Today has been a cooler day all day, but the sun has finally begun to shine. I harvested some wheat this am and have one small batch to go.
The squirrels and birds got at least half. According to instructions, the wheat is not ready till the heads turn down, but that didn't stop the critters. I have pulled half the garlic, will get the other half next week-assuming it is ready to harvest.
I still need to harvest the rye - lots of critters going after that too. The cool spring has thrown the harvest off by about 3 weeks. Usually, I get to harvest and replant stuff by June 1.
Weather has cooled here. We even had a night with 59 degrees-in June. Not normal for MO. My volunteer squash is huge-never seen a summer squash get that big. I bought a tomato and cuke on sale at Walmart to transplant.
I could not believe my eyes. They had tomato plants about 4-5 ft. tall with green tomatoes on them - price was $16.00. Does anyone pay that ????
So I found an ok used car that I bought and found out that white is not a good color, if your driveway is shaded by black walnut trees. Still don't have anything organized enough to get the garage cleared. Considering buying a cover to put on the car till then. LOL
Computer is still acting up a bit. I type a few letters, and then it freezes. After a wait, it posts the missing letters in triple time. Have got to make some time to delete some stuff.
Hope all is well with my fellow gardeners. Prayers up for all-Have a great weekend. God Bless.
Pinging the List.
My tomato plants are sitting on a tray in the kitchen. It’s too cold here to plant today.
On the bright side, raspberries are just about to pop. So there's that.
Thank you again for keeping this weekly thread going, (and for keeping all of those critters plump!)
Another update on my war.
I’ve given in to the hate.
That squirrel must die.
5 gallon bucket about 1/3 full of water.
About a half inch layer of raw sunflower seeds floating on top.
Set down by his entrance tree.
Drowning is not a very nice way to die, hope he hits his head on the way in. Just can’t take it any more. Neighbors lookin at me all weird cuz I only pee outside now.
He’ll be buried under the lemon tree...probably pee on him after too.
I haven’t posted in a long while. Still flower gardening. It’s hot here (NC). The temps are in the upper 80s to lower 90s. We haven’t gotten a good rain in about two weeks. I’ve gotten one cucumber off my single plant. It was very tasty.
I’ve been spending most of my time trying to clean my dad’s pool. I finally called it quits because the pump was not pulling the water in. Called in a professional and he said a line was collapsed. In about 2 weeks someone should be coming by to do repairs. I’m praying it’s only one line that’s broken. Right now the water is a beautiful shade of green.
We had a tornado warning Friday to late evening. I was supposedly in it’s direct path.
Ended up raining hard and very windy.
Funnel never did touch down.
I was worried about my 4 tomato plants. Planted in 10 gallon containers and trellised using the Florida weave.
They were a bit battered but seem to have bounced back already.
They are flowering and I see 2 small fruits.
Best looking plants I’ve ever had at this point.
I have sweet banana and bell peppers planted in an old flower plot.
They came through just fine and are flowering.
The 3 remaining gladioulus didn’t fare as well. The flower stalk of all 3 got beaten about and ended up on the ground. Oh well.
Temp was back up today but now clouding up with an occasional drop of rain.
Could be another thunder boomer on the way.
Sorry you are having computer issues. That can make posting so difficult and frustrating.
I am FINALLY having my pitched roof and mud room built!
HUZZAH!!!!!!
I’m glad to hear you and your garden are still perking along. The heat is here in Texas tho we did get a couple inches of rain Tuesday. Filled up the rain barrels. Despite the heat I’m still getting a handfull of cherry tomatoes every day. These were the only ones not drowned by my mom-in-law’s “helpful” overwatering. I had claimed a new spot for plants out behind our garage where hubby pulled up an old rock patio. Soil looked terrible but i put some squash seeds out anyway and those 2 tomatoes. Flourishing! I’ve decided a fall garden will be coming soon back there.
We’ve been all over the map, some days in the high 60s; others low 100s. Also got 4 inches+ of rain in the past week; more tomorrow and Monday.
Too much to do; not enough getting done.
I have 2 6-packs of Roma tomatoes waiting to go in; MAYBE tomorrow, if I can beat the rain. Also, green & wax bean, and corn seeds I’ve had to keep waiting on since I bought them.
Onions are doing quite well; the garlic is spotty, some nice bulbs, others microcosmic. Best shallots I’ve ever had, already; if they keep going the way they have been, they’ll be huge.
Second planting of Yukon Golds, in a totally different area, is just as bad as the first one, at 35-40% emergence; but, the German Butterballs have all fairly leapt out ot the ground, each with multiple stems.
Snow peas will need to be picked this coming week.
We’ve gotten a welcome bit of rain here in Central Missouri over the past week. We were getting close to 2” and got another pop-up surprise late this afternoon.
Harvested the first half-dozen cukes on Saturday. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen. Garlic is just about ready to come out.
I processed enough cabbage yesterday to fill two 5-gallon buckets with what, in about six weeks, should be some very tasty fermented sauerkraut. There’s still enough out there to make another 5 gallons.
Picked about three gallons of red plums yesterday. The japanese beetles got my damson again this year. Peach trees are loaded with silver-dollar sized baby peaches.
Things are looking up...
In the South-facing front are about 10 tomato plants from Home Cheapo which were planted about mid May, which was too early (fooled by a short heat wave) but survived, thank God. These are about 12 inches apart average.
Then along the West-facing side are more tomato plants and Butternut Squash (which last over 6 months in about 60 degree storage) that were grown from seed inside, using plastic cups and garden soil with some potting soil mixed in. Grow lights assisted some.
I later found quite a few healthy tomato plants growing that i did not plant, but were growing from some tomatoes that fell to the ground last year!
There are some cukes growing along the building with some cheap bird netting, but a neighbor gave me the seeds (started in cups) and rushed me into planting them too early, and they are not doing well (soil PH may be too acidic)
Then a next door neighbor had a elevated section above a wall that was only growing weeds, so more plants went in that very rocky soil, but the wall helps retain heat, good for the "early" (May) spring.
I used some cheap screen to make a homemade screen to screen some of the rocky (out more prolific "crop") NE soil, which i used as a base for plants, putting some water in the hole after the soil, and then covering the plant with the silky screened soil along with some water.
Some bagged cow manure, sphagnum moss, garden soil, lime and fertilizer s has been added to the soil, thank God.
Also made some homemade cages using cheap wood and coat hangers.
In addition, a neighbor gave me some old barrels which are being used for compost for next year.
These plants are mostly watered with rain water coming off the roof in the back, using a tarp system since there is no gutter, and placed in 64 gallon barrels. Two nights ago a much-needed early fast-moving AM storm provided over 150 gallons, thanks be to God (answered prayer), since rain has been sparse, and high temps are predicted and no rain for the next week.
We had some old vitamins someone gave us which i add to the water, along with some Miracle Gro, and the fish oil capsules provide an oil film which helps keep the mosquitoes from breeding (the smell may help!), though i end up covering the barrels also.
The only pest we have had to deal with are the rats and squirrels, but they both have been much reduced via rat poison and working with neighbors. Later in the season the squash develops leaf mold, but does not seem to affect the harvest much.
To God be the glory for it all(!), and which we pray will be to His glory, by whose grace were were able to do this, and which provides superior produce and which can be shared, showing the love and grace of God! Last year with a smaller crop i estimate about 700 tomatoes were harvested. A warmer than normal November enabled harvesting up to the end of that month. Praise the Lord.
Here are some pics, mostly from 6-20:
