Here are a couple garden tips as we move into the middle of summer:

rotect your squash plants

Squash plants should be starting to produce wonderful tender fruit. To keep them healthy and producing well it will be necessary to keep the squash bugs away as best as possible. This can be done by looking at the base of the plant and under the leaves often to remove and dispose the bugs and their eggs.

What to do with sunscald and blossom end rot

Some plants, such as peppers and tomatoes, can get sunscald and blossom end rot on the fruit. This causes blemishes that are unsightly. Both of these look somewhat similar, with leathery misshaped fruit. If picked early enough the fruit can typically still be eaten if you cut out the bad areas and discard it. If left too long the fruit can get bacteria that you would not want to eat, thereby destroying the whole fruit.

I make it a habit to remove the affected fruit early, eat what I can and allow the plants to spend their energy creating more fruit to eat that is usually of better quality.

Have fun with your garden and look forward to eating fresh, tasty, and nutritious vegetables!