What Did You Do In The Garden?

[Branching Out]

Planted Sugar Daddy snap peas and Oregon Sugar Pod II peas at the communal garden that we share with our friends-- and then enjoyed a nice happy hour with the group afterwards!

 

[digitS']

Yesterday, the big veggie garden had an extra hour of watering and it certainly needed it.

Near record high temperatures, a 4 day run for the twice/week irrigation, and wind gusts every time the clouds threatened rain ... it would sprinkle enough to dampen me when I was out moving hoses & sprinklers but then, I was already wet from the spray. Otherwise, it hardly blurred the scene through the car window while we waited out the task. It was made a bit more onerous by moving a supplemental sprinkler that I'm trying this year to cover the missed spots when the dang wind is blowing.

There were fairly lengthy breaks in the wind gusts but the irrigation blowing right on out of the garden with ZERO contribution from the "rain" clouds meant about 20% of the time spent was wasted. Some of the winds that came in variable directions W.NS.E, was blowing water the length of the garden so it wasn't quite as bad as it could have been.

Something that I notice from this hot, dry spell is how most plants stopped growing -- just stopped. A melon vine, which had over-extended itself by having 2 very early developing fruits -- died! I have some notions about vining plants. It seems that they mostly come from arid places in the world. My idea is that the wild vines grow in canyons near rivers and creeks, maybe only having water during the early months of the growing season. As vines, they compete with other plants for whatever sunlight enters the canyon by climbing and rambling about. Wonderful plants and I'm sorry that I lost that one. I guess that it would have made sense to remove some of the early flowers that developed. Well, there are quite a few more vines -- more melons, I think, than I've ever had before .

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

got the peas and beans picked all the way through at last. should have been done about a week ago... will be a busy day sorting through them and deciding which pods to dry down for seeds (in the peas). all of the beans will be eaten or if the are too far gone i'll eat them as shellies. none of them have started drying down yet enough (and now they won't for sure since i picked them all ).

 

[ducks4you]

Finally picked up most of the piles of sticks from the derechio. Will be burning more in the firepit tonight, before tomorrow's storm.
Also, got the front lawn mowed. It's a chore to mow around my magnolia, now that it's gotten so full, but it's the feel good that looks like we mowed everywhere, so worth it.
I also mowed down my wildflower patch. It was full of volunteer oats, some volunteer wheat, and a few flower seeds. I hope to finish the tiller repair and till it tomorrow morning, then reseed. Most of the oats where ready to reseed.

 

[SPedigrees]

Not exactly the garden but I used the string trimmer to clear jungle growth from the two paths leading up into my woods. I'm sure the brambles, seedling trees, and bindweed vines are licking their wounds and plotting a comeback. I took brush shears to tree branches overhanging the paths and provided lunch for a thousand mosquitos.

This was the first sunny day with no rain so I took advantage of the opportunity. It has basically rained almost every day in June and July so far. The rain built up into full flood mode a day ago, washing out roads, and causing my entire state to be declared a disaster zone by the governor, and then the president. I am very thankful that my property was left undamaged, along with the road and highway which are my way out. Five miles to my east and I would be stranded now, or under water.

 

[SPedigrees]

Yesterday, the big veggie garden had an extra hour of watering and it certainly needed it.

Near record high temperatures, a 4 day run for the twice/week irrigation, and wind gusts every time the clouds threatened rain ...

I wish I could send you some of our Vermont rain. We've had plenty to spare. I don't envy you the winds though.

 

[Zeedman]

Something that I notice from this hot, dry spell is how most plants stopped growing -- just stopped.

I've noticed that too, despite my fairly frequent irrigation. With the exception of one variety in pots (which has climbed 6 feet) all of my pole beans are way behind where they should be. A few are acting like bushes, flowering before they've put up runners. I was lagging behind the heat in getting down mulch; the leaves have started greening up, and the vines will hopefully catch up before the end of the month. The two pole limas are sending up runners, and have already started flowering. The two runner beans are really struggling though, as are the favas... this might not be a good year for those.

The garlic has apparently been affected by the drought too. I grow it in a raised bed, to keep it from getting waterlogged during heavy rains. That strategy may have backfired this year; even watering every 2-3 days, the soil is barely moist 4-5" down. I dug the first variety today ("Carpati", a soft neck) and the bulbs, while OK, are smaller than usual. I'll find out in the next week or two whether the other varieties follow suit.

The strongest plants in my garden are the cucumbers, which with some training, are climbing faster than the pole beans! They seem to like the home plot, and already have small cukes forming. The luffa vines are not yet as vigorous, but they too have begun flowering - with female flowers only? This is the 2nd variety I've trialed ("Long Beauty") so I'm glad to see that it too is day neutral.

The bush hyacinth bean ("Khyati") is sending up flower spikes, so it too is day neutral - the 2nd such hyacinth bean I've grown. Still waiting on two pole hyacinth beans, to see when they flower.

The "Gaspe" corn is less than 12" tall & already starting to tassel! The corresponding silks are appearing almost at ground level... so I know I'll have to put mouse traps out when the ears begin to form.

The pepper plants at home are strong. I've been pinching off buds & peppers to make the plants more vigorous, but will be covering their cages as soon as I get calm winds (probably in the early morning). Tomato plants are getting stronger, and I've begun attaching them to their trellises.

Wish I could post photos, but recent updates (on both the phone & computer) appear to have disrupted the ability to upload from my phone. The computer can see & count the photos on the phone, but the phone either won't release them, or the computer is hanging up before the selection phase. Might have to take both into the shop to fix this.

 

[Jane23]

Are they tiny slugs?

No slugs where I live. They fly too. They have dismantled most of my flowers from the inside. The bees are sad and not coming to them any more.

 

[digitS']

the favas... this might not be a good year for those.

The 2 times that I have tried to grow favas, they absolutely burned up. Hot dry weather also seemed to encourage the aphids to attack them.

I may not need to refer to "unusually hot" weather for awhile. We are entering our usual HOT weeks and, on cue, temperatures are going into the 90's again. I can just hope that they don't go above 100f (38C) .

Harvesting 3X more cucumbers than we can use, already. Found 2 other homes for what was taken off the vines today. Surprised that the Lemon Cukes are kicking in already. Some years, those would show up about 4 weeks from now. Of course, you know what this means. Muncher Cukes are already in their starter packs for transplanting soon .

 

[digitS']

Today’s harvest/3 = umm, the most of them, anyway , with the vines just out of the starting gate …
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