Posted on 07/16/2022 5:58:40 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Perhaps put out some water for them? They might just be thirsty.
If that does not work then buy them some wrapped fleer double bubble gum (not the round ones) and put it where they find it. Can’t digest it and it will slow them up for the hawks who you do not want to poison. ( If you find empty wrappers then they found it. )
Good luck!
Thanks, yeah we do low acid yellow cherry tomatoes, but I gotta find the larger ones for sandwhiches so I can have them more often.
Yeah I’m gonna be headed to a stand later- hope,they have some.
Here where I am, we are hunkering down for our (very) hot weather season - the hot winds will start up soon as well - and we've been told to cut back even more on watering.
I'm planting more cactus and succulents than ever this year.
Here's what I'm doing to the median strip in front of the house, a rock and succulent garden:
Plumerias can also withstand our heat, this one has been taking off lately:
And, of course, my helpers trying to find a shady spot to get out of the heat.
Our last two beefsteak plants (Bush Goliath) are just about done dying. Don’t know if it was a blight, or just the heat here west of Tucson. We rigged shade cloth this year, but the temps at our place have been 105-112 highs for about two weeks now. The hose water comes out warm, too, which I’m sure doesn’t help.
Hot and humid here already - something is ‘singing’, katydid, locust, cicada. We just generically say the locusts are singing. It’s associated, in my mind at least, with HOT summer days.
Yesterday, I pruned my Celebrity tomatoes. All low branches that do not have blossoms were trimmed off - I can now see where the stalks enter the ground - better air flow, no leaves are touching the ground, & energy can go more into tomatoes than non-producing stems/leaves. The plants look really good - I am very happy with not using a round tomato cage ... the plants are more spread out on the wire fence I’m using for support - plenty of places to tie up any big branches, too. No telling when we’ll ever get a “ripe” tomato - all are still very green.
Hornworm hunting last night & found one - medium size. One Celebrity in particular seems to have the hornworms. I can highly recommend the UV flashlight. The first hornworm I found was a huge one & I did that in the daylight. Another small one I caught moving and I just happened to be looking at the right spot - everything else has been with the UV light & I have no doubt I never would have found them without it.
Jalapenos are doing well - my Lowe’s plant that looked like it was going to die on me (one of two did die) is hanging in there - fertilizer, lots of water & shade from the sun in the afternoon. I’m really having to baby it along. The two Home Depot jalapenos are still shaded (row cover) during the main sun/heat of the afternoon, but I’m gradually turning the “shade” arrangement so they are getting a little more sun each day in increments.
My “babies”, the 4 cuke plants from seed, have taken off! They are climbing up the trellis ... I’ve had to train two of them to go the right way, but within a day, the leaves & tendrils are going in the correct direction. They’re all blooming like crazy. I cannot wait for cukes ... Dragon Eggs & Divas.
At the moment, I am finishing up a cup of coffee & got a gel pad heating up my recalcitrant quad muscle while watching the Tour de France - did some stationary biking yesterday & the quad is complaining & not inspired by Le Tour, that’s for sure! Fortunately, at this point in rehab, I can bend well enough to do all of the garden work I want to do so I’m happy about that. Thinking about some fall plants - I can get them going more or less ‘on time’ as opposed to the spring plants (missed entirely) & the summer plants which were very late. I should have ripe tomatoes in August & green peppers (not blooming yet) & red jalapenos (for pepper jelly) by September (?) ... sigh. I cannot believe July is half over already! First Zinnia bed is gorgeous & my second bed planting is coming up, about an inch tall. Life is good. :-)
I still buy Campbell’s Tomato soup today. I add rice and/or oyster crackers. Makes a nice winter warmup.
Still in love with my Krim and Black Cherry Tomatoes. I get the special fertilizer that has 8% Calcium...and have no problems with blossom end rot.
I just put netting over my plants...that I could easily lift off to harvest a few tomatoes.
Just run the hose a bit before watering.
Gramma's fav!
This is first thing in the morning, before the sun is up. The ground has warmed to the depth of the pipes by now, just like every year. Tap water won’t be cold again until well into the fall.
In the afternoon, when a hose has been lying in the sun, the water comes out scalding hot for at least a minute or two.
Here you go.
And NO, I absolutely never use poisons.
Using poisons on or around the vegetables I intend to
eat seems just a wee be stupid - don't ya think?
But hawks are the final step of the chipmunk disposal process.
I place the deceased chipmunk carcasses from the trap on
an old log/fallen tree in some nearby woods - and the
red tailed hawks carry them away to feed their young.
I've watched the process.
So the circle of life completes - and I still get my tomatoes.
Some of them, anyway.
Oh boy - It's 10:30 AM - and time to brew more coffee...
I'm guessing you have more than one growing season.
So far in my garden, Early Doll, Roma type Picus, and Celebrity have ripened.
The Early doll was the earliest, but the taste so far is a bit disapointing. Maybe they need to sit and ripen some more on the counter. (A determinate that is about 5 feet high, so more like an semi determinate.) I did not prune early because determinate, but I might start. Its keeps on kicking out flowers and tomatoes so I might use these for canning.
Selected and growing Hybrid roma type Picus tomato because it sets in hot weather and is ripening in our 90 degree weather. (So does the Early Doll) listed as a good canning/paste type. Small void, not many seeds. Determinate that stopped growing at about 3 1/2 feet.
I have not tasted the semi determinate Celebrity. Want to see spouse’s reaction. It looks good!
I canned my own tomato soup last year, and while it’s quite good, it can give me heartburn due to the acidity. It’s absolutely PERFECT when combined with a can of Campbells Tomato Soup. ;)
My four, rated in performance for this season:
1. San Marzano (A real super star this year)
2. Bonnie Original
3. Celebrity
4. Better Boy
I’m having a hard time keeping ahead of the slugs...very wet this year so far.
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