Maxine dug up all the lettuce plants I had as seedlings. She has felt very free to dig up the garden as long as no visible plants are there. We will change that.
The beans are still going strong so hopefully they last.
Well, prevails may be a bit of an exaggeration. BUT, we do finally have a watermelon growing amid the great vines. Can you see it, kind of dead center in the photo?
After Maxine's reign of destruction I am not sure what is going to make it and what won't. Fortunately it is early enough in the season to go ahead and try again. Also, if there are any more problems I can always go buy already started plants (as opposed to seeds).
I transplanted the arugula, swiss chard and butterleaf lettuce. I planted some additional beans, carrots and green onions. I found a black caterpillar working on some old mint (that mint just simply will not go away). I am missing my basil plant, which not only provided a ton of great basil but kept pests away. I will definitely plant more basil after our last frost next winter.
Yesterday, we found Max sitting in a BIG hole she had dug right beside the bean seedlings. I guess she saw the fresh soil, no big plants and thought we had just extended her sand box! I was very upset at her. As you can see, a few remain and we will see what happens. I can still plant some replacements. Fortunately, Jimmy put up a trellis for the beans to grow.
This is less than 24 hours since the last picture, can you believe how much they have grown!? It is so amazing.
My first carrot seedling! Sorry the picture is out of focus but this is seriously exciting.
Ok, I think I get way too excited about this stuff but these bean seeds are pushing right up and are a pretty big plant. Supposedly these will vine up and are very good for your soil. Not to mention they should yield some pretty yummy vegetables! Isn't this amazing?
In the race between newly planted seeds for carrots, pole bean, arugula, swiss chard and butterleaf lettuce . . . . ARUGULA WON! It is so exciting to watch these seeds fight the ground around them and grow. They are true champions! I love to see them strive forward.
If you could understand the previous post of the cryptic garden plan, you may get that we are trying to rotate different families of crops so that the soil can become rich in all different kind of nutrients and become true healthy soil. His plan is based on a 200 square foot plot! Mine is 3' x 16'!!! Pretty small.
While planting, I discovered that my chili plants (annuals, so hopefully they can stay in their same spot for awhile), were a bit thin in the leaves. Earlier in the week Jimmy reported that our eggplant was stripped of its leaves and was "just a stick." Our squash was on its way out as well, in their case they were just not growing right.
Anyway, what I discovered was some of the BIGGEST caterpillars I have ever seen! This gardening shovel is pretty long, can you see how fat that little guy got off our eggplant and 1/8 of our chili peppers!? These guys are a real problem, you have to diligently watch your plants every day so they don't suddenly clear your garden!
| Field 1 – Legumes nothing in it – old herb spot × Sept plant pole beans– 6” for new bean plant in that soil use a bean inoculant (ie PEACEFUL)- spray monthly with kelp, mulch frequently (do not replant in this place for three years) ×Dec plant peas | Field 3 – Fall roots empty right now save an eggplant that doesn’t look like it will make it – looks like ×Green or multiplying onions will be planted here Sept – May Get seeds at end of summer, grow indoors to transplant 6-8” apart (184) recommend planting 12 which we obviously don’t have space for × Carrots if have space – plant in early September and water twice a day for a week or two. By seeds – 2” apart 55 days to harvest; mulch any roots coming out of soil, |
| Field 2 – Lettuce, Tom Cabbage currently has summer squash which should be harvested in Sept!? ×Lettuces – winter density variety if they have; butterleaf, swiss chard not technically in lettuce family – wait until full day temp drops to at least 85 degrees consistently (later in fall) -176 by seeds in soil ×Arugula plant in Sept (159) – space 4” ×Horseradish – buy a root at least 6 in long with some leaves attached in a supermarket in the fall (sept-oct) | Field 4 –peppers all chili’s – annual and will stay planted unless we have problems If have room in November: parsley and cilantro ×Add garlic in late fall Spacing 6” need top of soft phosphate buy bulbs at store, plant in cool weather of late fall |
