Journey11's Garden Journal 2014

[journey11]

Oh boy, I am all set for a big day of canning tomorrow. Everything comes ready all at once, of course. I'll pick my first ears of sweet corn tomorrow too.

We have tomatoes piled up on the patio table. Ava has been very enthusiastic about picking them. I've had a hard time staying ahead of her so I can save seed off the ones I want (without them getting mixed up.) I'm so glad to have a willing helper though. I got my first Delicious tomato. Oh, heaven! That's the taste I've been waiting for all summer. The largest so far weighed 1.81 lbs. and was perfectly round. I'll have to take its picture for the tomato thread.

The Giant Red Marconi peppers have some green ones on there. I'm looking forward to them ripening. All the other peppers are coming on too, except the jalapenos and I'm all out of candied jalapenos too. The Alma and Feher Ozon paprika peppers are loaded and should turn red very soon.

The kids and the cats have been hanging out in the shade between the 10' tall sunflowers and the neighboring pole beans. I've got beans coming out of my ears. LOL

Through the tangle of pumpkin vines, I can see I have way more Jumbo Pink Banana squash than anyone could possibly consume. And I only planted one hill! The Big Moon pumpkins are setting lots of fruit too. Got a couple that are basketball sized so far. Several Waltham butternuts looking good there and I spotted one nice Galeux D'Eysines squash ("peanut pumpkin") in there, but it doesn't look peanutty yet. No watermelon have set yet, as far as I can tell. I think the squash overran them. A few cantaloupe and some soon to be ready. I saw some stunted cantaloupe leaves and found aphids on them upon closer inspection. Then I saw ladybugs and ladybug larvae to the rescue!

The Black Swan Poppies are blooming and are so cool!

And check out this neat cactus-type zinnia. It's 6" across. I forget when or where I even ordered the seeds from. Must have been a free gift...

I moved the chickens off of the garden for now since the pumpkins were taking over and running through the PoultryNet fencing, which is no good for keeping the electric going. I got the electric ran around the big garden and after quite a bit of frustration figured out that I had bought the wrong controller. I guess any kind of polybraid electric fencing requires twice as many joules to push through its resistance and I've got the chickens and garden wired together. So we got a 10 mile controller now and I've got that puppy charged up to 5,000 volts which will do the job. I'm going to hang onto the 2 mile controller because it is still enough to fully power regular aluminum or steel wire on the little garden for next year. Those tomatoes are about done and I've got plastic netting on there for now which is working out fine.

Probably won't see you guys much the next few days until I get a leg up on all this canning. Busy time of year!

 

[thistlebloom]

Journey, you're my garden hero!

Actually, I'm very encouraged by your beautiful and productive garden and I'm plotting now to keep next years garden from being the pathetic misery that it is this year.

The things that are growing are growing well, but I don't have half the stuff I was intending to grow in the ground, and the unused portions of the gardens are shoulder high with weeds, that are now reseeding.

 

[journey11]

Journey, you're my garden hero!

Actually, I'm very encouraged by your beautiful and productive garden and I'm plotting now to keep next years garden from being the pathetic misery that it is this year.

The things that are growing are growing well, but I don't have half the stuff I was intending to grow in the ground, and the unused portions of the gardens are shoulder high with weeds, that are now reseeding.

Get ya some cardboard. It really saved my sanity this year! I'm going to start collecting straw and cardboard throughout the winter for next year because it took quite a lot and I want to be ready to go. I think not having so many weeds interloping and then God sending the rain regularly here this year really made all the difference.

 

[Jared77]

How quickly does the cardboard breakdown? Can you till it under in the fall or spring and start fresh? Or does it take longer and need to go onto the compost pile?

 

[journey11]

How quickly does the cardboard breakdown? Can you till it under in the fall or spring and start fresh? Or does it take longer and need to go onto the compost pile?

This is the first year I've tried it, but I have expected that I will have to pull it off and compost. But then again, we've had a lot of rain this year, so maybe it's broken down more. I'll have to pull up a corner and check. I figure too, being a wood product, it might tie up nitrogen while breaking down, like wood chips do.

 

[journey11]

I'm so overwhelmed!

I am buried in produce. Should have taken my BIL up on that free extra fridge he offered me.

I have run out of pint jars twice now and had to buy more. We're canning up a storm! Ava has helped me quite a bit. She loves to run the tomatoes through the squeezo.
We go to the beach in less than 2 weeks. Prayers needed that I can get all of this done before then.

 

[Hal]

Just think of all the wonderful tastes of summer you and the family can enjoy in winter.

 

[journey11]

Just think of all the wonderful tastes of summer you and the family can enjoy in winter.

Yes, gotta keep my eyes on the prize!

 

[journey11]

First of the cantaloupes are in. These are from Ava's patch. They were very nice and juicy, however the cooler summer temps and excess rain left them not as sweet as I'd like. Ava was excited to eat them anyway.

 

[Smart Red]

Tell Ava that her melons look delicious. She did very well growing them. I've heard they develop their sweetness when stressed a bit by lack of water just before harvesting. Like I'd know!