Preventative Medicine for Tomatoes

Last year my tomatoes really struggled. It was bad, and not just for me but for many in my neck of the woods. By mid season I was pulling one plant after another due to some malady which caused stunted growth and curled leaves. Because there are so many things that cause those problems, I am not able to pinpoint exactly what happened. I suspect it was a combination of things including mildew, lack of pruning, watering issues, cold weather spells during June, and maybe a virus. It's such a sad thing for a gardener when the whole tomato crop fails. Looking on the bright side, I did learn some valuable lessons and this year I am doing things differently.

This year is the first year that I started my tomatoes, pepper and eggplants from seed. They have been in the ground for a few weeks and they are really starting to grow. We're at the point in our season when everything is growing and the pests are at a minimum. It is that magic time of year before the mildew sets in, and before the hot sun scorches or wilts our more sensitive plants. 

Mortgage Lifter and Amish Paste, waiting for a trellis.

The tomato plants have zero blemishes. I know I shouldn't say that because it may be tempting some mildew fairy to come my way. I know the problems are coming but I am enjoying looking at those healthy little babies of mine everyday until the drama starts.

Brandywine

To combat the mildew that is inevitable I am determined to do a better job of pruning this year. In the past I have taken the approach of letting the tomatoes go crazy and then spending the summer trying to control them. This year I am removing all of the suckers except one or two. This will create plants with fewer stems, and less crowded leaves. I'll also be careful to remove any leaves that touch the ground which allows the fungus in the soil to get onto the lower leaves and infect the plant. By keeping up with the pruning, there will be more air circulation between the leaves which should help.

Another change I made this spring is that I'm hand watering my garden. I have tried different types of irrigation hoses, and right now I have both soaker hoses and pierced hoses. My frustration is that every type I've tried still creates areas where the water sprays up into the air or onto the plants. The moisture on the leaves contributes to the mildew. When I hand water, I take care to keep the water off of the leaves using low water pressure. The advantage of hand watering is that you can accurately control how deeply you water, and tomatoes like deep and less frequent watering. So the hoses are there in case I don't have time to hand water, but for now I am really enjoying this pleasant garden chore. I find watering to be relaxing and a great way to stay connected and involved in what is happening out there.

Another method of controlling mildew is to spray the tomatoes with baking soda in water. This changes the pH on the leaves making it harder for the mildew to survive. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda into one gallon of water and thoroughly wet both sides of the leaves once a week. I started doing this as soon as the plants were transplanted instead of waiting until signs of mildew appear.

The final change made with this year's tomatoes is that I have been spraying them every 3 weeks with aspirin dissolved in water. There are numerous articles about why aspirin is helpful and without going into much detail, it apparently stimulates the plant's immune response, helping it to fight disease. Use a non-coated aspirin dissolved into one gallon of water and thoroughly wet the leaves. 

So far, so good. The plants are thriving and setting on lots of blossoms. 

Fingers crossed!

Protecting Tomato Transplants from Cutworms

A cutworm (or some other critter) killed one of my precious tomato transplants that I grew from seed. 

RIP San Marzano. Luckily the internet is a vast source of wonderful ideas. It seems that a plastic barrier will keep the worms (and other creepy crawlers) away from the plants. Of course! So simple and easy, provided you have a small backyard garden and not hundreds of plants. 

My seeds were started in newspaper pots, 

then transplanted to plastic cups, so I already had the cups.

I cut the bottoms off of the cups to make the rims that would stand guard to protect my tender transplants. It seemed to work best if there were two cups stacked together because they were more stable and less likely to crack.

I realized after I cut these and took these pictures that more needed to be cut from the bottom of the cups or the rims would be taller than the plants. For shorter plants, make shorter rims so the plants get sunshine.

I carefully dug a small trench around the plant with my finger to make it easier to push the rim into the ground.

Then I gently packed the soil around the outer edge of the rim so the bugs couldn't crawl through any small gaps.

The cups were already labeled so that worked out just great. 

The plastic rim also keeps the mulch away from the stems which is recommended.

...and they all lived happily ever after.

RIP San Marzano

A small tragedy struck my garden in the night. The perpetrator remains at large. 

It's a big tough world out there in the garden for a little transplant. 

There are critters. 

Lots and lots of critters. 

And they strike at night.

This morning the San Marzano looked fine. The leaves were beautiful, it was standing tall. But being an overprotective mother I inspected it closely as it had only been in the ground a few days. That's when I noticed THIS:

A bite taken from the stem doomed my San Marzano. It had apparently just happened because the plant had not yet wilted. 

