Tomato Hornworm Feasting on a Pepper Plant

The tomato hornworm is the larval stage of the Five-spotted Hawk Moth. Both stages of this insect are formidable to see, but the hornworm is not a welcome sight in the vegetable garden. Their preferred food is the leaves of tomato and pepper plants. Since they blend in so well with the foliage, you may not notice them until you start to see damage.

Because the hornworm is so large (about the size of a pinkie finger), the easiest way to get rid of him is to simply remove him from the plant and dispose of him. You may be lucky enough to attract parasitic wasps to your garden who will do the job for you. Parasitic wasps won't hurt you, but take a look at the next photo to see what they'll do to this guy.

True Geraniums

The term geranium is confusing. The first geranium most gardeners encounter is not a geranium at all, but Pelargonium, a relative of the perennial geranium. True or hardy or perennial geraniums belong to the genus Geranium. You will sometimes see them referred to as cranesbill geraniums, because their seed pods do somewhat resemble a crane’s bill. The foliage is often toothed and remains attractive. The flowers float on top of the plant, in shades of white, pink, magenta, purples and blues.There is a great deal of variety in the geranium genus, but most of the commonly grown varieties are low growing, dense carpet-like plants. The leaves may be rounded, but more often they are serrated or lobed and quite attractive. T

The flowers are small (1") and cupped shaped, attracting plenty of butterflies and bees. Thin stems hold the flowers above the foliage. And they're deer resistant, too.

See more on the variety of true geraniums in the photo gallery Growing Hardy Geraniums.

Geraniums require little care, once established.

They prefer full sun and a well-drained, moderately rich soil. They can handle partial shade, but become more prone to mildew if kept damp.

Geraniums are not particular about soil pH, but a neutral to slightly acid soil is ideal. (5.8 - 7.0)

Maintenance: The plants can get a bit scraggly after blooming and deadheading is difficult with so many wispy stems. Shearing the plants back to basal growth will improve its look and encourage reblooming. The plants fill back in within weeks. The exception is Geranium macrorrhizum, which is easily deadheaded and needs no shearing.

Most species of Geranium live longer if divided every 3-5 years. You can divide more frequently, so keep them from spreading. But once you see the center dying out, it is definitely time to divide.

Problems: Slugs may attack young plants. Mildew and rust can infest foliage, especially in partial shade and/or humid climates. Shearing back and disposing of the infected leaves will help.

Passion Flowers

Passion flowers are exotic looking topical plants that can actually be grown in much milder areas. There are many different passion flower plants. Some passion flowers are vines, some produce edible fruits. Here are some tips for growing passion flowers at home.

Overview: The genus Passiflora contains over 400 species, so the common name Passion Flower can be a bit confusing. To muddle matters further, most are vines, but some are shrubs, annuls, perennials and even trees. What they all share are exotic flowers that only remain open for about 1 day. They have a wide, flat petal base with several rings of filaments in the center which surround a stalk of sorts, that holds up the ovary and stamens

Latin Name: Passiflora

Common Name(s): Passion Flower, Passion Vine, Maypop, Granadilla

USDA Hardiness Zone: USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 - 10, depending on species.

Size: Varies with variety. Most are vines: 15-30' (4.5 - 9 m) x 6-8 ft. (2-2.5 m)

Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Bloom Period: Mid- to Late Summer

Description: Passion flowers look extremely exotic, so it’s a surprise to find them growing in fields along the sides of the road. There is considerable variety between the species.

Flowers: 5 or 10 petals in a flat or reflex circle. The ovary and stamens are held atop a tall, distinctive stalk which is encircled by delicate filaments. The stigmas start out high above the anthers and slowly bend backwards to come closer for pollination. Colors in clude: blue, purple, pink, white and red.

Foliage: The most commonly grown forms are vines that climb and cling by tendrils. The leaves are alternate and either lobed or ovate.

