Notes for December 11, 2007

We've been cloudy since Saturday evening and getting off and on showers. It doesn't bother me now that I'm not trying to work outside. We need the rain but I would like to clean up the wind blown leaves that have collected along the fences and along the house before Christmas.

Saturday I did pick all of the carrots. Some were nice fat ones that were about 6 inches long. I hope they aren't too woody. We have a couple of nights in the teens and the plants were only slightly wilted.

Saturday I did get to make repairs from the wind we had a couple of weeks ago. I fixed my bird feeder wire as well as glued some flashing back onto a low roof. The chickadees and the nuthatches were scolding me as I was making the repairs (some nerve ).

I got another seed catalog in the mail this past week. Now I can start throwing out last years catalogs that are sitting on my bureau.

Notes for December 6, 2007

We've got about two inches of snow on the ground right now. It starting snowing yesterday around 11 Am and stopped some time before midnight.

When I got home from work on Monday I found some wind damage. First I had to walk a little bit down the street to retrieve my empty trash can. Next to where I keep my trash cans I found some flashing that had blown off the roof over my back door. Then near my back door I noticed that some tree branches had fallen in the yard once again breaking the wire that I have two bird feeders hanging from. So some time this weekend I have some repairs to do.

Notes for December 3, 2007

Woke up to a dusting Sunday morning but turned to all rain by the afternoon. However it was enough to send me to my knees on the front step as I was coming back into the house after starting my car before going to church. Luckily I didn't rip a hole in my pants but I got a nice strawberry on my knee.

Saturday I did run the mower over the leaves in the yard. I didn't do the whole yard, just the front yard and part of the back. I didn't bag them either, I left them in place.

I started getting seed catalogs. I got one from Totally Tomatoes. I was surprised that they had more than just tomatoes. They had peppers and cukes too.

Notes for November 26, 2007

Hope everyone had a joyous and safe thanksgiving.

The wife asked for my Christmas list and she had the nerve to ask why I need two more grow lights . This year I plan on starting more seeds and will probable be asking for grow lights the next several Christmas's. This past Spring, I finally figured out how to get healthy plants from grow lights. The seedling has to be nearly touching the light and then you don't get leggy plants. So I plan to increase my grow lights each year.

On Thanksgiving morning I picked another carrot to check their size and now they are (or at least some) are the size of my whole pinky finger and not just one knuckle). I watered the carrot patch on Friday and maybe I will get some larger carrots yet. Its raining today so they will enjoy it. Also on Friday I drained the garden hoses for winter storage.

I hurt my back last week (I still haven't figured out how). It started hurting Tuesday evening but I hadn't done any demanding physical work since Saturday when I mulched the leaves in my yard. So needless to say, not much work got done over the holiday weekend. I had ambitions of cleaning and decorating and leaf mulching, but not much happened. But at least I can tell with this pain that its only a muscle pull and not associated with the two herniated disks I have.

Notes for November 20, 2007

No snow here, but they got a good shot about two hours north of here. We have been getting rain rather regular lately and my carrots are enjoying it. I put away the rain gage because some mornings have been down in the 20's. But tomorrow and Thanksgiving its forecasted to be in the 60's.

I cleaned up the veggie garden on Saturday. I pulled out all the tomato and pepper plants, shook off the dirt and tossed the plants on the lawn and mulched them up with the mower. Put all the clipping in the compost pile.

I picked the last of the radishes and I picked a few of the carrots. They were more like appetizers. They were only as big as a pinky finger to the first or second knuckle. I may still get a few spinach leaves.

I mulched and bagged all the leaves in my yard again and two of my compost piles are over flowing. My third pile can still take more. I call them compost piles but they are more like just ground up leaf piles that I will use for mulch next year. Although I do put other biodegradeables in one of the piles (such as the jack-o-lantern that was getting soft, and the water melon rinds back in late summer).

I did forget to do one thing this past weekend and that was to drain the garden hoses for winter. Maybe this weekend.

Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all.

Notes for November 7, 2007

I emptied 0.5" from the rain gage yesterday. It was a good soaking rain, nothing hard. So maybe I will get some carrots by thanksgiving.

It was 29 degrees this morning when I left for work and I noticed that with yesterday's wind, there are enough leaves for me to mulch this weekend.

Notes for November 5, 2007

I did not mulch the leaves in my yard this past weekend. They weren't as heavy. I will have to mulch them next weekend.

