Pests and other...

Gnat looking bugs on tomatoes... mostly on stems.
How do I kill whatever these are?

80% of tomato blooms are falling off... right behind bloom the stem strictures then the bloom just falls off... No indication of pest.... Plants are growing like crazy... I removed the affected bloom branches. Is this a pest?

Peppers (and a few tomato leaves): HUNDREDS of tiny holes in leaves... Small round/oblong shiny black bugs on reverse side of leaves... they hop/fly away when you turn the leaves over... found one set of orange eggs laid in rows/blocks...

Flea Beatles? No visible wings, and I can't see well enough to ID further... No visible wings... How do I kill/knock them back...

Cucumbers ALL died...

Pumpkin is giant and leaves are taking over like 4 squares... like 2 ft square leaves.... I'm gonna have to try to move it or it will starve the whole box for light.

Okra all but dead... cold.

Basil all but dead... cold.

Mule Team and Amish Paste tomatoes... all stunted and probably terminal.

Three rounds of 35+ degree swings have all but killed all the warm weather stuff...

Apparently, I need to prepare/plan better next time... Temperature and pests are killing me...

oh man...that's frustrating. I'm sorry The bugs sound like they might be flea beetles? Do they hop a lot? I had those before. I used Sluggo Plus on them...on the ground around the beetles and that took care of them. I think the spinosid (sp??) is what killed them. It's supposed to be an organic form of pesticide if I understand correctly, but it sure worked. I'm sorry for all your problems. We've had our share too....

Okra is a heat lover; you planted too early.

Tomatoes are just not pollinating. Too hot or too cold can interfere, but the problem can also be a lack of bees. You want the bumblebees on those blossoms for the best insurance of pollination. They buzz the flowers and release lots of pollen.

You can be the pollinator. Do it about the time the dew dries in the morning. The best way to imitate the bee is to "buzz" it by touching the stem below the flower with a tuning fork (middle C). You should see pollen shoot out. If you don't have a tuning fork, try an electric razor, or failing that, an electric toothbrush. If you can't do that, at least try tapping on the stem with a pencil.

http://pollinator.com/tomato.htm

Definitely put the Okra, Cukes, et al. out in the garden too soon. May still START them the same time next year, but will try simply up-potting them to pots that will hold them until transplant time.

Fortunately, I still have a few Okra, Basil, and tomatoes inside to transplant out... I've been putting them outside everyday for about two weeks now... They should be good unless we see another freak <40 degree overnight again.

Freakin' bugs... I'm gonna look for an organic preventative for ongoing, but I will likely need to use some sort of chemical to knock them down so I don't lose the rest.

Pollination has been my concern... and it makes perfect sense... I have seen a FEW pollinators, but not a lot. I am perfectly willing to buy a tuning fork for the job... Middle "C"... check.