Readers, Welcome to my blog (formerly Birds, Blooms, Books, etc). I'm entering a new decade taking on the challenge of moving from Maryland after living there 46 years and learning about my new home here in New England in the Live Free or Die state - New Hampshire. Join me as a write this new chapter of my life.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Me vs. Nature

Do you feel sometimes that as you try to tame the garden to do as you want that it's really a battle of you vs. nature? I had that feeling today. Why? Let me count the ways:

1. The tomato hornworm showed itself today. It's bathing (drowning) in soapy water. I'm not honoring it with a photo but here's the damage it wrought on my Rutgers tomato. Only evidence I could find of its rampage. I thought the marigolds would keep it away.


2. Something is eating my basil and I can't see what it is. Is it a bug or slug? Rabbits? No clue.


3. Two different varieties of tomatoes had stalks that wilted up. Anyone know what that would be? I cut out both stalks and put them in a trash bag for the trash can. Is it a wilt of some sort? Should I be worried about the rest of the plants?


I do have hope that I will have some victories as I look at the tomatoes forming and harvest zucchini for dinner.

5 comments:

HolleyGarden said...

Oh, I hate it when the garden disappoints! Those tomatoes don't look good. I hope it's not something fatal!

Daphne Gould said...

I'm not really sure what is eating the basil. It looks like caterpillar damage. That doesn't mean it isn't something else, but is my best guess. Check the back of the leaves and see if there is anything there.

I'm assuming you are watering your tomatoes well and they aren't being drowned in water (both kill the roots). It is really hard to tell what wilts tomatoes. Nematodes can kill the roots. But mostly they just make the tomatoes smaller and don't cause wilt. There are wilt diseases that do the same thing, but I've never had them so haven't researched it.

Good luck. I hope you find your problem.

Cristy said...

I am sorry to say that the tomato plants do look like what got mine. It is heartbreaking, but it looks just like the "Tomato Leaf Wilt Virus". I hope that you were able to get it stopped with the removal of those plants. Look for whiteflies, supposedly they cause it. (I still haven't been able to find them on my plants.) And I may lose more. Today one of the healthier plants looked like it might die. :(

wilderness said...

Marcia no clue on our problems. I do agree that the basil looks like the work of a caterpillar of some sort. The tomatoes there are so many different things that could cause that look.

I know the problem with my garden is the lack of warm temperatures.

RandomGardener said...

My guess is too much standing water or drainage problems for tomatoes and slug damage for basil. That's my 2cents! I've had plants die off too - butternut squash, tomatoes and watermelons(half way there)! sigh!