The fall colors around here are in full swing. I saw two different places that would have made a beautiful picture. The first one was looking across a pasture with a forested area in the back with all the colors of fall. The second place was a small narrow lake that was flat as glass with freshly fallen leaves floating on the water around the edges of the lake along with about 20 geese and all the colors of the trees reflecting off the water.

We didn't get any rain this past week so I decided to water my carrots (it would be nice to pick some around thanksgiving. We're supposed to get rain tonight into tomorrow morning. I also picked some radishes yesterday too (just a few).

I refilled the birdfeeder (just black oil sunflower) and I refilled the thistle feeder. The suet cake in the back yard in half gone but the one in front doesn't look touched (even though I did see the downy woodpecker on it on Saturday). I picked off the four dead heads of sunflower from my garden and busted up the heads and spread them on the ground under the birdfeeder, they are probably gone now. I need to get some squirrel mix to put in my glass jar squirrel feeder. It's so funny to see a squirrel inside a glass jar. I built a squirrel feeder with a gallon glass jar from the plans I found in the magazine "Birds and Blooms". Haven't seen the bluebirds we had all summer in several weeks, but they will probably be around some time during the winter, they seem to like the berries from the dogwood and the hedge in the front yard.

Finally Fall?

It appears and feels like it is finally fall.

Sunday morning I emptied the rain gage with 1.5" (which was from Thursday, Friday and Saturday). It cleared up Saturday afternoon and the sun came out. The wife sent me to the nearby convenience store for some rolls for dinner and I went in shorts, a Tee shirt and flip flops. It was still that warm. Saturday night it went down into the 50's and stayed in the 60's on Sunday. On Monday morning when I got up it was 31. Luckily I had heard the day before of a frost warning and I picked the remainder of my tomatoes.

I also picked some radishes, a little bit of spinach and about a dozen small to medium sized peppers and those were my only peppers this season. Still I had a salad last night with some peppers and it was good.

Sunday afternoon after church I mulched all the leaves in my yard and bagged them up and filled my compost piles. I will use this for mulch next year. My piles are filled but will settle and every week I will add more as will fit and as my yards needs cleaning from leaves.

While I mulching, I did notice that I was getting a fair amount of grass clippings in with the leaves. We've had some warm temperatures and some rain so I shouldn't be surprised, but it is the end of October. I also noticed the areas where I put down grass seed this past spring was doing fine.

Notes for October 25, 2007

It rained nicely yesterday and last night. Nothing real hard and we got 0.75". I can hear the foliage say thanks. I will try to get a picture of my carrot patch to show you.

Notes for October 23, 2007

We did get 0.6" of rain on Friday last week and I can really see the difference in my carrots. I am still picking tomatoes and I have some small peppers. I am also picking radishes and I have a little bit of spinach I could pick. Enough for a bowl for a salad or probably enough for one helping of cooked spinach at dinner.

We were near 80 again yesterday and we did have to turn on the AC on Friday it was so muggy and warm. Our temperatures are about 20 degrees warmer than they are usually or so they say. We are forecasted for more rain tonight into tomorrow. Southern California really needs it right now.

Notes for October 18, 2007

Rain is forecasted tonight and tomorrow and it would be nice to get some more rain as well as getting it out of the way before the weekend.

I had the two servings of my Lima Beans the other day and they were very good. As a kid I didn't like Lima Beans. They were always starchy and I guess my mother never dressed them up with anything (butter, salt and pepper), anyway they were good. I will probably grow them again but not until the weather is warmer (since I couldn't get them to sprout until summer).

Today we are starting out in the 60's and going up near 80. Yes its mid October and 60 is supposed to be our high temp. go figure, but I am still not convinced of global warming. Two weeks ago we had the AC on, last weekend we had the heat on (night time lows were in the 30's) but haven't used since Monday.

Notes for October 16, 2007

Yes we did get even more rain on Friday but not much. I emptied 0.2" from the rain gage when I got home from work.

I picked about half a dozen radishes. None of the rest are forming radishes yet (and I was concerned about them splitting). I also picked tomatoes over the weekend (both cherry tomatoes and regular). Usually after a heavy summer rain, the cherry tomatoes split but in the last two times I picked cherry tomatoes, a bunch have been splitting after I pick them.

Saturday I used the leaf blower and cleared the leaves from my driveway and then mulched and bagged them with the lawn mower. I then dumped the clippings in my compost pile to use for mulch next year. I will keep doing this until both of my compost piles are full.

I also picked up 9 buckets (five gallon size) of composted horse manure from a local horse farm (been going there for about 10 years). I will use the manure to prepare my new flower beds and to add to my onion patch after the carrots are done. I use buckets since I don't own or have easy access to a pick up truck. I get used five gallon buckets from construction site dumpsters when they are doing drywall. It takes just a little to clean them out.

AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN!

Yesterday after I got home from work I emptied 1.0" from the rain gage and was awakened at 4AM this morning to more rain. Not a heavy rain but a nice light rain. GREAT!

However, my radishes are probably splitting. I plan on picking some tomorrow.

IT RAINED!

Yes it rained last night (along with some rumbles of thunder) and this morning I emptied about 0.4" from the rain gage (of course it was right before I went to work and so it had to be by the light of the flashlight, I just had to know how much we got). I'll take it. I heard on the radio this morning that the areas to the west and south of us got at least an inch and some areas more. So it looks like we got shorted again (it happens when you live in the coastal plain, I am about 45 minutes from the ocean and it has an effect on us. Many local weather forecasters who have been doing it for years notice that we don't get any measurable snow in the winter time that lasts for more than a few hours unless the ocean water temperature near us is in the 30's. Any warmer and we get rain or its gone by noon.).

Any way, I'll take any rain at this point. The carrots should enjoy it and I probably should pick some radishes in the next few days. They are calling for more showers Thursday and Friday and it would be nice as well as high temp in the 60's this weekend with lows near 40. At the very least it should be much better sleeping weather.

Notes for October 9, 2007

Today is forecasted to be the last day in the 80's and rain is forecasted for this afternoon and this evening (we'll believe it when we see it), and even more rain Friday/Saturday. By the weekend, the forecasted highs are supposed to be in the 60's. I heard on the news last night that yesterday was the warmest holiday of this year. The high temperature of 89 was warmer than Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. But I still don't believe that global warming is caused by increased Carbon Dioxide. I believe its from earth wobble from the last ice age.

I took a look at my perennials I planted (that I started from seed this year) and they seem to be fairing well. The Rupestins have a nice pretty flower but I am sorry to say that the plant looks too weed like. I will try to get a picture soon.

October? Turn on the AC!

Today it is forecasted to be in the mid 80's THROUGH MONDAY! Turn the AC back on. On Tuesday it's supposed to be more seasonal and today is only Thursday.

My grass is brown but it doesn't bother me. I am on well water and I know my well is shallow and almost all my neighbors water their grass and I wonder when my well will be affected by their water usage.

Notes for October 3, 2007

No we still haven't had any rain in a while. In the past week there was two chances and in each case it disappeared from the forecast the day before. Now its October and we're back in the 80's again. I don't think the next chance for rain is until next week.

I was thinking this morning that in the fall I dislike the lack of daylight in the evening. It forces me to become a weekend warrior in the garden. I don't get a chance to take care of the little things during the week and I have to do everything on the weekend.

In the town that I live in, we don't have leaf pick up. I've been mulching up my leaves and leaving them in place for the past several years. This year I am going to bag as much as I can to put in my compost piles that I use for mulch every Spring and Summer. Now that I have additional flower beds, I need more mulch. If I don't get as much as I want from my own yard. I may put an ad out that I want bags of leaves. My newest neighbor put out bags of leaves in the trash last year before he realized that they don't get picked up to go to the landfill. So I took them off his hands and mulched them up. This was especially helpful to me because the gypsy moths hit my yard hard last year and I had very little leaves. This year they sprayed for the moths and my yard was spared. However, I have lost several small to medium sized oaks to the carpenter ant (the trees were weakened by the moths last years, or so I suppose).

Fall?

Here is a picture of the purple cardinal flower that is in bloom in my yard. I bought this plant this past Spring. I also got a red one but it was much younger and did not bloom.

On Wednesday of this week it was up to 90 degrees. We had to turn on the AC again before that. A cold front is supposed to come through today and we're supposed to have a beautiful Fall weekend. Unfortunately the rain associated with the front, so far has not made it out of Pennsylvania. We haven't had any measurable rain in several weeks and my grass is brown again. I'm scared to look in the garden, there's probably something I should have watered.

Notes for September 22, 2007

I picked the beans finally although I am still not feeling back to 100 percent. I am still coughing which is making me hoarse. I really should have picked the beans about 2 weeks ago. I pulled out the green bean plants and cleaned off the beans and put the plants in the compost pile. I also picked some Lima beans. They were an experiment (about a 6 foot long row). I haven't been watering as much as I should the last few weeks and it has been dry so with the amount of Lima beans I picked looks to be about two servings.

I am still picking tomatoes and I think I picked my last cucumber. I even saw a pepper to be picked. I will pick again tomorrow.

It looks like I lost the beets and most of the spinach I planted most recently, I didn't water as much as I should have. However, the radishes look fine. The carrots are still coming along and every time I walk by them I thin them a little more. I thinned them pretty good today and probably won't have to thin them any more.

Notes for September 13, 2007

I did empty 0.3 inches from the rain gage yesterday and my sunflowers are in bloom. I haven't done much recently, I've caught a summer cold that started out with a fever of 101 over the past weekend.

Notes for September 2, 2007

Yesterday was a fairly productive day. Since I cut the grass on Thursday, I had the required chores out of the way.

The first thing I did was to move both of my compost piles. The one was too close to the veggie patch and was getting in the way of picking cucumbers. I moved this one one block length further away. The other I moved from behind the shed to the backside of the first one. Now I still need more cinder blocks for it. I use cinder blocks for holding my compost piles.

After moving the piles, I got out a new toy. My neighbor gave me a used string trimmer a couple of weeks ago and I made my rounds around the whole yard (1st time completely). I'm still learning how to work it.

After trimming the yard, I finally was able to put the concrete edging in the ground that I had sitting in place for about two months. Now I can prepare the soil inside for another perennial bed. I still have enough edging for another bed and I had to start it yesterday but the big boss had other things on her honey-do list. I then cleaned up the grill and cleaned off the back patio for possible picnic/barbecue on Monday.

While picking tomatoes and cucumbers yesterday, I found two tomato hornworms. One was covered in egg sacks, so I left him alone and the other I pulled off and buried him under some mulch before stepping on him. I also picked green beans and will pick more next week. Next week I will pull the plants and plant some more radish and spinach.

I also thinned the radishes that are coming and did some pre-thinning on the spinach and beets that are coming up. The carrots that I planted are now coming up too.

Notes for August 31, 2007

I watered my seedlings last night and did notice that some of the spinach and beets are coming up but not the carrots.

While cutting the grass I pulled off a tomato hornworm and threw him in front of the mower. He is now fertilizer!

Notes for August 29, 2007

I had to water last night and I did notice the radishes I planted on Saturday have sprouted. I will have to thin them this weekend. Nothing else I planted on Saturday has sprouted yet (beets, carrots, spinach).

Still picking tomatoes and cucumbers.

Notes for August 27, 2007

It was so hot and humid on Saturday morning that I cut short my work list since it felt like I had been swimming in my clothes by 10 AM.

I did pick tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans, pulled a bunch of weeds (enough that I had to use the rake to gather up the piles) and then I planted new seeds. I planted carrots (first try), beets, radish and spinach. My harvest of tomatoes and cucumbers is starting to slow. Instead of picking a bag and a half of tomatoes, I only picked a half a bag.

While picking tomatoes, I removed two tomato hornworms and I tried not to disturb the praying mantis. While picking green beans I noticed that the lima beans are starting to form pods and that several green beans have wrapped themselves around the sunflowers.

Notes for August 24, 2007

If all goes well to plan, which its rarely does, I will have planted this weekend: carrots, beets and spinach. I have some empty space where my onions and green beans were.

I have two sunflowers in bloom. They are only 5 feet tall this year. The past couple of years they were 8 to 9 feet tall by now but they are stunted from the rabbit I had in my yard earlier this year. Then the plants were small when they were attacked by the carpenter (or large black) ants. Usually when they get attacked by the ants, they are already 4 feet tall and can survive nicely. But this year they were smaller due to the rabbit. I almost pulled out the plants when they were 18" tall and looking ghastly.

And guess what, I have more green beans to pick.

Notes for August 22, 2007

Rain is such a sweet sound when you haven't had much. This morning I emptied 0.75" from the rain gauge.

Notes for August 10, 2007

It's still raining even today. AND I still say YEA! Because I think we (at least in my neck of the woods) are at least 6 inches short of rain in the last two months. However if you go a town or two over and they are not as bad.

Anyway, I emptied 0.65" from the rain gauge this morning by flashlight (back door light was too far away).

Now that the days are getting shorter, it will be the weekends that are filled with outdoor work (hopefully).

What's this wet stuff?

Hey, what's that wet stuff falling from the sky? Finally liquid help.

I emptied 0.25" on Saturday morning and I emptied 1.15" this morning and its still raining. Yea!

The unfortunate flip side is that I had intended on working outside yesterday when I got home from church and lunch but it started drizzling when I got home. So I just worked inside.

I did stop and purchase carrot and beet seeds.

I also noticed over the weekend that I need to pick beans soon.

Carrots or Spinach?

I did dig up my onion bed and I will probably try carrots and spinach.

