The Sprout 2019

[davent]

Still wet and cool here as well! Transplanted the last of my tomatoes last Sunday but even today the soil temperature is only at 20C. Warm enough for the tomatoes plants to not go into a sulky snit but sure not warm enough to take off to the skies. The gardener across the street, yesterday planted the starts i gave him when i saw him earlier this week, we are so far behind, we as in anybody trying to grow some food.

As long as the plants are alive, there's always hope, a screaming hot week and we'll be away to the races.

And beans... the ones a planted a while back started to punch through yesterday. Salad greens, radishes all thrive in the cool wet so a few things to take advantage of, carrots are good... fruiting plants, we could have issues.
dave

 

[Toothpick]

And now my watch begins.

 

[davent]

Last two days have been a reasonable facsimile of summer and the tomato plants are showing their appreciation.
dave

 

[davent]

Recently bought a new rain gauge, my fourth or fifth, this time a Stratus, put it up Sunday just in time to record a 1/100th inch deluge while i was grilling. Zero rain since...

In other news... another beautiful day here, garlic scapes are forming, grow on.

dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Nice gauge Dave, but bought the darn thing in millimeters. It seems mine has been full lately.

Today was tomato sauce making. Just a single batch for a serving of two. It'll go over spiralized zucchini with grilled chicken, parm and fresh basil from the garden.

 

[davent]

Nice gauge Dave, but bought the darn thing in millimeters. It seems mine has been full lately.

Today was tomato sauce making. Just a single batch for a serving of two. It'll go over spiralized zucchini with grilled chicken, parm and fresh basil from the garden.

Thanks Aaron, i've been flipping back and forth between both systems (plus the British Imperial) since 1975 so second nature to convert back and forth... except temperature where temperature is just equated to how many clothes to put on.

Sounds like a good take on a summer garden!
dave

 

[Alacrity59]

Unreal grass growth. Can we say that in Canada these days. Lawn I mean. Usually I'm on a 6 day cycle. Just 4 days since the last mow and it was thick going. I'm mulching as I see no reason to take good stuff out. I bag a lot when crab grass starts so I don't add more of their seed to the lawn.

Ontario. . . . we can't use herbicides on our lawns . . . nor fungicides I think. It has been a bit of a learning curve. Watering, cutting high, over seeding, and manual weeding. Like the old question . . . "How do you eat an elephant? . . . . One bite at a time"

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Thanks Aaron, i've been flipping back and forth between both systems (plus the British Imperial) since 1975 so second nature to convert back and forth... except temperature where temperature is just equated to how many clothes to put on.

Sounds like a good take on a summer garden!
dave

Wait....does that say 1.00 IN at the top of the gauge?

 

[davent]

Wait....does that say 1.00 IN at the top of the gauge?

Yup, 100 divisions for 1 inch, when the central tube fills & overflows into the larger tube, you then measure the overflow filling and emptying that removable central tube.

Box says a capacity of 11" of rain, ran the sprinkler back there for maybe 1 1/2 hours tonight and registered 0.81". Also so supposed to be usable for measuring snow.
dave

 

[davent]

It's raining... tomatoes need to be clipped into trellis lines, garlic is forming scapes, bush beans are sprouting - french filet, yellow wax and Mbombo from Kenya, arugula, mesclun & radishes i seeded Monday are punching through, yesterday tiptoed past 30c, summer may get here yet.

dave

 

[Alacrity59]

Dave, I think I see pots of marigolds between some of your tomatoes. Can you say something about this?

 

[davent]

Dave, I think I see pots of marigolds between some of your tomatoes. Can you say something about this?

Hi Mike, No significance, my wife grabbed a flat of marigolds for fill in pots and i sorta ran out of places to put them so for this time at least they'll get stashed in the open spaces between tomatoes, also pots of perennial herbs in there to get shuffled around as spaces close and open up.

I have heard that maybe it was 'French' marigolds will repel certain nasties but i can't vouch for that.

dave

 

[Alacrity59]

Hi Mike, No significance, my wife grabbed a flat of marigolds for fill in pots and i sorta ran out of places to put them so for this time at least they'll get stashed in the open spaces between tomatoes, also pots of perennial herbs in there to get shuffled around as spaces close and open up.

I have heard that maybe it was 'French' marigolds will repel certain nasties but i can't vouch for that.

dave

Ah bummer. Yeah, the repelling aspect was where my thoughts were.

 

[Toothpick]

Supposedly they attract insects that prey on garden pests (other insects)

 

[davent]

Ah bummer. Yeah, the repelling aspect was where my thoughts were.

Pulled out a couple books, Carrots Love Tomatoes & The Harrowsmith Northern Gardener and both talk about them repelling nematodes that can be a problem for tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries roses and various bulbs. Also mention of planting with beans to help protect against the Mexican bean beetle. Tagetes patula gets mention as a variety to use. I think i first read mention in Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening book but i lent that one out years ago...

Reading on Northern Gardener is referencing Carrots love...
dave

 

[Alacrity59]

I'm going to have to read more. Seems we have little wars going on in our gardens.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

The strong scent of basil repels many garden pests including mites, aphids and flies. This benefit provides protection for your tomatoes, allowing them to be unaffected by damage from pests. Tomato plants need to be pollinated. The strong scent of basil attracts bees and in turn brings bees to the tomato plants for pollination.

 

[kelbro]

Bees flock to my African Marigolds. Always a part of my vegetable garden.

 

[davent]

Rodale herb encyclopedia, in it's list of herbs 'believed' to repel insects has marigolds effective on aphids, cabbage maggot, corn earworms, cucumber beetle, Mexican bean beetle, slug & snail.

Tomatoes, peppers & eggplants are self pollinating and air movement, a breeze will take care of the job.
dave

 

[Toothpick]

Did a video of the garden yesterday