Four Day Summary
June 10th, 2009
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 Eight days after planting |
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Categories: 2009 - Journal
Archive
Archive for June, 2009
Magical Week, Magical Day
June 7th, 2009
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| It was a magical week, and now, a magical day.
The week: early on, I visited the building department at county headquarters down the street and found out that the permit for the cottage is NOT in danger of being canceled. A burden was lifted from my shoulders! On Tuesday we planted four more trays of seeds for our future vegetable garden in Seattle. Toward the end of the week we had cooling temperatures and a wonderful rain that soaked the ground, making watering unnecessary in the garden here on Bullion Street. Yesterday Mike spoke by phone with his parents in England and found them and all the family to be well. And magical today: we drove out into the country to visit our nonagenarian friend Doi at her ranch. Just past Doi’s mail box, we glanced off to the right and saw what seems to have been a mountain lion slouching toward a shade tree to drink from Doi’s pond. (Our first time seeing a wildcat in the wild.) We found Doi working in her garden beside the octagonal house where she now lives, on a hill overlooking her old ranch house. She took us on a moderately long walk down to the old house and the original garden there (still beautiful!) and out to a shed where her husband’s imaginative, free-spirited ceramic work is stored. (Bob passed away two years ago at the age of 94). Later Doi made tea and we chatted a while. It was a joy to see this dear friend. As we drove out across the ranch toward home, a coyote loped across the road in front of us. The mountain lion, possibly lolling somewhere nearby, was hidden from view. |
 Mtn lion drinking at pond  False color enlargement  She was hard to see when not moving |
Categories: Diario
Woah!
June 6th, 2009
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| Most of the plants have already germinated, way ahead of schedule. In four days the new radishes have caught up to the radishes planted 17 days ago. If the plants continue ahead of schedule it’s going to be difficult to transport them up to Seattle on the 15th. |
 radish in foreground, peas at rear right  288 seed tray cells |
Categories: 2009 - Journal
Four Day Summary
June 6th, 2009
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 Seed trays, day  Seed trays, night |
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Categories: 2009 - Journal
Cool!
June 3rd, 2009
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Today was unusually cool for Mariposa in June. Overnight low was 55 and daytime temps were mostly in the low 70’s, briefly reaching 80 around 5pm.
We’re hopeful that the cool temperatures will encourage the lettuce we planted yesterday to germinate.
Categories: 2009 - Journal
Turnip
June 2nd, 2009
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Purple Top, White Globe
Expected germination: 7-10 days
Expected harvest: 55 days
36 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: 24 of 36 (67%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1″ tall.
06/10: 36 of 36 (100%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1-1/2″ tall.
06/14: 36 of 36 (100%) have shoots 1″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 3″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/04: Thinned. Stalks chopped in soup. Leaves chopped and heated with salt, pepper, lemon, and sherry, then spread thickly on digestive biscuits as an appetizer.
07/18: 12″ to 17″ tall, with foliage diameters to 24″. Unfortunately shadowing parsnips.
07/19: Thinned one turnip and ate as turnip chips.
07/19: Hosed off as a precaution against aphids which we had found on related plants nearby.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: Approx 17″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″.
07/25: Started occasional harvest as they come ready.
08/01: Approx 13-22″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″. Several ready but too hot to eat turnips right now.
08/07: Approx 25″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 26″. Crowding parsnips. Occasional harvesting.
08/15: 18″ to 24″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 28″. 2″ to 3″ diameter. Harvest continues. Foliage looks healthy but seems to be starting to lie down.
08/23: Foliage lying down and going dormant. Three roots remain.
08/30: One roots remains.
09/02: Last root had been completely hollowed out by slugs, the only turnip thus affected.
Harvest: 53-92 days
Categories: 2009 - Annuals
Swiss Chard
June 2nd, 2009
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Fordbook Giant
Expected germination: 4-10 days
Expected harvest: 55 days
18 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: No visible change.
06/10: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 1/4″ to 1″ tall.
06/14: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 2″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/21: Planted out.
07/01: Heat stressed – added shade.
07/05: Started occasional outer-leaf-snipping harvest.
07/05: Removed shade.
07/12: Removed approx one third of leaves due to brown patches.
07/14: Brown patches identified as caused by spinach leaf miner.