Notes for August 10, 2007

All this hype about rain in the northeast? Its hogwash for me. Yes, I'm jealous. It seems like everyone else is getting rain and I only emptied out 0.1 inches this morning. Oh well, got to get the hose rolled out again.

I still haven't decided what to plant in the onion bed. And this morning while I was emptying the rain gauge, I did notice that there still was alot of light brown soil to be changed over to dark brown through the addition of manure and mulch. I think it did help to dig up the onions by hand (to look for more) which caused the soil to get mixed nicely.

Notes for August 9, 2007

Even though it was raining when I got up, there was only a trace of rain in the rain gauge yesterday.

I dug up all my onions yesterday and I'm looking to plant something else there for fall. Not bad for a first year onion bed but in a couple of years of adding manure etc., that bed should be wonderful.

Notes for August 6, 2007

Rain! Yes it's finally happened. I emptied about 1/2 an inch from the rain gauge this morning and there is more rain forecasted today. Hopefully we'll get some. Last night we did have a small thunderstorm cell pass overhead and we did hear it down pour. We also heard it thunder and we all jumped out of skin when he had lightning hit nearby (like when you hear the thunder just as you are thinking that was a bright one and the thunder shakes the house before you can say it).

The tomato horn worm has been active and I have removed several over the weekend. I found one that was covered egg casings so I left him alone. Over the weekend I was happy to see that he hadn't moved from the spot I found him.

I picked green beans Saturday morning but it's been so hot without any rain they were rather wilted. I will have to try and remember to pick them on the day after I water them and maybe they won't be so wilted. They seemed to be OK after I put them in the refrigerator.

Notes for August 3, 2007

I didn't get to water last night and the impatiens were crying out to me too. Although this morning they didn't look bad. I hope to water them tonight as well as everything else.

I did pick veggies last night (cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes and cucumbers). I hope to pick green beans tomorrow.

I picked off my first tomato hornworm of the season last night. There were no egg casing attached, so I smashed him on the ground.

Notes for August 2, 2007

Whoa! Its August! Right now the family schedule is full and looks to be for the next two weeks. The yard is calling but there won't be much going on there. I do need to water and pick veggies including green beans. I hope to by Saturday morning. I do have to take the golden retriever to the vet on Saturday. I might also get some time Sunday evening but I might also be tired by then. Hopefully we'll get a possible thunder shower Friday night. I would be most appreciated.

Notes for July 31, 2007

Still no rain. So I had to water last night and fight off the mosquitoes. I did pick several large tomatoes, about two dozen cherry tomatoes, about a dozen onions and about two dozen cucumbers. My cucumbers are doing well this year. I probably should have thinned them just a little more but so far so good. And during the last few years I always seem to lose a few plants so I left them thick this year.

I did notice that I probably should pick green beans before this weekend, maybe Thursday.

I am surprised I haven't seen any tomato horn worms yet.

weather radar?

If I wasn't there I probably wouldn't have believed it. I watched the radar. I watched a wall of green dissapate as it approached from the west and watched it reform to the east in yellow, orange and red. All we got at my home was a few drops and alot of thunder and lightning. I will have to water tonight if it doesn't look promising.

I am now picking regular sized tomatoes along with about 2 dozen cherry tomatoes and about a dozen cucumbers every two or three days. I will probably be picking green beans next weekend.

Notes for July 27, 2007

I watered the gardens and cut the grass but didn't do much else due to the sweat running in my eyes and the bugs in my ears.

The beets I planted a couple of weeks ago seem to be dying off. I guess its too hot for them. They were supposed to be in the shade but the sunflowers they are planted behind have taken hits from the rabbit and ants so that they are only 3 feet tall right now. The last two years my sunflowers were up to 9 feet tall.

While watering I have noticed that I have lost a couple of the perennial seedlings I planted a few weeks ago as well as a couple of my hostas I planted this year (all of my hostas are from a friend who can't grow them due to the deer in their yard).

I also need to mulch heavier. I have weeds coming up in the exposed soil spots in my veggie garden.

Notes for July 26, 2007

The family schedule has prevented me from doing much anything lately. Hopefully tonight I plan on cutting the grass and watering the gardens. I would like to do more but that depends on the weather (normal possible thunderstorms) and how much energy I have and how bad the mosquitoes are. I would like to continue planting the garden edging I have had laid out for a while now. And I have some perennial seedlings still yet to plant.

I did pick cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and onions last night and I noticed that I have a regular tomato getting ripe (my first this year). When it looks like I have picked all my onions, I will dig up or I should say sift through the soil and see if there are any I missed. But that won't be for a few weeks.

