You Reap What You Sow (Garden Harvests)

[Wayne SW/MO]

I've had a hard time keeping tomatoes plants going all season. This year I planted in a raised garden with new soil and only planted Celebrity's and one Big Beef. So far so good, they are all healthy and going strong and the Big Beef, my first, is impressive.

My only other problems have been deer in the beans and flea beetles that ravished my eggplant in spite of insecticides. I have the deer foiled with a low, tight fence that they seem reluctant to stick their heads over. The flea beetles are another matter, they seem to thrive on spray insecticides. On the theory that the dew was washing it off I have gone to Sevin dust and it might be working, unless they have cycled.

[tho1mas]

Now that corn is in season here is a fast & easy corn on the cob (roasting ears) tip.

Cut the husk off the small end of the ear even with the cob.

Soak in the sink for 10 - 15 min. Cool water.

Microwave on high for 3 1/2 min.

Husk & remove silk.

Butter & salt & eat.

I am not a big m.w. fan but this one has never failed me.

[ness]

Here's a shot of the maters -- all Celebrity, except for the one with dark shoulders is a Cherokee Purple.

[BilletHead]

Nice John. I think we will pick a few tomorrow,

BilletHead

[jdmidwest]

My tomatoes are running small this year too, but the plants are huge. My small tomatoes like the cherries and the grapes have vines over 8' tall and spindly. Goliaths and Better Boys are pretty tall too and the tomatoes are not going to be much bigger than a half of a baseball from the way it looks. Dad is having the same problem at the farm, I am blaming it on all of the cool nights and rain last month.

We are dry now and watering every other day in the raised beds. Corn is going to be small, Okra is only about knee high and took two plantings for it to come up. Cucs are putting on as well as the zucchini.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Now that corn is in season here is a fast & easy corn on the cob (roasting ears) tip.

Cut the husk off the small end of the ear even with the cob.

Soak in the sink for 10 - 15 min. Cool water.

Microwave on high for 3 1/2 min.

Husk & remove silk.

Butter & salt & eat.

I am not a big m.w. fan but this one has never failed me.

I'll one up you. I do mine for 4 minutes, but that's not the tip. Cut the butt end off, stalk end, far enough up that you're in to the corn. Squeeze the ear out of the shuck and the silk will come with it.

[tho1mas]

I cut the silk end to let the h2o in. Will try your method - do you do that before or after the cooking?

[Wayne SW/MO]

I cut the silk end to let the h2o in. Will try your method - do you do that before or after the cooking?

Immediately after. It works like a charm and the corn stays hot. I don;t remember where I got the tip, but we've been doing it this way for a few years now and it's fool proof.

[Feathers and Fins]

JD: Are you pruning your tomatoes'?

Pruning the suckers especially lower leaf and will increase size and yield. also this time of year doing it on the upper stems will help and increase your watering to every morning instead of every other day, just adjust the amount of water to compensate.

Here is a good article on pruning, http://www.tomatodirt.com/pruning-tomato.html my grandfather taught me this years ago and it really improves the harvest. The other thing he taught me is to make sure you only have ONE mater per bunch he would pop off all but One off each bunch to get monster tomatoes', works good if your just providing for a small family.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I was always told by my grandpa to pinch the suckers until the plants were 2 or 3 feet high. Some will say that suckers don't produce tomatoes, but that isn't true in my experience