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Tomato Pruning

July 27th, 2009 No comments

Indeterminate Tomato "Bush"

Indeterminate Tomato "Bush"

Other than three suckers which we took early and rooted, we have not previously pruned the tomatoes. The two plants now have about a dozen vines in all forming a nice bush shape around the two bamboo poles. Today we removed all the small suckers and we will continue removing new suckers as they appear. A few days from now we will also start pinching off the growing tips.

Categories: 2009 - Journal Tags:

Critter Damage

July 26th, 2009 No comments
Sunflowers pushed over by raccoon

Sunflowers pushed over by raccoon

 July 25th we found several radishes dug up but mostly undamaged. We replanted them.

July 26th we found about seven sunflowers pushed over, of which only two survived. We believe a raccoon pushed them over looking for sunflower seeds. Our sunflowers were planted late and have not flowered yet.

Also July 26th we found two more radishes and a nicotiana dug up, and again replanted them

We therefore bought and installed a Scare Crow motion-sensor water spray.
Sunflower stems snapped just below surface

Sunflower stems snapped just below surface
Radishes dug up but otherwise unharmed

Radishes dug up but otherwise unharmed
Categories: 2009 - Journal Tags:

Weekly Summary

July 24th, 2009 No comments
Five weeks since rototilling

Five weeks since rototilling
Date Lo Hi Notes
07/18 63 80 Started new batches of carrots, lettuce, romaine, pumpkin, and radish. Planted out the tomato cuttings that had been in water for nearly three weeks. Bushes heat stressed. Watered daily.
07/19 58 76 Thinned one turnip at 2″ diameter – sliced thin, sprinkled with salt, and fried: turnip chips. Hosed several groups of aphids off the large brassicas.
07/20 60 79
07/21 60 89
07/22 58 75 Sprayed broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, rutabaga, swiss chard, and turnips with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/23 58 69
07/24 57 78 Something, perhaps a squirrel, had dug some seeds and seedlings out of the trays, so we moved the seed trays to the deck. Started ongoing snow pea harvest. Bushes heat stressed. Watered daily.
Categories: 2009 - Journal Tags:

Oregon Grape

July 21st, 2009 No comments

One plant.

07/21: Bought.
07/24: 4″ tall with foliage diameter 7-1/2″.
07/25: Planted in moderate shade in SE corner of garden.
08/01: 3-1/2″ tall with foliage diameter 8″.
08/07: 3″ tall with foliage diameter 8″.
08/15: 3″ tall with foliage diameter 8″.
08/23: 3-1/2″ tall with foliage diameter 8″.
08/30: 4-1/2″ tall with foliage diameter 8″. Two new shoots.

Categories: Perennials Tags:

Aphids

July 19th, 2009 No comments

Aphids on broccoli

Aphids on broccoli

We found several groups of purple aphids on the large brassicas. We washed them off with a jet of water from a garden hose.
Aphids on broccoli

Aphids on broccoli

Categories: 2009 - Journal Tags:

Verbena

July 18th, 2009 No comments

Florist, mixed colors

Expected germination: 14-20 days

Approximately 18 seeds

7/18: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.

7/29: Noted first seedlings.

–MJH

Categories: 2009 - Annuals Tags:

Radish #4

July 18th, 2009 No comments

French Breakfast
Expected germination: 5-7 days
Expected harvest: 23 days

18 seeds

07/18: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
07/24: Two cells excavated, perhaps by squirrel.
07/24: 8 of 18 (44%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1″ tall.
08/01: 8 of 18 (44%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 2-1/2″ tall.
08/04: Planted out.
08/07: 1-1/2″ to 3″ tall, with foliage diameter 2″ to 5″.
08/15: Started harvest.
08/15: 2″ to 5″ tall, with foliage diameter 2″ to 7″. Many holes in leaves.
08/23: Completed harvest.

Harvest: 28-36 days

Categories: 2009 - Annuals Tags:

Pumpkin #2

July 18th, 2009 No comments

Jack O’Lantern
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 110 days

5 seeds

07/18: Planted 1 per cell in 5 (of 9) cells.
07/24: Two cells excavated, perhaps by squirrel.
07/24: 1 of 5 (20%) has a shoot 1″ tall.
08/01: 3 of 5 (60%) have shoots 1-1/4″ to 2-1/2″ tall.
08/04: Planted out in raised mound.
08/07: 3″ to 4-1/2″ tall, with foliage diameter 1-1/2″ to 4″. Crowded by winter squash.
08/12: Moved to new mound further away from winter squash.
08/15: 4″ to 8″ tall, with foliage diameter 3-1/2″ to 8″.
08/23: 4″ to 8″ tall, with foliage diameter 5″ to 9″.
08/30: 7″ to 13″ tall, with foliage diameter 7″ to 13″.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.

Categories: 2009 - Annuals Tags:

Lettuce, Romaine #3

July 18th, 2009 No comments

Parris Island
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 60-70 days

18 seeds

07/18: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
07/24: One cell excavated, perhaps by squirrel.
07/24: 16 of 18 (89%) have shoots 1/4″ tall.
08/01: 11 of 18 (61%) have shoots 1/4″ tall – remainder probably lost to heat.
08/04: Planted out.
08/07: 1/2″ to 1-1/4″ tall, with foliage diameter 1/2″ to 2″.
08/15: 1/2″ to 4″ tall, with foliage diameter 1/2″ to 8″. Very uneven.
08/23: 2″ to 4-1/2″ tall, with foliage diameter 1-1/4″ to 5-1/2″. Uneven.
08/30: 3″ to 7″ tall, with foliage diameter 2″ to 7″.

Categories: 2009 - Annuals Tags:

Lettuce, Butter #3

July 18th, 2009 No comments

Bibb / Limestone
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 57 days

18 seeds

07/18: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
07/24: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 0″ to 1/4″ tall.
08/01: 13 of 18 (72%) have shoots 1/4″ to 3/4″ tall – remainder probably lost to heat. Half of the survivors are severely heat damaged.
08/04: Planted out.
08/07: 3/4″ to 1-1/2″ tall, with foliage diameter 3/4″ to 2″.
08/15: 1″ to 2-1/4″ tall. Some crowded by winter squash.
08/23: 2-1/2″ to 5″ tall, with foliage diameter 2-1/2″ to 4-1/2″. Some crowded by winter squash.
08/30: 3″ to 6-1/2″ tall, with foliage diameter 2″ to 5″. No longer crowded.

Categories: 2009 - Annuals Tags: