Downriver 2022 - Garden Adventures

[skullbiker]

More tomato varieties are starting to produce. Picked some tomatillos as well.

What's that big "pinkish" one center left?

 

[Downriver]

We were out clearing some overgrowth and found these pretty little caterpillars on the underside of a leaf. I took a pic and thought I'd try to ID it later. Come to find out, this little cutie is NOT so cute. It is the Saddleback Caterpillar. Watch out for these guys if you live in their range. Very painful "sting".



Saddleback Catepillar info
Range of Saddleback Caterpillar

 

[Downriver]

What's that big "pinkish" one center left?

Rebel Yell. First year growing them. Very good, low acid, tomato flavor. Will probably grow it again.

 

[Downriver]

Yet another insect I saw in the garden the other day. Red Velvet Ant. Not really an ant - it's a wasp. The female doesn't have wings, but has an impressive stinger. Another one not to mess with.



Red Velvet Ant info

 

[Downriver]

The heat wave of pretty hard on the garden, but the Whippoorwill cowpea continues to set pods. We've picked pods as snaps for two or three meals so far, and there's still more to come. Will probably let them go to seed pretty soon. You can see how the Mexican Bean Beetle destroyed the French Gold beans, just to the left. They started on the whippoorwills, but I've sprayed twice and hopefully they'll back off.

 

[Downriver]

The okra is coming along, albeit late. Picked the first pod off the Louisiana 16". It wasn't nearly that long lol. The other varieties are just starting to flower, so it won't be long before fresh Okra and Tomatoes will be on the dinner table. Yum.

 

[Downriver]

....and this out of control tomato is Tomatoberry (seeds from @skullbiker). This thing is going nuts lol. Setting pods all over the place. Should be picking the first ripe fruit shortly. Looking forward to giving it a taste. Thanks for the seeds SB!

 

[skullbiker]

....and this out of control tomato is Tomatoberry (seeds from @skullbiker). This thing is going nuts lol. Setting pods all over the place. Should be picking the first ripe fruit shortly. Looking forward to giving it a taste. Thanks for the seeds SB!

The Tomatoberry are still my all time favorite after more than ten yearsof growing them. Excellent snakers and awesome chopped up for salsa. Mine generally get 8 to ten feet tall if I give them support, I had one in Kratky hydro reach to about 14 feet tall some years back up north. Good luck with yours, they look like they're really going to produce.

 

[Downriver]

The Tomatoberry are still my all time favorite after more than ten yearsof growing them....

Tried my first Tomatoberry yesterday, Interesting tomato! Great flavor. The first thing I noticed was how FIRM they are. No "mush" with these guys. I see why you like them so much. I'll be growing it again. Great little tomato!

 

[Downriver]

Garden maintenance. There's always something to do. Replaced the "back" garden gate the other day. I re-used the boards from the old "front" gate I rebuilt earlier this year.

hauling it down to the garden

 

[Downriver]

Well, it looks like the okra has contracted some type of wilt. I think they're done for, except the AfricanX, interestingly. It is a tropical okra cross (created by @Glen_) and seems to be resistant to whichever wilt this is.

Louisiana 16", White Velvet, Burmese - all sickly like this


AfricanX - looking fine (just like that new gate lol)

 

[Downriver]

Picked some tomatoes the other day. Processing and seedsaving are in the near future lol.

 

[Downriver]

A nice new-to-me tomato this year is Wisconsin 55. Nice flavor - good slicer. This should make an awesome BLT!

 

[skullbiker]

Your tomatoes look good. I've found that I can't grow any tomato here that splits on top, everything is good until the splitting and then they're covered with thousands of bugs!

 

[mcbob]

We were out clearing some overgrowth and found these pretty little caterpillars on the underside of a leaf. I took a pic and thought I'd try to ID it later. Come to find out, this little cutie is NOT so cute. It is the Saddleback Caterpillar. Watch out for these guys if you live in their range. Very painful "sting".



Saddleback Catepillar info
Range of Saddleback Caterpillar

Wow, Those have to be one of the more exotic caterpillars I've ever seen. Are the common where you live?

 

[Downriver]

Wow, Those have to be one of the more exotic caterpillars I've ever seen. Are the common where you live?

Well, evidently we live in the middle of their range, but I've lived in this area for decades and it's the first time I've ever seen one. I hope it doesn't become a regular occurrence.

 

[CraftyFox]

A nice new-to-me tomato this year is Wisconsin 55. Nice flavor - good slicer. This should make an awesome BLT!

Those look huge! You'd think the Wisconsin 55 up here would be growing better, but those are some pretty nice ones by me! I've got one that is producing a little smaller than slicer tomatoes, and there's someone growing them at the CG that aren't that big either! I keep meaning to look up and see if those are named after Hwy 55, which runs thru here, or what.

 

[Downriver]

Here's another tomato called Big Beef OP. It's supposed to be a stabilized version of Big Beef (F1) hybrid. Problem is....it's not. Big Beef is a large, RED beefsteak. This is a green-when-ripe (GWR) tomato. I emailed pics to the seed-seller and they confirmed it's NOT Big Beef OP. They said it must have gotten mixed up with one of my GWR tomatoes. Problem is, I haven't grown a GWR in 15 years because I don't care for them lol. Anyway, for an unknown GWR, this one is pretty good! lol

 

[Downriver]

This is Big Beef (F1). Great BLT tomato.

 

[Bou]

I emailed pics to the seed-seller and they confirmed it's NOT Big Beef OP. They said it must have gotten mixed up with one of my GWR tomatoes. Problem is, I haven't grown a GWR in 15 years because I don't care for them lol.

Wow, that seller was prompt in dumping the fault on your side of the fence! Great customer service... Nice looking tomato btw.