Vegetable Tips

Tomatoes are a delicious crop for our home gardens. If you run into any problems growing them, here are some good places to find information. The Cornell University website is full of good information, and this Texas "Tomato Problem Solver" site has great photos that help you diagnose the problem.

Check your summer squash for blossom blight, which starts with the blossom and causes the fruit to rot. It's a common fungus during wet or humid conditions. Try to keep better air circulation around the plants, remove excess foliage, and take out weeds.

Here's some info from the UConn Extension Center about growing squash.

Tips from the UMass Extension Center for August:

Be on the lookout for vegetable pests. Hornworms are large at this time and can strip tomato branches overnight. You can pick them off by hand or use B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis) to kill them and prevent their return. Also watch for Mexican bean and Colorado potato beetles (which can be handpicked or exterminated with B.t.).

Apply a water-soluble fertilizer to long-season crops such as fall cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and leafy greens.

Cucumbers like lots of moisture and taste best when they grow rapidly. So give them a couple more doses of fertilizer and continue to water until frost ends their season.

Begin harvesting onions, garlic, and shallots when their leaves are about 50% browned. Let the bulbs dry in the sun for a day or two, then store the bulbs for another week or two in a dry, airy location for proper curing.

Plant empty spots in the vegetable garden with crops that mature in less than 60 days or that can be mulched and harvested later in the fall. You can get a quick crop of leaf lettuce if you seed it now. You can also plant beets or turnips for November harvesting.

Or, plant winter rye in each part of the garden as it becomes vacant. This cover crop will prevent erosion of soil and contribute organic matter when plowed under in spring.