Notes for July 24, 2007

I emptied 0.3" of rain from the rain gauge last night. Rather disappointing.

Lately I have been observing the different daylillies in bloom in my area. There are three types that have caught my eye. There is one that is the same color as the most common orange but this one has a double layered bloom and is slightly frilly. Very pretty. One is a yellow but is more mellow than the yellow stella that has aleady bloomed. The third is an orange color that reminds me of an orange creamsicle. I'm going to have to try to find these.

Notes for July 23, 2007

It's raining today and its a Monday. Normally that gets people down, except gardeners who haven't had any measurable rain in two weeks. Yea!

Didn't get to any new stuff this past weekend, too much on the family calendar. I did pick cherry tomatoes and cucumbers twice and was able to cut the grass on Friday evening.

My fourth daylilly is in bloom but there won't be a picture. It's another red one like just bloomed last week.

Notes for July 20, 2007

Here is a pic of the third of five daylillies I purchased and planted last fall. Its now in bloom and as you can see its red. A beautiful red. The fourth looks like its going to bloom next week and the fifth has yet to form buds.

I emptied 0.1" from the rain gauge last night and there was nothing in it to empty this morning. Looks like I will be watering tonight. In the last several days we have had brief showers and a bundle of thunder but it never rained hard enough to wet the ground under the trees.

I also need to cut the grass in the backyard as well as pick some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.

Notes for July 18, 2007

I did pick veggies last night. I picked several cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.

My cucumbers I start from seed right in the ground and I try to buy and use only seedless/burpless cucumbers. I try to plant them around Memorial day weekend here in southern NJ. I plant the vine type and plant them along a 5 ft high fence for them to climb, but I am constantly putting the vines along the fence and away from the outer fence and or the tomato plants. I usually have to walk on both sides of the vines to spot the cukes and normally have to walk back on the first side and pick again the ones I couldn't see. The 5 ft fence is about a foot and a half inside my outer fence.

Notes for July 17, 2007

I did finish mulching last night. So everything I wanted to get mulched this year, is now mulched.

I watered the vegetable garden and the flower beds last night. I will need to pick tomatoes and cucumbers tonight.

I now have another daylilly in bloom and it is a dark red. I hope to have a picture later this week. Of the five I purchased and planted last fall, it is the third daylilly to bloom. The fourth has buds but the fifth does not.

I weeded the onions again and picked around 8 onions whose stems were brown. That's when I pick them (or rather dig them out) is when their stem turns all brown. They were all medium size. Now they are sitting on the picnic table for the outside to dry out a little (or at least until the stem breaks off easy). The mulch I used on the onions was grass clippings which turned out to be very weedy. Since the onions are closely planted, I guess I will stick to leaf mulch next year.

I started to plant more garden edging but the mosquitoes in my ears were too much. I should have gone into the shed and used the skin so soft that's in my fishing box but I was also tired of the sweat dripping down onto my glasses (the hat I was wearing wasn't doing a very good job of soaking up the sweat). The edging is for a third flower bed planned. I have enough edging for a fourth and that will be next.

Mulch, mulch, mulch

During the first part of the weekend, I got out of the way the required routine chores (trimmed the suckers off the tomato plants, tied the tomato plants and cut the grass). Then I worked on my "to do" list. I did alot of mulching this weekend (but I still have more). That picture I recently posted of a daylilly, you can see bare earth in the picture but I finally got that flower bed mulched. I use my compost pile of ground up leaves and grass clippings.

Before I could mulch some areas I had to weed the flower bed, so I did some weeding too. The buckets of pulled up weeds also went to the compost pile and are on the bottom of next years pile. I also did some trimming to the mini white rose (the one that grows like a weed), trimmed the forsythia and pulled out every bit of mint I found in this one evergreen bed. I am sure I missed some and it will come back. Every year or two I pull the heck out of it and it comes back. I enjoy its smell. I also found a hosta I thought I had lost. I hadn't it was just under the weeds.

I picked a bunch of cherry tomatoes and my first two cucumbers this weekend.

Sunday I planted about half of the perennial seedlings that I started back in April (indoors). About a month ago I moved them outside and they have been sitting on a small table near my veggie patch since. I did learn one thing this year about starting seeds. The plants where the grow light was closest looked the healthiest. So next year I will sit the grow light right on top of the seedlings. Not sure what perennials I will try next year but I am sure to grow my tomatoes and peppers next year. Anyway, I planted Centaurea, Agastache Rupestins, Primrose, pyrethrum and pincushion. I had chose these based on growing height, soil type and sun light requirements that fit my yard (mostly shade and poor sandy soil, although I have a couple of spots that a couple of hours of good sunlight). With each plant I mixed in a trowel full of composted horse manure. I have a bucket and a half left. I get a truck full each spring mainly to use in the veggie garden and then use the rest in flower beds as the summer progresses. Tonight I hope to finish mulching.

