Phaedra's Garden 2022

[Phaedra]

This morning, I pricked some seedlings from the seed trays to the module trays. The lower one is from today, and the upper one was done four days ago. I always love to see them grow.

Then, I picked a few stronger young pansy plants. I want to see if pinching their tops will also encourage more side shoots and flowers. This is my first time growing pansy - the overall growth is inconsistent. I guess the seed quality matters.

The below six are stronger ones, in 5cm pots.

The rootball is pretty and well developed. I am proud of the plants I grow (and myself) when I see they have pretty rootballs.

Ok, time to pinch! One even has flower buds already. It's not a good thing when the plant is still so young.

So, after pinching, they moved into 9cm nursery pots, and I started to feed them(seaweed fertilizer). Although pansy can be bought here at a very low price, going through the journey from seeds is priceless.

 

[Phaedra]

Heatwave incoming!

But, this bed where I planted leafy greens produces very high quality, juicy, crunchy vegetables in a short time. The location is the key - this bed receives only about one-hour of direct sunlight in the afternoon. Most of the time, there is indirect sunlight.

Besides, it's tall enough - much less pressure on my back when I harvest their leaves.

It's a scene that makes me feel peaceful and calm.

After my first pick on July 26

One week later - it's full again.

Fresh and lovely

I only harvested the outer matured leaves, and the young ones will keep growing outward.

We expect heavy rain on Friday, so today is the best time for harvesting them. After picking, they have proper "social distance," and the overall ventilation is good again.

Shield up, red alert, see you next week!~

Because I only picked the outer leaves, almost no dirt, they only need a quick bath. The water is used for watering plants in the greenhouse.

Another bed which I can expect to harvest in two weeks.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Holey Moley! They are fab! And delish too!!

 

[baymule]

Your garden is so lovely! I like admiring the pictures you post.

 

[Phaedra]

This year's home-saved bush beans

I collected them about ten days ago and sowed them directly into a module tray. They germinated quickly. I do believe there is still time for them to produce, and they could be transplanted in a few days.

The 3rd batch of sweet potato cuttings that rooted in water

Those mini Chinese cabbage seedlings are already too big to be potted off in a module tray in just a few days. So, they directly checked in the 5cm pots.

My leafy green generators for September to November are assembled.

Time to say goodbye to the last batch of field beans. They are resilient and tough crops. I collected a lot of dried beans and will sow them directly on the ground in October. This variety is especially frost-hardy, and I have a pretty high expectation of them - not really for the beans, but more for the shoots and their nitrogen-fixing capability. I will sow them near all fruit trees as a fixer.

The foxgloves are germinated, too. Well, they are really relatives of snapdragons - they look so similar. I guess it will take some effort again to pot them off in another ten days.

I also cleaned up the old leaves and vines from zucchinis and pumpkins. Better airflow is always beneficial, and the old parts contribute more as mulch or green compost materials than staying on the plants.

 

[ducks4you]

" I collected a lot of dried beans and will sow them directly on the ground in October. This variety is especially frost-hardy, and I have a pretty high expectation of them - not really for the beans, but more for the shoots and their nitrogen-fixing capability. I will sow them near all fruit trees as a fixer."
Interesting...I have extra beans and I have planted SO MANY in the big gardeh that I can't see planting any more for harvest this year.
I do HOWEVER have fruit trees, especially the tart cherry that is having trouble. I think it would be worth planting beans underneath it, just to see if it would help.
Thanks for the idea!!

 

[Phaedra]

" I collected a lot of dried beans and will sow them directly on the ground in October. This variety is especially frost-hardy, and I have a pretty high expectation of them - not really for the beans, but more for the shoots and their nitrogen-fixing capability. I will sow them near all fruit trees as a fixer."
Interesting...I have extra beans and I have planted SO MANY in the big gardeh that I can't see planting any more for harvest this year.
I do HOWEVER have fruit trees, especially the tart cherry that is having trouble. I think it would be worth planting beans underneath it, just to see if it would help.
Thanks for the idea!!

Hi duck, I just watched this video two hours ago, demonstrating what I thought in my mind. He used the bell beans (field beans) as a multifunctional cover crop.

(By the way, this channel is damnly good....I finally realized that I did at least half my summer pruning improperly, sigh, but thankfully, it's never too late to learn better methods.)

So, no matter the "fixer" concept from a fruit tree guild or as a multifunctional cover crop, using legumes seems ideal and practical in a garden-level practice.

 

[ducks4you]

THX!! Great video.
I hope planting beans will help my tree! I don't intend to pull them out end of season.
I have gotten weary when I go through my seeds to find old ones, so in 2022 I have tried to plant them and let however many germinate. Some of the seeds may reseed in my beds, and that okay, too.
DH wants me to buy all my 2023 seeds (those that I don't save,) before the end of this year.
When I ordered seeds in September online I discovered that some were ALREADY sold out.
I don't mind soying 1yo seeds, but some that I put out this year were from 2017, or, older.
Last year I bought 6 packages of tomato seeds from High Mowing seeds, and I have stored them well. I don't need more tomato seeds, unless I save from my Cherokee Purple, which I probably will.
"I finally realized that I did at least half my summer pruning improperly, sigh, but thankfully, it's never too late to learn better methods."
I used to be afraid to prune my trees and generally, to prune. Been pruning for 4 years, and I even pruned up my Magnolia Jane this winter. Magnolias don't Like to be pruned, but mine didn't mind, and is even flushing out a couple of dozen mid summer flowers, like normal for this tree. (Magnolias normally bloom before the leaves come, in the Spring, btw.)
I believe that pruning Teaches you how to prune, even if you do it wrong, so keep it up!
Yes, years of over pruning trees can be irrepairable:

StackPath

BUT, I over pruned my tomatoes last year, realized it and stopped, and all but ONE recovered and rewarded me with more fruit. Even today I can see my plants growing more leaves to replace those that I took.
I took more tomato leaves last week than was necessary, but no worries. I put up 6 ft high fencing this year and I fully expect that my tomatoes will grow that high.
Before my move I grew tomatoes against my neighbor's 6 ft wooden fence and grew Over it. These were our ONLY nice neighbors and I think that they happily got from fruit that year.

 

[flowerbug]

...
So, no matter the "fixer" concept from a fruit tree guild or as a multifunctional cover crop, using legumes seems ideal and practical in a garden-level practice.

if you have space for a few extra trees look for some legume trees (make sure they're not considered invasive for your area) because they are a really great nitrogen fixer and a chop and drop foliage source for both animals and plants. these are often trees that are used in permaculture plantings in arid climates because of that precious nitrogen fixing but also for early shade and mulch that can be used in so many ways. in the arid climates the mulch and windbreaks are critical for getting crops to be able to survive such a harsh spot, but once going they are so useful.

small clovers too.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Santa Cruz CA. Temperate Mediterranean climate. Way different than most of us.

I have successfully inserted two vitamin tabs at the bottom of every hole for trees and shrubs. The roots seek out the tabs as they escape the confines of the container they were in. But I've been remiss in adding them to the top to let them leach down, as he explains.

I have four apple trees here. Bare ground beneath them. I'll plant some fava beans this spring, per his idea.