Wyldflower garden update

OK... first thing to say is that yes, my grandson did water the veggies while I was away - he forgot some of my ornamentals, but I've watered in the lambs-ears and lupines and I'm pretty sure they'll survive. And no, he didn't cut off a finger playing with tools he shouldn't!

I did get a terrible infestation of flea beetles, though. They attacked the radishes and turnips, the bok choi and chinese cabbage. I pulled all of these today. The leaves literally looked like lace. UGH. I've put neem oil solution on other plants nearby, but I think I'll go get some diatomaceous earth tomorrow. I hope I can keep them from the peppers and basil (which seem to be the next things they want). I am pretty sure the flea beetle infestation is coming from the elm trees in the area. They all have that lacy leaf look, too. Not much I can do about all those trees

Here are the two main beds:


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I'm concerned about my eggplant and peppers - the leaves look yellow and washed out, so I got some of the Miracle Grow Organic veggie food, and fed them and the tomatoes tonight. But I do have one pepper - an Anaheim - and flowers on all the other pepper plants.
That's soil that splashed up on the pepper - and some flea beetles ... sigh...

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The tomatoes are doing well. I fed them some coffee grounds before I went away, so I think they're liking that! I have fruit set on several of the plants (I have six in bed #2, two in the herb bed and four in pots on the front porch)And there is color on the Stupice! I may actually have a tomato to eat before the fourth of July!

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And the tomatillos are coming into fruit, too! (The flea beetles are finding these, too).

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There are other pictures in my gallery... several itty bitty baby tomatoes, mostly.

Wish me luck in the fight against flea beetle!

Looks great. I have one flower on a pepper plant, 2 flowers on a tomato plant and 2 baby green tomatos with lots of flowers on another.

Picked a bunch of lettuce and radishes over the weekend but that's it so far.

that tomatillo is awesome!

Looking good.. especially for our challenging Colorado climate!! I had a minor flea beattle infestation as well and looked all over for diatomaceous earth. I finally found it at Ace Hardware (the new one on Austin Bluffs/Academy). I hand sprinkled it on the garden the first time and showed serious improvement within about 2 days. My garden was VERY slowly growing until this point. I showed HUGE growth after I got rid of the majority of the buggies. After following the advice of the other 'DE' thread, I made a large 'salt shaker' and last night put another 'sprinkling' of DE down. Are you growing pumpkins? Mine are seriously taking off.. I'm afraid they're going to take over my pole beans if they don't start climbing soon ( I had to replant my pole beans after a buggie infestation before I put down the DE)!!

Hi Lili...
Yes, I have pumpkins and squash in big flowerpots in another area of my yard. I direct-seeded them, and they are all doing well - they have their third set of leaves now. I'm just waiting to see them take off!

... and my potatoes are growing 'like weeds'... I have to get some straw to cover (or at least halfway cover) the new growth which is 12-18" above the last layer of cover.

Thanks for the suggestion of ACE to find the DE. I was thinking that would be where I go - though I'll try the one on Uintah first, because that's nearby. I'll definitely do the 'salt shaker' type of applicator!

I'm debating on what to do with the empty spaces where I pulled my radishes and turnips, etc. (Maybe I should have left one square to sacrifice!) I'm thinking of pole beans and limas.