We’ve been in Seattle a little over a week, getting settled and getting the new garden in. Let me tell you a little about our road-trip getting here.
After one false attempt– I had forgotten something– we started down the road at 1:18 p.m. on June 15. An hour later we were on the southern edge of Turlock, approaching the rest stop. At 6:52 p.m., Mike glimpsed Mt. Shasta. After seven hours on the road, at 8:18 p.m., we were on the southern edge of Ashland, Oregon. By about 5:18 a.m., June 16 (and I omit the details of hours and hours of road-pounding) we had arrived at our home in Seattle. Total hours, sixteen; driving hours, fourteen and one-half. Total miles: 899.1.
Mike did by far the majority of the driving, though I took the wheel for about 100 miles in the northern great California Valley. Our stops were quick and to-the-point: for gas, rest, and quick meals. These latter were from the picnic basket and cooler in the trunk, which we had filled with home-made sandwiches at Mariposa.
The house had been serenely waiting for us. Mike restored the water service and hot water supply, and we tumbled into bed in the room we call the “cave,” our basement bedroom.
Another oasis for the “Nomads.”
Burpee’s cutting mix
Expected germination: 7-14 days
18 seeds
06/24: Planted 1 per cell in 18 cells.
07/10: 15 of 18 (83%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 5″ tall.
07/10: Planted out.
07/18: 2″ to 8″ tall.
07/24: 5″ to 16″ tall, with foliage diameter 4″ to 14″.
07/26: Approx 5 plants pushed over and snapped off. No underground damage. We suspect a raccoon looking for seeds.
07/26: An additional 2 plants were bent over but are recovering.
08/01: 15″ to 32″ tall, with foliage diameter 10″ to 23″.
08/07: 22″ to 45″ tall, with foliage diameter 12″ to 32″.
08/15: 30″ to 62″ tall, with foliage diameter 14″ to 30″.
08/23: 56″ to 86″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 30″. 2 fully open.
08/24: Started cut flower harvest.
08/30: 54 to 88″ tall. Several very nice flowers open of at least five different kinds.
09/15: Removed several dead heads for seed.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.
Seattle’s Best of All
Two plants.
06/22: Bought, with a few fruit started.
06/24: Planted.
06/30: Took three cuttings, see “Tomato, Indeterminate #2″.
07/18: 41″ and 44″ tall. Green fruit lower down and new flowers above.
07/24: 48″ and 53″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 40″. Approx two dozen green fruit. New flowers at top.
07/27: The two plants have roughly a dozen vines forming a bush around the two poles. We now begin aggressive removal of all new suckers. In a few days we’ll pinch off the growing tips.
07/30: Pinched off the growing tips.
08/01: Combined bush is 64″ tall, 54″ wide, 68″ deep. Several dozen green fruit. Still many unopened buds below pinched-off tips.
08/07: Combined bush is 70″ tall and 64″ by 64″. Several dozen green fruit. Flowers at tips. We’re pinching off suckers daily.
08/15: Harvested one orange fruit for cooking. All other fruit still green.
08/15: Combined bush is 66″ tall and 66″ by 66″. Several dozen green fruit. Flowers at tips. We’re still pinching off suckers daily.
08/16: We’re occasionally harvesting green fruit for fried green tomatoes.
08/23: Combined bush is 69″ tall and 78″ by 78″. Several dozen green fruit. Still some flowers at tips. Still pinching a few suckers.
08/30: Harvested a second ripe tomato – nice consistency, mild flavor. A few more are starting to turn orange.
08/30: Combined bush is 64″ tall and 72″ by 82”. Several dozen green fruit. Still some flowers at tips. Still pinching a few suckers.
09/05: Roughly one fruit per day is ripening now. To speed up ripening we today laid some of the vines on a bed of “straw” (shredded clematis vine) with a double layer plastic tent over.
09/15: Vines under plastic have not ripened yet. Roughly two fruit per day are ripening on the regular vines.
09/22: Moved plastic cover from (a few) tomato vines to (all) melon vines.
Cornell’s Bush Delicata
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 11″ tall with 24″ foliage diameter.
07/24: 14″ tall with 45″ foliage diameter. Several flowers.
08/01: 25″ tall with 58″ foliage diameter. Most flowers have set and first gourd has started to form.
08/04: Startled animal must have run through bush, snapping off some leaves and first young gourd.
08/07: 31″ tall and 72″ by 60″. New flowers. No gourds at this time.
08/15: 36″ tall and 84″ by 68″. Many flowers. One 2″ gourd.
08/23: 36″ tall and 100″ by 78″. Many flowers. Several cream colored young gourds to 4-1/2″.
08/29: Had become 108″ by 92″ and was over lettuce #2, celery, pepper, and melon. Major pruning.
08/30: 35″ tall and 93″ by 78″. Several flowers. Several cream colored young gourds to 6-1/2″ long and 2-1/2″ diameter.
09/09: Harvested first gourd. MJH thought it edible but that they would have more taste later.
09/15: Pruned again.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.
10/13: Leaves and stalks dying back fast. Harvested final gourds and cleaned up.
Harvest: 79-113 days from purchase
Yield: 6-8 gourds about 2 lbs each
Victoria
This is a green rhubarb
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 11″ tall with 22″ foliage diameter.
07/24: 16″ tall with 24″ foliage diameter.
07/28: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
08/01: 20″ tall with 36″ foliage diameter.
08/07: 25″ tall with 36″ foliage diameter.
08/15: 26″ tall with 39″ foliage diameter. Slight red coloration in stalks.
08/16: Harvested one test stalk … for a very tasty mini-crumble.
08/23: 28″ tall with 44″ foliage diameter.
08/30: 26″ tall with 39″ foliage diameter.
09/23: Harvested roughly a third of this vigorous plant, yielding four cups for MJH’s glorious sweet and tangy rhubarb crumble.
Issai (self-pollinating)
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: Three runners, longest is 42″. Many yellow leaf edges as roots aren’t able to deliver enough water yet.
07/24: Three runners, longest is 40″. Overall little changed since last week.
08/01: Three runners, longest is 37″. Half leaves are dying, presumably due to heat.
08/07: Three runners, longest is 35″. More than half of leaves are dead or dying.
08/15: Three runners, longest is dying back and now only 33″.
08/23: 17″ tall. Longest vine is 30″. Vines still dying back but some healthy new growth.
08/30: Considering only the healthy new growth: 18″ tall with longest vine 36″.
Captivator
06/24: Bought, already in fruit, and planted.
07/06: Harvested a few berries, eaten with ice cream.
07/18: 20″ tall and 35″ diameter. Straggly and lob-sided.
07/24: 22″ tall and 34″ diameter.
08/01: 20″ tall and 34″ diameter.
08/07: 22″ tall and 34″ diameter.
08/15: 21″ tall and 35″ diameter.
08/23: 20″ tall and 35″ diameter.
08/30: 21″ tall and 35″ diameter. A little new growth.
Cherry Red
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 32″ tall and 26″ diameter. No fruit this year. Leggy but balanced.
07/24: 33″ tall and 24″ diameter.
08/01: 32″ tall and 28″ diameter.
08/07: 32″ tall and 28″ diameter.
08/15: 32″ tall and 28″ diameter.
08/23: 32″ tall and 26″ diameter.
08/30: 33″ tall and 28″ diameter.
Blackdown
06/24: Bought, heavy with almost-ripe fruit, and planted.
07/04: Harvested a few berries, eaten with ice cream.
07/08: Harvested one cup, for a crumble.
07/18: 44″ tall and 24″ diameter. Losing lower leaves as roots aren’t delivering enough water yet.
07/19: Harvested 7/8ths of a cup, for a crumble. No remaining fruit at this time.
07/24: 45″ tall and 26″ diameter. Still slowly losing lower leaves.
08/01: 45″ tall and 25″ diameter. Heat damage to most leaves in the lower two-thirds of the plant.
08/07: 44″ tall and 25″ diameter. Little changed.
08/15: 45″ tall and 24″ diameter. Little changed.
08/23: 45″ tall and 24″ diameter. Little changed.
08/30: 45″ tall and 24″ diameter. Little changed.
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