Notes for July 13, 2007

The picture is of another daylilly in bloom. Of the five I purchased and planted last fall, this is the second to bloom. There are two more with buds but the fifth does not have buds yet.

I did walk through my garden last night and did see that the beets have germinated, I just had to look closer (its easy to see germinating beans from further away). I also saw plenty of tomato suckers that need to be trimmed and numerous cherry tomatoes getting ripe.

My peppers are doing worse than they usually do. Every year at this home, I don't get peppers until September. This year the plants don't even look good. Has anyone out there had the same problem of no peppers until September? Is it something lacking in my soil? Or is it just the fact that my garden doesn't get but about 3-4 hours of good sunlight?

Notes for July 12, 2007

I emptied 0.25 inches from the rain gauge this morning. I guess I will have to water either tonight or tomorrow (I water by hand using a wand sprayer). I like to use the rule of thumb that I read somewhere that tomato plants like two inches of rain a week. So I try to water every three or four days.

I did notice numerous cherry tomatoes getting ripe yesterday, YEA! I have at least 12 cherry tomato plants. That's how many I bought, but every year I have tomato plants that come up on their own from the tomatoes I let drop on the ground due to bad spots etc. So I've got a bunch more cherry tomato plants than I bought.

This morning when I emptied the rain gauge I did notice that the row of green beans AND the small row of LIMA BEANS I planted on Saturday has germinated. WOW! I couldn't tell if the beets I planted had germinated but then again the are much smaller and I didn't look that close. The Lima Beans are encouraging to me. I am glad to see the much better germination over the two earlier that were very poor. But it could be a combination of the larger seed and the warmer temperatures that gave a much better germination this time.

Freebies

It's free, as long as you don't consider the time required as an expense. This year I have found several different places for free stuff, locally.

There is a website craigslist.org that is a bulletin board for all sorts of things for sale, employment etc. This website has numerous localized versions, and of course there is one for my area (south jersey). The website also has a link to a "Free" list. In this list people post things that they want to get rid of for free. The list varies greatly and of course some things I would consider trash. But as the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Some of the treasure that I have found has been bricks and cinder blocks and concrete landscape edging. I use the cinder blocks to build my compost bins. I use the bricks to expand my patio and the edging for new perennial gardens.

Another source for free stuff are groups on yahoo, and these groups are local too. Freesources, Freecycle, SharingisGiving and freeshare are the root names of several local groups I belong to and keep watch for items I am looking for. I got more concrete garden edging from a group member.

I am also beginning to establish contacts in my local gardening world in several local gardening yahoo groups. I have been trying to exchange my abundance of perennials with others in exchange for perennials I don't have. It hasn't happened yet but I feel it will happen some time.

Another thing I get for free is horse manure. I found an add in the local weekly paper about 15 years ago and have been going every year since. They have a pile from which anyone is invited to load. I sometimes knock at the door and make sure its still the same people. So far it has.

Notes for July 10, 2007

I accidentally picked two onions last night while weeding. Instead of trying to re-plant them, I laid them on the picnic table for the stems to dry out. Both onions were a good size medium onion. If they are anything like my onions in the past, they are a strong onion (not hot).

I picked my first and only ripe cherry tomato last night. Since it was only one, it never made it into the house. It was nice and sweet.

Next year I am seriously considering planting a row of green beans every three weeks instead of four rows at once. That way I am picking every week for 12 weeks and then again in the fall. But I think as the season gets later I will probably re-plant with beets so that the beets are getting serious in late September.

Re-planting

On Saturday, I picked the rest of the green beans that I originally planted on April 28th. I picked about one gallon (from two 15 ft rows). I pulled out the plants and cleaned off the beans. I replanted one row of beans and in the other row I planted 5ft of Lima Beans as an experiment and 10 ft of beets as an another experiment.

I tried Lima Beans earlier this season but they just wouldn't germinate. Those seeds were from Parks. The seeds I planted this time were from a local store and were from Ferry Morse.

notes for July 6, 2007

No photo yet for the latest daylilly blooming but my fourth out of five plants I bought last fall has started to bud.

