I came accross a very interesting article about using Spinosad to inject squash vines to protect from that evil Squash Vine Borer.

http://elliemaescottage.blogsp...

they look delicious! But they're probably already gone by now, right?
These are volunteer melons in the greenhouse at the farm. Not sure what variety but we had three heirlooms growing in there last year. These are pretty big already so I can hardly wait to taste them! If you look to the right you can see two melon and there are three on the left as well as one at the top. I used a knee high stocking to sling them! i

Spinosad sounds like a great solution. I would have to be careful because it is toxic to bees when wet, spray EARLY morning, but her suggestion if injecting wouldn't bother them. If you try it I'll be curious how well it works.

abhege said: they look delicious! But they're probably already gone by now, right?

I kept the biggest of the cucumbers and was going to make a cucumber and tomato salad but never did. Will do it for lunch tomorrow instead. The other 4 I gave to a neighbor that I saw just after harvest. She had great timing!

abhege said:Spinosad sounds like a great solution. I would have to be careful because it is toxic to bees when wet, spray EARLY morning, but her suggestion if injecting wouldn't bother them. If you try it I'll be curious how well it works.

I have been spraying with Neem. I use it late in the afternoon towards early evening when the bees are gone. But I have Spinosad, not found of the idea of spraying with it, would rather use the Neem. However I do like that injection idea.

Hopefully I will not need the injections but it is good to know. And I check for eggs on the plants at least twice daily. I don't see any and I look carefully and hopefully have not missed any.

Arlene, wow, you have a lot of melons there. I found one baby melon on my melon plants today. Hopefully more will set now that the weather is hot, hot, hot.

This year I watched for the "sawdust" at the stem and then took my Cobrahead and split the stem and killed the buggars then piled the soil up around the stems. S far, so good.

Yep, hot weather will make those melon, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes really grow!

Get those horrid SVB and do them in!

The front yard tomato plants have reached the top of the porch railing already. They are way taller than I am!!!!


These tomatoes in the side yard have reached the ends of thier support posts and need another row of Florida weave done.


Meanwhile the little seedlings up in root veggie area continue to grow.


And the bean towers are getting those beans climbing.

I bought these support things from Gardeners Supply. Made for eggplants and peppers. Really like them.





Some of them I used on my eggplants which is what they are made for. I like the way they hold the eggplant and give support in case the fruits get heavy.





Here is an eggplant forming on one of the Classic Plants.



Others I used on the squash.







First fruit and flower on my Cavilli Zucchini that I grew from seed.


I had no idea how big these plants are. Cavilli is much bigger than my other zucchini's. The leaves are homungous. I have it in the same size pot as my other zucchini but it definately should be in a much bigger pot. Will be planting these in 23 inch pots next year of I decide to grow them again. And I am thinking I will be growing them again. Those supports I used on those other older zucchini will not even fit around the Cavilli.

Good to see the plant supports in use. I've thought aout getting some. I think all of you know a lot more about vegetable gardening then I do. Why do you remove the first blooms and fruits? For how long do you remove them?

I have some baby green bell peppers on the plant I have growing in a grow bag.

Here are some shots of the grafted morgage lifter tomato that I think may have leaf curl. Do that look like what is going on to you? Some of the lower branches have turned brown. I am getiing blooms and some pea sized tomatoes, but they are really late compared to normal.

Susan, I don't know why your tomato plant looks the way it does but it certainly does not look normal and healthy to me.

What first blooms and fruit are you referring to removing? I don't remove any flowers or fruit from my veggies except when they are ripe and ready to be harvested.

Usually first blooms removed when you transplant so the plant will put its energy to roots. After it has settled in no need to remove blossoms. You can prune the suckers though. That is up to individual preference. I am not sure why your tomato leaves are curling. There are lots of possible reasons. There is another post about a sick tomato. Maybe check it out?

Sorry, here's the link.

The thread "Sick Tomato plant" in Vegetables and Fruit forum

So now I am thinking it could be slugs eating the tomatoes. Can they eat half of a large tomato overnight? Can't use DE because of the rain. Someone suggested copper wire but I think I'll start with beer and see if that helps. Any other suggestions?

Arlene, you must have extra Godzilla like slugs if the eat half a large tomato overnight. That sure would be a lot of slug damage.

Didn't you go to market this weekend?

We had market yesterday. Considering traffic was a bit slower because of the threat of rain, we still did fine. Got rid of a huge amount of cucumbers and over half the cut flowers and all of the basil, carrots and beets. Rain held off until we started to pack up!

Got the garlic moved inside because it's just not curing in all this humidity and rain.

I am at a loss to figure out what is eating the tomatoes. No deer or other animal tracks. Maybe mice? Voles? I would think voles would do more damage underground than eating the tomatoes. I just don't know. Maybe I should sit out there under an umbrella with a video camera??

Maybe you need a motion sensor camera to see what is raiding the tomato patch. Or sit out at night with a shotgun ha-ha.

Sounds like it was a very worthwile market day. I know you where worried that there might not be many customers due to the holiday weekend.

If I let the dog out he would dig holes all over. Maybe need to get some ducks! Guineas supposed to eat bugs but evidently the slugs come out at night and the guineas have to be locked in coop so coyotes don't eat them. Two are missing as it is.

I really have reconciled myself to no tomatoes for market, at least not like before. We usually would bring 5-10 varieties and give samples. That won't happen this year. And the rain is cracking what doesn't get eaten. I should take some pictures of the green fruit. Some of them are just HUGE! Such a shame.

All that work and I know you have some awesome tomato varieties.. Darn critter whatever it is for ruining your tomato crop.