Design Tips: Although passion flowers are native in many regions of the southern U.S., they can become a nuisance, to the point of being invasive. Check with your local Cooperative Extension or DEC to see if you should avoid passion flowers altogether or if certain species are preferable.

A lot of gardeners prefer to grow their passion flowers in containers. Passion flower grows quite happily in a pot and you have the convenience of being able to move it to a sunnier site or even bring it indoors for the winter. Plus, it limits the spreading by rhizomes.
Passiflora alata 'Ruby Glow' (Fragrant Granadilla) - 4" flowers with cranberry petals and rich purple filaments. Very fragrant. P. edulis - The species usually grown for the edible passion fruit. There are two types of passion fruit. A small, purple fruit and a larger shiny yellow-orange fruit (P. edulis flavicarpa). P incarnata (Maypop) - A subtropical passion flower native to the southeastern U.S. P. incarnata is also used medicinally.

Sun: Passion flowers need at least 4 full hours of sunlight a day; more in cooler climates and some partial shade in the hottest areas. Plants may need winter protection in Zone 6.

Soil: The soil should be well-draining, but rich. Passion flowers grow and bloom best when the soil is kept moist. They don’t handle drought well. Soil pH can be in the neutral range, anywhere from about 6.1 to 7.5. [

Planting: The addition of compost to the planting hole will help retain moisture. Some type of support is needed for the vines to grow on. It can be a trellis, a structure or another plant.

Most varieties of passion flower can be purchased as plants. They can also be propagated from either seed, softwood cuttings, layering or rhizomes.

Growing Passion Flower from Seed:

To save seed, allow the fruits to ripen completely. Open the pods and remove, clean and dry the seeds before storing.

Passion flowers seeds can be difficult to sprout and hybrid varieties will not grow true from seed. Start seed by soaking for 1-2 days in warm water. Viable seed will sink to the bottom of the glass. Floating seeds can be discarded.

Start seed in damp potting mix. Place seed on surface of soil and pat down, but don’t cover. Place pot in a plastic bag and seal to retain moisture. If you can provide bottom heat to the pot, you’ll have a better chance of sprouting. A heat mat or even the top of a refrigerator should work.

It can take weeks or months for passion flower seeds to sprout. Keep the soil moist at all times. When sprouts do appear, keep them out of direct sunlight until there are true leaves and don’t handle the plants until they are large enough to transplant.

To Grow Passion Flower as a Houseplant: Provide bright, indirect sunlight, but keep out of drafts. Minimum indoor temperature is about 50° F.

Maintenance: Passion flowers are low maintenance during the growing season and do not need to be deadheaded. Pruning is basically done to keep the size in check, to remove dead wood and to make the plant fuller.

Some vines will not need any pruning, but pruning will result in a fuller plant. Pruning can be done in late winter or early spring. In cooler climates, the vines may die back to the ground anyway.

To protect borderline plants during winter, stop feeding in late summer. Mulch the area around the roots, once the soil temperature drops.

It seems the more tropical the climate, the more pests there are to attack passion flower. But generally the plants have minimal problems. Insects pests could include: scale, spider mites and white flies.

Leaf spotting is generally caused by a fungus disease. Remove affected leaves, to slow the spread, and treat with a fungicide if necessary.

New Garden

Garden Maintenance - What to ExpectPhoto: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.Hopefully when you were selecting plants you did some background checking and didn't select too many prima donnas. All plants are going to require some maintenance. The idea that perennial plants require less maintenance than annuals is wrong. At the very least, your plants will require 1 inch of water a week. If it rains regularly, good for you. If not, don't let your plants get drought stressed. Once a plant is stressed it will never recover fully that growing season. There will also be weeding to do. Weed seeds come from all kinds of sources: wind, birds, soil on shoes... Deadheading or removing the spent blossoms from your flowers, will keep them blooming longer and looking fresher. Vegetables will produce more if you keep harvesting while young. Some taller plants may need to be staked, to keep from flopping.

It may happen that one of your choices isn't happy and dies. Move on and replace it with something else.

