New England Gardening, June Gardening Tips, Prune Rose Suckers, Care for Vegetable Garden

New England Gardening, June Gardening Tips, Prune Rose Suckers, Care for Vegetable Garden: "Take Care of Your Veggies

Blossom end rot shows up as dark, sunken spots on the blossom end of
tomatoes, peppers, and squash. It's caused by a calcium imbalance in the
plant -- the soil may have adequate calcium, but the plant isn't able to take
up enough to supply the rapidly developing fruit. To minimize the problem,
keep soil evenly moist, apply a layer of mulch to conserve moisture, don't
over fertilize (avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer), and avoid damaging plant roots
while cultivating.

'Indeterminate' or vining tomato plants produce many suckers -- new shoots
that start where a branch connects with the main trunk. Removing suckers
will decrease the number of fruits produced, but the remaining tomatoes will
be larger and will ripen sooner.

Aspirin...Water?

Aspirin water has been found to promote healthy growth and enable plants
to stand up to insects and diseases. Dissolve 3 aspirins in 4 gallons of water
and spray plants. One time is all that's needed.

Iron phosphate granules, sprinkled around plants, are an effective, nontoxic
pesticide for slugs and snails. (Brand names include Escar-Go and Sluggo.)
Coffee grounds and liquid coffee are also effective -- the higher the caffeine,
the better."