Thunderstorms with hail yesterday. First rain in a week got things moist so I transplanted chard, escarole, buttercrunch and red leaf lettuce, radicchio, arugula, and curly endive. Direct seeded the second batch of sugar snaps, radishes, mustard, and onion sets. Turned in a bag of sand and peat moss where the carrots will go. Started four kinds of basil, more chard and lettuce in flats. Will wait till the next storms move through to direct seed cucumbers, pole beans, and summer and winter squash. Will move 25 or so tomato seedlings into peat pots tonight. I've had a garden most years of my life. Good way to keep up with what is happening in our natural world. Good eats too.
My Wife harvested two white onions (grown from clippings from grocery store onions) and a leek. The garden is going gangbusters under my Wife and son's care.
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Transplanted a dozen Fennel plants today. Had to start summer and winter squash in peat pots because the ground squirrels dug up my direct seed efforts. The furry little bastards went after the seeds. Also put in 20 various tomato starts.
My wife made some fake ripe berries and hung them on the bushes with the hope the birds will try them while the others ripen and figure they were inedible. She read that some folks paint rocks red and put them out in their strawberry beds, the birds peck at them and get pissed off, so.... Our yard is bird heaven so I'm not getting my hopes up.
We have two bushes that are pink berries and those were picked clean. The fire ants seem to love them also. The plan always was to add a couple more every year but their popularity grew around here. Small bushes went from $10 each to $30
Transplanted summer and winter squash starts and eight more tomatoes. Direct seeded second planting of three types of cucumbers. Plugged in two rows of white onion sets for scallions. Watered everything in. Pulled some scallions, watermelon radishes, and picked sugar snap peas and buttercrunch lettuce for a supper salad tonight. We Would All Be Served Well If More Folks Learned How To Grow Food!
@deadman said:
We have two bushes that are pink berries and those were picked clean. The fire ants seem to love them also. The plan always was to add a couple more every year but their popularity grew around here. Small bushes went from $10 each to $30
We have a six foot fence around our raised beds to keep the deer at bay. The fence is three by four wire mesh. It is just large enough for a small rabbit to squeeze through. Spotted a small rabbit inside eating our carrot tops this PM. I went inside and chased the fur ball around and around for five minutes until I had it cornered. The rabbit then squeezed out through the mesh. It was not the first time. Maybe the rodent will get too fat and stay out or maybe it will get too fat on our carrots and won't be able to get out. I may make a hat out of it.
My guess is; once it can't squeeze through, it'll dig under. And bring friends and family. Good luck.
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"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Started two flats, one of collards and kale and one flat of Frisee Endive and Broadleaf Batavian Endive. These will be our winter greens that we will cover and have into Jan. Getting loads of squash, green beans, carrots, and fennel. Tomatoes and peppers doing nicely.
Transplanted some radicchio, escarole and endive for our winter greens. Kale and collards are showing their second set of leafs and should be ready to transplant in about ten days. Still getting beans, carrots, fennel, chard and squash. I keep a garden journal with planting and harvesting dates. The journal tells me when to get the winter garden started, how much it rained, soil amendments, etc. Great help as I CRS.
Still picking green beans, crookneck, paddy pan and acorn squash. Six different kinds of tomatoes, chard and fennel. Got to start cleaning out beds so I can transplant kale and collards for our winter garden.
Harvested all the winter squash and pulled the plants. Same with one of our tomato beds. Turned the beds. and added lime and manure. Will transplant our winter garden tomorrow.
"The strikingly colored moth, ailanthus webworm, is a non-native insect that found its way here to Cape Cod with its host plant, tree of heaven, an exotic invasive species. The moth feeds only on tree of heaven.
Tree of heaven (TOH) is native to China and was imported to the U.S. in the 1700s. It is easily confused with the native sumac. However, its stems are smooth, lacking the pubescence found on staghorn sumac. An unmistakable trait of TOH is the disagreeable odor when handled, which is why it is also known as stinky sumac, but not related.
TOH is a prolific seeder. Unfortunately, at APCC, our property is ringed with various invasive species, some on adjoining properties, and tree of heaven is one of them. We are constantly pulling seedlings that drop over onto our garden and lawn--and consequently know why it got that nickname, stinky sumac!"
Comments
Thunderstorms with hail yesterday. First rain in a week got things moist so I transplanted chard, escarole, buttercrunch and red leaf lettuce, radicchio, arugula, and curly endive. Direct seeded the second batch of sugar snaps, radishes, mustard, and onion sets. Turned in a bag of sand and peat moss where the carrots will go. Started four kinds of basil, more chard and lettuce in flats. Will wait till the next storms move through to direct seed cucumbers, pole beans, and summer and winter squash. Will move 25 or so tomato seedlings into peat pots tonight. I've had a garden most years of my life. Good way to keep up with what is happening in our natural world. Good eats too.
