The Endzone Garden Thread

[GVF]

View attachment 477610

That’s exactly what happened to me on the first bite. I usually do a tomato pie. But this was way better. If that’s possible. Going on vacay next week and I’m loaded with tomatoes that will probably be ready to pick next week. I did get one quart of stewed maters canned tonight. The Instant Pot is great for steam canning. Don’t have to get the water bath going.

 

[GVF]

View attachment 477610

It’s Giadas recipe. Really easy.

 

[VolNExile]

It’s Giadas recipe. Really easy.

Thanks! I’ve got about a dozen that I’ve been trying to weigh, so I appreciate the real-world input.

 

[GordonC]

It was powdery mildew for sure. Fun fact -- I actually worked part time in the Entomology & Plant Pathology department as a student assistant during my last couple years at UT. The extension support staff would always assign me chit they didn't want to do...like pull samples from crops or set insect traps in the interstate medians during the middle of July. Definitely saw some powdery mildew samples during my time there.

The Sevin (dust/powder or spray) will not keep the dam cucumber beetles away. We have a lot of cucumbers coming right now, giving them away, but the dam bugs are the culprits in getting the powdery mildew going. I am going to try to grow these bush cukes until the first frost.
In my containers I am already on round #2 of squash from seedlings. The squash bugs are bad here this year. They are very difficult to combat once the eggs start showing up on the underside of the leaves. We are also giving away squash.
We have a few tomatoes beginning to ripen. It won't be long.
We have a lot of green bell peppers right now.
We dried and ground 2 1/2 pints of sweet basil and Genovese basil last week and could do it again any time.

Edit: I transplanted two healthy suckers from the tomatoes on Monday. I hope that will give us a late batch. My mom says I am acting like my papaw (her father who died before I was born) because I am bishing all the time about these cucumber and squash bugs...wife knows it raises my BP....she will go out there and take pics of those squash bugs on top of each other while I am inside and send me the pic haha

 

[Behr]

Got heirloom tomatoes coming in? Well of course…A Tomato Tart…Good Golly my taste buds!
View attachment 477601

My son will not eat tomatoes. Bless his heart. This was out with smoked sausage and fried okra for dinner. He said did you make this pizza. Yep! He ate two pieces. None the wiser. LOL. Bless his almost 20 year old heart.

Sweet Lord.

 

[GordonC]

Got heirloom tomatoes coming in? Well of course…A Tomato Tart…Good Golly my taste buds!
View attachment 477601

My son will not eat tomatoes. Bless his heart. This was out with smoked sausage and fried okra for dinner. He said did you make this pizza. Yep! He ate two pieces. None the wiser. LOL. Bless his almost 20 year old heart.

I am the only one in the house who will eat fried okra, and I could eat it ALL DAM DAY.

 

[VolNExile]

The Sevin (dust or powder) will not keep the dam cucumber beetles away. We have a lot of cucumbers coming right now, giving them away, but the dam bugs are the culprits in getting the powdery mildew going. I am going to try to grow these bush cukes until the first frost.
In my containers I am already on round #2 of squash from seedlings. The squash bugs are bad here this year. They are very difficult to combat once the eggs start showing up on the underside of the leaves. We are also giving away squash.
We have a few tomatoes beginning to ripen. It won't be long.
We have a lot of green bell peppers right now.
We dried and ground 2 1/2 pints of sweet basil and Genovese basil last week and could do it again any time.

Edit: I transplanted two healthy suckers from the tomatoes on Monday. I hope that will give us a late batch. My mom says I am acting like my papaw (her father who died before I was born) because I am bishing all the time about these cucumber and squash bugs...wife knows it raises my BP....she will go out there and take pics of those squash bugs on top of each other while I am inside and send me the pic haha

Next year BY GOLLY I’M REALLY DOING IT THIS TIME I WON’T FORGET!!! I’m growing the beans and cucumbers under row cloth, trellis and all. The whole dang season. I’ll just pick bumblebees off the hyssop and borage (the bees are very chill) and stick them under the row covers for pollination. Or something!

Mexican bean beetles hit my French green beans, and in 17 days (yes, I was dozing, but: it wasn’t that bad initially! and heat! and storms!), the leaves were completely skeletonized. I got a great crop out of them, but the plants are goners. And now I’m finding the beetle larvae on the cucumbers and nasturtiums.

Sonzabeetches

 

[GordonC]

Next year BY GOLLY I’M REALLY DOING IT THIS TIME I WON’T FORGET!!! I’m growing the beans and cucumbers under row cloth, trellis and all. The whole dang season. I’ll just pick bumblebees off the hyssop and borage (the bees are very chill) and stick them under the row covers for pollination. Or something!

