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pepper and tomato questions

Hi, everybody!  I'm happy to report that my greenbeans, cucumbers,
eggplants, and green peppers are doing quite well.  I just picked
my first cucumber this morning--saving it for my lunch.  I have
several nice large [still] green peppers on my plants.  I was going
to wait until they turn red, but since the plants do not seem to be
growing more peppers (only 1 large pepper per plant, for the most
part), I wonder if I should go ahead and cut those so that the plants
can concentrate on producing more peppers?  Or am I worrying about
nothing?  Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

Another question I have is about my tomato plants.  It's been raining
alot and my plants are very tall, at least 5 or 6 feet in height,
just loaded with tomatoes (very early and unusual for my zone--thanks
to my wall-o-waters and Bio-Organics!).  However, I have noticed
several plants seems to be succumbing to what I think is probably a
fungus (?) as the lower leaves are turning yellow and then die.  I've
checked a few stalks and no brown inside the stalks, so I think (I hope)
I can eliminate V or F wilt (?) and since the plants are so close together
(ok, so I got carried away and planted them way closer than what I should
have--had I known it would rain so much--it looks like a jungle, literally)
I think it could very well be a fungal disease (at least the symptoms
seem the same as what I've read about in my books).  Anyone know what
I should do?  My books generally recommend pulling the plants up, but I just
don't have it in me to do that to these fine specimens that have so much fruit
on them, just waiting to turn ripe!  Should I try a fungal spray and if
so, what kind/brand?  Do I really have any chance of saving these plants or
 least
protecting the unaffected ones by doing so?  Or do I really have to pull
them out of the garden?   I hate the thought that in August, I may have
dead plants all because I was too greedy to give up the ones that needed
to be pulled, but man, they do look great except for those lower leaves turning
yellow!

I'm still battling Mexican Bean Beetles, but so far, I've harvested quite
a few green beans, regular and Italian kind.  They have been wonderful.  I am
doing my best to just use insecticidal soap, and with persistent spraying I
am at least keeping up with the beetles.

Happy gardening!

Gail, who's mouth is watering just thinking about that cucumber for lunch ;)
Fenton, MO (Zone 6)  Email: gailk@wupatki.wustl.edu

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