First multi-tomato harvest and garden pests . . .

S6300616The good news is that this week we have actually been harvesting and eating from the garden everyday.  We have had spinach (we are very close to the end of this batch), kale, cabbage leaves, beet greens, radishes,  zucchini, onions and tomatoes!

Tuesday morning there were actually 5 largish and 5 cherry tomatoes! We obviously got a little carried away on the whole watering thing (you can tell my the big cracks) but that seems to be a problem every year. . . takes a little bit to figure out exactly how much to water unless you invest in a moisture meter.  We, of course, wing it!

There are close to 50 tomatoes that will ripen in the next two weeks. Most of them are not split. I am thinking gazpacho, salsa and red sauce!  Of course we have neighbors who we could possibly persuade to take a few off our hands. . .

The bad news is that the garden bests are starting to show up.
pests
We have little, little grasshoppers that love to eat holes in the leaves of the spinach, dahlias and basil. A little plant soap helps keep them off the leaves, but it is an ongoing battle!

My very least favorite are the UGLY green hornworms that devour the tomatoes. They are huge and creepy.  The problem is that they are the perfect matching shade of green to the tomato leaves.  It can take awhile to realize they are there! We spray BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) bacteria on the plants and it does seem to kill both the worms and their eggs.

And then there are rats, rabbits and birds.  Not sure which of them is eating the dahlias and peppers but I suspect a rat. If the plants weren’t potted, it would seem more likely to be a gopher. Whatever it is, it eats the leaves and stems of the plant down to the ground (literally). This actually makes me irate.  I don’t mind sharing with the animals, but do they have to take it to scorched earth?

The other pests. javelina and deer, haven’t gotten through the fence so far, fingers crossed!

On a final and positive note – there are lots of peppers of all varieties, little yellow crook neck squash and Asian cucumbers growing and the green beans are starting to flower. Next week we will be planting heat resistant lettuce and spinach along with more carrots.

About Genene Cote

Genene Coté -- Nutrition Advocate, Counselor and Coach who is also a Whole Food Plant Based Eater (vegetarian/vegan), cook and gardener.
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One Response to First multi-tomato harvest and garden pests . . .

  1. Nic says:

    Sounds like you have a gardenucopia of veggie treats. YUM! Can't wait to visit and see the good up close and personal. Cool blog too. : )

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