Beans from Italy coming up nicely under row cover in a bamboo teepee
After a wonderful trip to Italy, I’m now back in the garden trying to get it finished. Seems I got a lot of dry beans in Tuscany at a Florence Farmers Market and have planted 4 different varieties-Fagioli Zolfini, Fagioli Piatellini Nuova, Fagioli con L’Occhio (a black-eyed pea) and Borlotti. These are dry bush beans. I love dry beans as I just have to plant them and after they are up, give them water and you don’t pick them till the end of the season after they dry. Not too many bugs bother them either at my place. They make great soups and stews in winter. So looks like this is the year of the bean.
But I have planted many other interesting crops this year as well. Other new veggies/fruits include the Bradford watermelon, Tahiti Butternut, a yellow zucchini called Rugosa Fruilana, Craupadine beets and my Fuggle hops and artichoke came back from last year and are doing well. Also 15 bare root raspberries I planted this spring are all up and doing nicely-the variety is Polona-I got them from Nourse nurseries online. My dream is to have so many raspberries I get sick of eating them (never!) And I’m starting a new thornless blackberry (Triple Crown) area in the garden. I got some beautiful 2 gal plants from Newmans for only $15.
And of course I have more tomatoes than I need but have cut down drastically since I am not at the Santa Fe Farmers Market. This year I’m growing more dwarf tomatoes than regular tomatoes and some of them are trials for Craig Lehouiller. All my tomatoes are caged and have row cover wrapped around them to protect them from the Beet leafhopper which passes a deadly virus to them here in the southwest called Curly Top Virus. The row cover is also great for protection from hail storms. It will come off when the monsoons arrive. Hope they do well and can’t wait to taste them. I haven’t eaten a tomato since last November when my crop finished as I won’t eat store-bought tomatoes. Guess I’m a tomato snob.
I’ve actually cut down the garden by 30% this year due to our drought. Pray for rain (no hail please!)
giantveggiegardener 
Tomato snob? There are some things that are not worth eating. I happened to get some sliced tomato on a hamburger at a barbecue today, and it seems like such a waste of space. I will eat tomatoes from the store, but I could do without them if necessary.
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hi Jannine, I’m a long time lurker! 😎 After losing all my tomatoes to Curly Top Virus last year, I’m taking your advice and covered them with lightweight row cover. But they’re busting out now! (last week in June) When is is OK to take off the coverings? Will you do a post noting when you take off your row cover? Thanks!
— Monica
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So sorry about losing all your tomatoes last year. Hopefully you will do better this year! Yes I will do a post when I take off the row covers. I wait till the monsoons come into NM and not just on the first day but once they come in, I then take them off. The monsoons usually arrive by the second week of July but not always. The Beet Leafhopper which is the culprit, likes dry, hot, windy weather. From my observations, the bug does not like rain and either leaves or is suppressed after the rains come in and then my plants are safe. Come on rain! Yes they are usually busting out but they will not look squashed in a couple of days after being freed! Last year I only had one tomato plant succumb to Curly Top Virus after the top of the row cover blew off. I hate putting the row cover on them but it really does work, unless one of them blows off and gets bit by the bug. Let me know how it goes for you!
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Thank you! This is the first time I’ve used row cover on my tomatoes. Good to know the squashing isn’t harmful — I appreciate the guidance! ❤️🍅
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