Couple of images of our garden beds. Harvesting spinach, radishes, mustard, cilantro, and green onions.
Planted today. Going to rain in the PM most of the week
.
My Wife harvested two white onions (grown from clippings from grocery store onions) and a leek. The garden is going gangbusters under my Wife and son's care.
My Wife in her garden.
Resistance is flue tile.
Japanese Turnips
Those are weird
But they are mild and tasty either raw in a salad or simmered in butter with the greens.
Transplanted a dozen Fennel plants today. Had to start summer and winter squash in peat pots because the ground squirrels dug up my direct seed efforts. The furry little bastards went after the seeds. Also put in 20 various tomato starts.
https://www.gardenguides.com/124954-natural-ways-repel-squirrels-garden-using-spices.html
Good some hot sauce and mixed a half bottle with a gallon of water. I'm going to light them little furry beasts up.
Birds left us some blueberries
My wife made some fake ripe berries and hung them on the bushes with the hope the birds will try them while the others ripen and figure they were inedible. She read that some folks paint rocks red and put them out in their strawberry beds, the birds peck at them and get pissed off, so.... Our yard is bird heaven so I'm not getting my hopes up.
We have two bushes that are pink berries and those were picked clean. The fire ants seem to love them also. The plan always was to add a couple more every year but their popularity grew around here. Small bushes went from $10 each to $30
Transplanted summer and winter squash starts and eight more tomatoes. Direct seeded second planting of three types of cucumbers. Plugged in two rows of white onion sets for scallions. Watered everything in. Pulled some scallions, watermelon radishes, and picked sugar snap peas and buttercrunch lettuce for a supper salad tonight. We Would All Be Served Well If More Folks Learned How To Grow Food!
@deadman. A nice winter project : https://gardenologist.org/step-by-step-guide-to-rooting-blueberry-cuttings/
Some pics of our summer garden.
Green beans, onions and lettuce for tonight's supper.
Our raised beds with chard, beans, tomatoes, fennel, squash.
Italian and asian basil.
Next basil with about two weeks to go before transplanting.
We used the Speedling trays at the farm I work at back in the day. Great system.
We have a six foot fence around our raised beds to keep the deer at bay. The fence is three by four wire mesh. It is just large enough for a small rabbit to squeeze through. Spotted a small rabbit inside eating our carrot tops this PM. I went inside and chased the fur ball around and around for five minutes until I had it cornered. The rabbit then squeezed out through the mesh. It was not the first time. Maybe the rodent will get too fat and stay out or maybe it will get too fat on our carrots and won't be able to get out. I may make a hat out of it.
My guess is; once it can't squeeze through, it'll dig under. And bring friends and family. Good luck.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Started two flats, one of collards and kale and one flat of Frisee Endive and Broadleaf Batavian Endive. These will be our winter greens that we will cover and have into Jan. Getting loads of squash, green beans, carrots, and fennel. Tomatoes and peppers doing nicely.
Transplanted some radicchio, escarole and endive for our winter greens. Kale and collards are showing their second set of leafs and should be ready to transplant in about ten days. Still getting beans, carrots, fennel, chard and squash. I keep a garden journal with planting and harvesting dates. The journal tells me when to get the winter garden started, how much it rained, soil amendments, etc. Great help as I CRS.
Still picking green beans, crookneck, paddy pan and acorn squash. Six different kinds of tomatoes, chard and fennel. Got to start cleaning out beds so I can transplant kale and collards for our winter garden.
Tomato sauce is simmering. We'll cook some down to tomato paste.
Harvested all the winter squash and pulled the plants. Same with one of our tomato beds. Turned the beds. and added lime and manure. Will transplant our winter garden tomorrow.
https://xerces.org/blog/leave-leaves-these-invertebrates-depend-on-it
If you don't have Ailanthus trees infesting your neighborhood, count your blessings. But help is on the way:
Ailanthus Webworm Moths
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/381?blm_aid=50586
"The strikingly colored moth, ailanthus webworm, is a non-native insect that found its way here to Cape Cod with its host plant, tree of heaven, an exotic invasive species. The moth feeds only on tree of heaven.
Tree of heaven (TOH) is native to China and was imported to the U.S. in the 1700s. It is easily confused with the native sumac. However, its stems are smooth, lacking the pubescence found on staghorn sumac. An unmistakable trait of TOH is the disagreeable odor when handled, which is why it is also known as stinky sumac, but not related.
TOH is a prolific seeder. Unfortunately, at APCC, our property is ringed with various invasive species, some on adjoining properties, and tree of heaven is one of them. We are constantly pulling seedlings that drop over onto our garden and lawn--and consequently know why it got that nickname, stinky sumac!"