Mexican bean beetles hit my French green beans, and in 17 days (yes, I was dozing, but: it wasn’t that bad initially! and heat! and storms!), the leaves were completely skeletonized. I got a great crop out of them, but the plants are goners. And now I’m finding the beetle larvae on the cucumbers and nasturtiums.

Sonzabeetches

well I have tried pesticide after pesticide
all these online reviews about neem oil are BS, or at least they are the way I'm doing it
I made an effort to stay on top of it this year, too. It doesn't seem to matter. I will keep trying.

 

[VolNExile]

well I have tried pesticide after pesticide
all these online reviews about neem oil are BS, or at least they are the way I'm doing it
I made an effort to stay on top of it this year, too. It doesn't seem to matter. I will keep trying.

Yep. They’re pretty resistant to many insecticides now. At least the ones that don’t make your hair fall out and make you grow extra limbs.

I haven’t had squash bugs (yet), but I’ve had bean beetles and squash/cucumber beetles. The only things I know of that work are barriers (=row cloth) and hand picking (=squishing.)

I’m all revolted about squishing until a few days later, and then I go out there with gloves and a crazed look in my eye. Even the cat backs away. Be sure to look under every. damn. leaf. That’s where you’ll find the eggs and the larvae.

I’ve no idea what people do with much bigger gardens. They’re obviously way more energetic than I.

And the eggs overwinter in the soil, so plant in a different area if you can, but still be on the lookout because beetles have wings and all. Little barstages.

 

[GordonC]

Yep. They’re pretty resistant to many insecticides now. At least the ones that don’t make your hair fall out and make you grow extra limbs.

I haven’t had squash bugs (yet), but I’ve had bean beetles and squash/cucumber beetles. The only things I know of that work are barriers (=row cloth) and hand picking (=squishing.)

I’m all revolted about squishing until a few days later, and then I go out there with gloves and a crazed look in my eye. Even the cat backs away. Be sure to look under every. damn. leaf. That’s where you’ll find the eggs and the larvae.

I’ve no idea what people do with much bigger gardens. They’re obviously way more energetic than I.

And the eggs overwinter in the soil, so plant in a different area if you can, but still be on the lookout because beetles have wings and all. Little barstages.

same here on the bold

not sure if we are talking about the same bugs...the cucumber beetles have the black and yellow stripe....haven't seen them on squash....when I say squash bugs they look like stink bugs....they are everywhere....yes under every dam leaf for the eggs, which cannot be killed with insecticide

I read somewhere to put shingles on the ground and go out there and stomp on the shingles each day....apparently they like to hide there

but manual removal is the only way I know as well

 

[VolNExile]

Mexican bean beetle and the fam (generations shown counter-clockwise, starting from the adult at the bottom):



Squash beetle and larva, very similar to the Mexican bean beetle:


Mexican bean beetles preferentially go for legumes (beans, peas, etc.), but when they’ve eaten all those, they’ll check out the rest of the garden.

Squash beetles will go after other Cucurbitae (squash, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, etc.), so after they chomp through your squash, you will probably find them on the cousins.

Cucumber beetles can be either striped or spotted. They are more yellow than the other two, and more elongated. If you don’t have these guys, but you do have squash beetles (or even bean beetles), you will probably see them on your cukes as well.


Squash bugs look to me a lot like stink bugs. They are truly bugs, as opposed to other forms of insects, meaning that they pierce and suck the juices from plants and their fruits.


Yay.

 

[Tin Man]

So that the daughter will allow my grands to eat from my garden’s bounty, I grow organic. Nary a pesticide or fungicide will be applied. I know all about the picking and squishing.

 

[GVF]

Thanks! I’ve got about a dozen that I’ve been trying to weigh, so I appreciate the real-world input.

Gist of the recipe w/o having to search. Ins'a is similar if not same...

Puff pastry thawed and rolled out on cookie sheet. (sprayed my sheet w/EVOO sparay.)
3 larger maters. (Iused what was pickable, so enough to cover tart) sliced about 1/8 inch
room temp mascarpone about 1/2 cup.
room temp crumbled goat cheese about 1/4 cup or so
1 shallot diced
reduced balsmic glaze (1/2C balsamic, 2tsp sugar)
chopped chive (or basil)

place sliced maters on paper towels to drain out. blot top as well. salt and pepper.
mix mascarpone, goat chese, and shallot and spread on pastry.
arrange maters on patry
bake at 375 till just turning golden on top.
switch to broiler and finish off top
drizzle with balsamic glaze and chives

I love the heirloom tomato pie recipes. I've done a couple but can't remember exactly which one, but it was one with frozen pie crusts. This tart is right up their with it, Fantastic. The sweet balsamic glaze is the ticket.

 

[GVF]

So that the daughter will allow my grands to eat from my garden’s bounty, I grow organic. Nary a pesticide or fungicide will be applied. I know all about the picking and squishing.

