This past weekend were pleased to discover that our tomatoes do not appear to have suffered from the late tomato blight that has apparently been attacking gardens in the NorthEast.

 

Tomato

I think the cause of this recent attack is the cool and rainy weather that we've been having.  Tomato plants sold under the brand name of "Bonnie Plants" have been found to carry this disease.  Apparently tomato blight is highly contagious, since it is a fungus whose spores easily blow from plant to plant.  An antifungicide with copper (NuCop 50WP) is supposed to be an acceptable organic protection against this.  We need to buy some of this fungicide.  Joe says that WalMart sells this.

This late tomato blight is the exact same fungus that caused the Irish Potato Famine in Ireland in the 1840's, which killed a million people.

Our spinach has "bolted".  According to Ann Whitney, as soon as the tops flower, they've "bolted" and are done for the season.  Next time I will be more diligent about yanking them when they're still relatively small.

A couple of plants have been disasters.  Our broccoli and beans are still alive, but very scrawny and chewed up.  We threw all of the slugs we could find into the weed bucket so they could go forage out in the woods instead of bothering innocent vegetable gardens.  I found a couple of cabbage beetles and baby-centipede-looking things and squished them.  I also found a ladybug and, not knowing what to do with her, I also squished her.  I later discovered that she was probably munching on aphids and other plant-eating pests.  I felt badly about killing her.

Actually I feel strange killing anything. I haven't been able to find a balance between the various living beings in the garden which need to die and my relatively pacifist nature.  Somehow this garden should be a place for all beings.  My inner nature wants to celebrate providing food for the bugs.  My mother, husband, and niece would never accept that stance, I'm sure.

Leeks

Turnip

 On a positive note, we've been enjoying our leeks, turnips, kale, swiss chard, and arugula -- even the turnip tops. It's quite a treat to eat something that you've grown yourself.  Donella, my niece, who is an amazing cook, has pickled the turnips, added the leeks to her dishes, and serves the raw greens topped with a delicious salmon.  I'll always remember this summer as the summer I ate the most delicious food in my entire life.