23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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gardener_sandy

Blossom end rot (BER). Most often seen on tomatoes early in the season, just as the first ones are ripening. The Virginia Tech publication linked below gives details. Google to find pictures of BER on peppers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blossom end rot of tomato

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 1:55AM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

I'm not convinced it's BER.

Thanks for the better pic. That was the reason why I asked for a closeup.

It COULD be BER, but the beige portion leads me more towards what everybody else thinks.. sunscald. Happens more to large fruited annuums, like bells. Best way to deal with it is acceptance.. You're almost always going to get a fruit or 3 that get it. Another way is shade cloth -- Peppers love sun, but some shade cloth during midday will help.

If it's BER, you'll see see rotting at the tips on many, if not all, the fruit. Hard to deal with BER once it's there since most forms of Calcium take so long to break down and be usable. Bone meal(or lime, but lime raises ph) added months in advance of planting is recommended to gardeners with Ca deficiency.

Kevin

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 1:53PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Do you plan to grow these outside?

If so, wrap those pots up with duct tape and get them outside and start hardening off, then transplant to a muck bigger container. The yellow spots could be from overwatering, but could also be a Magnesium deficiency. Are there MICROnutrients in that fertilizer?

Plants look great otherwise. They just need to get outside. Google hardening off if you don't know how.

Stop watering everyday from here on out. Peppers like to dry out between waterings. A good way to tell if they need water is to stick a wooden skewer a few inches deep into the soil. If soil comes out on the skewer, don't water. If no soil, water thoroughly. Let dry out completely before watering again.

Kevin

    Bookmark   July 7, 2014 at 2:21PM
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msmorningsong(SW FL 10A)

I suspect the Azomite supplied micronutrients. And do hope you pot that up in much larger container. Peppers in general are self-pollinating.

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 11:55AM
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farmerdill

Depends on your definition of "heirloom" It is an open pollinated commercial variety released in 1956. To save seeds, just remove seeds from a ripe melon, wash them, and let them dry. store under cool dry conditions. Devloped in California, it is not well suited to the southeast.

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 8:05AM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Thanks. That's what I needed to know. Yes, I was using the word "heirloom" to describe something open-pollinatable. If it's not well suited to Texas, I guess my plants never got told that.

The seed-saving potential of many vegetable species is not something advertised by the seed companies. No big surprise, I guess.

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 10:18AM
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Steve349

Melons are doing great and the second set is growing. Thanks. When is it time to harvest. I know its about time, the tendril on one side of the vine is brown, the other is still green. Any help on when to harvest?

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 6:48AM
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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

When you have just a few melons, you watch each one...I know I do. The first clue to ripeness is that the given melon has stopped growing. Also the CLOSEST tendril to the melon has turned yellow and then brown...about a 4 day process. Then check the melon [carefully turning it] on the bottom. It should be creamy/ yellow where it lay when ripe...better to wait a couple days extra than to pick early...if in doubt.

With baby type melons the bottoms may or may not turn colors so conclusively.

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 7:53AM
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milehighgirl(CO USDA 5B/Sunset 2B)

If you remove your female plant then you will prevent your asparagus from getting over crowded.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 7:47PM
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Steve349

The green ferns are making energy for next years crop.

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 6:42AM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Looks like some pretty severe nutrient deficiency problems - phosphorous for sure - which is rare unless you are using some strange soil mix.

Dave

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 10:32PM
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djkj(9b)

Hi Dave, thanks for your reply. I used Kellogg Potting mix for this. Do you think I should add some bagged garden soil and some slow release fertilizer and re-plant?

    Bookmark   July 20, 2014 at 1:19AM
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ltilton

I don't think insects had anything to do with your split vines.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 7:50PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Your plants generally look healthy in the photos and bugs are a normal part of gardening. They only become a concern when the damage they do is severe - yours isn't - of when there are lots of them. Your melon leaf in the first picture shows some signs of very early Downey Mildew (the yellow spots). Otherwise I wouldn't worry about the problems you have described.

Splits in stems aren't caused by bugs but by inconsistent soil moisture levels. Just leave them alone and they will usually scab over. The stem base damage in your last pic is due to slugs or snails and there are organic controls for them but it doesn't seem to be hurting the plant.

New gardeners too often over-react and that can lead you to doing more harm than good so developing some patience and tolerance for less than perfection goes a long way toward successful gardening. :)

Dave

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 10:30PM
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jonfrum(6)

You can start pulling them now, but I'd wait until the necks brown. If the leaves are green all the way down to the bulb, the bulbs are still growing. And they'll keep longer if the necks are fully brown and dried.

