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.