Fresh crime scene, it was heartbreaking. I couldn't just leave it to wilt so I tore it off in disgust.

This is my first year growing tomatoes and peppers from seed. My first batch damped off, all dead. So I tried again and everything grew beautifully. I had 2 plants of each variety of tomato (12 varieties). I planted one of each pair in the garden. The spare was kept in case one of the transplants didn't make it. They were all doing great, slowly growing thicker stems and new leaves. Yesterday my husband asked if he could give some of the spares to his friend. Feeling confident the tomatoes were all doing fine in the garden, the spares were adopted out. 

Then last night the San Marzano was cut down by some critter. It's sad because that is the only variety of tomato my husband requested. He makes the most amazing sauce and stewed tomatoes. The San Marzano is his favorite. No other tomato was as precious as this one. 

I've lost many plants over the years, but losing one I've tenderly raised from seed, the one plant requested by my honey, that hurts.

Rat-Proof Strawberry Cage - Because We Needed One

The rats have discovered my strawberries, so the war is on. For weeks I have been watching the plants as they awakened from winter's nap, admiring the beautiful blossoms, waiting for the berries to ripen. This bed was transplanted with strawberry runners taken from another bed and it was full of tiny berries in various stages of development. One day I noticed one of the berries was half eaten. Only the ripe red part was gone. The unripe part of the berry remained attached to the plant. At first I thought it was slugs but after careful inspection, there were no signs of them. A few days later more berries were ripening and over night the same thing happened. Something was eating half of the berry, leaving the unripe part behind. 

We have fruit rats in our neighborhood. They are foul and I do not want to even think about them. Nothing is more creepy to me than mice and rats. UGH! They eat our tangelos and pomegranates. That is bad enough, but the strawberries are mine. They can't have them. So I decided to build a cover to protect my delicious berries from those nasty creatures. I have a dog, so putting traps in that area is not an option, and poison is out for the same reason. Here is what I came up with a couple of weeks ago.

I used a sheet of 1/4 inch wire mesh, and bent it to create a cover. I used a wooden stake as a straight edge to fold up about six inches along each edge.

To make the corners, I cut along the fold line to the corner.

Then I folded the corner and secured it with wire.

Then I turned it over and placed it over the strawberries, taking care to push it down so there were no gaps where hungry rats could enter. Placing a couple of rocks on it secured it in place, and guess what? It works!! 

If the rats discover the strawberries in the main garden, I won't be able to cover them because the space is too big. The traps will have to come out (a fence keeps the dog out of that area). I intend to win this war. 

Got Grubs? You Need Nematodes!

Is anything more creepy than a grub? Yuck. Luckily my favorite nursery carries beneficial nematodes (Heterohabditis bacteriophora). These are tiny organisms that are harmless to humans, animals, plants and worms but are deadly to numerous harmful insects. They are effective in killing grubs, cutworms, Japanese and cucumber beetles, many types of weevils, red fire ants, maggots, and hundreds of other soil dwelling insects. 

Last year I had puzzling holes in one of my garden beds that were about the diameter of my little finger. The trails were like tiny mole trails. Right under the surface of the soil, something was tunneling causing raised trails. Eventually I discovered that I did not have tiny moles, I had grubs. This year they are in my compost.

Grubs are not beneficial to the garden. Some types borrow through the soil and eat the plant roots. Some grubs are the larvae of fruit eating beetles like the green June beetle (aka figeater) or the bumble flower beetle. Because the adult insects eat fruit, I prefer to control them. Some people feel it is not necessary to control the grubs in a compost pile as they do aid in breaking down the organic matter. I can't stand them. I want them gone, so beneficial nematodes are my weapon of choice.

At risk of giving my readers the creeps, I will now describe the life cycle of the warrior nematodes. This is your warning, it gets ugly so skip this paragraph if you want. The juvenile nematodes seek out their pray, in this case the victim is a grub. When they find the grub, the nematodes enter their prey though natural openings or by borrowing into it. I warned you. Once inside, they release certain bacteria which also then live inside the grub. The bacteria are only able to survive inside the grub (or other victim) and as the bacteria multiply, the grub dies. This takes 24-48 hours. The nematodes then ingest the bacteria and the grub corpse. Each nematode matures into a hermaphroditic female and lays eggs inside the infected victim. More creepy news...only some of the eggs are laid outside of the female nematode. Some remain inside the female and as these eggs hatch and mature, the juvenile nematodes then eat their mother! The nematodes mature and mate inside the grub/host/victim, then emerge from the dead grub 12-14 days after infection. They will travel through the soil looking for another tasty grub. How is that for gross? Thanks for reading, now go take some antacid.

