I need help eating these....

Enjoyed your article Critter. Nice to know the difference between the tobacco and tomato hornworms.

Critterologist: I like the looks and taste of the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants a lot better than my arch enemy the horned catepillar, sorry.
joy

Joy, I think a lot of it depends on just how many you have... if my garden were overrun with them, I'd be squashing them too, I'm sure. But I usually see just a couple, and I can re-home those in another part of the yard. :-)

Well, I just learned something from reading your article Critter. I never knew what their eggs looked like. Thanks! I saw quite a few on my plants yesterday. Time for a full inspection of each and every plant. It's gonna be a busy day. It also looks like I have both tomato and tobacco hornworms, aren't I lucky? lol Good article.

There's no doubt how cool looking they are as a caterpillar but I'm not a big fan of them moths at all. They are everywhere. As soon as I turn on the outside light, swarms of them are there in seconds. They are pretty annoying when they start banging into the windows fighting over the light. One night I got fed up with those pterodactyls and went outside and threw a right hook hitting one square in its stupid face. Didn't faze it, I even think it actually laughed at me. Dejected, I walked back in the house thinking I better step up my workouts. :)

If there were only a handful occasionally on my plants I would probably just chuck them into the ivy. But when I find a few dozen weekly, I put on my dancin' shoes and begin to see how far I can make their guts shoot out lol

No matter what I do, I know I will lose about 3-4 tomato plants and 6-7 pepper plants from them each year. It's just the way it goes. No amount of BT can stop them all.

Hey seray...Definitely give pimentos a try. They are pretty tasty and the peppers are a lot bigger than I imagined. Not overly productive, only about 3 good sized peppers at a time per plant. Took out the black light last night....didn't find any but the invasion is just starting. I will be check twice daily this year.

Thanks! I guess maybe they are like dandilions... if you had just a few (moths, hornworms, or dandelions), you'd say oh how lovely! and make every effort to protect them... but when they start making a takeover bid, stand back!

i love pimientos de padron fried in olive oil! perfect with cold beer or sangria. i was too preoccupied with growing tomatoes i didn't get to plant them this season.

i hope you're all having a great weekend!

Well, it's been a busy few days. The tomatoes and peppers are flooding in. Here's a pic from 7/12...

Here's a pic from 7/14....

And now from today....

Here's a pic of some heirloom maters...

Close up pic of todays harvest....

Cherokee Purple plant is loaded....

Reason why I love Big Beef.....it always produces a lot of good sized tomatoes and taste is better than most hybrids....

Looking Good Ray!!!!!

I see salsa and all kinds of wonderful things. Our Cherokees are about finished. Yours look great! I'm always amazed at how productive the EB's are, aren't you? I bet your neighbors can't wait. :)

My neighbors are telling me that they still have plenty from the last few pickings. They'll take them of course but instead I'm gonna make a drive-by drop off at a homeless shelter. :)

I'm gonna smoke half of these Jals for chipotle and make hot sauce with the rest. Biker Billy Jalapenos are friggen HOT! I was shocked!! I ran to the fridge for milk....I don't do that unless I eat a Habenaro.

CP's in an EB is amazing! Can't believe the difference. I grew some in 10 gallon containers last year and they were very average(nice tasting but production was mediocre). This year I'm pretty happy with tomato production(despite the diseases). Peppers always do well here....that's a given for some reason. My fridge is loaded with homegrown veggies......Happy times :)

Ray: I'm with you on the beef steaks, man you have some tomatoes there, I got some big green ones, if they don't turn red soon, that's it fried green tomatoes. LOL My plants are getting hit hard with flies, and these big brown type bugs and every time I spray it rains of course. (groan). I have a freezer full of chopped okra and green pepper already though, and made eggplant parm three times already, so can't complain right? LOL Just one watermelon though so far, I'm really disappointed about that one.

Has anyone ever used that hot pepper wax spray, it's supposed to work even when it rains????
joy

LOL, didn't I tell you that the Biker Billy peppers are at least twice as hot as a "garden variety" jalapeno? Hmm, I meant to mention it... ;-)

Joy- With all the rain you get, hot pepper wax spray might be worth a try. Just make sure you wear some glasses when spraying it. I don't even want to imagine what that would feel like in my eyes. OUCH! You may also want to get some Yellow Sticky traps for flies. They work great!


Critter- No you didn't warn me :) I probably wouldn't have listened anyways because I would have thought I could easily handle it, I would have been wrong lol I knew they were hot but WOW.....it was at least twice as hot as regular Jals. I eat them like candy as I walk around the yard. I won't be doing that with Biker Billy's. They're gonna make some nice hot sauce.

This message was edited Jul 18, 2009 2:57 PM

I've grown those BB's for several years now, and they're a favorite. We did have one harvest that was very mild... late summer rains just washed the heat right out of them! I also love that they're so big and thick-walled. Serrano del Sol, while not quite as huge, makes a nice partner to them (bigger & hotter than other serranos, and extremely productive... we plant 1 of them to every 2 BB's).

