Eggplant issue of the day…

Today’s check on the garden brought a new discovery, shown above. At first I thought it was some kind of white fungus.  Something similar had killed some herbs I was growing indoors late last winter.  Got ready to clean it off, and perhaps trim the poor eggplant a bit, but then, as I approached, IT MOVED.

As one can see, looking closely, what seemed to be a fungus actually has legs. And something that resembled a mouth or claws on one end. I’ve since disposed of it. Anyone want to volunteer an i.d. for the thing?

 

Here they come…

The Japanese beetles have started in on my Ichiban eggplant (that sounds oddly appropriate, but it’s still annoying.) I remember days as a kid when I’d watch my father gather these creatures from our garden at home and see them off by, if I recall correctly, depositing them in an empty mayonnaise jar that he’d fill halfway with water. Looks like it’s time to get at them…

In case anyone is looking for more information, the University of Maryland offers a description of the life-cycle of the beetles and advice on how to manage them in a .pdf file located here. As always, suggestions for strategies are welcome!

 

…and the bad news? Bugs and blight.

Blight may be too strong a word – and perhaps the bug is a good one? I’m working to identify this insect at the moment, starting with a helpful set of helpful insect images offered by the University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Info Center. (I came across another nice set of images of helpful garden insects offered by Texas A&M University’s Extension Horticulture program and Galveston County Master Gardeners, though Texas is a bit far afield from my own territory…)

I didn’t get a perfect image of the bug I’m trying to identify (it was running – fast – around the leaf when it realized I was coming close…) A rough description: about 1/2 an inch long, black back and wings and legs, reddish-orange head. Black eyes.

The little thing is out of focus here as it sits on one of my eggplants, but this actually gives a better profile view than the other image I have:

Would love to know what that one is…

I’ve also found that my tomatoes and beans are looking a bit afflicted. The tomatoes are getting white-ish yellow spots (see left)…

…while the leaves on a bush bean I have are just fading in color from green to yellow to a crunchy, dried brown. Are they roasting in the sun, I wonder? I have been watering them regularly. Short some nutrients? (Ah, the inexperienced gardener stands and stares… on the up-side, though, I did eat some fresh beans from the plant with dinner tonight.)

 

Bugs, and peas, and bugs…

Little green guys are digging into my peas. I pulled them off — and completely pulled one full sprout that was home to many and looking quite worse-for-wear… Here’s one of the bugs:

That fellow is kind of greenish-yellow. Most of the other bugs on the peas were smaller and a darker green, as in the picture below…

I cleaned them off, and will keep a close watch on the shoots.