So, the nematodes are living creatures that come in a package like this.

Because they are alive, they are kept refrigerated and my friends at Sego Nursery (12-126 Burbank Blvd, No. Hollywood, CA 91607) advised me to go straight home so the creatures will not die in the hot car. If you live in the area and have not gone to Sego Nursery, you simply must go. It is family owed and has every plant you can imagine. Well, almost. The family is friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, my favorite nursery for sure. But I digress, back to nematodes... 

Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to release them. It is best to release them on a cool day, or in the evening as they do best in cool weather. They come in a damp sponge in a sealed packet.

Remove the sponge and place it in a bucket of lukewarm water (at least one quart of water). Squeeze the sponge repeatedly to release the nematodes into the water. The package says to keep squeezing for a couple of minutes. Then you can put the sponge in another bucketful of water and repeat the process to create two buckets of solution. Discard the sponge.

This creates enough solution to treat  2000 square feet of surface area. Once the nematodes are released into the water, they must be used within one hour. You can then use a watering can, garden pump sprayer or hose-end sprayer to disperse the warriors. Add water to dilute the solution to make enough to cover your area. I poured the solution into my garden sprayer. The pump sprayer allows an even distribution. 

Lightly water the area first, then apply the solution, then water lightly again. The nematodes will do best if the soil is moist and well-aerated. 

My friends at Sego Nursery reminded me to leave the dead grubs in the soil. The dead insects are the breeding ground for the nematodes so it is best to leave them in the soil. That way, the nematodes will multiply and move into the soil, and keep those nasty grubs away. Thanks, nematodes!

Using Diatomaceous Earth to Control Ants

Ants have made their home in one of my garden beds. This became obvious yesterday as I cleared the bed to prepare it for fall planting. Suddenly they were everywhere, upset that I had destroyed their home. I had read that diatomaceous earth (DE) could be used to kill ants and I had purchased a bag to have on hand just in case. I can now assure you that it works.

Diatomaceous earth is a fine white powder that looks like flour. It is made of the skeletons of tiny marine creatures called diatoms. Under a microscope the powder actually has sharp edges which are abrasive to the exoskeletons of insects such as ants, earwigs, roaches and silverfish. When the insects crawl over it, the powder scratches off the outer waxy coating causing the insects to dehydrate and die. 

It is not a bait, so the insects will not be drawn to it. This means that to be effective, it must be placed where the insects will crawl over it. Diatomaceous earth must also be dry to be effective. Once it becomes damp, the tiny pieces won't coat the insect and it won't kill them, so it must be reapplied often to work.

My ants were making a trail along the 2 x 6 of my raised bed so I spread the powder along the top of the board, and also spread it on the sides to be sure the ants had no way of avoiding it. 

Because I had never used it before, I stayed and watched what happened to see if it was working. Sure enough, the ants would crawl into it then gradually I started seeing ants fall off the wood and die. After about 30 minutes, what had been a army of ants was now a few survivors. It really worked. I'm a believer now.

The good thing about diatomaceous earth is that it is non-toxic to animals and humans. But it is important to know that there are two type of DE. One is food grade which can actually be eaten by people and is placed in grain bins to keep the insects out. This is the type you want to use in the garden. The other type is pool grade which is used in some types of pool filters. This is not the type you want to use in the garden. Although food grade DE is safe to eat, it is not safe to inhale it and DE can be an eye irritant so it is best to use a mask and goggles when applying it.

I used the DE yesterday and when I went out to the garden this morning there were no ants to be found. That's one small victory for this urban gardener!

Epsom Salts to the Rescue - Treating Chlorosis in my Eggplants and Bell Peppers

Epsom salt is not only good for soaking aching muscles after a long day in the garden. It's also a tried and true remedy for chlorosis caused by magnesium deficiency. Chlorosis is yellowing of the leaves due to a lack of chlorophyll which is the molecule responsible for making plants green. The result can be loss of leaves, stunted growth and lack of flowers and fruit. 

This tomatillo leaf has interveinal chlorosis which is yellowing of the areas between the veins, the veins remain green.

Poor tomatillo.

There are many different causes of interveinal chlorosis including iron deficiency, magnesium deficiency, lack of nitrogen, over watering, compacted roots, poor drainage, and high soil pH.

