Other post-vacation garden updates

Other news from around the garden:

• Shaggy (the Cherokee Purple tomato) had a bad accident while we were gone too – one of his main vines either got too heavy or got whipped around in the wind, and snapped completely. When I went to cut it off with my knife, I think I snagged the stem and dug into it. Hopefully poor Shags doesn’t mind a few nicks and scratches.

• The lettuce pest I mentioned the other day turned out to be a cabbage looper (as identified via e-mail by my wonderfully helpful local university extension office). They recommend I use a BT-based pesticide to help remove them. I picked up some Thuricide at the local garden center and sprayed it on the lettuces. This seemed to help for a bit but I noticed a few more eggs and caterpillars in the garden yesterday, so I guess it’s an ongoing process.

• We also returned to find a minor aphid infestation (also identified by the extension’s master gardeners) on the Black Cherry tomato plant…

I sprayed some homemade insecticidal soap on them (lighter formula this time) and that seemed to take care of them.

Full garden photo round-up (couple days old) after the jump.

Several notes and photo roundup

Several quick notes and a full photo roundup from this evening, 06/15/2008:

• We added a few new members to the veg/herb garden this weekend: habanero, peppermint, oregano, and more basil. I wanted to get a serrano pepper as well, but couldn’t find one. The lady at the nursery tried to convince me that “hot chili” pepper was basically the same, but I wasn’t sold. I didn’t recognize the variety, but it looked small, red, and hot. Not what I wanted.

• The cilantro I planted in early may has already begun to flower. I haven’t even really had a chance to use it yet. Why the heck does cilantro bolt so quickly? Is there any way to slow it down? I looked around this weekend for more cilantro seedlings, but no one had any. Bad sign. I’m going to go ahead and let it go to (coriander) seed, and then save and dry the seeds for later use.

• We added a bunch of marigolds and nasturtiums to the beds (particularly by the tomatoes) for their companion properties – pest resistance and predatory insect attraction. I used this site as a guide. Apparently, nasturtiums are entirely edible, and their seeds can be pickled and substituted for capers. Someone’s lox-and-cream-cheese bagel will be appreciating that in a month or two, I’m guessing.

• Some of the tomato fruits are coming along nicely, but a few of the plants still have yet to pollinate their blossoms. I’m blaming the wet weather and hope it turns around shortly. It kills me to see all these blossoms dying on the vine.

Scooby and Shaggy update

Got an updated Scooby pic from Bing last weekend. Here he is, side-by-side with Shaggy from the same weekend:

Welcome Shaggy to the party

Please welcome our newest tomato plant, Shaggy, to the party.

With many thanks to my friend George “WisCarney” Fehrenbach, we now have a Cherokee Purple (heirloom) tomato in the garden. Georgey raised Shags from seed he saved from last year’s harvest, so this plant’s got a history.

Shaggy is so-named because he’s part of a tag-team of Cherokee Purples – we separated him from his brother Scooby just before planting. Scoobs is now recovering happily in a pot and will soon be planted in the depths of Independence Hell (i.e., Bing’s back yard).