Thursday, June 14, 2012

State of the Garden Address

Maybe it's just me.....but it feels like the veggies are taking a long time this year to come to harvest.  My only thriving plant is the zucchini (no shocker there!).  That plant is a BEAST and we get at least one zucchini each day.  The cucumbers started out great but have slowed.  I keep seeing a new insect (photo below) and, even after pouring over hundreds of insect photos online, I can't identify it.  I don't want to kill them in case they're beneficial insects but what if they're not?  The peppers are amazingly large although it feels like they'll never turn color (I don't particularly like green peppers).  The watermelons are still tiny, tiny, tiny.  Am I just being impatient or is anyone else feeling this way?  I wonder.  

One of our few cucumbers

One of our massive zucchini blooms.  They are HUGE!

While taking the last photo, I noticed some movement. A closeup found this honey bee. Love it!

A peek under the zucchini leaves.

A baby watermelon.

We have lots of these right now, just waiting for them to turn.

What lovely green peppers.  They're just supposed to be yellow.

Big beef tomatoes.  Turn, baby, turn!

Red salvia. So that this post has more than just green & yellow.

The ugly bugs.  Flat backs, light horizontal stripe, brownish in color.  Please help ID!

UPDATE: Jennifer from Little Blog in the Big Woods identified the insect. It's an Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug. They are NOT beneficial and I had to head out and hand pick the small population that was hanging out in our garden. They're easy to catch as they're quite slow and they give off a faint foul smell when they are threatened and/or squished.  (frown)  Thank you SO MUCH, Jennifer!

6 comments:

  1. I don't know that that bug is and I have tried to research it for you too!
    I would try to observe it...does it look as if it is eating any leaves? If not, then leave it alone, it must be useful for your garden, eating something that wants to eat your plants.

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  2. Me, too! Seems like we're waiting and waiting on our tomatoes to turn. They look so lovely just turn red, already! Or maybe we'll have some fried green tomatoes! Over from Small Things. Here's ours. http://chocoeyes.blogspot.com/2012/06/garden-update.html

    Becca

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Becca ~ glad I'm not the only one waiting and waiting and waiting. And I do love some Fried Green Tomatoes ~ that's not such a bad idea!!!

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  3. Hi Audrey,
    Returning the favor and commenting on your garden! My goodness your veggies are so big!! I guess you are much further south than I!! Your buggy friend there is and Eastern Leaf-Footed Bug and is a plant and veggie eater! So be warned! Here is a link. A good bug field guide is Kaufman Field Guide to the Insects of North America. http://www.biology.duke.edu/dukeinsects/Leptoglossus_phyllopus.php

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    1. Jennifer, you are the BEST! Thank you so, so much for helping me ID those pests. I just did some research and read all about them. I hand-picked them all today and they did indeed give off a foul smell. I learned a lot about them and I actually felt guilty getting rid of them....although I know it had to be done for the garden. Thank you so much again!

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    2. You are so welcome, glad to help and fellow gardener! I need to do some bug crushin' myself!

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