Gardens 2008

[Jack]

Our tomatoes (4 plants) are producing at a nice rate of about 2 or 3 a day, plus a few cherry tomatoes.  The plants are loaded with them but the ripening process is slow.  Beans are doing great, already giving some away to the neighbors.  One pole bean is climbing up a guide wire going to a telephone pole, it's probably 12' up in the air    Our darned peppers are going really slow.  Big tall, healthy looking plants but only one has a pepper, about 2" long now.  There are some tiny little baby peppers, maybe 1/8" diameter, on a couple other plants.  Had to cut the lettuce out, it was getting way overgrown.  Wife said it was either too tough or else bitter when it got large, I'm not sure which story she was stickin' to. 

[Mr. DS]

I have had some vine rot, where they start ripening and then begin to rot at the bottom of the fruit. Not a lot made 10% but I have plenty to spare.

This problem has been my Achilles heal this year.  However, I can't complain, I've already picked hundreds if not thousands of tomatoes. 

I've done about 6 jars of Jalapenos and Hot Cherry Peppers.  I hope to start drying some of the scotch bonnets this weekend.  Does anyone have a food dehydrator here?   I use mine religiously this time of year.  I start with peppers and the last thing I usually do is dry pumpkin seeds. 

[Andrew]

I have had some vine rot, where they start ripening and then begin to rot at the bottom of the fruit. Not a lot made 10% but I have plenty to spare.

This problem has been my Achilles heal this year.  However, I can't complain, I've already picked hundreds if not thousands of tomatoes. 

This is usually called "blossom end rot" and caused by a calcium deficiency (it can be caused by the fruit setting in poor weather).  I had a problem with it until I started using a garden lime, slow release, mixed into the soil for the tomatoes.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I tried the calcium and it didn't help a bit.  I have to cut out the bad bits and turn em into sauce.   I think it might be weather related instead, at least for me.  We have had a bad summer for fruit. 
-Ed

[Mr. DS]

I tried the calcium and it didn't help a bit.  I have to cut out the bad bits and turn em into sauce.   I think it might be weather related instead, at least for me.  We have had a bad summer for fruit. 
-Ed

Yeah same here.  When the rain came this year it came in buckets all at once.