What's What

The weather this past week has been warm and humid-no surprise there. Highs in the low 90s. There have been two days of significant rain; Monday and Wednesday which has been very helpful.

In HH:
5 rows of corn are about knee-high, 5 rows are in the sprouting stage.
3 rows of lady peas and 3 rows of purple hull are sporting their second set of true leaves or more. Noticed brown aphids on a few plants.

The row of butter beans has tiny buds on them. Same with the 2 rows of beans : 1/2 row wax beans, 1/2 row harticort vert, 1/2 row blue lake bush beans, and 1/2 row bush contender green beans.

Radishes are big enough to harvest with a second batch sprouting. Carrots have finally sprouted, parsnips nowhere to be seen.

The mystery tomato starts are doing very well. I say mystery because labels got lost and I'm not sure what's what. There are Cherokee purple, sun gold, brandy wine, mortgage lifter, and sweetie cherry tomatoes in that bunch. Additionally from HD there are a black cherry tomato, a yellow pear, a solar fire and a better boy.

The basil patch has some sprouts that I moved so they wouldn't be crowded.

The compost pile has given us many, MANY volunteer tomato plants and other.....squash? Cucumber? Peppers?Hard to tell at first! They are sprouting up everywhere!

In AHP:
The first zucchini was picked yesterday! About a 1/2 pounder. The other zucchini and yellow squash have buds as does a cucumber. We had to replant some pickling cukes from seed because the starts had died.

All but 2 of the 19 sweet potato slips are thriving.

The jalapeño and poplano peppers have buds; still waiting for something from the sweet peppers

The bedding tomato plants that I put out 2 weeks ago are not doing so well. I only got 2 Romas and 2 Arkansas travelers to make it. More Roma and big red heirloom were planted. We'll see what happens.

Pumpkin and watermelon are up and beginning to vine. Sunflowers look healthy.

The herb patch needs a little more weeding, but the basil and cilantro have declared themselves.

Telling Secrets

Mr. Knowles is back and met his buddy, Ray. They told me the secret to good tomatoes. First dig your hole and fill it with water. After it drains throw in "some" Epsom salts to mix in the dirt plant 3/4 of the plant in the ground and fill in dirt mixed with fertilizer. Tried it. We'll see.

Back in Business

With a few hiccups and obstacles, we are finally back in the garden. Caroline and Greg worked hard all weekend tilling plot 639-another happy place or ahp. They planted peppers, squash, zucchini, eggplant, and sunflower seeds as well as a cherry tomato in HH. We already put the corn in last Friday and the puny tomato starters that had just about given up. Today I retilled some rows and planted 3 rows of lady peas and one row of butter beans. Sadly, they cut the water off just as I was starting so I'll need to go out tonight or in the morning to water everything.

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back

So, the flags are out. That's good. Plot #639 is a little further down from HH, but the dirt looks richer.

Sadly, there is standing water in the furrows. No tilling and planting for now. I got roundup on about 5 rows of HH before the storms came in. Here's hoping it didn't wash away. We probably got another 3 inches of rain tonight.

Testing my patience.

Flags!

Finally! Caroline and Greg went to SFCC and the plots are marked! We will be tilling and planting this week.

Eventually

Most of the garden has been plowed, but has not been marked. Just as well because it is still too muddy to till. The grass and weeds are doing well.

Nothing

All this rain is really cramping my plans. Our section has been plowed, but there is at least 1/3 of the garden that has not been touched