Yesterday I emptied 0.8 inches from the rain gauge and this morning I emptied 0.5 inches. Very nice, but now I will have to put cutting the grass on a higher priority on my to do list (I don't have sprinklers so I only have to keep up with the rain).

I plan on picking the remaining green beans from the garden this weekend and replanting more for September picking. We'll see if I get that far.

Here are two pictures of my dogs. The border collie was put down last fall at age 14. He had to be carried up and down the steps the last few months. The other dog is now 4 1/2 years old and is a find from Petfinder.com. I wanted a Golden Retriever (having grown up with one) and it took me six months of looking everyday and I finally got a puppy.

Annual Minor Milestones

I have a cherry tomato getting ripe. I have lots of cherry tomato plants and so the flow of ripened cherry tomatoes should start. All of my regular tomatoes aren't to size yet.

Of the five daylillies I purchased last fall, another daylilly has started blooming. The Daylilly is a light peach colored. I will have a photo soon I hope.

The Bee Balm and the Butterfly weed I purchased this spring have started to bloom.

Beans

I picked three gallons of string beans last night (I used three one gallon plastic containers). The beans are from two 15 ft rows of beans planted on April 28th. This is the second picking from these plants. I will pick one more time (probably this weekend) and pull the plant and then plant more beans for September picking. From the first picking last week, the wife made green bean casserole, and it was good.

Tomatoes

I don't have any ready for picking yet but it looks like I will have some cherry tomatoes ready in a few weeks which is earlier than what I have been getting since gardening at my current home. I don't start getting regular tomatoes until August (right now I have only a few small green ones and lots of blossoms). Haven't quite figured out why it takes until August. I don't think its from the couple of shovels full of manure I put in each tomato hole. The manure is aged. I mainly use the manure to help the soil hold moisture in the sandy soil. I think its mainly from getting only 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight each day. I guess the only way to tell for sure would be to get my soil tested and see if its missing anything for proper fruiting. I already have plants that the base stalk is thicker than my thumb. My plants grow rather tall. I am limited on space (although you would think I wouldn't with a 20x35 garden) and so I stake my tomatoes using 8 foot 1x2's. As I may have mentioned before, the only fertilizers I have been using are horse manure, leaf and grass clippings and a one time shot of fish emulsion (this year I didn't get to it before the flowering started). I am planning on adding some rock phosphate to the soil next spring as well as asking some family members to save the ashes from their wood burning stove this winter to add the ashes to the soil.

Rabbits

I have been gardening for 20 years and I have been living in my current home since 2000. This year is the first time ever that I have had trouble with a rabbit. My former residence was near a lake that was only partially developed and probably had foxes nearby that kept the rabbits down.

The rabbit ate the tops of my string beans and some branches of the tomatoes and when he ate the tops of the sunflowers, I had to do something. I already had a 3 ft fence (attached to cedar poles to keep my dogs out but the openings were 2 inch by 3 inch and he would squeeze through. I ended up buying 1 inch chicken wire and attaching it to the inside of the fence using plastic wire ties (the black ones are UV rated). That seems to have done the trick.

Opening (Reopening)

I am an Organic Gardener. I live in southern NJ in zone 6b. My soil is very sandy and I have alot of shade. I use horse manure from a local horse farm for most of my fertilizer (mainly to help hold moisture). I add fish emulsion occasionally. I mulch with composted leaves and grass clippings.

We got 1.1" of rain last night and a two hour thunder and lightning show (too bad it was after my bed time to enjoy it). The rain had perfect timing, I was about to water the gardens tonight.

Back in April (28th)I planted two rows of string beans, one row of wax beans, a row of lima beans and about 130 onions (sets). About 60% of the string beans came up but none of the lima or wax beans. In May I replanted the Lima and Wax Beans and had about 10% germination (even using black plastic mulch). In early June I pulled them all out (all 10%) and replanted with more string beans. On June 23rd I picked my first beans.

In late May I planted 12 pepper plants and 40+ tomato plants (only purchased 30, the rest came up on their own). I had a hard time finding the varieties of peppers and tomatoes I wanted, so I think from now on, every year I am going to start my tomato and peppers from seed.

This Spring I purchased some perennials and planted them along the fence garden. I purchased Butterfly Weed (pink and orange), Bee Balm, Spiderwort (blue and white), White Bleeding Heart, Columbine (two kinds), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) pink and red, Sedum and six different varieties of Iris.

I have plenty of Orange Tiger Lillies and two different varieties of Iris going strong as well as shasta Daisies and Gloriosa Daisies. I have been trading them to a friend who has been giving me hosta.