Choosing Pumpkins

Not all pumpkins are orange.

Photo Provided by Deborah Waller / stock.xchng.

If you think pumpkins are only for decoration and pumpkin pie comes out of a can, you’ve probably never known what a treat growing and harvesting your own pumpkins can be. All pumpkins aren’t created equal and bigger isn’t necessarily better. Although it’s easier than ever to grow some of those giant pumpkins entered into competition, an 800 pound pumpkin isn’t practical for carving and just think of the left-over pie!

The choice between carving pumpkins and cooking pumpkins is actually very practical. When choosing a carving pumpkin, you’re looking for a nice shape and a pumpkin that will last several days, once carved. The choice of a cooking pumpkin is all about taste and texture.

Whatever type of pumpkin you’re looking for, there are some basic guidelines. First, your pumpkin should be fully mature when it’s picked, so that it is hard enough for short-term storage. Never pick up or carry a pumpkin by its stem. It is not a handle. The stem can break off very easily, leaving the pumpkin with an open wound that invites infection and rot. Check the pumpkin well for soft spots and dark bruises. Once a pumpkin starts to rot, it goes downhill pretty quickly. The smallest nick is enough to let infection in. Don’t forget to look at the bottom of the pumpkin, where it’s been resting on the cold, damp ground.
Pumpkins are ready to harvest when the vines start to dry up and the pumpkins turn the expected color, whether that’s orange, white or some type of combination. You don’t want to pick your pumpkin too soon, because it will stop changing color once it’s cut. Check to make sure the skin has hardened enough so that poking it with your fingernail will not crack it. Pumpkins can be left in the field, even after the vines have withered. However don't leave them out if a hard frost is expected or if hungry critters are about.
You can carve any type of pumpkin, gourd or squash. A good carving pumpkin should be firm and healthy. Ideally you want one with a shell that is hard enough to protect it, but still allows you to get a knife through. Pumpkins with outer shells that feel as hard as a piece of wood are very difficult, and dangerous, to slice into. Tap the pumpkin gently and listen for a slightly hollow sound. Lifting the pumpkin will also give you a good idea of how dense it is. The heavier the pumpkin, the thicker the walls. Thick walls block the candle light and carving details will be lost. If worse comes to worse, you can shave the walls from the inside. The tall, oblong-shaped varieties tend to be stringier inside, making it difficult to make precise cuts. Shape is up to your own taste, but test to see if your pumpkin has a good, balanced base to sit on, so it doesn’t roll over when you try to display it. Don’t discount the smaller pumpkins entirely. They’re great for kids to carve and to use as decorations. ‘Wee-B-Little’, ‘Baby Bear’ and the white ‘Baby Boo’ are all charming. White pumpkins, like ‘Lumina’ give a spooky look to your jack-o'-lantern. They can also be painted more easily than orange pumpkins and most make great cooking pumpkins too. Your jack-o'-lantern will start to dry and shrivel as soon as it is cut and exposed to the air. If you need to carve your pumpkin a few days before you’ll be displaying it, try these tips to keep it fresh longer: Keep it in a cool spot, out of direct sunlight. Spray it with an anti-transpirant, like Wilt-Pruf. Drape the entire pumpkin with a damp towel. Protect it from animals that might be tempted to take a bite. Don’t leave it outdoors if there’s a threat of frost.

How to choose pie pumpkins and pumpkins for cooking.

Decorating the Garden Path

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Giant Vegetables

Many gardeners enjoy the competition of growing the largest vegetables and flowers - giant vegetables and flowers. It is truly amazing how large some of these giants will grow. I’m not talking about that baseball bat zucchini that hid out under the leaves. I’m talking about 100 pound cabbages and pumpkins that gain 25 pounds in a day. These giants take planning and care.

