Tomato Pests

Many people have asked what pests like tomato plants... here is a small list of what pest may be bothering you tomato plant.

1. Colorado potato beetle I find these eary spring.

2. Missing leaves might suggest a hornworm.

3. Blister Beetles these use come out about mid-summer.

4. Fruit Flies This is after fruit begins to ripen.

5. Slugs I have these when my fruit is on the ground and there are a few overly-ripen close together.



I have found the easiest method to get rid of the Colorado Potato Beetle and the Tomato Horn Worm is to get out early and pick them off...starting the beginning of the season....before they take over your garden.

I pick them and place them in a bucket with 1 quart of water and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. This way they won't crawl back up the bucket and get out and it is safe to throw the remains in my compost pile.

I have many recipes that you can use to spray them but if you want immediate results you can always hand pick.

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

Using All-purpose Flour In Your Garden?

I have been finding that many products that we have at home work great in your garden too! One of my favorite and cheap ways to get rid of Grasshoppers and Blister Beetles is by using All-Purpose Flour.

I put 3 cups of all purpose flour in a brown bag that has a few holes in the bottom (making a shaker) I tie up the top and shake this up and down on my bean plants and tomatoes. ( I do this in the morning while there is still dew on the plants it really helps the flour stick) I dust the insects and the leaves with the flour.

Note: You do have to make sure you rinse your plants off after few days. You can not keep the flour on your plants all the time. (I only do this when I see the insects are out of control) This will not harm your plants as long as you rinse them off real good.

***Don't use self-rising flour this contains salt and will injury plant leaves.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Grilled Sweet Corn

I hate to admit that I have been buying my corn right now at the store... it isn't quite ready to pick yet. (remember we are in zone 5) This is my favorite recipe for Grilled Sweet Corn. We had it this past weekend and it was so good!

Grilled Sweet Corn

8 large ears sweet corn in husk

6 tablespoons butter soften ( I use margarine)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley ( fresh)

1-2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic

1/2- 1 teaspoon ground cumin


I peel back the husks from corn about inch of the bottom, I try to remove all the silk I combine all ingredients from above and spread all over the corn.

I rewrap the corn in the husks and secure with kitchen string. Place in large kettle cover with cold water ( this keeps it from burning on the grill) soak 20 minutes then drain.

I grill my corn uncovered over a medium heat for about 25-30 minutes or until tender...turn often.

I hope you enjoy this recipe....

Happy Gardening..

Lynn

What should I put in my Compost bin?

We have 3 huge compost piles in our backyard...and many times when we have people over they ask how do you start one of those, what do you put in them, and why do you do this? I thought I would tell you how we have our compost pile and what we put in ours.

We don't have anything fancy around our piles I guess you could call them compost heaps. We start out with "greens" that would be grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps. I would call this "moist" ingredients because these have moisture. "Greens" provide nitrogen. We then add our "browns" this would be straw, sawdust, dead plants, and leaves. This will keep your pile loose so air can get in your pile. Lastly you will need to add your "blacks" This could be garden soil, manure from chicken, rabbits, cows, hogs, *Not* cats or dogs (these may contain parasitic organisms not healthy for your garden) The "black" is what really gets your pile moving it will help your compost to break down more quickly.


Things that should not be put in your compost bin...

Charcoal or ashes from your grill, meat and dairy products,( these could attract animals to your bin) oil, grease, weeds with seeds you will have a weedy compost bin unless you have enough heat to kill those seeds.

We stir our compost a few times a year..we do this with a pitch fork just lifting and turning the heap. You need to make sure air can get into your pile... a huge pile without air will stay a huge pile and not turn into compost.

I make compost tea every year to put on my plants here is the recipe...

I place a few hand fulls of compost in a burlap bag tie bag with a cord. I then place warm water in a 5 gallon bucket ( I some times use a old washed out paint bucket). I put the burlap bag in the bucket and place in the sun for a few hours. (I strain the compost with a old window screen) I then pour this tea at the base of my tomato plants they love it! I do this every couple of weeks.

I would love to hear about your compost bins.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Tomato or Fruit Tree White Fly Trap

Our tomatoes are looking really good...I just wish It would stop raining. Every year I build this white fly trap it may look goofy but it keeps those darn flies away.

White Fly Trap

1) tomato stake

1) 48 ounce juice can ( you can also use family size soup cans)

Yellow paint ( You can find this in a craft shop) ( We use Patio paint)

Foam Paint Bruch

1 Clear Plastic bag (Large enough to fit over your can)

Petroleum jelly (cheap dollar store brand)


If you stake your tomatoes you might get to skip the first step...because you need a stake next to your tomato plant. I place a large stake in the middle of my plant to help suport my tomatoes but if you don't you will need to pound in 1 stake near your tomato.

Paint the juice or soup cans with the yellow paint.

After paint is completely dry place the painted can over the stake.

Cover each can with plastic bag

Smear petroleum jelly outside the bag.

I don't know why this works but it does...replace the bag when it is covered with white flies. I have a friend that places yellow or red golf balls in a bag covers them with petroleum and hangs them in her fruit trees...Yes they look funny but it saves her fruit every year.

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Planting in mounds or hills?

Planting in mounds or hill planting....are the same thing! Many people plant potatoes this way but you can also plant corn, muskmelons and watermelons this way. You can do this 2 ways.... First mound up your dirt and plant a seed wait for your seedling to grow and then mound up dirt as it grows. Second mound up your dirt and then put transplant in your mound or hill. The important part is to still place dirt around the plant while it is still growing. This keeps the plant sturdy...this works great with corn. During the end of summer our corn will bend over but the extra dirt really holds them up.

I couldn't remember if I have shared this great recipe? It is one of my favorites and now is the time you can get the flowers. It only keeps for a few weeks but it works for many bugs.

Easy Bug Juice:

1/2 Marigolds

1/2 cup Geraniums

1/2 cup Garlic

Chop this up fine

mix with 10 gallons of warm water let set then strain put into a spray bottle...

Happy Gardening...

Lynn

Vegetable plants for the beginning gardener

We went to my brother's yesterday and he has a small garden. We were out back looking at what he had planted. I hated to tell him many things he was trying to grow was not right for our area or zone (ours is 6). He has two children and they want to see something growing...so I gave him a list of easy to grow vegetables that he is going to try.

Vegetables for the beginning gardener


Beets

Bush Beans ( no trellis to build)

Cherry tomatoes ( I told him to use a tomato cage)

Garlic

Green Peppers

Lettuce (he was trying head which doesn't grow in our area I suggested leaf lettuce)

Onion

Radish

I can't wait to go visit in a few weeks and see how his garden is growing. It is always fun to watch a new gardener. He inspires me to write this blog for others that don't know how to garden and a few tricks on how to beat all those bad bugs!

Happy Gardening,

Lynn