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Re: pepper and tomato questions

Hi Gail,

> 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!

If you pick them the plant can devote it's energies to growing more flowers ...
it's always a trade off whether to let early fruit set or not - it's nice to
have some early peppers but the young plants aren't yet large enough to support
much more so will stop flowering.  I tend to leave them to grow, our season is
short and we can't wait - but I've found by growing my pepper starts in large
containers before they get set out they are less likely to start flowering too
early, get a bit bigger and then have a good first bloom with many blossoms at
once.

> 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!

This sounds like the ubiquitous early blight, which many are experiencing now
that the weather's been warm and wet.  You can pick off the worst of the leaves
but you don't have to pull your plants, or at least I wouldn't.  If the weather
dries sufficiently the blight will slow and even stop it's progress.  Don't
handle your plants when the leaves are wet, you can spread the spores this way.
Want more info on blight?  Check out:

  http://www4.ncsu.edu/eos/users/k/kdmuelle/public/Tomato/diseases/eb.html

> 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

   ____________________
  |                    |
  |     Bob Carter     | Kootenay Bay, BC, Canada
  |  bcarter@awinc.com | Zone 6b
  |____________________|


The cost of feathers has risen.  Now even down is up.

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