More harvest & pictures

The usual shot from the deck.  The corn is starting its tassels.

Squash bugs are barely in evidence.  A few eggs, a few mites and one adult I missed squishing tonight.

This is the Trombocino squash I grew instead of the Black Beauty zucchini I had last year.

I harvested this one tonight.  Ann did the breaded cutlet thing with them for dinner.

She pronounced it a success.  They taste a bit more delicate then the zucchini.  They're a bit denser with less water too.  I'm not sure they'll be as good on the grill.

I'll be planting the zucchini next year for sure.  The Trombocinos sprawl almost as bad as butternut.  I'll still plant them, but the zucchini fit in the garden better.

This watermelon is looking good.  I have 2 others about the same size and some smaller.  Plus lots of blossoms.  We love watermelon!

It's hanging from the fence between the garden & the annex.  I need to think about trellising more.

Looking to the right of the watermelon shot, you can see the weeds/grass on the ends of the rows.  The butternut should out compete it.  The watermelon should do ok.

I never said my garden was weed free; I just don't *need* to do weeding.

After the harvest I'll till it all in & put down a cover crop.  Next year maybe I'll put down clover on the margins.

There are more radishes.  I planted them densely and got to pull grown ones out.  We're not that into them raw.    Ann cooks them w/ butter + garlic and we like that.  Mostly, they're to go to seed & scare away the bad bugs.





And there is one sticking up.  Do they keep the bugs away?  I'm not going to give them credit for the squash bugs.  The in-laws plot had as many last year as I did and they have none this year.

I have *lots* of cucumber beetles, ants, crickets, spiders, japanese beetles and a few species of dragonfly.  The yellow sticky traps have lots more.

I don't think the radishes did anything.  But it was nice to have something up quick while we were waiting for everything else besides peas.

Muskmelon

Last night, I picked & cut up the muskmelon. 

And just in time it looks like.   Some bug put a smiley in it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite ripe :-(  I wrapped it up & put it in the fridge with hopes it'll ripen a bit.  I'm not hopeful.

There are more blossoms on the plant and it is growing well.  I'm hoping there will be another fruit. 

Harvest is trickling in

We've started getting harvest!  The muskmelon is ripe.  I've seen 4 watermelons on the way and there are lots of squashes growing.  Purple beans and yellow beans are starting to produce.

The peas have had their run.  The garlic needs to be harvested.  Dill is coming up and just starting to flower.  I'm hoping to have lots for dill pickles.

Tonight, we got 2 tomatos which my daughter promptly ate.  She had pointed them out also.  It's only fair.  I found (they love to hide) 5 cucumbers.  They might be a bit riper then I'd like.

Two nights ago I thinned my beets.  Mostly, it was the greens with tiny beets.  I like both.  My son got a carrot that I thinned also.  by thinning, I mean I plant too tightly and pull the largest ripe ones and hope that give room for the ones left behind.  It works well for the radishes.  Not so much for beets and carrots.

The trombocino squash looks like it finally has something ready to harvest.  I picked 2 at my in-law's garden.  I think my fear of squash bugs got the better of me.  I haven't seen any at their plot even though they had the same overrun I had last year.  I've seen a few, but hand picking has kept it reasonable.  I also know better then to let them go!

My tomatoes have fruit and blossoms.  The corn is growing.  The peaches are doing well.  Ann even found a nectarine or two high up on the tree.  Perhaps we'll finally have one.

The eggplant had blooms, but I'm not seeing any fruit :-(  I planted Fairy Tale based on our CSA but they're not doing as well.  I have a broccoli that's yet to fruit.  Crown?

That's about it for now.  I don't have pictures for this post, but next post, I'll have a muskmelon.




 

The Tomatoes are coming; the tomatoes are coming

The story begins with the seed catalogs. As the long stretch of winter seems to have no end in site, the seed catalogs arrive and fill us with the memories of the warmth of the summer. Tom scrutinizes each of the catalogs, takes lots of notes, develops a game plan, and then revises it again and again. He looks like he is writing a dissertation as he puts so much of himself into this work. He emerges with a list of seeds that he wants to order. He explains why each one is important and tries to get me onboard with him.



I pretty much stay out of his way and let him order whatever he wants making sure that my favorites are on the list. When you see him, ask him where the black zucchini are growing in the garden. Answer: they're not! He humored me into believing that he would plant some, but was so discouraged by the squash bugs last year, that he avoided them altogether this year. He is growing some type of replacement, but I am not convinced that they will be worthy. Tom has a tendency of telling me what I want to hear and the garden is no exception. Last night, I asked him to show me the black zucchini; instead he showed me some quasi-zucchini plants. They are growing and are resistent to squash bugs, but the real test will be when we take our first bite.



As for the tomatoes, there are so many on the way. I have a funny feeling that we are going to have 50 pounds of tomatoes all in a week's time. So far, the children has eaten the few Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes that have ripened. Our daughter was really angry last night when she couldn't have a second tomatoes because there was only one that was red. Soon she will be in tomato bliss as it won't be long now.....

Father and Son

Last night, my heart was warmed as I watched our six year old boy helping Dad out in the garden. Often he is too busy playing video games, watching television, and just plain being lazy. (Before you pass judgement, let me be clear that his video and tv time is limited).

Last night was different and was special. They were side by side pulling out a few weeds, snipping off some of the runners on the tomatoes, pulling up some radishes that NJ proudly presented to Mom, and just sharing whatever it is that boys share.

I got some much needed time alone as our daughter was taking a nap, but I couldn't help sneaking a glance or two at the boys being boys.

