tremblay@latour.DEC (06/12/85)
>The rabbits are not the culprits on your lawn. They do not eat >the grass down to the roots. You probably have some type of >grub scoffing up your grass roots. Sounds definitely like grubs. There is a new product out by a company called Reuter (I believe), that make a biological product called "ATTACK" They have one for grubs. It somehow introduces something into the soil that kills grubs for 15 years. Its claimed to be non-toxic to humans and animals, and classified as organic. I saw it in the store for about $8.00 and its covers about 2500 square feet. I've seen adds for it in Organic Gardening. > I had similar problems with cutworms when I put my tomatoes and peppers >out in April. The cutworms got about half the tomatoes and 2/3 of the >peppers in the first two days. When I planted replacements for the peppers, >I tried using yogurt containers (clean, with the bottom cut out). I put >one container around each plant, about 2 inches deep. The theory is >that cutworms can"t climb over the "wall" around each plant. It worked >very nicely, as I did not lose any plants in the second planting. I'm >trying to replace the lost tomatoes with "suckers" removed from the >surviving plants (removed when about 12 inches long, and rooted). Has anyone >else tried this? First off, I've never lost a tomatoe or pepper plant to cut worms. I've had more problems with those guys with my broccoli and califlower plants. Making cutworm collars is extremely simple....just cut newspaper into strips about 2" wide by 4" to 6" long, and wrap the strip around the stem of the plant you're transplanting. The strip(collar) should end up half in the ground and half above when the plant is transplanted. I've been using this method for years and haven't lost one with it yet. I've never tried to plant suckers, but I hear from others it works just fine. >A question about tomatoes: there are quite a few large tomatoes on >my plants. Some of them appear rather "deformed". Any idea as to >the causes of deformed tomatoes? Any suggestions on how to get them >to "ripen up"? There have been green tomatoes on my plants for two weeks >now, but they don't seem to want to turn red. I sure am getting >impatient for some "home grown" tomatoes !! Deformed tomatoes are usually caused by inconsistant watering. The fruits need adequate water at all times without over watering. When they are growing well (rapidly) and the plant experiences dry spells, the fruits tend to deform. When the fruits crack, that is usually a sign of overwatering, they just can't hold all that water! Another way to survive a drought is to purposely plant a tall spindlely ("leggy") plant. But instead of digging a deep whole to transplant it into, cut off all the leaves up to the top cluster and plant in horizontally in the ground 3 to 4" below the soil. There are two big advantages to this. First, roots will grow off of the long stem and provide better source for water during dry periods. Second, tomatoes love warm soil! When you plant them this way, all the roots are in the upper soil where it is nice and warm instead of down under where it tends to be cooler. And don't worry that the plant is laying on its side when you plant it, it will turn upwards within days and stand upright. You'd never know that is was plant on its' side! As for tomatoes not ripening....do a soil test. You may be lacking nutrients or have other soil deficiencies. And if you are desparate and daring....there is an old trick to forcing tomatoes to ripen quickly. Take a knife and cut a half circle around the plant about 6" from the stem. YES! cut half the roots! The plant usually survives, but it forces into ripening its fruit very quickly. Let us not forget that the only purpose in a plants' life is to "go to seed". So by forcing the plant to think it is in trouble (which it is) it will put all its energy into ripening its fruit. By the way, alot of the information I just supplied can be found in Dick Raymonds' books by Garden Way. I've been very successful with many of his methods. >Also.....japanese beetles. Look into milky spore. It introduces a bacterial disease that can just about eliminate them all together. Glenn Tremblay Digital Equip. Corp . Marlboro, Mass