A physiological problem that we see every year is Blossom End Rot. Watch your tomatoes and peppers for a dry, dark spot to develop on the bottom, or “blossom end” of the fruit.

There are a couple of ways to fix or prevent the problem:

Since new soil, be it Miracle Gro Potting or our bulk planting mix, doesn’t usually have enough calcium to begin with, it is always best to apply lime or gypsum as an easy source.

Before seeing any symptoms, watch your moisture levels, especially in potted plants as they tend to dry out quicker. When a soil has large fluctuations in moisture, the calcium cannot efficiently trans-locate to the fruit which then leads to blossom end rot.

If you already notice issues with blossom end rot, spray the plants with Calcium Chloride for an immediate dose of calcium.

Squash plants are blooming. The fruits of your labor are finally becoming apparent. Be careful though as warmer temperatures bring more pests looking to make a meal out of your vegetable plants. One of the biggest problems we have with squash is the squash vine borer. The borers are from the Sesiidae moth family and resemble red wasps. The moth lays its eggs at the base of the leaf stalks, on the vine or even on the soil next to the vine where the larvae will hatch and enter the plant tissue, eating its way down towards the base of the plant. In other years we have sprayed with topical controls with little residual and, in turn, little control. This year we have a new control: Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer with Acetamaprid. Spray to prevent every 2 weeks with a zero day to harvest waiting period. They are becoming active now so control them while you still have your squash plants.

Pest Insect	Organic Control
Aphid	Pennyroyal, spearmint, allium, cilantro, hyssop, nasturtium, sunflowers
Asparagus beetle	Parsley, petunia
Bean beetle	Summer savory, rosemary, petunia
Carrot fly	Rosemary, sage, allium, cilantro
Colorado potato beetle	Bee balm, marigold.
Cucumber beetle	Marigold, nasturtium, oregano,
Mosquito	Basil, lemon balm, pennyroyal
Nematode	French/African marigold, black-eyed Susan, dahlia, pyrethrum daisy (Tanacetum coccineum)
Squash bug	Marigold, nasturtium, bee balm, lemon balm, borage
Tomato worm	Borage, opal basil, marigold, petunia
Whitefly	Nasturtium, marigold, zinnias

For all those looking for a solution for a simple trellis, look no further! We carry trellis netting to secure your vining cucumbers or pole beans. Johnny has been using the trellis netting in out demo garden for a year now. Check out how he did it. Cost effective and super cheap compared to the ready made counter parts.

Look out! They are among us. The Buck Moth Caterpillar, better known as a “Stinging Caterpillar”, has arrived. Be sure to wear shoes in the yard and watch where your put your hands. For those that like to eradicate the caterpillars, then Bonide Caterpillar killer,  is the thing to use.

The Santana eggplant is finally big enough to bring up! Come in while they’re still in stock.