Gonna try - I'm taking a break from pruning back the worst of the damage.

Oh no Tamara! I hope you can salvage it.

My tomatoes have aphids. I spent several hours spraying the undersides of the leaves with dish washing liquid over the weekend. I hope that will work, if not, I'll try some insecticidal soap. My neighbor's garden is less than 20 feet from mine and he uses pesticides. I'm afraid it would be a waste of time to try to put ladybugs in my garden as close as we are. We've had crookneck squash every day lately for dinner. I'm heading outside in a few minutes. I may have a couple of zucchini ready by now. Tomatoes will be longer.

Dgramie - Don't the peppers have to grow to full size and then ripen and turn red?

tamarlynn=i really hope you can salvage it..that sucks.

jtammy-hey so what do you recommend for natural, organic pesticides. I have to admit..i have used a pesticde to help when i noted bugs...but i really do what to try to go organic next your. So i'm looking for suggestions. Thanks

I had a real issue this spring with mites on my tomatoes.I used sevin dust and it really helped. I didnt like doing it...but i didnt want them eating my leaves and blooms.
Im heading out to pick now..we have squash and tomatoes coming in faster than we can eat them right now. Father in law is coming tommorow to get some...
debi

Gatorgal, Sorry, I don't know much about organic gardening. I read the dishwashing liquid and water tip online. It looks like it may have worked. I'll let you know more later this week. I would prefer to not use pesticides, but if it comes down to it, I will.

This is where I have a problem. Should I be practicing preventive maintenance? Many people here do - spray before they see bugs to try to prevent them. I don't but my dad does in a heartbeat and he usually has a productive garden. What do you all do?

Well this year i definately haven't been organic. I have been using a spray...originally i was spraying twice a week as prevention. But now i don't do it unless i'm seeing some signs..ie leaves looking eaten or actual bugs. I sprayed about a weeks ago when i saw some aphil looking critters on my eggplant.

My garden is kicking right now. I have a tomatoe that will probably be ready for picking in 2-3 days and a eggplant a growin'. I wish my zucchini would do something..but maybe its because i only planted one plant.

I had noticed that some of my tomatoe plants were dying...well a neighbor walked over tonight and informed me I have tomatoe blight...
He says it will kill all my plants..I am going to keep the leaves that are dead picked off and see what happens.
He even said that i will have to plant something different there next year to prevent it again.
Everything seems to still be ripening ok...most likely wont have any new tomatoes this year.
its frustrating to put all that time and money into plants and something go wrong.........trulyl even if we only get the tomatoes on our plants now we will be in good shape still. they are loaded!!!

dgramie-do a google search...there's a lot out there. From what i've read. blight is usually due to overwatering (its a fungus). There are ways to help and prevent it.

I read in one of the posts that someone was going to plant mint in the garden. Mint takes over, grows like a weed, and you can't get rid of it!! It's best to do it in a container. The people that lived in my house before had planted some and I try to get rid of it every year. I keep pulling and pulling and it keeps coming up somewhere else.

Thanks for the tip - I might try mint in my mini green house next year

Mint = Mojitos!!! Num num

Well tonight i finally pick my first tomato from my garden. It needs probably a day or so to finish ripen...but i read you should not wait until fully riped. I picked up some fresh mozarella at the store tonight...and with the fresh basil i picked today....some yummie caprese for Sunday night.

Well my tomato plants are dying. I had an older neighbor say its from the kind of weather we have had. We had an extremely wet spring then it got hot fast and dry. I have only watered every few days(2 times a week) but have watered in the evenings and have read now to water in the early mornings. EVerything else is doing good and tomatoes are still getting ripe but plants look terrible. OUr grape tomatoes have not been affected and i cant keep them picked!!
We found more melons in the garden yesterday..I think we have about 6 softball size or larger..plus lots of tiny golf ball size mellons. Guess we will just keep watching them and learn as we go this year!
My hanging petuina baskets are looking bad.I was told to cut them way back and they will put back out and bloom till fall. I hate to cut them back but they are looking stringy.

tamralyn- how are the plants looking after the hail??

Oh, to all my gardening 3fc friends, it was a perfect gardening day, and I did little else besides garden all day. The forecasters were saying last night...great weather on Sunday, but we have to get through Saturday first...73 and windy. I knew, and just laughed, that it would be a perfect gardening day. What is bad about a 73 degree day with enough wind to keep the bugs away? Silly weathermen..silly.

I am about a week off from posting pics ...waiting for a few lilies to bloom, but must post before the Oenothera finish..they are fabulous.

SO's tomatoes look perfect, but of course, we are weeks away from any tomatoes. We have loads of greens and herbs, but are weeks away from peppers and cukes. It has been a weird year to say the least.

All the flowers are fab, and that is all that really counts!

well tonight i finally got to reep the fruits of my labor. I cut into my first tomato...made some delicious caprese with fresh basil from the garden. It was yummie. I have never grown tomatoes before...now i know what people mean when they say home grown tomatoes taste so much better. There really is a biiggggggg difference in taste.

Hi, all, the vegies and raspberries are doing great, but pics of them aren't so much. Wanted to post this one as the Oenothera peaks. Still about 2 weeks away from peak color.