<p>NOoooooooo!!! Had a huge storm today and the tomato plants went over like dominoes!! Got them back and some fell over the other way!! Lost about 35 tomatoes and several branches broke…</p>
<p>Fried green tomatoes? </p>
<p>Fried green cherry tomatoes?? Hard to do :(</p>
<p>Oh no, @jym626 - I’m so sorry. I’m happy to say I sprayed “deer no” on my plants (leaves only) and they’re doing well - color me amazed. I hope your plants recover.</p>
<p>Fairly strong winds hereabouts, too. Came home yesterday to find two tomato plants tipped over. Fortunately, no broken branches.</p>
<p>For you Eastern Seaboard gardeners who endured strong wind and rain during the last 48 hours, how did your plants fare. The high winds split one of my tomato plants in two, really roughed up another, and generally clobbered my other plants; Bell Pepper, Hungarian Chili Pepper, and even my short Okra stalk. Bought more garden stakes yesterday. A little late but it’s an ounce of prevention for the next time. It’s windy today. Gorgeous but windy.</p>
<p>The rain seemed to be mostly downpour with the winds kicking up at other times. Container garden. Tomatoes (only the sun sugars are indeterminate) are still too short to be affected. I like being able to move pots, to follow the sun later in summer. On a bad windy day, I can move them up against the house, a 4’ trip. </p>
<p>Bigger problem is squirrels digging in some pots. I put some 3/4" bird netting over the onions, poked the greens through. Will do it for others- and last year, something ate strawberries, so maybe I’ll teepee the net over those, too. Something is different about the weather this year. Or maybe it’s the way I mixed the soil. So far, everything is happy. I’m getting green beans and the onions will grow to a good size. </p>
<p>Loved last night’s cooler temps. </p>
<p>Anyone having problems with very wilted squash and cucumber plants? We’ve had rain (I’m in PA) and I’ve watered but one of the plants in particular looks really wilted. Like this: <a href=“https://www.google.com/search?q=wilted+squash+plant&client=firefox-a&hs=T0t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=XKW5U8iXFcjJ8wHxnYCQBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=922#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=f9t-3mS_jdjpYM%253A%3B3li9XYzM9MkaAM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fplantdiagnostics.umd.edu%252F_media%252Fclient%252Fdiagnostics%252Fgallery%252Fsvb_wilted_squash_l.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fplantdiagnostics.umd.edu%252Flevel3.cfm%253FcauseID%253D368%3B400%3B300”>https://www.google.com/search?q=wilted+squash+plant&client=firefox-a&hs=T0t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=XKW5U8iXFcjJ8wHxnYCQBg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=922#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=f9t-3mS_jdjpYM%253A%3B3li9XYzM9MkaAM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fplantdiagnostics.umd.edu%252F_media%252Fclient%252Fdiagnostics%252Fgallery%252Fsvb_wilted_squash_l.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fplantdiagnostics.umd.edu%252Flevel3.cfm%253FcauseID%253D368%3B400%3B300</a> I’ve checked under the leaves for insect eggs but don’t see anything. My husband thinks I’m just not watering enough. </p>
<p>My squash plant looks like that when it’s been moved.</p>
<p>Burning…burning…(Wizard of Oz reference…but seriously, okay in my immediate neck of the woods. 
