Hot peppers (forgot to post about these until now)

This year I bought two hot pepper plants, from Hottawa:

- Antilles Red Caribbean
- Bahamian Goat

Unfortunately, I planted them in what ended up completely shady areas overpowered by tomatoes, zinnias, basil, and zucchini, so they hardly grew at all.

However, just the other I day I noticed that they both have a few small peppers growing!  The internet says the Antilles will turn from the current green to orange and then red when ripe; the Bahamian, to peach/orange.

Hopefully something will come of these after all!

Few females opened this morning

Only two females opened this morning, both zucchinis.

Hopefully it's only because there was a rash of females recently, not because the plants have started to die.......... augh

SVB update: Found WORMS in some stems, and in some vines!!!

Oh boy.......... despite all that egg monitoring in recent weeks, some escaped my gaze!

Removed about 5-6 worms today in total.

This includes the following locations (not a comprehensive list):

- central patch:  NW quadrant (base of stem)
- central patch:  SE corner (vine -- two entry points fairly close to each other -- suspected, no visual confirmation)
- air conditioner south side zucchini:  leaf stems (two I think)
- kitchen door zucchini north-most one:  suspected in base of leaf, might have already gone inside (and after inspecting the plant so closely!!)

And others...........

Feeling anxious that all of this will have been for nothing as I'm sure to miss some of them, and I'm not sure how many SVBs it takes to kill a plant...  Wondering if continued vigilance will suffice to save the growing squashes...  If the zucchini goes kaput, oh well, at least I already harvested a relatively decent amount, but the winter squashes, would be so sad to lose them all before any of them are harvestable...

Green stink/shield bug

Found a green stink/shield bug, young in the green/black stage.  Doesn't fly.  Very cute!  Rehomed, just in case.

Took photos of garden from upstairs window

Took photos of garden from upstairs window, now while everything is in full force.  Hopefully the SVB won't destroy it all!

SVB: Found a worm inside bruised leaf stem (central patch)! and removed more eggs

Found a worm inside bruised leaf stem (central patch, so either butternut or pink banana)!  Took photos of the stem to remember what it looks like.  The stem of the leaf looked bruised -- pale green / light brownish/orangish, with frass right there, and the stem was "dented" at that location.  Took the whole stem off but next time should probably just do it as an intact dissection.

Also removed more eggs from various stems -- all in the central patch I believe. 

Saw a SVB moth laying eggs today :-(((((

Saw a SVB moth laying eggs this morning during the morning rounds.  Witnessed her laying eggs (i.e. she wasn't just flying around for the fun of it).

Garlic harvesting is underway (started ~1 week ago)

About a week ago I started harvesting the occasional garlic here and there, several more today.  The cloves look decent -- not huge by any means, and some smaller than others, but healthy-looking.

Butternut: Pollinated the one in the SE area, inward, close to ground cherry plant

Butternut:  Pollinated the one in the SE area, inward, close to ground cherry plant.

Bees galore in the mornings (not bumblebees)

The squashes and zucchinis are abuzz with bees every morning when I do the morning rounds.  They aren't bumblebees, they're much smaller.  Pretty sure they're bees, not wasps.

I assume they are the reason why the males have no pollen left on them.  The pollen tends to have fallen into the bottom of the flower.  So I've been having a harder time doing the pollination, using whatever pollen I can get.  Hopefully the bees are doing it anyway, but I'm continuing, just in case.

Several more butternuts on the way

Wow, after the slow start the butternuts are really rolling in now.  Exciting!

Hopefully the dread pirate SVB won't ruin the day.

Put the vertical butternut into a sling

Put the vertical butternut into a sling, just in case, to help out the vine.

Next year: Grow potatoes in pots

Didn't grow potatoes this year because they haven't done well for me and there wasn't room.  (Except for a few volunteers near the compost, leftover from past years.)  Next year, try growing them in pots.

Very good video:

https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-successfully-grow-potatoes-in-containers/


Some key points from the video:

- choose early varieties (70-90 days)

- minimum pot size of 3 gallons / 10 litres

- ensure pot has good drainage

- don't cut the potatoes; instead, trim all but the strongest 2-3 eyes, then plant intact, eyes up

- cover with 4" soil; once leaves grow 4" above soil, add more soil, leaving tips of plants above ground each time

An onion had leek moth, but no caterpillars found in dissection

One of the onions in the garlic patch clearly had some leek moth eggs/caterpillars hatch and enter the "leave"s.  Pulled the onion, sliced it apart carefully -- and didn't find any caterpillars inside.  Bottom-most stem seemed totally intact.  Re-planted it.

Pollinated the butternut near the giant jumbo

Pollinated the butternut near the giant jumbo.  If it takes, it will be the third butternut.

A cucumber surprise!

Yay, a second cucumber has taken!  Found it by accident.  Will be another week or so before harvestable.

Small black beetles found in squash and cucumber flowers

Argh, yet another insect wanting to eat my cucumbers and squash plants.

Started noticing these a few days ago.  They look the size of flea beetles.  I haven't tested to see if they jump, to see whether they are flea beetles, or something else.

A second butternut appears to have taken

The one right at the SE wooden post of the central patch.  Pollinated it a few days ago, and it's looking very good so far.  Today, it measures 4" tip to tip (excluding flower).  Curious to see how many days it takes to grow and mature, will like to know this for future, for example to know if the ones just appearing now have a chance...

Berry alley seasonal status

Raspberries:  Some normal red raspberries and black raspberries, but not a whole lot.  Some were on the main stretch, others scattered throughout the trails.  The main alley has a bit stretch of what look like off-year bushes -- maybe next year will have lots.

Thimbleberries:  Two!  Just starting.  Many more on the way.  Will come back in a couple of weeks.

Blackberries:  Definitely not ripe yet, but lots on the way along the main alley.

Ground cherries:  Didn't see any plants at all.

Removed 15 SVB eggs, all from central patch

Removed 15 SVB eggs, all from central patch.  Did this by sitting down and just looking, then moving a few feet and repeating.

Didn't see any on zucchini plants.