Posted on 08/08/2020 6:08:23 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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I got a black light flashlight and they do help in finding those accursed tomato hornworms.
The total is now 30, with parasitic wasps nailing four more of them, that I let be so they can hatch.
I think I literally saved my potato and tomato crop.
Fortunately, my tomatoes are determinate and once the crop is in and I’m done with the canning, they are all coming up and getting burned and I’m going to start preparing my beds for the garlic I have on order to get that in early.
I test dug some potatoes. One plant had NOTHING. Another had one decent size and four smaller ones. Beautiful Kennebunk potatoes.
And now we know....the REST of the story!
Good work on Hornworm Patrol! That’s dedication! :)
The total is now 30, with parasitic wasps nailing four more of them, that I let be so they can hatch.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I’m sure the hornworms that get nailed by the parasitic wasps have a horrible experience; however, it makes me very happy to see those little white ‘spikes’ on a hornworm!! Nature has many remarkable relationships & the worm/wasp relationship is just one example.
Love that chart------I make sure I have 2-3 of servings those delectable veggies everyday.
In 2019 and 2020 we had the Colorado potato bug. In 2019, someone sprayed them heavily with Sevin and we lost the bees with them.
This year we sprayed with a dawn soapy mixture.
But the best way is to get....say a 10" x 10"x 2" (whatever) plastic container with a little soapy water and flick them into the water. Quick and easy.
Last weekend, I pulled up my zinnia garden - they were about ‘shot’ ... very few buds for future flowering. I cut off the flower heads and salvaged the seeds.
As of yesterday, my new ‘fall’ zinnia bed is planted. I waited until after Isaias passed through - was afraid heavy rains would move my seeds around because they aren’t planted very deep. It then took another couple of days because I wanted to get some Flower Tone to put down to help with the blooms. The weather called for T-storms last night, so I didn’t water - the garden soil was pretty damp from 1” of rain (storms!) the night before. No storms happened so I watered everything in this morning.
It looks like I’ll have to can some tomatoes today - we have a roasting pan full of ripe ones that there is no chance of eating before they spoil. I use a method of canning where I can put up 2-4 quarts or do a large batch. I make my own marinara/spaghetti sauce, so canned tomatoes come in handy (also use them for my dad’s favorite veggie soup). Below is the tomato canning video - no hot water bath needed. Also, I now sterilize all my jars (including jelly) in the oven, rather than messing with having to put them in boiling water. I have never had a jar fail to seal & I’m using canned tomatoes from 2 years ago (1 jar left that’s about to go into marinara).
How I Can Tomatoes Easily - NO Water Bath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kmTH_q1usI&fbclid=IwAR1q3Xh_FT5Rj92yEFQqM_cWkX018t842nzhm_vF1MZgk1Hw3yaM5THM12s
Notes from Linda:
This is how I can 40-70 quarts of tomatoes every year, WITHOUT a WATER BATH. I have been canning this way for about 40 YEARS (including helping my mother when I was young). I also use this method for canning salsa (with fresh garlic, onions, & hot peppers), dill pickles & sweet lime pickles. My mother also canned tomatoes, salsa & high acid vegetables with this method for decades. Some varieties of tomatoes need citric acid added to be high acid for this method (or water bath method). Test strips can be used to check for proper acidity (4.6 or lower pH). Check out my video using test strips: https://youtu.be/BatLeYpDS_c
Always bring vegetables to a FULL BOIL for 20-30 MINUTES & keep boiling until ladling into the CLEAN HOT (215 degree) jar; Then cap with a hot lid & band (very near 212 degrees).
Please only use this method of canning for high acid fruits & vegetables OR Jams & Jellies. DO NOT use this method for foods with meat in them!
In the video I mentioned boiling for a minimum of 5 minutes, but in reality, it’s better to have it at a full boil for 20-30 minutes to not only soften the tomatoes, but to be sure all germs are killed.
7 out of 9! LOL!
(Don’t like beets or kale, but so far, I get plenty of calcium in CHEESE (Yum!) and my liver is OK!) LOL.
ING large bunch kale, coarse-chp (Dinosaur kale is good) 2-3 tbl coconut oil or olive oil. about 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 gar/cl, minced 2-3 shallots, sliced into rings 1/2 cup chicken or veg stock kosher salt/black pepper
METHOD Cook shallots translucent in heated coconut oil 2-3 min. Add garlic and red pepper flakes--cook/stir a min.
