Tomato Pests

Noticed yesterday that my tomato plants have what I believe to be red spider mites. I picked all of them off and smashed them, but there were a few more this morning when I went out to check on them. In doing some reading they are pretty hard to kill with an insecticide, but that when there are just a few on there you can spray it down regularly with the water house to spray them off. Anybody have any NATURAL suggestions?

I also learned yesterday watching a local gardening show on RSU television that if you plant basil in the bed with your tomatoes it will produce better tasting tomatoes. They mentioned something about planting marigolds in the tomato bed also, but I didn't catch what that did. I went ahead and moved my basil in with the tomatoes and will add more later this afternoon when I get home (I have some sweet basil I started from seeds I got at Monticello last summer that are ready to be put into the ground).

Mushroom Factory

It seems that my garden bed seems to be some sort of a morning mushroom factory. I don't quite know why and if it's ok for my veg., but I sure thought they were pretty.

Neat website about potato boxes

Now that I have potatoes growing I have been looking on the Internet to see how they grow and what I do now. My friend Shannon told me that you could grow them in tires, but I didn't understand the reason. Now that I understand HOW they grow the tire method makes sense, but doesn't sound to aesthetically pleasing (who wants a bunch of tires in their pretty yard!). This website though has these boxes for sale (and I am sure by looking at the design they could be easily made) that shows a pretty way to grow potatoes in the tire method but with a bed-box. Check out the site, I think you will find it interesting...
http://gardenbeds.rolandksmith/potato-grow-box/

You say "potato," I say "patattah"

HOLLY COW!! I can not believe it, but our potatoes are growing!!! Becky and I bought some in March and we were told to cut up one and let it dry out for a day or two. Well...a week later they were STILL on the counter and even growing a little mold on them (I'm just plain BAD about getting around to doing things some times. My mother battled with this with me for YEARS and was the root of many arguments). I either needed to throw them away or plant them and I decided, "what the hell, I'll plant them," After weeks of nothing we figured that they were so far gone when I planted them that nothing would grow. Well, low and behold Monday when I went out to water out of nowhere there were three sturdy potato plants growing. I could NOT believe it and was so excited I about peed my pants. I have never grown potatoes before and am eager to reap the fruits (or vegetables) of this endeavor. What I can't get is how they just seemed to appear over night. It seemed like one day they weren't there and the next they were.

Attack of the cute cabbage butterfly caterpillar

My POOR, POOR broccoli and cauliflower plants! I went out this morning and they look so bad from the caterpillars feasting on them that I'm not sure they will make it. I bought some organic pest spray but it doesn't seem to be working on them. The damn things are so cute you hate to kill them off, but I want broccoli more than cute worms in my garden! I did some research and heard about biological bacteria called BtK that kills them without harming the plants/environment so I'll have to get some to mix up and put on my plants. Until then I am for sure going to attempt Terror's cucumber/pie tin method to see it that will work.