Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Hot Tuesday. Two new nasty bugs in the gardens. Cucumbers done. Peppers.

We are in day 2 of the heat wave.  The temperature is 80 on the patio and it isn't yet 8:30am.  (I won't be posting this until much later.)  I have already picked tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers and watered all the containers.  The cucumber plants looked pretty bad so I took them out.  They are done for the season.  The four cucumbers of a size to pick will go in salads for the rest of the week.  I have a number of peppers to core, slice and package for freezing.  Late last week I found something had chewed up my peppermint cutting.  Most things don't bother any of the mints and it took me a couple of days to find the little monster--tent caterpillars.  I guillotined about a half dozen and today I didn't find any new ones.  The plant is looking much better.  Then trimming back the tomatoes I found another strange beetle (strange to me, anyway).  A quick Google search and I identified it as a stink bug.  I will have to look at how to "discourage" these nasty pests.

I can't say this any better, except perhaps to remark that to "make war without going to war" is a pretty cowardly way to go.  So much for "land of the brave."

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