Friday, May 29, 2009
Hot and Humid
Yes! We do have potatoes!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
It's always nice to have a little help in the garden...
I did indeed have to pull up the rest of the brocolli plants. They just kept looking more and more unhealthy. My basil plants have finally gotten some size on them and are being shaded out by the tomato plants. Time to transplant them to the other end of the bed now that the broccoli plants are gone. Plus, Abi says she wants some basil to plant in a container. I have plenty to share with her.
Speaking of tomatoes, I finally got some stakes and a support system rigged up. They're growing well and some have green fruit on them. I pulled off some of the lower leaves today that were beginning to yellow.
I pulled the arugula. It bolted a long time ago, but I decided I'd enjoy the flowers for awhile. We're still getting plenty of lettuce. The rainbow chard is getting big enough to cut. I've started to pull the second crop of radishes. The carrots are growing well, but aren't ready to eat yet.
All the squash is growing well, including the winter squash that I planted between the rows of crooked neck and zucchini. I'll have to transplant it soon. I planted a row of okra between two rows of beets. The new plants are growing well, but won't really do much until the weather gets hot.... about the time the beets are harvested! I'll plant another row in place of the radishes - between the other two rows of beets.
I expanded the height of my sugar snap support system, and so far it's been adequate. We've eaten several small batches of peas (sometimes mixed with carrots to make them go further) in the past week. They sure are tasty! Picked about 1/4 pound today.
The black raspberries have started to ripen in the past 2 - 3 days, just in time for Yarri to get a taste.
The potato plants look lush but I'm not sure there are any tubers down there! Hope our dirt isn't too rich for 'taters!
Noah was home for supper two nights ago. Knowing how much he loves beets, I decided to go ahead and pull some baby beets - some red and some golden. I steamed them up with butter, salt and pepper. I stir-fried the beet greens with onions, garlic, and dried red peppers in a little bacon grease, with a splash of red wine vinegar to finish it off. Now that's some good eatin'!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Disappointments in the Garden
The sugar snaps have outgrown their support system. Add several days of rain to weigh them down... many are bent and broken.
The caterpillars have found my broccoli plants. I pulled up one heavily infested plant. Hand-picked the critters off the other plants and fed them to the chickens. The side shoots I was looking forward to don't look very healthy. May have to pull up the rest.
The caterpillars have found my broccoli plants. I pulled up one heavily infested plant. Hand-picked the critters off the other plants and fed them to the chickens. The side shoots I was looking forward to don't look very healthy. May have to pull up the rest.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Not tired of salad yet!
I've cut all the central broccoli stalks, but I do expect to continue to get plenty of side shoots to keep us satisfied through the end of the month.
I planted summer squash yesterday - "Early Yellow Crook Neck" and Burpee's "Fordhook" zucchini. About 55 days to maturity, so we can look forward to squash around the 4th of July.
Would love to find space to plant some winter squash. I have seeds for Burpee's "Butterbush" butternut squash. It's supposed to be a compact plant, taking up 1/4 the space of regular vining types. 80 days to maturity, so I better get going. I may plant it right between the yellow and zucchini squashes, hoping there will be a place to transplant it when all those plants grow up.
It's a challenge to figure out the most efficient use of dirt... getting the most out of spring crops before replacing them with summer crops; pulling the summer crops in time to plant the fall garden. We have only so many raised beds!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Time for Broccoli
I hate to note that the arugula is bolting. It can't take the heat at all. There are flower buds on the potatoes. I ate the first sugar snap pea this morning. It'll be a few days before we have enough for a meal. Tonight, broccoli will be featured on the dinner menu, and I'm looking forward to that!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Lush Garden and Happy Hens - Life is Good!
I'm cutting the broccoli now, and it is delicious. Pea pods are forming on the sugar snaps. The potato plants are robust. Salad greens are lush. Everything is growing well. I've thinned the radishes, and continue thinning the beets as needed in the salad mix. I've read that you can eat the radish tops, too, but even the small ones are a little too bitter for me.
The chickens are at maximum egg production right now... 9 hens, 9 eggs per day!
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