I live in San Marcos, and I'm just now harvesting my garlic too. I'm no expert, but I'm saving the biggest and prettiest blubs to replant and eating the rest. I think that's the safest way, since those are the ones that were the most healthy plants. The ones that haven't divided into cloves yet will be eaten first, since they supposedly don't keep as well. Those are ones that didn't fully mature, so I doubt they'd be good planting stock. I've got them hanging in the garage to cure right now. I think you're supposed to leave the leaves on until they're done curing and then cut them off. At least, that's what I'm doing, since I've got them tied up by their leaves. Also, I grew several different types of garlic, and they are maturing at different times. The softnecks were ready first, and then the elephant, and my hardnecks are still in the ground, though one variety could probably be dug up any day now. Don't know if that's normal, but I'm glad I didn't dig up ALL my garlic at once.

You might want to try growing VINE squash. The vines are a little tougher and you just may need to learn the times of when these moths come around and plant them before or after. I plant butternut squash and acorn and they don't seem to bother them at all. I always lose my yellow or zuccini squash almost as soon as they start to mature so don't bother anymore. Somesay place blue foil around the base of your plants as they may think it is sky and won't light, but I just wouldn't trust this as so far I have never tried same. [from a website] Identification The adult borer resembles a wasp. It is about 1/2 inch long with an orange abdomen with black dots (fig. 1). The first pair of wings is metallic green while the back pair of wings is clear, although that may be hard to see as the wings are folded behind them when they at rest. Eggs are flat, brown, and about 1/25 inch long. The larvae are white or cream-colored with brown heads, growing to almost an inch in length. Many of us in the southern Appalachians are watching with delight as our tiny garden plants finally begin to take off. Now, at last, they seem to be responding to our care, safely outgrowing the pests that have threatened to devour them. The late frosts are finally past, the cool mornings are gone, and the garden seems unstoppable. Right now, however, the loveliest, but most insidious of garden pests arrives: the squash borer moth. These moths lay copper-colored eggs on the stems of squash plants just above the level of the ground. The eggs are not easy to see, but look like a row of tiny b.b.s on the green stems. In only a few days, the eggs hatch and the hungry caterpillars cut their way into the center of the stem. There the caterpillars live, safe from predators and from pesticides. They eat the heart of the squash stem, eventually killing the entire plant. A little pile of sawdust-like feces oozing from a hole in the stem is all youÂll see. You mostly donÂt know that your squashes harbor the caterpillars until it is too late. If you catch them early enough, either split the stems lengthwise and remove the worms, or ram a piece of wire into the hole and skewer them. The squash stem will heal, and if covered over with soil, it will sprout more roots. Unfortunately, once the plants are wilted and dying because of the feasting caterpillars, there isnÂt much you can do. Prevention is the only medicine. The adult moths are present for just a couple of weeks in late June, sometimes lingering into early July. Some people cover their plants with row covers during this time so that the moths canÂt get to the plants. However, this also prevents honeybees or other pollinators from pollinating the flowers. Others use organic pesticides such as neem, pyrethrin, or rotenone to dust the bases of the plants, which is also a bit of a trick. Those same pollinators are killed by pesticides just as effectively as the squash borer. Still others pile soil around the plants right up to the first true leaves, which discourages, but doesnÂt prevent, the moths from laying eggs. A daily spritzing of the squash stems with soapy water will kill the eggs and is also a great way to kill aphids on other plants without harming pollinators. If you must use pesticides, only apply them in the late evening after the blooms have closed. If your zucchini, pumpkin, and yellow squash plants died last year, be on the look-out for the moths. They less often bother butternut squash, cucumbers, or melons because the stems are small and hard. The moth itself is beautifulÂhardly the picture of devastation! Almost all the moths whose larvae are borers are clear-winged moths. You can actually see through their hind-wings! Squash borers are about an inch long. They have brightly-colored, orange and black, furry tufts on their bodies and legs. They fly low and very fast. The clear wings, bright colors, size, and flight pattern make them look like wasps instead of moths. So if you see pretty wasps visiting your squash plants in late June and early July, look a little closer. They might be the beginning of the end of your squash plants! Catch and destroy any adult moths, and protect your plants. If your plants are severely infected, pull them up and either burn or crush them flat to kill the larvae. Check daily for the eggs on the stems, and Good Luck! Hope this will be of some help Paul

Awesome Jim! What a great summer we have had in these parts. I'm really hoping for a late first frost also. Another 6-8 weeks for the tender plants would be great. Most of my big bananas are in the 10-12 foot height range and many of this season's pups are pushing 4 and 5 feet already! One strange thing, my itinerans (?) didn't really get established. One in partial sun, the other in more shade. Only got a few feet tall. They do seem healthy though, maybe next year... And I still can't get over the yucca thompsoniana. I'm just amazed with how well it established itself. It is growing noticably EVERY DAY. The head has more than doubled in size and it is well over 5 feet tall now. Some of the newer spikes are 3 feet long! I can only imagine what this thing will do next year once it is really established (was planted early this spring and came totally bare-root). Here's to a nice fall!

It liiiiives!! Cutting off the rot worked wonderfully. But I think the "surgery" worked in my favor because I spotted the rot almost immediately. Its doing just fine now, it's even sprouting new leaves! I took pictues of the rot and the "surgery" if anyone is interested. Eventually, new leaves will replace the old and it will look like nothing ever happened.