Tom is a great Dad. We started the garden so that our children would have a love for vegetables. We envisioned the children helping to plant, weed, harvest. They do enjoy grabbing the peas and tomatoes while outside, but until last night, we hadn't seen much help with the legwork.

I know that someday our son will get a lesson in the irrigation system and the weather monitoring that Tom has carefully set up. NJ's engineering mind will be fascinated with the technology and with making it better. I love to hear our children telling the neighborhood kids all about the vegetables. We now have a neighborhood of chive and mint loving little kids who love to sneak a few bites and think they are getting away with something. The other night, our 5 year old neighbor and I were comparing tomato plants. You could hear the pride in his voice as he was talking about his father's garden.

Modern families have missed the boat by not gardening. They are missing a fabulous opportunity for families to share something so important. To know that you planted the seeds in April, watered them religiously indoors and then brought them outside to face all that nature delivers, you are truly preparing your children for life in general-the ups and downs, the successes and the failures, and the joys of work done well! So, bring on the zucchini!

Fruiting around the garden

Peaches 5/26 lookin good.

And on 7/12.

The potatoes 6/26 are flowering.  No pests in site and nothing seems to be eating them.  They're outside the fences right on the deer path.  I've seen fisher cats, woodchuck, rabbit, fox, turkey and squirrels walk across where they're planted.

Of course I need to plant something else there for the next 2 years.  Maybe I'll just put in clover.

There's at least one muskmelon on its way.  This is where I 1st found the cucumber beetles, inside the blossoms.

This  was  a transplant from Verrill Farm.  I've ordered tomato transplants there for the last 3 years, even as I do my own seedlings.  I also got some off the lot.  All of the tallest plants in my garden are from Verrill.

This is a Matt's Wild Cherry hybrid from Verrill.  I don't have a seed source so I ordered 2 this year.

Mr. Verrill also has a tomato grower's class every spring.  I learned about staking every other tomato with the string around the outside there.

As you can see, the tomatoes are at the top of the 6' ladders.  I got them from Gardener's Supply Company for Father's day.  They have 3' extensions available.  I might want to think about them for the indeterminate tomatoes.

I love beets.  I think these are Detroit Red.  I also planted Chiogga.  I usually steam the greens & eat them like steamed spinach.

The basil next to it was planted from seed on the same day.  Yet another thing you should plant from seed instead of transplants!

Finally, a Trombocino Squash is starting.


Seeing how late these are running compared to the Black Beauty and the reduced squash bug population, I'll have to plant Black Beauties again.  Maybe some of each for an early/late combination.

Compare this

It's way easier to take pictures then upload them.  So I end up with 3 weeks of photos & then I only want to write about the new photos.  Today I have photos from 6/26, 7/11 and 7/12.  This is supposed to be a diary so it's good to see some time lapse.

This 1st photo is 6/26 from the front.

This is from 7/12.  The tomatos have really grown up.  Up front are the trombocino squash (a zuchinni that's resistant to squash bugs). They're advancing over the cukes on the front row.

Amongst the trombocinos are French Breakfast Radishes.  I was hoping they'd help keep the squash bugs away.

No such luck.  I've been finding eggs on the Waltham Butternut Squash in the back left.  These eggs are on a tomato leaf.  I even found some nymphs today.

I think I'm keeping up on squashing them though.  I'm not seeing too many adults (20?).

My big issue now is cucumber beetles.  I have yellow sticky traps up.  I need to put the lure on them.

I also sprayed the squash leaves with pyrinthium rotone - an organic pesticide.  It will kill bees so I'll want to be careful when things start to flower.

The peas were productive 5/26.  I planted amish snap peas, snow peas, and 2 other kinds I can't remember now.  The snaps taste the best.  The snow peas are noticely less tasty and are tougher.

Today, they're at the end.  There are still some but it's probably time to take them down & plant pole beans.

This is 7/11 overhead.  And 7/12.

July Already?

I was busy (& late) getting my plants in.  I was also doing my In-law's garden.   Anyways, I have everything in.

As you can see the tomatoes look pretty good.  The cherry tomatos have green fruit.  The Tiffen Mennonite have some too.  I've been pruning and I think that's making them healthier.  For father's  day I got tomato ladders from Gardener's Supply.  I like them even though they're expensive.  They'll last a long time.  They have lots of interesting stuff in their catalog, especially for container gardening.  Recommended.

I have cucumber beetles again.  This is inside a cantaloupe flower.  I've been squishing every one I can find.  They like to mate in a flower or cup of leaves like at the left of the flower.

I've been finding them on the zucchini, butternut and the cantaloupe, but not on my cucumber plants.

I've ordered some yellow trap cards to put up.

The zucchinis are doing well.  No blossoms yet.

I've been finding the dreaded squash bugs around.  There is usually one near the base of any squash plant.

I've been squishing them too!  And finding fewer each time I go out.  With luck, I won't have as many this year.With luck, I won't have as many this year.

I planted radishes around all zucchini even though I'm not a fan.  We have lots of them and I've been plucking them out to thin them.  I heard that radishes gone to seed can minimize squash bugs so here's hoping.

I tried doing the Three Sisters thing.  Corn for a stalk for the Beans with Squash providing shade.

I see it as a way to tuck some beans & corn amongst the squash.  If you want lots of corn, I think rows are better.

The annex section is going well.  My father-in-law gave me some fencing.  I had a fence 1/2 way around and the rabbit and woodchuck seemed to stay out, but I feel better with the full fence surrounding it.

Just beyond the annex you can see some wood.  The celery I put in there has been mowed down while the 1/2 fenced annex was untouched.

We've been harvesting peas, garlic scapes, fava beans and radishes.  I'm looking forward to the carrots and beets.