My eggplants are showing signs of chlorosis. You can see the areas between the veins are starting to turn light green.

As it progresses, those areas turn from light green to yellow.

Because there are so many causes of yellowing leaves, I tried to rule out some of them to help to figure out what was the cause. My soil pH tested in the normal range. The plants were not being over watered. The roots couldn't be crowded and my drainage is fine. That left some type of deficiency as the culprit, but what?

From what I have read, if an iron deficiency is to blame, the new leaves and terminal buds will be the first leaves to turn yellow, then it will spread to include the older leaves. If the older leaves are the first to show signs of chlorosis then it is more likely a deficiency of magnesium, nitrogen, or zinc.

In my plants, yellowing is apparent on the older leaves while the new leaves are unaffected.

This makes me think my plants may have a magnesium deficiency since a lack of nitrogen is doubtful because I have mulched and used compost tea.

Enter Epsom Salts to the rescue!

Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate which is a naturally occurring mineral sold in drug stores. It can be applied directly into the soil by mixing 1 tsp to 1 tbsp into the bottom of the hole when transplanting. It can also be applied by mixing one tbsp into a gallon of water, then pour the solution onto the soil around the plants. 

The salts can also be used in a foliar spray where the solution is sprayed directly onto the leaves. This allows the minerals to be absorbed quickly and is the method I used. I have a 2 gallon sprayer that I recently bought. 

How did I manage before I had one? It wasn't easy. I had a hand sprayer, a little hand sprayer that was exhausting to use. It took forearms of steel to spray the garden. It was the best twenty dollars I've spent in years. For my quick tutorial on how to use a pump sprayer, click here.

Mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt in one gallon of water in a sprayer. 

My sprayer came with different nozzles. I use the one intended to be used to water plants so it puts out more water than the other nozzles. 

I spray the leaves from the top of the plant to the bottom and I spray the soil as well. It is best to avoid spraying in the evenings as moist leaves promote mildew. I try to avoid spraying in the heat of the day too so that the leaves don't get burned. So I usually spray in the early morning hours. This is a quick task that takes only 5 minutes. 

I sprayed the eggplants and peppers once a week for the past 4 weeks and the results have been amazing. The leaves that were already turning yellow did not improve, but no other leaves have started turning yellow!! Since the problem seems to be corrected, I decided to stop applying the Epsom salts because I don't want it to build up in the soil. If I see leaves starting to show chlorosis again I will start using it again.

Like Superman, the Epsom salts saved the day! 

How to Use a Garden Pump Sprayer - Tips for Beginners

I have been gardening for 25 years without a pump sprayer. My recent $20 purchase is a game-changer! Gone are the days of using a small squirt bottle to spray soapy water on those pesky aphids until my forearms ached. What took me so long?

The advantage of this type of a sprayer is that it gives you a continual stream of solution when you press the lever.

There are so many uses for a pump garden sprayer. Besides using soapy water to kill soft bodied pests, it can be used for foliar sprays like applying baking soda to melon vines to prevent mildew. It can be used to spray Epsom salts to treat chlorosis. I've used it for Neem oil. My fuschia plants love a little misting of water on a hot day too. 

At our local hardware store there were several sizes with different options. I chose a 2 gallon sprayer because I don't want to carry too much weight, and the one gallon size seemed too small. After using it for a while, I think the 2 gallon size is perfect for me.

Here's how it works.

Remove the lid, 

and put in your Epsom salts or whatever you are using. 

Fill it with water to the level indicated on the side of the bottle then screw on the lid tightly. The handle rotates clockwise to lock so it won't move up and down. Turn it to the left to unlock it. Now the handle can move up and down. 

Pump it multiple times until you can feel the pressure build up (it gets harder to pump), then push it down all the way and turn the handle clockwise to lock it so it won't move up and down. 

Now that the handle is locked you can use it to carry the sprayer. It's pressurized and ready to go.

My sprayer came with different nozzles. 

This one puts out a fine spray and is adjustable to spray harder or softer. 

The blue nozzle has larger holes for watering with a gentle raindrop action.

The pieces come apart so you can clean out any clogs. Take care not to get any debris like grass clippings in the bottle which can clog the sprayer.

Mine came with two wands so once the tips are put on, the wands can be easily changed from one to the other.

The yellow part is the trigger and it can be slid forward to lock it in the open position giving you a steady stream with no effort. 

My forearms love that!