Weed Control

Today, I put some scrap wood I had down around the fence.  It'll be easier to mow.  On the inside, I'm putting cardboard. 

In the next picture you can see where I've started the water setup for this year.  I just finished hooking up the valves to the mainlines too.









In the last picture you can see the peas starting to come up.

Mounding up

It's time to get the rows mounded up, layout the water lines and cover with plastic.
I'm moving the water supply from the inside to around the outside and tied up to the fence.  It will be out the way of the rototiller and I can leave it ll winter.
Monday, I planted the fruit trees.  Next to the nectarine is a Liberty dwarf apple, then Clapp's Favorite pear, then  another Liberty then a Magness pear.
My son helped me out today.  We picked out some flowers for my daughter, and he planted them @ the end of each row.  Pink pansies and red saliva.

Kids in the garden

My daughter and the boy next door were making "Volcanos" in the garden.  Mounds of dirt with an opening in he middle.  Then they'd get water and fill it up, maybe adding a worm or some rocks.

I put in a row where they were not erupting for peas while they played.  With two furrows in the row, I called them over.  I gave each a handful of peas and showed them where to put them.  The boy said "Can we eat these peas?".  Well, they're organic and uncoated.  "Sure", I said and all 3 of us popped a dry pea in our mouths.  Just like a split pea.  He asked where he could get one.  "Any grocery store or hardware store or garden store will have seed packets."

They went back to their Volcanos as I covered the peas with dirt.  When he was called home for dinner, I remembered another packet I had and gave them to take home.  He was excited to take them home.

2012 begins

Seeds have been ordered and he planning begun. I've ordered 2 dwarf Liberty apple trees, a Bartlett pear and a Clapp's Favorite pear to plant. As part of that, I'll take down the nectarine. 1 fruit in 4 years and it caught a disease last year. In the fall, hurricane Irene tipped it over. I was able to prop it back up, but I thin it's time. I rototilled the garden, putting in manure and hi cal limestone. The fence is going to be higher, around 5 feet. I'm going to put deer netting above that, to annoy the woodchucks so they won't come in. Outside the fence, close to the house, I tilled up a small area for "The Woodchuck Garden". I'll be putting squashes (they seem to be favored) in with the hope they'll go there instead of inside the fence. It's in BB gun range too. Speaking of pests, I figured out that squash bugs do not like Diatamacious Earth<\b>. I have some and a duster. I'll have them safely under control this year. Being optimistic, I'm planning on more squashes. I've done Watham Butternut and Trombocini because they're resistant, but I'll be adding others, maybe a pumpkin this year. We had a few watermelon and muskmelon last year. I'm going to have more melon this year.

One less woodchuck

I've managed to get the woodchuck.  He won't be menacing my garden anymore.

So far, I lost broccoli, peas, celery, zucchini, one branch of cuccuzi squash, brussels sprouts and all my peaches.  At least with the peaches they didn't eat the tree.

I made the fence higher, added a low electric fence. 

Yesterday I put chicken wire over the entrance they had dug under the shed.  That delayed the woodchuck enough that I could get 'em.

The witch is dead, the witch is dead!

I'm hoping there isn't another

Woodchucks deserve to die

I added to the fence but apparently it wasn't enough.  They must be climbing the gates which are not floppy.

Last night we had a broccoli sprig that had gone to yellow flower.  I debated cutting another one,but decided it could go 1 more day.

*sigh* Tonight, the broccoli was just green sticks.

Tonight, I ordered an electric fence.  18" fiberglass posts. I'll have 3 strands at 4", 5", 6" and that'll do the rabbits too.  It is designed to be used with an existing fence.  I should've done this 2 years sooner.

On a good note, last night my daughter and I put more seed in.  I reseeded where some of the lettuce, beets and carrots didn't germinate. And added another short row. Succession planting. I should do this every 2 weeks or so.

My daughter did flowers. I pointed her at a section of virgin plastic & showed her how to poke a hole in and put a few seeds in.  I have no idea what she put in but there's some of every flower.

Then I showed her the tomato rows.  In between the plants I like to put basil.  I showed her where the basil didn't germinate and had her put in seed.  She liked doing it herself.  Tonight I found the packet still out, but that's ok.

Next time we'll put in more beans.

I'll be getting some photos soon.  The garden has doubled in size.  Real gates.  Row cover on cukes & zukes.

Good news and bad news

I got a late start to the season and ended up planting on Memorial Day.  The last frost was 4 weeks earlier.

My Zucchini seeds never sprouted so I had to get transplants.  Gardeners can do that.  Farmers, not so much.  I'll have to do the same for cucumbers too.

On the good front, I ate a broccoli sprout and a pea pod - also planted late :-(

On the bad, woodchucks love celery.  My fence is a bit low in one spot (fixed in the rain tonight) and she came in and followed the fence through the peas.  Some were muched.  The broccoli was munched a bit.  Then past the swiss chard for a bite & then mowed the celery down.

So now I know what to bait the trap with....