The Sprout 2019

[cleanshaved]

One always needs to plant enough to share with the birds.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

One always needs to plant enough to share with the birds.

I'm thinking a Mockingbird. The official bird of the State of Texas. But not just any Mockingbird. They are taught by mommy and daddy Mockingbird. BB gun is loaded.

 

[davent]

Chipmunks, squirrels & racoons enjoy the backyard al fresco dining experience here. If it's dry maybe the birds are looking for a water source, do you have a birdbath they could drink at, bathe in?
dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

The sacrifice:

 

[davent]

Our overflow gets dried for winter pizzas, soups, stews and sauces, only a couple of more months weather permitting...

Took apart my old trellis along the fence and am redoing it with new ideas reusing the eight galvanized poles i've had as uprights for almost thirty years, (top rails for chain link fence), scavenged 3/4" black pipe driven into the ground as the support and had a couple 3" pvc pipe caps, drilled through to fit the 3/4" pipe (1 & 1/16" outer diameter) placed at ground level to prevent the galvanized from sinking into the soil when inserted over the support pipe. Passed the proof of concept so needed to go purchase four more pieces of 4' black pipe, six more caps and some 1x2 for the top rail, attach it with heavy zip ties.

Re-edged the bed along the fence as well, two parallel strips of pound in edging about 6" apart, the inner one 2-3" higher and will fill that space, mulch with leaves i saved from he fall. Should prevent the nasty root runners & creeping charlie from invading, now the dandelions - i've offered a couple times to weed that bed along the fence, i've looked after her front lawn for years, shoveled her sidewalk for even longer but she's reluctant for whatever reason, she is going away for a few days this week...

View attachment 984140 View attachment 984141 View attachment 984142
dave

Third time lucky, she relented and i weeded the strip yesterday, took about an hour which was what i figured on. Good sized pile of greens for the compost, mostly creeping charlie which pops free with an easy scoop up, and monster dandelions with roots deeper then my trenching spade would reach. Liberated three strawberry plants and two choked out small rhubarb patches, they should all do better now.

We were getting frost warnings for last night and the furnace has been kicking on even in our cold kept house it's June.
dave

 

[kelbro]

Squash, zucchini, sweet Italian peppers, and sweet banana peppers offered themselves up this evening.

 

[Alacrity59]

Yes it was darn cool Dave. Also a perfect day to make an example of having to measure the rain that . . . today did not fall but should have. There were supposed to be intermittent showers. All dark and overcast all day . . . zero rain. Had to water the garden and grass I over seeded.

I'm not sure how it can not rain and yet the mosquito are more thick in the air than I can remember in recent memory.

Lots of flowers on the cukes I have in container on the balconies.

 

[davent]

View attachment 987628 Squash, zucchini, sweet Italian peppers, and sweet banana peppers offered themselves up this evening.

Nice, gives hope to us northerners.

Yes it was darn cool Dave. Also a perfect day to make an example of having to measure the rain that . . . today did not fall but should have. There were supposed to be intermittent showers. All dark and overcast all day . . . zero rain. Had to water the garden and grass I over seeded.

I'm not sure how it can not rain and yet the mosquito are more thick in the air than I can remember in recent memory.

Lots of flowers on the cukes I have in container on the balconies.

We didn't get any rain together either in fact the sun did break through and at four it was 26.9c so really quite nice. My wife says the rain is suppose to start through the night, we could use some as well.

Planted my dozen Amish Paste tomatoes this afternoon, that leaves a plant each of thirteen different tomato varieties, the last of everything started indoors, should go in tomorrow (Wed.) weather permitting.
dave

 

[Toothpick]

First harvest. 2 zucchini. Everything else is growing OK. Could really use a lot more water but it hasn’t rained much at all here and watering it myself sucks.

15 freaking watermelon plants!

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Two large Hillbillies. 1 Lb 11.9 oz.

 

[davent]

That's a monster, BLT or burger?
dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

That's a monster, BLT or burger?
dave

Tomorrow night is BLT night and ive got a really ripe brandywine picked out. The big guys still need some ripening time, maybe next friday.

 

[shavefan]

Beautiful tomatoes Aaron


I got a late start this year and haven't done a whole lot...

Habanero from the nursery, @ 6 weeks

Started some peppers from seed, outside, about 4 weeks ago. Serrano, Pequin, Jamaican Chocolate

 

[Scarry Knight]

While picking some Mizuna and Horehound from the garden I noticed the buffalo grass in inflorescence. They will develop to what resembles a longspine sand burr.

 

[davent]

Still not especially warm here but put the last of my indoor starts into the garden beds yesterday, one plant each of 14 different tomato varieties, seven of those new to us this year.

Peppers in pots have few fruit sets, tomatoes in pots a few set fruit.

We've guerilla bombed seed bombs out on out walks in the past, this time my wife came home with a bag of seed bombs to toss in our garden, a new experiment.

Today planted three types of bush beans, French filet, yellow waxed never tried before and Mbombo beans a green seeded variety from Kenya we've never tried. Planted three types of carrots, Kyoto Red., Amarillo anda row of mixed colours.

Thyme and oregano carrying on from last year, two Siderno cherry tomatoes, over 100 tomatoes from one of these tiny plants last summer.

Couple types of red lettuce, couple carrot & radish varieties, garlic should be ready in another 5 weeks, rainbow chard, mixed heritage kales, Saber shelling peas

Garlic, Scarlet kale, arugula seeded in the bed before the kale starts were planted, arugula should be finished about the time the garlic comes out so will yank it out then and the kale will keep producing all season. Saber peas, have sown pole beans in front of the peas which will take over the trellis about the time the peas will be done. Also in there plugs of spring onions.

dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Dave, your hands look like mine. My dino kale hates our heat but all the tomatoes love it except for the Red Russian. Saber peas look interesting. My peppers have all died except 2. Too much rain. Fun in the garden.

 

[davent]

Dave, your hands look like mine. My dino kale hates our heat but all the tomatoes love it except for the Red Russian. Saber peas look interesting. My peppers have all died except 2. Too much rain. Fun in the garden.

So much for the manicure... no green thumb just grubby paws.

Saber peas were given to me by one of the farmers at the market on her last day in the spring, her attentions then turn to growing, i imagine the peas are widely available. Local seventh generation farmers. @buttrumsfarm on Instagram

Bummer with the peppers, were these plants in the ground or pots, this might be a case where pots would be advantages. Every year's so different, never know what to expect. Here it's been real wet too but also little in the way of heat.

happy gardening!
dave

 

[Toothpick]

Pulled weeds, tied up plants, laid down some tarps around watermelon. Freaking garden!

 

[kelbro]

My watermelon finally kicked it into high gear. Cantaloupes got a head start on them though. Can't wait!

 

[Alacrity59]

Slow spring here. I'm a bit North of Dave who claims to be in the banana belt. It has been wet and cool. Farmers could not plant early and pressure is on to grow things that are quick to grow in our short growing season. General advice here (Ontario Canada) is give up on tomatoes and peppers that are not making it and plant beans.

My tomatoes are struggling . . . but alive. I live in hope. Maybe a bumper crop by the end of August.