Vegetable Plants

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Sunburn

This plant has sunburn. This frequently happens with young veggies that are raised in the house or greenhouse and put directly out into a hot, sunny garden. In the future you might put your young plants in a place where they will get morning sun and afternoon shade for three or four days so that they can "toughen up" gradually. Mulching around these plants will help keep the moisture in the soil, and a deep soaking less often will encourage the plants to develop good, strong deep root systems. If you're hand watering consider using a soaker hose or sprinkler - most people get bored before the plant gets a deep soaking, and hand watering only dampens the soil right around the plant - if the soil is only wet around the plant the roots won't grow beyond that small, damp area.

By | 2016-03-31T19:09:47-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Powdery Mildew On Squash

We apologize for the delayed response, but due to technical difficulties your submission was inadvertently misplaced in an incorrect folder. Our technical staff has been advised about this problem and again we are sorry for the delay. We are in the process of refining our app to make it even better for our users. Your plant likely has powdery mildew. When selecting varieties select those varieties that are listed as disease resistant. This is not the time for squash because they are warm season crops and will be susceptible to disease during the winter season. To prevent re-seeding, clip off flowers before they form fruit and you can also apply a pre-emergent recommended by your local garden center to prevent seeds from germinating.

By | 2016-03-31T15:23:46-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Early Blight

We cannot be positive because diseases are difficult to pinpoint from photos and we can't see anything specific here. It might be a fungus known as early blight appearing initially on older leaves as irregular, dark or tan-brown spots that spread as the disease advances eventually developing black rings (like a bulls eye target) and yellowed leaves. The entire leaf may then turn yellow and dry up. Infection occurs in warm, rainy or humid weather and spread by wind and rain. Pluck off the damaged leaves immediately and spray the plants with a product containing Neem for its fungicide and insecticide qualities. Here's a tool to help confirm: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/problem-solvers/tomato-problem-solver/

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:02-07:00 March 30th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Watermelon Problems

There are a variety of things that could cause your watermelon to be small. It could be either underwatered, undernourished, or possibly too mature when you planted them (if you planted seedlings rather than seeds). Melons need soil rich in organic matter, which can usually be found in a high quality compost. They also need the right food sources, fertilizers, to meet their needs, plus ample water.
Or, you may have planted a small "icebox" size watermelon in the first place. Varieties that mature quickly (what we need in our short growing season) tend to be smaller.
For maximum size, allow just one or two melons to mature per vine and remove the rest. That way the plant will put all its energy into just those few fruit.

By | 2016-03-30T09:17:18-07:00 March 30th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Sick Melonssquash

There are several possible explanations for your ailing crops. They may just be getting fried. Hot sun concentrated by black tires could increase water loss past what the roots are able to absorb, even if the soil is wet. That's a good idea in cool climates, but Boise summers are warm.
Or, there are a number of bacterial and fungal wilts that are carried over from year to year in the soil. We can't tell which one it might be without a close-up of the affected plant—and sometimes a cross-section of the stem, and perhaps a microscope, is necessary.
Finally, is the soil deeper than just the height of the tires? Most crops need at least 8 to 10 inches, and 2 feet is much better. If you've cut out the mulch under the tires and loosened the soil underneath, you should be ok with that one.

By | 2016-03-28T00:16:45-07:00 March 28th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Mint

The foliage and growth habit does resemble a species of mint. And if you bruise a leaf and it smells minty, it is likely one. Mints are very vigorous growers and tend to take over the garden, so keep it under control. Better yet, dig out the mint, re-plant some in a container so that its growth can be controlled. Also dig out the ivy and any weeds that pop up. Then put in some good organic material or mulch and fertilize the newly planted area with a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for edibles. As long as the bedding area has full sun, tomatoes will do very well and herbs such as basil, oregano, chives, etc. Parsley is more of a cool season plant so wait until late summer or early fall to put this in...Good luck and happy gardening!

By | 2016-03-27T16:32:33-07:00 March 27th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Powdery Mildew On Peppers

During initial stages of infection, light green to bright-yellow blotches appear on upper surfaces of leaves. These areas later turn necrotic. Infected leaves curl upward, and a powdery, white growth is visible on the underside of leaves. When there are many "sores" they often join together and the result is what you see on your plant - general chlorosis and leaf drop. The disease travels from old to new leaves. Treat with any product containing Bacillis subtilis (organic) or Daconil (synthetic).

You also have Chilli Thrips. They are small cigatr shaped insects with rasping mouthparts and chew on emerging new growth. The result is distorted new growth as is exhibited in the image. Control with safer's soap or any product containing spinosad ever 7-10 days.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:03-07:00 March 27th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Tomato Flower

If you are concerned that there is not enough fruit forming, it is because most tomato flowers are wind-pollinated and some flowers may form fruit, while others may not. You can get a higher percentage of pollinated flowers by spraying with a product formulated for setting tomato blossoms such as Tomato and Vegetable Blossom Set spray available at your local garden center. Also as the evening as well as daytime temperatures warm, you should be getting more blossoms. If you have not done so yet, make sure you feed your tomatoes with a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for vegetables because synthetic fertilizers are often formulated to encourage foliar growth rather than fruiting growth. Also tomato plants need 6-8 hours of full sun per day.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:17-07:00 March 25th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Basil Leaf Spot

This may be bacterial leaf spot, characterized by black or brown spots that appear on the leaves and streaking on the stems of the plant. Bacterial leaf spot occurs when infected soil is splashed onto the leaves of the basil plant. While there is no fix for bacterial leaf spot, you can minimize the damage by making sure that your basil plants have plenty of air circulation and that they are watered in a way so that the bacteria is not splashed onto the leaves. It is also important not to over water the plants, and be sure the soil drains well.

You might consider replacing this plant with a new one. If you choose to use the same pot, as a precaution you'll want to remove and discard this potting soil and wash the pot with hot, soapy water before using it again.

By | 2016-03-25T03:41:38-07:00 March 25th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|3 Comments
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Early Lettuce Seedlings

It's early days for these lettuce seedlings so don't give up on them. They look weak and spindly, but we're guessing that it's because they are indoors at this point. Harden them off soon by putting them outside in a shaded location during the day for the next week, bringing them in at night. After that week, transplant them into the garden. Although they may show some shock when exposed to "the real sunshine" they should recover - water them when the soil looks and feels dry and fertilize with the liquid organic fertilizer of your choice. They should be fine once they have room to stretch their roots and are toughened up by the conditions outdoors. Plants raised inside are always kind of wimpy because they aren't made strong by the wind and other environmental stresses.

By | 2016-03-25T00:01:52-07:00 March 25th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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