Add kale, broth, s/p, mix well. Cover; cook 5 min, toss occasionally. Remove cover; cook til most of the broth has cooked away.
SERVE hot.
Unfortunately, and for the first time ever, I have “tomato fruitworms” aka “army worms” eating holes in my gorgeous tomatoes. I’ve had to throw away some good ones; however, the majority are doing ok. I was going to spray with the insecticidal soap recipe (bottom of article), but haven’t done it yet. I use both Dawn & Dr. Bronner’s in the house, so either one makes a great insecticidal soap.
I pick my tomatoes (and have been doing it for a couple of years) when they get the first blush of color, then I let them ripen up on the counter in the kitchen, This saves a lot of bird/insect damage that happens when tomatoes ripen on the vine. They are still delicious and look fantastic - beautiful, unblemished red color.
Holes in Tomatoes? How to Kill Tomato Fruitworms
https://www.hiddenspringshomestead.com/how-to-kill-tomato-fruitworms/?fbclid=IwAR3r6jFRyIsndL95tO9rMpLEhJoIFwn-UTUit6hWXkSIQy610JVOVzhg1sg
BTW, I’ve seen two worms halfway in holes & it looks just like the one in the pictures, so I know my diagnosis of the problem is the correct one!
Central Konnecticut:
- Harvested 3 dozen garlic bulbs end of June.
- Great crop of Black raspberries (matter) - wife put up four pints of jam.
- Strawberries yielded about 5 one gallon bags (in freezer for later canning).
- Peppers (bell, jalapeno, hot banana) doing, and tasting fine.
- Lots of cuke growth and flowers, but no cukes!
- Squash and zuccinni doing well as usual.
- Still waiting for tomatoes to get red ("come on, man!").
- Another good year for green beans - ate our fill and wife pickled five pints.
Would love to hear how other harvests are doing.
I have a question I was hoping someone could answer. We live in SE Wisconsin, and this year we tried boxed garden beds. In the spring, we hauled in some top soil to fill them, added some garden soil and a little bit of manure. It’s doing pretty well, tomatoes and green peppers turning out good and plenty. With autumn coming soon, should we add fertilizer/manure or compost, let it sit over winter, or wait until spring again? Anyone have advice/opinion?
Alternate tomato slices, fresh mozzarella, a just-picked basil leaf, then finish w/ balsamic glaze.
It only took a day or two in the garden.
They were everywhere and most of them were very big. I shudder to think of what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten that many.
Unfortunately, on the plants stripped completely bare, I didn’t see any sign of them so I’m guessing they are back in the ground pupating.
I use that method only for cranberry sauce and canning off maple syrup.
The maple syrup lasts indefinitely in canning jars.
I’ve been doing Linda’s method of canning for a couple of years, but only for tomatoes. Today, I noticed that Linda also does it for salsa! Woo hoo - making salsa is a pain in the patootie for me because I do it in pint jars/hot water bath. We have a glass-top stove (ugh) and for pint or quart jars, the big pot/water level plus filled jars is so heavy I’m always afraid I’ll crack/break the glass top so I don’t do it. I use a portable burner outside with canned fuel - that works great (pot heats up a lot faster), but it still requires some set-up. If it’s windy, that’s another issue - blows the burner flame (can’t use the burner indoors due to carbon monoxide). Jelly jars are smaller & require less water in the pot, so I am able to do hot water bath for jelly on the stove.
Anyway, I checked my salsa recipe and it has vineger and lime juice in it - between that & the tomatoes, it should be acidic enough to can using Linda’s method. I’m going to try it this year. That salsa recipe is very popular with my family/friends & between that & the jalapeno pepper jelly I make, they pretty much ‘beg’ me for it.
I’ve gone full Italian with this year’s crop of tomatoes...Olde Italian Red Pear (the BIG, fluted one, not those nasty red cousins of Yellow Pear), Romeos (BIG fat ones destined for salsa), Maria Amazileities’ Giant Red, Santa Maria, George Detsika’s Italian Red, Goldman’s Italian American, and more...yum! (These specialty tomatoes protected by Smith and Wesson Security.)
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