Ray: I was advised to get something that had perethrin in it, and also get something that has spinosad in it and as a last resort bring in the malathion, and if I get any fungal issues use something that has chlorothalonil in it. I will also look for some borage and ice plants also. I was also advised the best way to treat potting mix is to put it in large clear plastic bags so it can be solarized by the sun before reusing it again. I'm thinking seriously about planting more corn and more toms to replace the sickly looking toms I am getting right now.

joy

OMG, Mark! I wish I were your neighbor! What a season you are having!

Meanwhile, I came home from camping and only ONE (1) Sungold to harvest. LOL.

Ray and Critter thanks for the hot sauce recipes! Can't wait to get started. I forsee a spicy, vinegary smelling house in the near future :)

Ray - your tomato harvest ASTOUNDS me. It's what I was dreaming for myself... except I don't get more than 3-4 tomatoes at a time! How many tomato plants do you have??? Also - do you plant any tomatoes for fall/winter harvest. I hear it's quite common in LA but am wondering if it's worth it.

Critter - BB's are now gonna be a staple in my garden. Productive, big, hot and tasty....especially when left on to ripen red. No need for me to grow regular Jals anymore. Writing down Serrano del Sol....gonna give them a go next year. I have a few serranos going but the whiteflies are doing them in. Will be replanting peppers soon. Thanks for the recommendation.

Joy - I try not to spray anymore. Malathion scares the crap out of me. I wouldn't put that stuff near anything I grow to eat. But I know people who do. Chlorothalonil is the active ingredient in Daconil. I have a few bottles but it's more of a preventative than a cure for fungus. I haven't sprayed anything in months and I probably will not ever again. Most likely the reason I have seen tons of disease this year but now I'm seeing a lot of good bugs around and want to keep it that way. Last year I sprayed and sprayed.....and it kept the bees, lacewings and ladybugs away.

Annapet - 1 Sungold? Don't go eating it all at once, learn to share lol With the amount of plants you got going, you are gonna be overrun soon. I predict a major tomato flood coming your way soon. I can't wait to see the cool photos you take. The LBB you sent took well to the transplanting and is happily growing. I'll take a pic and send it your way. I'm thinking of letting the 8 tomato plants I just planted sprawl on the deck instead of caging. Not a bad idea since most of my cages are probably riddled with fungus spores.

newgarden - What kinds are you growing and how many? I first started with 40 tomato plants. Leaf Spot, Blight and some sort of wilt slowly killed off about 10 plants(They didn't produce, chopped them down early in the season). Then another 10 produced a little, then I removed them (browning branches and stems plus mildew). I would say, 75% of the tomatoes I'm getting are off 8-10 plants. So at the moment I have about 18-20 plants that have given me ripe maters(still waiting on a few late varieties) and I have recently re-planted 8 more. You can most definitely plant for fall and winter harvest(transplants). I plant tomatoes anytime from February to August without much problems. Not sure how close to the coast you are but I had a few cherry tomato plants and 2 Brandywine plants survive the winter last year. I picked maters on Christmas and New Years. Not a lot and not very big.....but they were still nice tasting. This September, I'm gonna be planting a bunch of Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts. It'll depend on their condition but I may end up sacrificing a few tomato boxes to make room.

Ray -

Wow 18-20 plants!?! No wonder you have such a beautiful, amazing harvest :) I only have 6 plants - Red Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Sungold Cherry Tomatoes, Carmello, Cherokee Purple and Paul Robeson. I'm thinking of ordering 4 more plants from Laurel (www.heirloomtomatoplants.com) to see if I can get some fall/winter tomatoes. She recommends getting early varities so will probably go with more Sungold, Black Cherry and a few others. I definitely need to start thinking about what I want to grow additionally in the fall... I'm a little scared of the brassicas! I live inland by Hollywood - is it better or worse to be by the ocean?

Next to Steve Goto and Laurel, you are my tomato idol.

By the way - some of my new tomato buds (imagine the petals have just come off) are either getting spotted with brown, or the green bud is completely brown! Do you know what this is?

HA! Thank you but..... There's many, many people who are way more knowledgeable than me. I just can speak from what I've seen and grown. Which isn't a lot compared to many on this forum. But I do thank you for the compliment :) I chalk it up mainly to luck.

Those 6 plants are wonderful varieties(never have tried Carmello). Sounds like you enjoy cherry toms. I love both Black Cherry and Sungold. Some others to consider.... Riesentraube(my fav red cherry, so far), Sun Sugar and Sweet 100. All are worth growing imo.

Don't be scared....plant them in the fall and you'll be fine. Just be on the look out for cabbage loopers. Things are everywhere here and they love to eat the leaves of broccoli, cauliflower, etc...

Hollywood area huh? cool! The beach has much more mild temps to almost grow year round but a lot more disease can develop from the moist air and cloudy conditions.

Hard to say without a picture. There could be a lot of reasons. How does the rest of the plant look?

Here's what I picked yesterday. I'm about to go out and pick some more. Cherokee Purple and Abe Lincoln's are starting to flood in....

