A. Bird damage is common in all areas. One control method which works quite well is to take old nylon stockings and cut them into pieces 10 to 12 inches long. Tie a knot in one end of the stocking and slip the open end over the entire cluster of tomatoes.

Secure the end above the tomato cluster with a rubber band or twist-tie. Birds will not be able to peck through the nylon. Slip the stocking off the cluster and harvest the ripe fruit and replace it to protect later-ripening fruit. Also, birds damage fully mature fruit more readily than breaker or pink fruit.

Harvest in breaker or green-wrap stage. Gardeners have tried many ways to reduce bird damage. Scarecrows, aluminum strips, tin foil plates and noisemakers will work until the local birds become accustomed to seeing or hearing them. Fabric covering materials such as Grow-Web and Reemay can also be used as a barrier mechanism.

2.Q. What causes tomato leaves to curl?

A. The exact cause of tomato leaf roll is not fully known. Tomato leaf roll appears about the time of fruit setting. The leaflets of the older leaves on the lower half of the tomato plant roll upward. This gives the leaflets a cupped appearance with sometimes even the margins touching or overlapping.

The overall growth of the tomato plant does not seem to be greatly affected and yields are normal. This condition appears to be most common on staked and pruned plants.

It occurs when excessive rainfall or overwatering keeps the soil too wet for too long. It is also related to intensive sunlight which causes carbohydrates to accumulate in the leaves. Some varieties of tomatoes are characteristically curled.

3.Q.  My tomatoes were healthy during the spring and early summer, yet after a recent rain, they wilted and died very rapidly.  That put all my tomato growing efforts to zero. Besides, I found a white fungal growth at the base of the plant.

A.This is southern blight. It is a soil-borne fungus and lives on organic material in the soil. Terrachlor used as a pre-plant treatment will reduce this problem. Also, the deep burial of undecomposed organic material in the soil will reduce the problem. Control foliage diseases on plants because the fallen leaves around the base of the plant will feed the fungus, and it will build up in this area and cause damage later. Crop rotation will also reduce southern blight.

4. Q. I have tomato plants that are 5 feet tall. Can I snip the ends off the branches to encourage fruit growth such as you do with squash? I do pinch off the suckers between the crooks of the branches. Thanks for any help you can give me.

A: Pruning the plant will keep it compact. Many people do get rid of the sucker growth that appears on the main stem. To get larger, fewer fruit, remove any blooms that appear before fruit set can take place. If you have over fertilized the tomatoes, the growth will be mostly vegetative. In that case, any pruning would be of little help.

5. Q. If tomatoes are picked green or before they are fully mature, how should they be handled to insure proper ripening and full flavor?

A. Never refrigerate tomatoes picked immature. Place them in a single layer at room temperature and allowed them to develop full color. When they are fully ripe, place them in the refrigerator several hours before eating. Those handled in this manner will be of high quality and full flavor.

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Gardens To Dig – Grow Big Juicy Tomatoes

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They are sweeter and lower in starch than their full grown counterparts, giving them a mild flavor and creamy texture that is a real treat.These potatoes are immature and far from fully developed. Their surface skin is thin and tender. If peeled, this is normally done most easily after boiling.

New potatoes do not store well, and should be harvested close to the time when they will be used. New young potatoes are harvested when peas are ripe or as the potato plants begin to flower.Their thin skin loses moisture faster than that of mature potatoes.

The formation of tubers in potatoes normally begins when plants are six to eight inches tall. Potatoes are a cool weather crop, and best tuber development occurs before weather becomes continuously hot.

New potatoes don’t store, so eat them right away. If you tried the idea of growing potatoes in a garbage can, it’s easy to harvest. Simply reach in for the best-sized spuds and ease them out.

You can harvest a few of your potatoes all summer after they flower.The trick is to make sure the soil is wet, then gently dig under and around your plant.( I use my hands as my soil is very loose when wet.)

When you first want to find out if your potatoes are ready to eat do not attack them with a garden spade or fork to dig them out or lift them. Kneel by the plant and gently work your hand or a hand held garden fork into the earth around the potato.If the soil is soft I do not do this with a fork as I find it easier just to gradually unearth one or two of the new potatoes by hand and clear the soil from around them.

Now you can see if they are a reasonable size to eat and how they are progressing. If you do this gently enough and have not detached them from the main potato plant , you can cover them up again and so long you are gentle they will carry on growing to maturity.If they are large enough to eat just take what you need for today’s meal. You can do this until you are ready to harvest your crop of potatoes.

After removing some of the potatoes for a meal make sure you plant roots are covered really well with the wet dirt. If done correctly your plant will continue to produce through the summer, then you can harvest all the potatoes when your plant starts to die.

First new potatoes are harvested before the sugars have fully converted to starch, resulting in a flesh that is crisp and waxy. Second earlies are larger and have a waxy and moist flesh (ideal for broiling and roasting). Waxy new potatoes are one of the delights of summer .Do not forget to water and earth up the potatoes that are not ready to harvest yet.

Enjoy eating your new potatoes – what ever variety you have grown, however you cook them – roasted,mashed, baked, chipped, sautéed, as fritters or simply boiled they will have a better texture and flavor  than ‘mass produced’ supermarket packaged potatoes.

The humble spud is a powerhouse of nutrition, crammed with protein, fiber, carbohydrates, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, iodine, and vitamins C and B. And not a smidgen of fat or cholesterol. You can’t beat that!

By the way, when you eat your new potatoes, don’t forget to follow Julia Child’s mantra: “More butter”!

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener