Our first planted corns did very well as it was hot, although dry. However, after the rains began periodically, the nights have cooled considerably. All of our corn seed is open pollinated and untreated. It requires soil temperature of at least 60 degrees F in order to germinate decently. We have not had that and thus, I’ve already had to replant twice. And if the second planting doesn’t come up soon, I’ll make a third planting and pray like crazy that it makes it before frost.
Today, friends, Mike and Dara, are here, helping weed and put tomato cages over the T-posts next to the plants, in the rows Will is mulching heavily with old hay. Those two-year-old hay bales are great for that! Not so hot for feed though. This morning, I managed to hand weed the Early Fortune cucumbers and the Seneca Blue Bear Dance corn. Although all that bending sure hurt my knees, I was very happy that at least I could do that much before having to stop. Last year, I couldn’t do it at all, so I feel it is a little bit better.
Will brought several more buckets of rotted manure and mulched around the San Felipe pumpkins and Oka muskmelons. They sure do like that, and I can already see growth after only a full day and night. He’s going to do that with the Geraumon Martinique squash and also the Leelanau Sweetglo watermelons too.
Yesterday, I planted more Crawford and Folsom Indian Ruin pole beans along the four cattle panel trellises Will had put up in the main garden. As we have had a very bad weed problem in that garden, I’m going to keep tilling it all summer. We planted the beans and Gete Okosomin squash far enough apart to till on all sides of the rows and will mulch along them and in between the plants as well.
Will cut the little field down below the goat pasture yesterday and today it’s drying very nicely with lots of sun, warmer temperatures and a bit of a nice breeze. We like to start haying at home to make sure all the equipment is in good working order before going to fields a few miles away from home. It’s closer to the shop! — Jackie
This is my year to see how well a garden with little care will do! Spouse is at home on Hospice so days (and nights ) are filled with caregiving. We’ve had nearly 60 years so I’ve been blessed. Luckily, the rain in western MN has been abundent so garden is hanging in there. I enjoy reading all the comments about garden and life here and thank you,Jackie, for providing the forum.
You’re welcome Katherine! Sometimes life just hands us lemons and it’s so difficult to adjust to them. I’ll pray for you and your husband through this difficult time. As my son, Javid, was in hospice, I totally understand your feelings right now. Hang in there girl!
thanks
Wow I’m not alone in the potato delay growth. Half are still varily showing the other half blossoming. I just had radishes, sad looking but ‘up’ from 30 days ago sowing!. Hand weed and hoe chopped yesterday half the garden. and I still have you beat on the weeds in your onion rows. my weeds are in the corn( flour corn is doing superb!) beans rows. after mulchin the Hopi Grey they Shot up even more than the good start they had. here in the Columbia gorge we’ re in a wind blast cool down of mid 40’nights low 70 days. seems each year is getting stranger for growing. hope everyone’s who post surgeries and garden woes steady up. Always enjoy your photos and everyone comments.
Yep, this is sure a weird gardening year! I’ve only got a few potatoes up and I sure wish they looked as good as the weeds! I weeded a 50′ row of beans by hand in two days and boy am I paying for it today. But I’ll take a break today and hit the next row tomorrow. Maybe if I keep it up my body will finally give up and adjust!
The spring garden is long gone here in east central Georgia, the early summer garden is peaking and it’s starting to get hot. It looks like we will start July in the upper 90’s.
I pulled out the Early Sunglow corn stalks yesterday but the Sweetness corn is making so we’ll probably have some corn for the Fourth.
We’ve been picking summer squash and bush beans for a while now and canned all the plain beans, lemon beans and three-bean salad we need. The bush beans are now done just as the pole beans kick in.
The Britta Footlongs are 6″ so far, the Long Tom tomatoes are hanging longer every day and the Tanana are done. I love your Ozark Sweet Snack peppers and they have become an annual planting.
I’m glad to hear that Drew found a good job. Time to start saving, saving, saving! But no worries there; he comes from good money management stock! :D
Happy 250th Fourth Of July to all!
It’s so cool that you’re harvesting now when our plants are just getting started! We’re so glad to hear you love our varieties! We do too.
We sure hope Drew gets to saving. He’s got a few debts to clear up, like most younger folks (and a lot of older ones too). But he’s already started a savings account so we have high hopes.
Jackie -to clarify I use a copper fungicide on the tomatoes for blight. I call it copper tox -my name for it. Hopefully it works and I’ll get a crop. This yr lots of moisture on fungus. Always challenges.
Shew, I’m sure glad to hear that!! We’ve used copper fungicide on some problem plants too, with good results.
Sounds like we live in the ideal place; far northern California foothills of Sacramento valley. Somewhere between dry and almost dry. Few, if any, pests ever. Well, except for the bear kind!
Everyone is very busy. we got half inch of rain in 2 days. Now going to turn hot and humid and dry. Mid 90’s and heat index 107-112°.
Saved 14 tomatoes 🍅 plants. Something pulled them out of the ground. Nowhere to be found. I had almost all 50 planted!. So at least I got 14 left and am going to town and get 10 more for a total of 24.
Getting ready tomorrow to Start Early Snowball cauliflower, DeCicco broccoli and Premium Dutch cabbage in little containers for a fall garden. It seems like everything is being pushed together – I got to get the cucumbers out too.
Take care.
Oops. We once had elk pull peppers out of the ground. But they just left them lay. We saw the tracks.
We’re hurrying around, between re-planting and weeding, wow, the days fly by!!
Cooler today, humid but dry. 90’s next couple weeks so that will finish the spring garden. Some tomatoes & cukes showing wilt. And Japanese beetles are back, sigh. My DH had his knee replaced Wed and is doing well but needing care & rides to PT, so what gets done in the garden gets done, DH comes first.. God will provide what we need. A Peaceful and Happy 4th to all!
Yep, the husband does come first! God will help you with the rest. So sorry to hear about the Japanese beetles. Ugh! I know two years ago, we had a BAD crop of potato bugs. I treated the rows like six times with dust but finally got rid of them and we did have a great crop of potatoes. Hang in there!
I love seeing your faith. Just the mention draws my thoughts back to include Him!
Just found out another back surgery may be in order. If so, it will have to be late fall. Not looking forward to that.
Ugh, I hate the thought of any surgery. Let’s pray yours goes well and gives you pain free results.
Every year raising a garden/farm crops is so different. One year cold late spring another drought and any other combination of weather factors. One year I replanted 60 tomatoes three times due to agricultural glyphosate drift. I’ve since moved my gardens to a secluded place surrounded by pine trees. I’m sorry to hear about the corn. With farm equipment I’ve found “break downs” the norm. I never have had new equipment (not that they don’t have problems-and nowadays need a computer). On another note used equipment is selling higher as farmers avoid the dreaded higher prices and computerized equipment they can’t repair. I hope the corn sprouts. I’m using copper tox on my tomatoes.
Yep, every year is different, each with its own challenges it seems. Too hot, too dry, too much rain, bugs, voles, it goes on and on. But when we’re tough and keep plugging along, the harvest always seems to come.
No, we haven’t any new equipment except my baby Kubota. Far from that. Can’t afford the nice stuff. Yes, we’d like a haybine, a better baler, etc. But no, we’re not going into debt for them. Luckily, Will is a good mechanic with lots of patience. We have little decent used farm equipment around here as it’s not an agricultural area. And even the “junk” old equipment has mostly been sold for scrap when the prices were high.
I’m a little confused about the copper tox. With horses, we use Koppertox to treat thrush and other hoof ailments. I wouldn’t put it on tomatoes! I’m sure what you’re using isn’t the same but it did give me a start!
Oh my. I mostly hate technology.
Here in Central MO we have had 15 inches of rain since April. The last rain was yesterday, and now we are in for typical Missouri summer—hot and humid. The rain has helped every thing except the tomatoes…too much and too cool. I guess that will stop this week. We did get everything mulched. I think we will have green beans within a week. Our sons are planning to cut hay this week. It’s always a gamble in farming, isn’t it? Never a dull or boring moment.
I forgot to say that we have been getting loads of free mulch from the rural electric people who are trimming the trees in the power line easements. It sure has been nice and it saves them a trip to the landfill.
No, there sure isn’t a single dull day! What a great thing, getting wood chips from the rural electric workers. A win-win situation, for sure!
Iv3e heard of a service called ChipDrop. I think it’s nationwide.
Good old 86 series Internstional tractor! Spent thousands of hours running them!
Yep, that’s Will’s go-to haying tractor, even more so that the big Kubota.
I hear you on starting close to home. We had over 1.5 inches of rain on Wednesday and the fields that were already cut once are already starting to get tall.
We need to weed the asparagus patch and mark the “dead” areas but come Monday our temps are going to be in the 90s.
Hoping the rain forecast for 4th of July is timed right. A local WWII vet started the fireworks program in the “large” town near me (as well as Xmas festival of lights). His grandsons gladly accepted the passing of his torch and carry on the tradition. We donate to both events.
The rain on Wednesday also came with some high winds. The garlic is a bit bent over but minimal sticks/branches in the yard as we just had the tree service do their thing.
Nice column you wrote for the recent edition of BHM. I’m a bit behind on reading (dratted work which does fill my coffers so to speak) but read the latest edition when I received it.
Hoping life has been kind to Drew.
Yep, life is good for Drew. He’s got a good job through the Pipe Fitter’s Union and is working long hours and getting big paychecks. Today, he and Will are out, trying to cut the top pin out of the hydraulic cylinder of the new-to-us excavator so he can rebuild the cylinder. The pin won’t budge with penetrating oil, heat and beating with a maul. It’s getting dark now, so I hope they quit soon!
WD-40 is also an option. At times it and Liquid Wrench are the one-two punch.
Glad things are coming together for Drew. Hopefully he has the correct withholding from his paychecks – no one needs surprises at tax time.
They tried WD-40 but no luck. They put the torch to it and nothing. Now, they’re cutting the pin out with the torch, day by day. It’s a tough go as it’s ladder work 8′ up. Ugh!! Will has little burns all over his arms and stomach. It’s too hot to wear a jacket for protection.