Calm Before the Storm

| June 17, 2016 | 2 Replies

From the sublime to the worrisome, my garden on Sunday represented the calm before the storm. Full slideshow on Google+.

Looking out at garden, Sunday morning, June 12, 2016

Looking out at garden, Sunday morning, June 12, 2016

My early morning garden vigil revealed the beginning of harvests to come, as well as problems.

Calm Before the Storm - harvest

June 12th harvest, with lemon cucumbers

I’ve been spraying lemon cucumbers and tomato plants for weeks with milk and baking soda, trying to prevent and beat back the powdery mildew already present. My third spray of the lemon cukes in as many weeks turned up aphids as well. Those have to be my two biggest garden nemeses.

Calm Before the Storm - aphids

Aphids on backs of lemon cucumber leaves

But, what appears to be blight on some tomato leaves is a greater cause for concern.

Calm Before the Storm - blight

Blight on tomato leaves

I’ll be removing these leaves as the season progresses. I may have to use an OMRI listed fungicide if the problem worsens.

Calm Before the Storm - garlic bloom

Elephant garlic bloom about to open

See the full Calm Before the Storm slideshow from Sunday on my Google + page. Please let me know if my new Vlog is something you’d like me to continue. These are videos I create from start to finish (as opposed to Late Bloomer episodes which are professionally edited). Click here for the Vlog playlist. Thanks for watching! Please share with a friend so I can make my channel sustainable this year! Many thanks!

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Category: Curbside Gardening, Flowers, Garden Musings, Plant Diseases, Urban Gardening, Vegetables

Comments (2)

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  1. Carrie Bell says:

    I wonder if the yellowing is really blight Have you had high heat the last month or so? I have had high heat since the beginning of June. I have yellowing leaves on my tomatoes, but I decided to just give the tomatoes and peppers a light feeding once a week. Even though I have mulched my raised beds, I could feel the heat coming off the soil. I am watering more than usual and I wonder if it is draining nutrients as it does when I grow in containers?

    • I apologize for missing this great comment, Carrie. Yes, I have blight. My garden is plagued with mildew and blight and I struggle constantly. I really doubt if you need to be feeding your tomatoes more than at planting and once during growing season if you are mulching and you have decent soil. I know that deep infrequent watering is what tomatoes love best, so watering more will not make them healthier, in fact, the tomatoes will have less flavor. And yes, it will drain nutrients like in containers and cause blossom end rot. Even in hot Ojai, CA, where the temps are many weeks of 90’s-100, they water once every 7-10 days, but deeply water from soaker hose or drip irrigation.Of course, your season is long gone, and I’m sorry I didn’t respond sooner. How did things work out? – Kaye

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