What Did You Do In The Garden?

[digitS']

I actually planted flowers for a change. Pansies and Alyssum.

I imagine that you are just at the right time for those flowers. Remembering the pansies way too late happens again and again with me. They should come right with sowing onion seeds, which I always remember and have on hand in the middle of winter. Forget the pansies until I begin anticipating seeing them bloom in the spring.

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

The wind died down, so we finally got the 2 pepper cages in the rural garden covered. Only one variety (Elephant Ear) remains uncaged, and considering the heavy weed growth there, we won't get it done - it will be a loss this year. DW & I have been weeding the large corn patch for days, it looks like we will finally get it done tomorrow. Don't know what we will weed next... it has basically become a triage situation, deciding what to save, and what to give up on.

The gardens at home are mostly doing well. The okra & Sierra Madre yardlong beans have started blooming, we should have the first okra next week. All of the soybeans are doing well, some exceptionally so - I patrol the patches daily for JB, and damage has been minimal. The Emerite snap beans have been picked twice, we should start freezing some next week... too hot to even think about turning on the stove yet,

In spite of being planted late, the Shiraz snow peas (from @aftermidnight ) are healthy & setting a lot of pods. Since this is a seed crop, we only snack on a few. @flowerbug , you said you like purple?


The MN 150 cowpea has also set a lot of pods. Those pods too will turn dark purple as they mature.

With pea, cowpea, and some soybeans beginning to swell, voles are bound to notice... I'll have to begin placing traps under the plants.

 

[flowerbug]

The wind died down, so we finally got the 2 pepper cages in the rural garden covered. Only one variety (Elephant Ear) remains uncaged, and considering the heavy weed growth there, we won't get it done - it will be a loss this year. DW & I have been weeding the large corn patch for days, it looks like we will finally get it done tomorrow. Don't know what we will weed next... it has basically become a triage situation, deciding what to save, and what to give up on.

The gardens at home are mostly doing well. The okra & Sierra Madre yardlong beans have started blooming, we should have the first okra next week. All of the soybeans are doing well, some exceptionally so - I patrol the patches daily for JB, and damage has been minimal. The Emerite snap beans have been picked twice, we should start freezing some next week... too hot to even think about turning on the stove yet,

In spite of being planted late, the Shiraz snow peas (from @aftermidnight ) are healthy & setting a lot of pods. Since this is a seed crop, we only snack on a few. @flowerbug , you said you like purple?
View attachment 36323 View attachment 36324

The MN 150 cowpea has also set a lot of pods. Those pods too will turn dark purple as they mature.
View attachment 36325

With pea, cowpea, and some soybeans beginning to swell, voles are bound to notice... I'll have to begin placing traps under the plants.

if you haven't seen to many signs yet of voles i'll be interested to see if they are much of a problem. i've not seen any signs of them at all here this year, which is pretty normal. we don't usually see them.

purple podded peas are always appreciated, i have a few that are not that intense, are the seeds dark/black?

i have to go out each morning and check for tomato worms and JBs. not too bad overall, but a few plants take a beating here or there. some gardens are hardly effected at all so far and others i have to keep a closer eye on.

soybeans here have some pods on them. i'm not sure how many.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Have any of you heard about the mysterious packets of unknown seeds that have been showing up in people's mailboxes? I just read about it in the news yesterday. The U.S. Agriculture Dept. had issued a warning against planting these seeds. U.S. Intelligence is looking into the source as there have been reports of some Chinese writing on the packages. They are concerned that the seeds may be some type of very aggressive invasive vine.
Hmmmm!

 

[digitS']

Snopes says: "At this juncture it appears true that the mysterious mailings of seeds sent with return addresses in China are real, but the specific motive behind them is as yet unknown.

• PUBLISHED 25 JULY 2020"

Synopses has links to Washington State, Virginia and Utah departments of ag with their online notices. I know that Kansas Ag has also done this.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

having learned my lesson the hard way already from planting "Wildflower Seed Mix" and another which gave me yet another variety of Mouse-Eared Chickweed which i surely did not need and regetted it since. in both cases it has been hard to get them under control and on the way to eradication, but i'm getting there. both these weeds are kill on sight for me now.

i surely would not be planting some random seed package in the mail. i don't care who sent them to me.

 

[flowerbug]

picked two five gallon buckets of cucumbers this morning, gave half of them to my brother. will give the rest away tomorrow after we chop them up and turn them into cucumber salad.

when picking cucumbers i found another tomato worm, a big fat juicy one.

did about 15 minutes of weeding to get rid of a few very obnoxious weeds. checked out the squash plants, watered some thyme i'd transplanted (yeah a horrible time to do that but it had to be done) and then came inside to take a break before my brother and SIL landed for lunch. too hot and humid for me to do much else and i'm glad i don't have any emergencies to deal with outside. i can always find things to do no matter what, but today all of that is purely optional.

i think it is nap time now. i really need one.

 

[digitS']

Ran sprinklers.

I'm watering the garden 3 times each week right now but still trying for less than 2"/week. The lawn grass isn't so lucky but still green and growing a little. The garden will also be back to twice a week but not for awhile.

We are supposed to be going on to high 90's and, maybe, over 100°f. It's right on time for the hottest weather on average - the last few days of July. Of course, we don't know what August will bring.

Tomorrow morning, out early to pick some beans and get them in the carport fridge before we are smacked by the heat ...

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Picked a cabbage head, made kraut and coleslaw. Picked cukes, hot peppers for fermented pickles. Anyone who has an excellent recipe, love to have it.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Tilled up an area and spread duck bedding and fertilizer and than covered back up with woven fabric. This area will be planted with more sweet corn that started in trays. Also thinking about planting more beans.