and green beans today. Sowed some mustard and turnips in the place to add some cover crop on the garden.

Planted lettuce and radishes in the raised beds.

I really don't know what is going on with the garden, it has me stumped. It really seems like something is missing.

[Quillback]

Squash bugs destroyed my winter squash, cukes look like crap, but I was getting sick of them anyway. But, tomatoes are doing pretty well, a few have swelled and split, but, with a few exceptions the vines are still healthy. Getting a lot of cherry tomatoes and a few "Bush Giants".

[jdmidwest]

I talked to a couple of guys at work today, I guess the tomatoes got the "blight" and died off. Never had it, but it sure does a number.

[Quillback]

The blight is a bad deal, It's usually a problem for me this time of year, but for whatever reason it hasn't been bad this year. Squirrels have been my biggest problem, but they seem to have found food in the woods now so they haven't been stealing my tomatoes lately.

[Quillback]

Tomato plants are getting a 2nd wind, getting some new sets, I'm hopeful that I'll be getting tomatoes up to the first frost.

Another strange thing this year, is that I've only seen 2 hornworms on my plants this year. Usually I'm picking 2 or 3 worms a day off the plants.

[jdmidwest]

I saw a couple early in July, none since. Maybe hornworms are becoming extinct.

[Quillback]

I saw a couple early in July, none since. Maybe hornworms are becoming extinct.

We can only hope.

[jdmidwest]

I had to water the remnants of the garden today. Finally reached a dry spell here.

[ness]

Dry here too, and hot. Still getting lots of beans and cherry toms. Regular maters have finally set some fruit. Getting a few chiles. Fall beans and beets are going. Lettuce cabbage started indoors

[BilletHead]

Yes the heat is back but the Summer season is coming to an end. Picked more tomatoes but they are small. Got to have four slices to a sandwich instead of one. Still tasty though. Might just pull them and get the bed ready for lettuce. Did see evidence of my first tomato worm. Looking out the bedroom window I see a stem up top without leaves. Getting peppers still. Got a bunch of new blooms after that cool spell and all the rain. Bookoos of the tobasco peppers. Don't know what I am going to do with all of them. I had put some of them in the jar of pickled peppers I made to give them some zip. I got one that was hidden in a mouthful of the banana peppers and my tongue was on fire and went numb. Hot little suckers for sure. I did another experiment last week for grins and giggles. Took a handful of assorted peppers and threw them in the smoker. 4 hours of smoke and set the heat to 280 degrees. some of them got a bit crispy and some stayed a bit softer. Smoky and concentrated flavors. I took one of the jalapenos cut it open, scraped out the seeds and chopped it up and added it to a bowl of brown beans. Yum-o Darn good eats. I will be doing more with about the same amount of smoke and a bit less heat keeping the peppers less crispy. I am sure even the crispy ones will rehydrate fine for cooking. Need to do something with all the peppers. I am hoping we will have a few still on the vine when the hen of the woods mushrooms bloom. The peppers were real good in the pickled shrooms I did last fall,

Billethead