Tuesday, May 27, 2014

I Am So In Love With My Little Garden Right Now!

I visit my garden almost daily, I can't help it. I want to see everything as it happens! I decided to take some pictures of what's growing in there. The pictures could be better, so look closely.



 Banana peppers

 1 little cherry tomato, so cute!

 Jimmy Nardello peppers, not sure it that's what they're supposed to look like or not

 pea pods, kinda hard to see

 pea pods, I think they are so lovely and delicate

strawberries

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Updated Square Foot Garden Pictures

It's a beautiful day today! I love it a little cooler, it's perfect for me! The garden probably likes a little more sun though.

These first 2 are my strawberries, with my Mom showing the developing strawberries! Can't wait for these.



This box has 2 little watermelon sprouts, one of them you can't see too well. These are sugar baby watermelon. :) The other half of this bed will have pie pumpkins.


This bed has my tomatoes along the trellis. There's a few flowers on them and even 1 little cherry tomato! The peppers in front have some banana peppers growing and Jimmy Nardello too, so far nothing from the bell pepper or poblano. Also in front are bush beans and onions behind them. Then the big monstrosities are cauliflower and broccoli. They still show no sign of forming a head. And back behind them are green onions.


This bed has peas along the trellis that just bloomed their beautiful white flowers! Also along the trellis, but you can't see, are cucumbers and honeydew. In front are some carrots and spinach. Neither are doing too well. Hardly any germinated, but the seeds were old. Also in front on the right is another poblano. In the back there are several stages of lettuce. I just harvested a "head" yesterday. I've been leaving some of the leaves and main stem so that it will grow again, which is what those 2 little ones on the right are doing. Right behind the spinach is a cabbage, which is just beautiful. It has a lovely perfect little head forming! There is actually another one in between those monstrous cauliflower and broccoli. There are some shallots growing in there too, can't wait for those!


Another view of things: cabbage, shallots, lettuce etc.


You might see some damage on some of the leaves, which I'm sure came from the 2 or 3 nights of late spring frost. But I think everything is pulling through, I hope! And there's a few holes in the leaves, but I'm willing to share within reason. I am loving this little garden!

UPDATE:
After doing the math I realized that these huge monstrous plants should be ready for harvesting now or very soon. I'm thinking they just aren't going to do their thing. I guess I should pull them out.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Compost Update

The compost I started last fall has still not finished breaking down completely. I'm sure it's because I neglected it. I'm not sure what to do with it now. Do I leave it alone or add new stuff to it?

In the meantime, I started a new pile with grass clippings and kitchen scraps. And I am adding equal amounts of shredded leaves to it. It is heating up nicely. I collected leaves last fall, shredded them and bagged them. I keep them under my deck and grab a bag after mowing the yard.

Not sure what I will do with all this compost though, lol.

Watermelon

I've been looking for specifics on growing watermelon in raised beds, but haven't really found the information I am looking for. So I just have to wing it.

Today I planted 2 sugar baby watermelon in my last 4'x4' box. I don't think I will be trellising them so they will just have to spill out onto the yard. I hope I will still be able to mow around them. I guess I can just pick up the vines to mow under them.

I will wait a few weeks and plant 2 pie pumpkins in the other half of the bed. I really have no idea of the spacing required, so it's trial and error this year.

UPDATE: 5.24.14
Here are my little watermelon sprouts. You can't see the one too well, but it's there.


UPDATE: 27 JUN 2014
Today I noticed a little tiny watermelon growing! It's so cute.


Sunday, May 4, 2014

I Took the Plunge and an Update

I couldn't wait another day. I have had my tomato and pepper  plants in their little pots long enough. I transplanted them today. I probably should have done it earlier in the morning, it was kinda hot and sunny. And they are still kinda wilted looking.

I had to do the trench method on the tomatoes because they were so tall and somewhat leggy. I got 3 of them planted just fine, then on the 4th...snap! I broke the stem. It didn't break completely in half. I hope it makes it, but I'm not holding my breath. I will have to replace it with a store bought one, it is a cherry tomato.

I have a flower on one of the tomatoes, I think it's the one that I broke. And flowers on most of the peppers, with 2 tiny little banana peppers already growing. It's so exciting.

The strawberries have all leafed out, even the few that I thought were duds. We have taken leaves from the lettuce for a salad once so far. Everything is doing fine.

I have noticed the last several days that we have had a whole bunch of fuzzy caterpillar/worm things. I don't know what they are, but I don/t want them eating my garden. So I killed every one I came across.

Today, I also planted some more carrots, bush beans, a lemon cucumber, a green cucumber, and a honey dew melon. I planted some shallots last week and they have started coming up, I noticed.

So, now I have 3 of my boxes completely planted. I have 1 more box that I will plant a sugar baby watermelon and a pie pumpkin, probably in a couple weeks.


UPDATE: 5.11.14 I harvested a whole head of lettuce yesterday. It is really beautiful, not a blemish. I also noticed that both cucumbers are about an inch tall and the honeydew has sprouted. The bush beans are really growing fast, I will have to thin out a few of them. And the yellow onions are starting to sprout as well. Exciting!
I should also note that the tomato plant that I broke shows no signs of problems yet, but I will keep a close watch on it. While I was out there I also pinched off several suckers.