2024 gardens

[glenn57]

been there done that..the young ones are easy..not so much for the adults!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

I see the cucumber beetles made an appearance. They will be dealt with harshly sometime today. Have some dust with pyrethrins or there's a sprayer with some permethrin in it mixed up down in the shed from last year.

[HD]

I guess it's time to start making pickles 🥒

[Bobberineyes]

Yeppers HD, did up 2 qts of refrigerator pickles yesterday,  grabbed 5 more today for the crisper. Last I seen they were talking rain early morning,  thinking I'll give them a little extra tomorrow afternoon of miracle grow. Although it didn't take long for the boulevard to start looking stressed with the heat, we could use a little rain, right Roony??? 

[LPS]

Unreal you guys.  Our plants are about a foot tall.   Those are nice looking cukes.  That may be my favorite garden veg.

[Dotch]

Yup, our cucumber plants, the biggest ones are only 6" - 8" tall and just starting to think about running. In the hills that were re-seeded they're more like 4" tall. Got all the cukes weeded tonite along with the gourds and Jack be Little pumpkins. Sprayed all the vine crops with permethrin. The cucumber beetles were thick & had chewed leaves on nearly every hill. They likely would've wrecked a lot of them otherwise. Tomorrow would like to go thru with the tiller and slay the weeds between the hills. Also clean up the rest of the garden so it'll be in shape for the fall seedings. 

[glenn57]

Whadda waiting for?  it's still light out!!

Seriously though  I hear ya... only so much you can do in one day  and this heat

I sprayed weeds in my lawn today.  Took 4 1/2 gallons of mixed juice.  good gawd the lawn was loaded with weeds.

[roony]

Dusted cukes, melons, pumpkins and gourds. Thanks for the heads-up

[Gunner55]

Been getting a few raspberries here for about the last week or so. Lookin like it might be another bumper crop like it was last year here.

[glenn57]

Had a bit over 1/2 of rain early this morning.  Made a quick pass through the garden between rain showers.

[Dotch]

Just finished up hoeing the small garden & bed by the house. Enough breeze to make the skeeters work at it. Without it, you'd have to have a death wish to weed them or be wearing a lot of repellent. As Dad used to say when I'd cultivate, this is a good day to kill weeds. He was right. They wilt so quickly once uprooted they don't stand a chance. Even the purslane. The ground is so hard here after all the rain, I sharpened the hoe up to a razor's edge and just shaved the soil surface. Those years of weeding test plots paid off. Can fly through stuff in short order. Just can't stay at it all day like we used to.    

[Bobberineyes]

Whadda waiting for?  it's still light out!!

Seriously though  I hear ya... only so much you can do in one day  and this heat

I sprayed weeds in my lawn today.  Took 4 1/2 gallons of mixed juice.  good gawd the lawn was loaded with weeds.

I've been wanting to spray also, I just fear for the dogs. Usually I'll spray just before we head otta town but the timing hasn't been on my side fer that..

[glenn57]

my wrens take care of all the garden bugs!!!!!!!!

[LPS]

I spray those weeds that grow in the gravel by the garage and the house when we have the camper hooked up to go somewhere.  May not happen this year.

[roony]

It is ALIVE!

[Dotch]

I hope you got some more rain. It looks like it's too dry! 😉

Got thru the 'maters & vine crops yesterday afternoon with the tiller. Was 100 degree heat index in Albert's Leaf & 105 in Mankato. No wonder I was wringing wet after a couple hours! Looks nice tho and with another day of warm & dry plus a breeze, should do a number on the weeds. Still some hoeing to do but that shouldn't take too long as tight as I was able to get with the tiller. I got the cannas hoed around by the well pit while I was filling a water tank this a.m. Playin' with the lead today. Should put some N on the sweet corn and finish cleaning up the main garden while there's still a breeze and the heat gets cranked up.

Has anyone seen any cattails yet? The Mrs. wants to know. We might have some but where they're at is prime mosquito habitat. I don't want to head down there & risk life & limb for nothing. Thinkin' it's still too early yet.   

[mike89]

we have cat tails here.. 

[Dotch]

Are they headed out?

[mike89]

yes

[HD]

Pretty good haul this morning....

[glenn57]

Pretty good haul this morning....

awe.......what A cute basket you have there!!!!!

[HD]

Pretty good haul this morning....

awe.......what A cute basket you have there!!!!!

You're just jealous cuz I'm not lazy like you 😭 

[glenn57]

  I did mine yesterday morning. 

[fishwidow]

Dotch, a long ways away from your neighborhood, but I’ve seen cattails that look ready to go.

[Dotch]

Thanks for cattail heads up guys. Wifey needs them for the Freeborn Co. Fair floral hall theme this year which happens to be fishing. I know better than to ask any questions or make suggestions. Even then, as a professional husband I have mastered the art of being vague & non-committal in order to avoid getting roped into lots of things I'd rather not be doing.

After working on the garden much of the weekend, I breathed a sigh of relief. It actually doesn't look too bad, for mid-June! Trouble is it's now mid-July. Still some bright spots. Squash are about ready to start flowering as are the pumpkins. After coming up nicely, the old standby Straight 8 cukes that were from 2 year old seed grew like crazy in the sun & heat this weekend. After a rough start, the 1st string bean planting should provide a few meals. The 2nd bean planting came up almost perfectly. Planted as thick as they were, even if the bunnies thin them down a little they shouldn't be able to catch up with them. Sweet corn looks a little pale but with some urea tilled in & some rain, it should green up quickly. Most pleasant surprise has been the maters. Weeded around them too yesterday and was amazed given the circumstances. They were essentially no tilled into an area, I put the cages on & left them. Sturdy stems and nice dark green color. Peppers are still ugly. Need more sun and heat. If I took the cages off today I don't think the bunnies would touch them. 🤪 I got the areas prepared for the fall seeding that will commence in a couple weeks. Worked up nicely. Hopefully that will be more fruitful. 

[HD]

Dehydrating Oregano today...

[glenn57]

 

HD sdo you use alot of that stuff you dehydrate?????? i did that some year back..... it can really add up, and some of that stuff keeps growing from 1 season the  next. i found i didnt use it enough to bother!

[glenn57]

My carrots are going to be a bumper crop.

Onions are the best I've seen in 3-4 years. 

[HD]

HD sdo you use alot of that stuff you dehydrate?????? i did that some year back..... it can really add up, and some of that stuff keeps growing from 1 season the  next. i found i didnt use it enough to bother!

Yup, I use it all up when I do salsa. It's cheaper than buying the freeze dried in the store.

I do have a question for you as well....
This is the first year I'm trying to grow white onions. When the tops fall over, are they done? Or do they keep growing? I thought I wouldn't have to harvest till the fall.

[glenn57]

There getting close. I'd be cutting/picking that seed pocket off.

Mine look about the same, I'll be pulling them out in about 2 weeks.  And I wouldn't water them anymore