There are a lot of things that happen in the garden that we can control, and many more that we can’t. Today let’s talk about one of each.
I can control an insect that is giving my eggplant fits. I noticed that the plants were yellowing and upon closer inspection found small holes in the leaves. Flea beetles love the eggplant leaves. A little Sevin dust and they will be taken care of. As always follow the instructions on the label. I try to be as green as possible, but will use pesticides when necessary.
Now what I can’t control is the weather. My tomatoes are loaded with fruit, but I don’t think they are ripening like they should. I still have not picked one in my urban garden. Dad and I use the same practices in our gardens and his tomatoes are starting to turn on. We will be canning soon. My brother’s are also picking up the pace. I look next door to my neighbor’s plants and see her plants loaded, but not ripening. Okay, time to go to the web and do some research.
When daytime temperatures rise above 95 degrees or nightime temps don’t fall below 75 degrees tomatoes will cease to ripen, cease blossoming, and abort blossoms. These temps are very close to what our weather pattern has been the last three weeks. Knowing this I would venture that the city is just too darn hot. My brother and my dad are getting tomatoes to ripen (though not as much as we think they should). Dad lives in a rural setting and my brother on the edge of a small town. In the city the nighttime lows don’t fall like they do in the country. That’s my best guess. If anyone has a different theory I would love to hear it. I will be watching this pattern to see what happens when the weather changes.
I am not a fan of fried green tomatoes, but we do make some pretty good relish with them. So we wait until the weather breaks.
I will be patient, I will be patient, I will be patient……
My garden today 