To seriously compete with the seasoned giant vegetable growers, you’ll need to put considerable effort into your soil, your choice of site and your gardening technique. But to get you started having some fun growing giant sized vegetables, here are 5 easy steps toward success. Choose the Right Seed

This is the most important step, because some varieties simply grow larger than others. Serious giant growers will often seek out rare seeds to grow. You can start your own giant lineage by selecting a promising variety, like Atlantic Giant Pumpkin or Old Colossus Heirloom Tomato and then saving the seeds from your largest fruits for planting next year. (This only works with open-pollinated varieties, so steer clear of hybrids if you plan to save seeds.)

You may have to do some research on varieties that dependably grow into giants, but the name usually gives it away, like Russian Mammoth Sunflower, that grows upwards of 17 feet tall. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Cabbage: Northern Giant Cabbage (100 lbs.) Carrot: Japanese Imperial Long Carrot (12+ inches long) Cucumber: Mammoth Zeppelin Cucumber (16 pounds) Gourd: Giant Long Gourd (120 Inches) Onion: Kelsae Sweet Giant Onion (One held the world record at over 15 lbs.) Pepper: Super Heavyweight Hybrid Pepper (? pound each) Pumpkin: Atlantic Giant Pumpkin (400 to over 1000 pounds) or Squash: Show King Giant Green Squash (400+ pounds) Sunflower: Grey Stripe Giant Sunflower (2 foot heads) Tomato: Old Colossus Heirloom Tomato (2+ pounds) Watermelon: Carolina Cross (Giant) Watermelon (200 pounds)

If you’ve had success growing a giant vegetable or flower, let us know what it was.

Give Them a Healthy Start

Beef up the soil your plants will be growing in before you even plant. Spread some manure or compost the fall prior planting. If you’re serious about competing, you should have a complete soil test done and replenish any nutrients and micro-nutrients that might be lacking.

Giant vegetables tend to grow in quick spurts, so they need lots of food. Slow acting organic fertilizers added at planting time will ensure that the food is there when the plant needs it. It will also make for a healthier soil and less pest problems.

And know what type of fertilizer your plant needs. If you’re growing the plant for the fruit, like pumpkins and tomatoes, you’ll want a fertilizer that’s high in potassium and phosphorous, the last two numbers on the package. If you’re growing a leafy vegetable, like cabbage, you’ll want a higher nitrogen number.

Water

Giant vegetables won’t be as tolerant of sporadic watering as the common garden vegetable would be - and even the common vegetable is touchy about not getting its one-inch per week. You have to provide regular deep waterings or your fruits will either languish or split. I recommend using drip irrigation on a timer that compensates for rain, so there are no slip-ups. Because as much as your plants need regular water, they don’t want to sit in wet soil.

Thin to Just the Best Fruits

The more fruits on your plants, the smaller they will be. If they have to compete for nutrients, they’re never going to be giants. So prune or pinch out all but about three of the largest, healthiest looking fruits. Later in the season, you might want to thin down to just one, but keep a couple of extras at the beginning for insurance.

Don’t worry about too much foliage. The foliage is what will be feeding the fruits and helping them grow larger.

Keep Close Watch for Problems

Pests, diseases and cultural problems can move in quickly and ruin an entire crop, especially when there are only a handful of fruits to begin with. Check your plants daily and correct any problems immediately. Try and remove problems by hand, since using chemicals can disrupt the plant too. Hopefully since you’ve given your plants every advantage, problems will be few.

Now comes the hard part. You have to be patient. Look but don’t touch. Too much fussing with your plants is as bad as too little. Let them do what they do and just enjoy watching them grow.

If you find yourself addicted to growing giant vegetables, talk with the competitors at your local county fair. Some will be coy, but many are very open and generous with their knowledge. They’ll know who has the best seed and will be happy to discuss technique with you. There may even be a regional Giant Vegetable Growers organization in your area.

For a humorous, but very informative peek into growing giant pumpkins, I recommend the book Backyard Giants - The Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever, by Susan Warren. Ms. Warren follows competitors through an entire growing season and gives us plenty of tips along the way.