How many of you are growing watermelons in containers? This is our second year growing them. Last year they were doing great, but the raccoons beat me to them. (See picuture below) Fingers crossed I'll get first dibs this year. If you're growing watermelons in a pot of some sort, share a pic with us.

I got to havest more of my mint plant and it's growing more branches and streams. I got to havest one head of my lettuce. On top of that two of my marigolds that the deer eat has recovered and my cucumber that the deer eat has recovered so well that it has flowers growing on it and many many leaves. A picture of my lettuce before harvesting.

You walk out to water your tomatoes. As soon as you brush against the leaves, a tiny cloud of white insects suddenly takes off into the air. If you've ever seen what looks like a miniature snowstorm coming from your plants in the middle of July, you've probably met whiteflies. These tiny sap-sucking pests may be small, but when their numbers grow, they can weaken plants and make a healthy container garden struggle. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬? Whiteflies are tiny, winged insects that are closely related to aphids. Adults are only about 1/16 inch long, with powdery white wings that give them their name. They spend most of their lives on the undersides of leaves, feeding by piercing the plant and sucking out its juices. When disturbed, they take flight all at once—often making them much easier to notice than to catch. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐭? Whiteflies enjoy many common garden plants, including: 🍅 Tomatoes 🌶️ Peppers 🍆 Eggplants 🥒 Cucumbers 🌿 Basil and other herbs 🌺 Hibiscus 🌸 Geraniums 🪴 Many houseplants that spend the summer outdoors Warm weather and sheltered patios create ideal conditions for them to thrive. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Look for: ✔ Tiny white insects flying up when you touch the plant ✔ Clusters of whiteflies on the undersides of leaves ✔ Sticky leaves (honeydew) ✔ Yellowing or pale leaves ✔ Black sooty mold growing on the sticky residue Like aphids, whiteflies leave behind honeydew that can attract ants and lead to mold growth. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 Whiteflies feed continuously on plant sap. Large populations can: • Weaken plants • Slow new growth • Cause leaves to yellow • Reduce flowering and fruit production • Spread certain plant diseases Because they reproduce quickly, a small infestation can become a major problem in just a few weeks. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Early action makes all the difference. ✔ Gently spray the undersides of leaves with a strong stream of water. ✔ Remove heavily infested leaves if practical. ✔ Use yellow sticky traps to help monitor adult populations.

One evening your tomato plant is lush, green, and loaded with fruit. The next morning? Large sections of leaves have disappeared, stems are bare, and you can't figure out what happened. The culprit may still be there... Blending in almost perfectly with the leaves is one of the largest—and hungriest—garden pests you'll ever encounter: the Tomato Hornworm. The good news? Once you know what to look for, they're surprisingly easy to find. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦? Tomato hornworms are the larval stage of a large moth called the sphinx or hawk moth. These bright green caterpillars can grow up to 4 inches long, making them one of the biggest caterpillars found in vegetable gardens. Despite their size, their green color provides incredible camouflage. The black "horn" on their tail may look intimidating, but it's harmless to people and pets. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐭? Hornworms are especially fond of plants in the nightshade family, including: 🍅 Tomatoes 🌶️ Peppers 🍆 Eggplants 🥔 Potatoes While tomatoes are their favorite meal, they'll happily munch on several related plants if given the chance. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Look for: ✔ Large sections of missing leaves ✔ Bare stems with little foliage ✔ Dark green or black droppings (frass) on leaves or around the base of the plant ✔ Large green caterpillars blending into stems ✔ Chewed green tomatoes If you see piles of droppings but can't find the caterpillar, look directly above them—they're often hiding in plain sight. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 One hornworm can eat an astonishing amount of foliage in just a few days. Several hornworms feeding together can: • Strip large branches • Slow fruit production • Damage developing tomatoes • Stress otherwise healthy plants Young tomato plants are especially vulnerable. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Fortunately, hornworms are one of the easier pests to control. ✔ Hand-pick caterpillars and remove them from your plants. ✔ Drop them into a bucket of soapy water. ✔ Inspect plants every evening or early morning when they're easier to spot.

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 Your plant looked healthy last week. Now the leaves have tiny yellow speckles, they're starting to look dusty, and something just seems...off. Take a closer look. You may be dealing with spider mites—one of the sneakiest pests in the summer garden. They're not actually insects at all. Spider mites are tiny relatives of spiders, and they thrive during hot, dry weather. That's why July is their favorite time of year! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬? Spider mites are incredibly small—about the size of a grain of pepper. Most gardeners never see the mites themselves without a magnifying glass. Instead, you'll usually notice the damage they leave behind. As they feed, they pierce plant cells and suck out the contents, leaving behind thousands of tiny pale or yellow spots. Left untreated, they can quickly weaken an otherwise healthy plant. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐭? Spider mites aren't picky, but they're especially fond of: 🍅 Tomatoes 🥒 Cucumbers 🌶️ Peppers 🍆 Eggplants 🌿 Herbs 🌺 Hibiscus 🌹 Roses 🪴 Houseplants that spend the summer outdoors Almost any plant can become a target during hot, dry weather. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 Look for: ✔ Tiny yellow or white speckles on leaves ✔ Leaves that appear dusty or bronzed ✔ Fine webbing between leaves or stems ✔ Dry, crispy foliage ✔ Leaves dropping sooner than normal Here's a simple trick: Hold a white sheet of paper under a branch and gently tap the plant. If tiny moving specks fall onto the paper, there's a good chance you've found spider mites. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 Spider mites reproduce incredibly fast. A small population can become thousands in just a couple of weeks when temperatures stay warm. Heavy infestations can: • Slow plant growth • Cause leaves to dry out • Reduce flowering • Reduce vegetable production • Kill young or already stressed plants 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 The earlier you act, the easier they are to control. ✔ Spray plants thoroughly with a strong stream of water, especially underneath the leaves.