May 8, 2011
We worked all day yesterday in the garden, trying to beat the storm. We planted seed for the summer garden. We planted corn, beans, squash and pumpkins. When you plant green beans it is good to sprinkle diazinon in with the seeds. Every bug loves to eat beans when they come up. The diazinon at least gives the bean a chance to get its head above the ground. While I was checking plants, I found ants eating the stalks of my kale. I put seven dust on it but you could spray with malathion or use the diazion granules. Sometimes you have to spray one time early like this to save a whole crop. Seven dust and Malathion break down in the sun to a non-toxic material. We had several of our small plants from our earlier planting not survive. We replanted, cauliflower and broccoli. We lost several lettuce plants also, but I haven't bought new starts. We chose not to plant our small plants of tomatoes, peppers, squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe, because the weather is suppose to be very cold the next couple of nights. We will plant later in the week after the storm passes. I have been hardening (setting the plants outside the greenhouse) all week. They will be adjusted to the sun and wind and larger change in temperature. The plants are getting big and it is more difficult to keep them wet enough. Several times I have found many plants all wilted before I watered them. I will still cover every plant I have covers for when we plant. I do not trust the weather at all. We may still have frost and you hate to lose everything at this point. Brother Wells suggests using the hot caps,(little domes made of something like wax paper) to cover the tomatoes and peppers with. As the plant gets big and starts pushing against the top, you cut and x in the top to allow the plant to start getting use to the change in weather, the sun and the wind. Gradually you cut the cap all the way down. This keeps the plant from getting sunburned. We've used milk jugs for years, but always have to deal with the sunburning when we pull the jug off. Remember, when you plant tomato plants, pinch off the bottom leaves and plant the plant very deep. You can even lay the plant sideways and gently bend the top of the plant up. This gives you more stem to develop roots off of, creating a much stronger plant. When planting plants, don't forget the mycorrhizal fungi. It will help your plant to grow thousands of tiny root arms off the main root. Because our soil has so much clay, we always put potting soil around the plants as we are planting. We are harvesting asparagus. The first pickings were killed by the frost.
Last week David rigged up a covering for one of our grow boxes. Using pvc pipe he created receiving pockets for slightly smaller pvc pipe that arches about 2 feet above the box. Then he put clear, 0.4 ml, plastic sheeting over the pipe, creating a little green house. The spinach responded well and we cut two bags full. We are growing greens in that box. We are hoping next year we will be able to eat greens in March.
Of course there was lots of weeding to do yesterday. Staying on top of the weeding makes it not so overwhelming. When ever I go into the garden I take a poker and weed for a while. David sprayed round up around the perimeter of the garden and in between the fruit trees. I think that is about everything for now. We are giving thanks for the rain, since it provides the water the seeds need. Christy