    Bookmark   July 17, 2014 at 1:36PM
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jack922(6)

When one half of the tops have fallen over, gently push the rest of them over. In a few days pull them and let dry in the sun. We have had good luck the past few years, keeping them in our spare refrigerator. Store them in a netted onion sack. Check them often, usually have them keep till mid Dec.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 9:59PM
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ju1234((8 Dallas TX))

This looks like a Columbian squash (go by a Mexican grocery store to see one, they usually have it).

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 4:32PM
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elisa_z5

Taste it -- even if they sold you a cross pollinated plant, it may still taste good. You could try using it young (green) like you would zucchini, and once it's orange you could use it in any recipe that calls for pumpkin or winter squash. I usually taste stuff raw, and if it's passable raw, it will taste better cooked and with seasonings.

Or look up recipes for Columbian squash!

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 9:21PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Just as with fruit splitting, vine splitting is caused by inconsistent watering practices. Excessive wet periods followed by very dry and then wet again - whether it be rains or gardener-supplied. As the moisture levels move from one extreme to the other the stems swell then shrink, then swell again and crack/split.

To prevent it we have to do everything we can to stabilize the soil moisture levels.

Dave

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 5:39PM
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homegrown71

Okay. I will try to stabilize my watering. Will my plant survive?

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 9:12PM
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Tomato IssueSame old tune........ Prolly EB huh?
Posted by gltrap54 July 19, 2014
2 Comments
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planatus(6)

Yep, you can tell it's early blight because some of the newer lesions (center leaf) show a bull's-eye pattern. No big deal. Clip off the lower leaves to 12-18 inches and keep your fingers crossed that it stops raining during the evening hours.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 2:51PM
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gltrap54

Thanks planatus! Yeah, in spite of my best effort....... Spray fungicide from incubation...... Pffffft......... Cold have bought Heineken with the money.........

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 8:30PM
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Ohiofem(6a Ohio)

I also am on the border between 5a and 6b with lower than normal temperatures. I saw more stink bugs indoors during winter when we had record breaking cold of -15 to -20 than I have seen this summer. I've seen only a handful of Japanese beetles and only one tomato worm, no aphids and also almost no lady bugs. Last year there seemed to be hordes of them. The photo is of the only hummingbird (or sphinx) moth I've seen this summer when I normally have many of them along with a host of swallowtails. My plants seem to be getting enough visits from pollinators, but I haven't seen any bumble bees or honey bees this summer.

On the other hand, the cold, damp weather has been very inviting to disease. I had to trash a couple tomato plants and many petunias, which normally thrive here, due to fungus infections. And my tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are a couple weeks behind in producing. Okra is pitiful.

I have been on this earth for many decades, and I think weather patterns are changing in significant ways.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 6:27PM
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springtogarden(6)

By the way, Ohiofem, that is a gorgeous pic!

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 6:51PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

gardengal: It's true. Overhead watering is discouraged with many veggies because of fungal issues. But your spraying an anti-fungicide, so the practice isn't so frowned upon then. At least that's what I've reasoned.

As far as the quick spray every morning thing. Dunno how others do it. I mulch with keeps moisture in and reduces dust and occasionally give the mulch a good soaking. and yes, in the morn.

And you're doing the right thing in being proactive with prevention. Usually, it's identify, then treat. But with mildews and fungal issues, it's always best to treat before you see the symptoms.

Kevin

    Bookmark   July 18, 2014 at 7:09PM
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springtogarden(6)

Thank you, Kevin! Mulch is just great all around :). I didn't even think about the dust aspect. That's helpful for hard rain storms too. I am happier with prevention this year than last year's discovery and treat, yikes. Newbie gardener to raised beds last year and had lots to learn lol and still learning. Thanks again and hope your garden is doing well!

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 6:44PM
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pd0xgard_

I think I got that beat ;) This one is growing about 5 ft off the ground, hanging on/in our forsythia bush.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 5:27PM
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pd0xgard_

Far away shot....

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 5:28PM
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jonfrum(6)

I've cut them up and used them in a stir fry. Zucchini, onion/scallion and tomatillo make a nice combination. Add chopped tomato or tomato sauce for a nice mix. I either add soy sauce or herbs, depending on what I crave.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 1:51PM
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donna_in_sask

In the Food forum, someone makes enchiladas using salsa verde made with tomatillos...you might want to ask there or do a search in that forum.

    Bookmark   July 19, 2014 at 2:44PM
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