A couple of years ago I hand built rickety planter boxes within which I hoped to grow vegetables. Over the years I have had some success with peppers, and not much else. Last year I missed my opportunity to plant anything (due to laziness), but this year I planted chili peppers and tomatoes. I take great care to water (but not over water) and make sure they are getting plenty of sun (but not too much sun). Also, I sing to the plants as often as I can because I read somewhere that plants respond to music.
Unfortunately, the tomatoes did not do well. The leaves turned brown and crispy. I watered to over-compensate for the ridiculous 100 degree heat we have had recently, and as a result, the fruit suffered from bottom rot. Incidentally, I do not like the term bottom rot. Reminds me too much of what I image happens if you fail to change a baby's diaper fast enough. So I returned the tomatoes, feeling guilty at having failed the poor plants and perhaps caused them too much disease and anguish to survive.
The chili peppers, on the other hand, are growing nicely. Well, at least two of them are. 1 of the plants does not care for my singing, but you can't please everyone all the time. Last week, however, they encountered a problem. I discovered tiny bugs crawling all over them. Almost like termite infestation. I went to the store and learned that mites are common with gardens and that you have to spray for them. So I did. Then this weekend I discovered tiny worm-like larvae all over the plants. The mite spray claims to work on other parasites as well, including worms and caterpillars. So I sprayed them again. Now I worry everyday that my pepper plants aren't going to make it.
Moral of this boring story: I will be a shitty parent whose children may die of bottom rot and will most definitely be the ones forced to get lice treatment from their elementary school nurse, destined to be forever labeled as the gross kid covered in mites!
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