Getting a bunch of melons now too....got a few this size going.....

Ray: That is a beautiful haul and a pretty melon, the baby melon I have is about that size only dark green, I think it's a sugar baby. My handyman mowed my lawn today, taking out my royal empress tree, crepe myrtle tree, 2 blueberry bushes and was headed for my melon field before I got around to stopping him. He did a marvelous job on my tables though.
joy

awesome!!!

mark, i may not have that kind of harvest the way squirrels, birds, and maybe rats are eating my tomatoes.

i made sinigang today with asparagus. YUMMY!

This message was edited Jul 22, 2009 8:33 PM

Moonglow: I am having problems with the birds also. I was looking on the earthbox site and under birds you will see how this one guy deals with them. He has constructed a chickenwire/wood type cage with door and chicken wire on the top of the cage also, it keeps out the birds and the horned catepillar laying moth. LOL Yepper, I've got it in mind to make one myself, and it would serve a double purpose also, could drape white sheets over the top of it too keep plants from getting too much sun, or drape that stuff you use in the winter for protection action the cold.

joy

Joy - I'm starting to worry about my melons. I never did until you said you do....grrrrrrr! lol I too have some Sugar Baby's going. But those things are only get a few pounds. I can't imagine if one of my Crimson Sweets go bad....I'd be kinda sad....for a minute :) Misery loves company, right? Well, I have an Eggplant with serious blight, Cher Purple is dying, shoot all of my older plants are dying! My replants are lookin' good though :)

Annapet - Oh girl, what are they doing to your plants? What kind of birds are messing with you maters? I have a few but my cats and I tie reflective tape on the cages...no birds bother anymore. Rats and Squirrels? Cats!!!! :) They are awesome animals for gardening. Other than snakes, they are the best.

I made sinigang this weekend...more traditional. It was missing asparagus. I'm starting to like my version better :)

LOL I am sure your cats are great helpers with the reflective tape! I can just picture that.

Mark, at night time, I found out last night (sticky glue) - - - rats. We live in the foothills of Mt. Tam and as gross as it may sound, rats exist. In the day time, squirrels and my used to be favorite local bird - - - the Stellar Blue Jays. I'm going to HD to get real rat poison. I love cats, but I'm seriously allergic.

I copied your sinigang with asparagus, and it kicked up the broth a few notches. Hmmn, I'm having sinigang for breakfast.

On another note, remember I've been kicking myself for not growing CP? Well, looks like one of my unmarked tomatoes is a Cherokee Chocolate! I know it's not the same, but they are related, right?

Oh they watch the tape blowing in the wind all day LOL Fortunately, once they get a sniff of the tomato plant they move on really fast. My cats hate the smell.....but they sure do love my peppers!




I used to have a problem with rats nesting in my bouganvilla but the exterminator too care of that problem a few years ago. Haven't seen one since. I do have raccoons and possums cruise through the yard at night but they have never bothered any of my veggies. Guess I'm lucky.

I made a big batch of sinigang but it lasted only 2 days :) Asparagus does make it a little tastier imo. It's kind of a unique flavor.

Well Annapet, stop kicking yourself because Cherokee Chocolate and Cherokee Purple are almost the exact same. I think the only difference is the ripened color. I've also heard that CC cranks out a bigger fruit while being more productive. That would shock me since my CP is loaded with nice sized tomatoes. I have a bunch of CC seeds and will be giving them a try next year.

This message was edited Jul 23, 2009 2:26 PM

And yet more. Just got in from picking a few. The Cherokee Purples are starting to really ripen up. I should be picking a few dozen of them this weekend. Also I picked my first eggplant today. Not sure if I should have let it get bigger, I picked it when it was glossy(like a zucchini).

Just been watching in the background. I want to thank you for the information on the tomato horn worm. I knew it was the Hummingbird Moth but I did not know what the "Brown Pupae" was. I have found them in the spring when I am double digging my garden. I have always smashed them. I will refrain. I have two GB but they are still in the garage. Just did not get to them this year. Maybe for winter vegs. But we are having a great tomato season this year because we had a weird spring. Hot, cold, hot, cold and so on. Plants would grow, bloom, then the weather would cool down the tomatoes would set. I have only 15 plants but I grow them for ourselves and the neighbors but I actually given them to neighbors I do not know because we have so many...

Wow skwinter! Growing in Vegas has got to be difficult. Glad to hear you are having a good tomato year as well. It isn't easy growing out in that heat. What kind is that in your pic?

That is a champion. Full of meat and about 10 ozs. Second year I have tried them. It took me close to ten years to finally come up the solution to growing tomatoes in this heat. You have to get the plants in in early March, drive the roots downward and use a bunch of mulch when it starts to get hot.

good looking tomatoes. My fairy tale eggplant has died due to aphids sucking the life out of them; but my other eggplants on the other end of the yard are starting to ripen now.
joy

Well the Cherokee Purple are ripening up. Picked about 40 today. Still a few dozen left to pick too. Had a couple of tomatoes over a pound this harvest.