07/18: No harvesting since 07/12 as MJH prefers larger leaves. Now 7″ to 12″ tall with diameters 9″ to 19″.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: 11″ to 20″ tall, with diameters 9″ to 15″. Harvesting remains deferred in favor of continued growth.
07/28: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
08/01: 17″ to 23″ tall, with diameters about 16″. Occasional harvest resumed.
08/07: 15″ to 30″ tall, with diameters 12″ to 19″. Occasional harvesting.
08/15: 18″ to 24″ tall. Nearly exhausted.
08/23: 12″ to 27″ tall. Old but still harvesting.
08/30: 11″ to 17″ tall, with diameters 10″ to 18″. Old but still harvesting.
Categories: 2009 - Annuals
Snow Pea
June 2nd, 2009
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Oregon Sugar Pod II (Livingston)
Expected germination: 8-12 days
Expected harvest: 68 days
36 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: Most have swelled and are now visible at or upon soil surface. 24 of 36 (67%) have shoots 0″ to 1/2″ tall.
06/10: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 0″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/14: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 1-1/4″ to 3-1/2″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 4″ to 5″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/18: Vine mass to 22″ tall.
07/24: Vine mass to 27″ tall. Flowered during last week and a dozen or so pods developed. Started occasional harvest today.
08/01: Vine mass 26″ to 32″ tall. Plants were set back a day or two by the extreme heat but now the daily harvest has resumed.
08/07: Vine mass 28″ to 33″ tall. No pods are present due to heat setback, but new growth has started.
08/15: Vine mass 32″ to 36″ tall. No pods are present due to heat setback, but there are many new flowers.
08/21: Resumed harvest.
08/23: Vine mass 29″ to 34″ tall. Yielding nicely again.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against (light) powdery mildew.
08/30: Vine mass 26″ to 34″ tall. Several flowers and lots of pods. Yielding nicely.
09/15: Drastic drop in productivity since last week’s hot weather.
Categories: 2009 - Annuals
Rutabaga
June 2nd, 2009
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American Purple Top
Expected germination: 3-10 days
Expected harvest: 90 days
36 seeds
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 18 cells.
06/06: 27 of 36 (75%) have shoots 0″ to 1/4″ tall.
06/10: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 1/4″ to 3/4″ tall.
06/14: 35 of 36 (97%) have shoots 1″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 3″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
07/10: Thinned. Leaves and stalks chopped and boiled with dinner.
07/18: 9″ to 14″ tail, with foliage diameters to 24″. Unfortunately shading carrots.
07/19: Found and hosed off some aphid colonies.
07/22: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
07/24: Approx 17″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 24″.
08/01: 14″ to 18″ tall, with foliage diameters 29″ to 33″.
08/02: Sprayed some leaves with 0.001% spinosad against aphids.
08/07: Approx 22″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 32″. Crowding cabbage and carrots.
08/12: Powdery mildew.
08/12: Started harvest.
08/15: Approx 22″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 36″. Crowding cabbage and carrots. Powdery mildew.
08/23: Approx 25″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 36″. Crowding cabbage and carrots. Severe powdery mildew.
08/29: Sprayed with baking soda (1/2pt at 1t/qt) against powdery mildew.
08/30: Approx 24″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 30″. Crowding cabbage. Powdery mildew. A few roots formed.
09/15: Leaves dying back despite very little development of storage root. Dug up remaining plants.
Harvest: 74-105 days. Good flavor but only about half yielded usable roots.. Poor crop may be due to limited sun and/or overcrowding.
Categories: 2009 - Annuals
Radish
June 2nd, 2009
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French Breakfast
Expected germination: 5-7 days
Expected harvest: 23 days
18 seeds (we’re planning on 54 more later)
06/02: Planted 2 per cell in 9 cells.
06/06: 17 of 18 (94%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1″ tall.
06/10: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 1/2″ to 1-1/4″ tall.
06/14: 18 of 18 (100%) have shoots 3/4″ to 1-3/4″ tall.
06/19: Shoots are too dense to count and mostly 2″ to 3″ tall.
06/23: Planted out.
06/30: Begin harvest as they become ready.
07/06: End harvest.
Harvest: 28-34 days
Categories: 2009 - Annuals
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