I use as little as possible, but sevin is harmless to veggie health and humans. I keep a steady supply of that.

 

[GVF]

Gist of the recipe w/o having to search. Ins'a is similar if not same...

Puff pastry thawed and rolled out on cookie sheet. (sprayed my sheet w/EVOO sparay.)
3 larger maters. (Iused what was pickable, so enough to cover tart) sliced about 1/8 inch
room temp mascarpone about 1/2 cup.
room temp crumbled goat cheese about 1/4 cup or so
1 shallot diced
reduced balsmic glaze (1/2C balsamic, 2tsp sugar)
chopped chive (or basil)

place sliced maters on paper towels to drain out. blot top as well. salt and pepper.
mix mascarpone, goat chese, and shallot and spread on pastry.
arrange maters on patry
bake at 375 till just turning golden on top.
switch to broiler and finish off top
drizzle with balsamic glaze and chives

I love the heirloom tomato pie recipes. I've done a couple but can't remember exactly which one, but it was one with frozen pie crusts. This tart is right up their with it, Fantastic. The sweet balsamic glaze is the ticket.

Feel free to sub the regular soft goat cheese. My next tart I will use honey goat cheese with the mascarpone instead of crumbled. Just to tweak it to my recipe.

 

[GVF]

Dang pumpkin seeds already broke ground in about 5 days. About half of them anyways. Son planted them deep. Step son snet us some of his seeds to trial grow some here and see how they do. He has pumpkin growing on hte brain. a one acre harvest will pay for that grow-in plus the next two years plantings and still net $3K an acre.

I did two short rows of brussels just to make sure some came up. Soaked the seeds overnight and all. So far only 3 good chutes are up and one struggler. Not sure if anymore will sprout.

 

[VolNExile]

Gist of the recipe w/o having to search. Ins'a is similar if not same...

Puff pastry thawed and rolled out on cookie sheet. (sprayed my sheet w/EVOO sparay.)
3 larger maters. (Iused what was pickable, so enough to cover tart) sliced about 1/8 inch
room temp mascarpone about 1/2 cup.
room temp crumbled goat cheese about 1/4 cup or so
1 shallot diced
reduced balsmic glaze (1/2C balsamic, 2tsp sugar)
chopped chive (or basil)

place sliced maters on paper towels to drain out. blot top as well. salt and pepper.
mix mascarpone, goat chese, and shallot and spread on pastry.
arrange maters on patry
bake at 375 till just turning golden on top.
switch to broiler and finish off top
drizzle with balsamic glaze and chives

I love the heirloom tomato pie recipes. I've done a couple but can't remember exactly which one, but it was one with frozen pie crusts. This tart is right up their with it, Fantastic. The sweet balsamic glaze is the ticket.

I might meet some challenges finding mascarpone at my usual grocery store, but I’ll sub if necessary

 

[Tin Man]

I use as little as possible, but sevin is harmless to veggie health and humans. I keep a steady supply of that.

Yes. I post of the daughter's extreme parenting. Her rationale, "So, you lose a few to bugs. We all get to eat what the bugs don't."

 

[Tin Man]

My wife's cat grass germinated within five days.

 

[GordonC]

one of the things I have also tried is Garden Safe Fungicide 3 (organic)....pretty useless

 

[GordonC]

Yep. They’re pretty resistant to many insecticides now. At least the ones that don’t make your hair fall out and make you grow extra limbs.

I haven’t had squash bugs (yet), but I’ve had bean beetles and squash/cucumber beetles. The only things I know of that work are barriers (=row cloth) and hand picking (=squishing.)

I’m all revolted about squishing until a few days later, and then I go out there with gloves and a crazed look in my eye. Even the cat backs away. Be sure to look under every. damn. leaf. That’s where you’ll find the eggs and the larvae.

I’ve no idea what people do with much bigger gardens. They’re obviously way more energetic than I.

And the eggs overwinter in the soil, so plant in a different area if you can, but still be on the lookout because beetles have wings and all. Little barstages.

It didn't take the cucumber beetles long:

 

[VolNExile]

It didn't take the cucumber beetles long:
View attachment 477811

Dang, I’m sorry!

 

[bigorangewildcat]

Cucumbers don’t like a lot of heat. Next to the bricks which retains heat may have done them in.

 

[GVF]

I might meet some challenges finding mascarpone at my usual grocery store, but I’ll sub if necessary

At Kroger, I learned it was not with the ricotta and stuff in dairy. Found it over in the deli in the uppity cheese cooler.

 

[GVF]

Yes. I post of the daughter's extreme parenting. Her rationale, "So, you lose a few to bugs. We all get to eat what the bugs don't."

something a gardener must accept. lol..

But, I get a bit mental when protecting my maters and the family historical green bean.. I wait all year to grow my heirloom maters.