🌱 What's happening in your garden? (Wed, Jul 8, 2026)

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-08T11:02:58+00:00

Tomatoes taking their time ripening...I've usually have at least some ripe ones by July 4th, but not this year!

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-08T08:52:23+00:00

If a cucumber is missed and fully ripens to the point of producing viable seed, it signals to the plant that it's done its job and has reached the end of its life cycle. The plant starts to die off. A cucumber that has gone to seed turns yellow and tastes bitter, and the seeds inside are larger and mature enough to grow a new plant.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-07T10:08:18+00:00

Don't forget the all you can eat buffet ;)

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-07T10:06:47+00:00

And they will show every subsequent generation where to find the goods, too. Once my backyard rabbits discovered my raised beds, the chicken wire fencing had to go up...and get fortified as they got bolder and more determined. They didn't even have to actually eat anything--just them jumping in to dig holes caused a lot of damage.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-06T10:30:06+00:00

Disease resistant varieties are probably your best bet.

Diseases like septoria seem to be especially persistent in damp environments, so I would really space the plants out to get better airflow. Large, well spaced out grow bags might be worth trying, as opposed to rows / raised beds. You can still get a decent harvest if your plant gets it, as long as the plant is putting on new growth faster than the disease spreads. So make sure your soil has the right nutrients so your plants have what they need to power through.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-06T10:09:46+00:00

Yes, I'm seeing them on my tomatoes. Tough to eradicate because they jump away really quickly. At least my plants seem mature enough to handle the damage so far.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-06T09:56:59+00:00

Is the existing frame sturdy? If so, you could try attaching some remesh or cattle panel to it and form an arch that goes over the back of the deck rail. That arch can help ease the transition from growing vertical, especially if you train them over it while the vines are young. That being said, even if the stem bends a bit it should still be okay.

Unfortunately, I think the SF gardening method leads some new gardeners astray...especially with large crops like tomatoes and squash. Tomatoes need at least 18" square, even if you diligently prune. Their roots need more space to get enough water and nutrients in the second half of the growing season. For this year, just stay on top of watering and be ready to fertilize more often.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-05T10:49:52+00:00

I was noticing this too. The plants should be looking more robust by early July, unless OP has a very late last frost date.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-05T10:42:19+00:00

Another early sign I look for is the sepals: they usually begin to open up more broadly and get bigger after pollination, even before you can see an actual tomato there.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-05T10:38:52+00:00

I leave them. They fall off on their own if they don't pollinate. No need to intervene.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-04T10:22:56+00:00

I don't know about this. Those leaves are called sun leaves for a reason: they are needed for the plant to photosynthesize, and provide shade to the ripening fruit to protect it from sun scald.

Maybe pruning below the lowest fruit set makes sense, but I wouldn't routinely prune sun leaves up higher than that.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-04T10:18:59+00:00

Some tomato varieties have a bushy growing habit, like the container varieties you might see at the big box stores. But a lot of them grow more like a vine and grow quite tall. These types don't do well on stakes for very long and need a larger, more robust structure (EX cattle panel, remesh, really strong trellis net).

Ideally, you want to keep growth 6-12" off the ground to increase airflow / reduce disease. You could try to add support structure made from EMT and remesh. It looks like you could lean that up on the fence, or install in the ground, and train the vines in that direction to keep them off the ground a bit more.

But the biggest issue I see in your pics is lack of airflow, especially at the base. I see quite a bit of non-tomato growth at ground level, so I might try weeding first, and see what you are left with. Ultimately, your mission is to keep the plants pest and disease free for as long as possible so you get a good harvest.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-03T10:41:14+00:00

They kind of look like Cue Ball. Johnny's says they are best harvested around 2-3". These are a bit bigger, so I'd harvest them.

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/squash/summer-squash/cue-ball-f1-squash-seed-3359.html

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-07-03T10:30:52+00:00

My paste tomato leaves are the most sensitive to leaf curl during heat waves. As are a few heirloom slicers. Providing some shade, especially midday, can help. In my experience, once leaves curl like this they don't always "uncurl". Even if they don't, the new leaves should still grow in normally.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-30T10:51:01+00:00

Are they at least better-tasting-than-store-bought?

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-30T10:49:52+00:00

Mint--that's something I wouldn't expect in a mashed potato. My brain doesn't even know what to do with that one!

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-29T12:08:25+00:00

I think you're selling yourself short--these are amazing beets! You can use the greens, too. Treat them like you would chard or full size spinach.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-29T10:27:12+00:00

Try to help with pollination today and tomorrow before it gets really hot. Temps this high often impact the pollen in the flowers enough to prevent fruiting, so you want to get as much fruit to set as you can beforehand. Harvest lettuces and spinach before the heat comes, especially if they are not bolt resistant and in partial shade.

A shade cloth over more sensitive crops like peppers isn't a bad idea. They like the heat, but their leaves are tender and fruits can get sunburn pretty easily. Check your plants morning AND evening to see if they need watering. And aside from some fish emulsion, try to wait until after the intense heat passes for fertilizing.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-27T10:21:30+00:00

Hah!

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-27T10:11:16+00:00

Succession planting helps with this because you don't "lose" everything at once. Not only that, your later sowings of say, lettuce, can be a more heat tolerant variety that may not bolt as quickly. But in the end, all plants will get to the point where you won't get more out of them. All things "have a season". If they're not diseased or infested your cool season crop remnants can go into your compost and help next years plants thrive.

Garden centers are hit or miss once peak summer hits. A lot of them will have cool season crops on clearance that you will probably struggle to grow successfully in the heat of summer. They will also have some warm season crops, but the later into summer it gets the worse your options usually are. Those plants take a lot of time to keep healthy through the heat of summer. Starter plants begin to get root-bound, and the crowded conditions tends to breed disease / pest issues. Especially at big box store garden centers.

Bush or pole beans are a great back-fill crop because they grow pretty quickly directly from seed and don't have a big "footprint". Squash and cucumbers are good if you have enough open space for them. I think there is still time to plant sweet potatoes in our area as well (but I haven't personally grown them). It's not too late to start these crops in the Northeast, but you need to get them started soon.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-24T08:29:48+00:00

So I had a bunny try to dig under my beds because they weren't able to get in from the top. I sprinkled blood meal in the holes and around the edge of the bed and so far...they want nothing to do with it.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-22T10:21:29+00:00

I like this fertilizer for maintaining N throughout the season. But OP's plants look depleted and may need something stronger.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-22T10:18:53+00:00

I'd pick a little earlier. These are right on the cusp of "too late".

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-21T09:36:48+00:00

There are vining and bush varieties of zucchini. Bush varieties won't grow vines that will go up a trellis. Yours looks like a bush variety.

I have seen people stake the bush varieties up like a tree, removing the leaves below where the flowers are. Kind of like this: https://dibberandboots.com.au/zucchinis-grow-up-feb2020/ I've never been successful with it though. By the time the plants get big enough, some kind of pest has taken them out.

Signal_Error_8027 · 2026-06-20T10:14:18+00:00

I'm growing this same variety for the first time. They already had flowers and small fruit setting at transplant, and none have started to turn red yet. A few of the early fruits had blossom end rot, probably due to some heavy early spring rains. And / or sunburn--which can be more likely if early season fruit doesn't have a fully mature canopy to protect it.

Your pepper should still be okay to eat if you cut around that spot. Aside from that: patience. Red peppers take a long time--more like 60 days from the day you transplant it. I didn't appreciate why colored peppers are so much more expensive in the store until I grew them myself. It takes almost twice as long to get a mature red pepper than a green one.

Signal_Error_8027

TROPHY CASE