)</p>
<p>Walkinghome; specifics would help; I assume this plant is in the ground. For how long? What is the soil like? (clay, sand, something in between). What is the climate like? (highs, lows, humidity). Are other plants doing okay? Which ones? Right now, my lemon cucumbers and charentais melons in earth boxes are the most persnickety in my hot and dry climate.</p>
<p>I looked a bit more on-line and am sure that the plant was being attacked by a squash vine borer. I pulled the plant and performed an autopsy on the stalk. Once I opened up the bottom it was obvious that something was eating up the whole stalk. <a href=“http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=368”>http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=368</a> I pulled another squash that looked like it was just starting to wilt and it had the same infestation. This link mentions sliting open the stalk, removing the larvae and then putting dirt over the bottom of the stalk. Geez. I can hardly get to my plant let alone performing surgery back there. I hope getting rid of the two will be enough…</p>
<p>I haven’t read all 13 pages of this thread - but does anyone have suggestions on how to groundhog-proof your container garden? I have two healthy-looking tomato plants in patio pots, both of which have many green tomatoes.</p>
<p>In years past, whenever I tried to grow tomatoes in-ground, I’ve had to battle groundhogs (or woodchucks, whatever you call them in YOUR local dialect), and usually the groundhogs win. Fencing, netting, stuff you spray - nothing seems to work except for shooting or trapping them. (I hate doing the former and the latter is a lot of work.)</p>
<p>For the past few mornings I’ve seen a baby groundhog running around our deck near the tomatoes. So far he hasn’t tried to eat them (not that I can tell) but I dread him getting larger. My H thinks we should put the tomato pots up on a small table so that the tomatoes are out of reach…and I kind of like the idea (such a peaceful solution - no shooting or trapping required!)</p>
<p>Does anyone have any groundhog advice or experience?</p>
<p>I’ve got squash this year and was under the impression borers did their damage a bit later than the 1st week of July, esp in PA (as opposed to hotter areas.) Maybe I’m wrong. First year you grew squash? What was in the soil before.</p>
<p>Gee, scout, I don’t have groundhogs, knock on wood. In-ground is an issue since they can eat from underneath. A friend put chicken wire under his tire garden and had some success. For containers, I’d think free-elevating is fine (some critters can still get onto a table, eg.) Or surround the container in chicken wire, a large enough surround so the branches are protected… </p>
<p>Ok, I’m seeing small animals can get through chicken wire. Some say rabbit-proof fencing material or “tighter meshed wire for rodents.” I realize my friend didn’t use chicken wire under the tires- he used old window screening.</p>
<p>Screening might work just fine - maybe we’ll raise the pots AND surround them with mesh or screening.</p>
<p>I remember the last time we had this problem with the in-ground tomatoes. We surrounded those plants with fencing and mesh, and the groundhog bit through the mesh and just gnawed on the ripe tomatoes. It was like he really couldn’t eat the tomatoes (too much wire in the way) but he ruined them for anyone else to eat. We joked that he was evil…</p>
<p>This little baby woodchuck we have now is so cute (like something out of a children’s book) but I’m guessing he may grow up to be evil, too.</p>
<p>lookingforward. I’ve grown squash and cukes before and have had problems with squash bugs, and they also make wilted leaves, so that’s what I was looking for. The weather has been so crazy the last couple of years that I’ve come to believe there is no “usual”.</p>
<p>scout59, I found this link that talks about two things that you already have in your home - urine and hair! <a href=“Tips for Repelling Groundhogs | Repel Groundhogs - I Must Garden”>http://www.imustgarden.com/repel-groundhogs</a> </p>
<p>My garden is doing the best I’ve ever done. My eggplants are now flowering so I expect I’ll see them. I’m a little curious about my tomatoes. They’re flowering and I’m starting to see little tomatoes, this is just really late for them to be so small. My cucumbers are really growing, I never ended up needing to pollinate. However my herbs are not going crazy like I’d have expected. Just shows you what good soil, consistent watering from a lawn sprinkler and good organic fertilizing will do.</p>
<p>I picked lots of green tomatoes in my front garden. I was not supposed to stake it but I’m not supposed to grow tomato in the front yard, it was volunteer. The ones that were ripened and on the ground were eaten by bugs. What’s left were all the green ones, but they will turn red once inside.
I also planted 5 blueberry plants today. There will be delicious blueberries next year.</p>
<p>Last view of my community garden on Thursday showed that the bunnies continue to enjoy the kale. 
That’s ok, if that’s all they touch, it’s just one plant - it can be for them! Peppers (jalapeno, banana and green pepper) all have lots of flowers and small peppers growing. Grape tomatoes - LOADED! Tons of cucumber flowers - hope they become cucumbers! Green beans plants from seed growing SLOWLY - stuck a few more beans in the ground. Picked some basil and oregano to have at the house. Zinneas (put a couple “squares” worth in my square foot garden) should start blooming this week! Lettuce is finally done. Need to pick up something to replant in those 2 spots. </p>
<p>Scout, when I was a kid our elderly neighbor said that the best way to get rid of groundhogs was to place human hair in their holes. Apparently the critters can’t take the aroma. The old fella would get hair from his barber buddy. Perhaps burying a clump of hair in your plant pots might work.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your early bounty, Eyemamom. My herbs, Purple Basil and Large Leaf Basil, aren’t bad either. Although the Greek Oregano is a bit of a runt.</p>