volunteers

I think my foray against the cucumber beetles yesterday was successful; today picking them in cold stupor off the plants found only six- squished five and the last one got away. I don't find them underside the leaves, but hiding in the larger blossoms (which there are lots of- Cucumbers to eat soon!).

Some of my volunteer plants are growing oddly- the ones I thought were marigolds have gotten enormous, and leggy, and no sign of flowers. Maybe they're not marigolds at all? I probably was mistaken, and encouraged a weed to spread. Maybe they are, but have undesired characteristics because I saved hybrid seed and it went atavistic? like happened to the sunflowers in Thalassa Cruso's book. Of the Tomato plants, only the ones from bought seed are flourishing well. The transplanted volunteers either haven't grown much, still small- and the two that got bigger are short and wide, not tall and branching. Perhaps the same problem- I did buy hybrid seed last year, so if the volunteers are from that they won't produce as well. A few more volunteer tomatoes are coming up around the canteloupe and potatoes, I'm just going to pull them up.


The Basil in little greenhouse in the window is big enough to transplant, but it's a hot dry week so I'm waiting until the weekend when it's supposed to be cooler and rain, then they won't suffer from so much shock.