Second Year SFG in Canada

trolleydriver wrote:
CC ... Don't forget those prices are what we pay in Canada which most of the time are higher than in the USA.  I figure I'll never get my compost right anyway, so why bother measuring the temperature with any level of accuracy.

Oh right, I did forget. Around $1.50 to $1 last I looked.

I don't worry about my compost. As long as it's not a soggy stinky mess, which mine never would be with the abundance of oak leaves I use, then it's always right. Mother nature doesn't worry about it so I don't either. I used to turn it every weekend, but now I don't turn it at all and it still decays...without me.

Your compost will be fine.

CC

trolleydriver wrote:I figure I'll never get my compost right anyway, so why bother measuring the temperature with any level of accuracy.

Don't give up! Got a birthday, anniversary coming up, even if it's next year? You could get an early gift.

sanderson wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:I figure I'll never get my compost right anyway, so why bother measuring the temperature with any level of accuracy.

 Don't give up!  Got a birthday, anniversary coming up, even if it's next year?  You could get an early gift.

Yes ... birthday.  BTW I checked the pile today and it has cooled right down. Need to take some action to get it cooking again.

Maybe I can do some bartering. How about I do a "rain dance"  in exchange for a thermometer?
 

The Turnip and Radish seeds that I sowed just a few days ago have sprouted.  The yellow wax beans and purple bush beans that were sown last week also have sprouted. One of the new strawberry plants has flowers. The herbs, etc. in the TT are doing well. I still have a lot of empty SFG squares that I need to fill.  Another cool night coming up with temperature going down to 6 Celsius (43 F). 

Mrs TD's potato plants (grown from the eyes of store bought potatoes) are looking good.

Work completed this afternoon is as follows:

1. Finished building a new chicken wire cage 2'x4'x4' for one of this year's new SFG boxes.

2. Turned over the compost in the plastic compost bin.  A lot of the material was quite dry so I sprayed it with water. Perhaps that is why the pile cooled down. Interestingly, the kitchen scraps that I put in the bin a couple of days ago are no longer recognizable. That seems to be the case every time I add new scraps. The other ingredients in the pile are mainly leaves and coffee grounds.

3. Took the suckers off the tomato plants.

A stroll from the pond to the SFG.  This is a video. Click on the image below to see it  (note: some people may not be able to view it).

CapeCoddess wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:
CC ... Don't forget those prices are what we pay in Canada which most of the time are higher than in the USA.  I figure I'll never get my compost right anyway, so why bother measuring the temperature with any level of accuracy.

Oh right, I did forget.  Around $1.50 to $1 last I looked.

I don't worry about my compost.  As long as it's not a soggy stinky mess, which mine never would be with the abundance of oak leaves I use, then it's always right.  Mother nature doesn't worry about it so I don't either.  I used to turn it every weekend, but now I don't turn it at all and it still decays...without me.

Your compost will be fine.  

CC

I do absolutely nothing to my compost pile except add kitchen scraps and leaves, whole. And guess what comes out of it? COMPOST, beautiful black sweet smelling dirt-like compost. And happy wormies! Tons of 'em....

trolleydriver wrote:Maybe I can do some bartering. How about I do a "rain dance"  in exchange for a thermometer?
 

Gads! That would be worth it!!

Thank you for the lovely stroll.

Just saw your video! Very pretty and relaxing, TD! Love it

Mrs TD and I were out of town for a few days travelling, hiking, taking a boat ride in the Muskoka region of Ontario and in Algonquin Park (the park is the size of the US states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined). As soon as we got home we checked the gardens.



We have been attacked by "killer" rabbits. Mrs TD saw one sitting in the middle of a square of sugar snap peas and having a feast. We have lost a large part of our pea crop (which was small to begin with), half the sunflower crop, one full cabbage, and most of the spinach. Unfortunately Mrs TD removed the chicken wire barrier around her sunflowers the day before we left on our trip. The sunflowers are outside the SFG as was the cabbage that was destroyed. The cabbages in the SFG beds have some damage as well. I have chicken wire cages on three of the six SFG beds. Now we are thinking about putting up a chicken wire barrier around the entire perimeter of all the SFG beds. I'm not a happy camper right now.

I'm so sorry, TD.   It's so disappointing to work that hard and lose so much of it.    At least you have some happy rabbits.

We had some problems with rabbits while we were away but overall things are still looking good in the SFG beds.

Yikes! Our high temp today is going to be up to 34 C . It's been dry as well and no rain in the forecast (60% probability on next Friday).

The Lobelia (below) has a small, delicate but elegant flower.


 

The Table Top is looking great.

 


In this bed:
- Front Row (left to right) - Lobelia(blue flower)+Calendula, Carrot, empty square, Lobelia+Calendula
- Second row - Green Bunching Onion, Radish, Yellow Wax Bush Bean, Purple Bush Bean
- Third Row - Romaine Lettuce, Swede Turnip, Pak Choi (bolting), Swiss Chard
- Back Row - empty square, Kohlrabi, Pak Choi, Broccoli

 


In this bed:
- Front Row - Tulip, Basil, Eggplant, Tulip
- Second Row - Daikon Radish, Garlic, Garlic/Lettuce, Banana Pepper
- Third Row - Chives, Green Bell Pepper, Leek, Kale Mix
- Back Row - Sweet 100 Tomato, Sweet 100 Tomato, Honeydew Melon (Died), Honeydew Melon (hanging on but sick)

 


In this bed:
- Front Row - Marigold, Bunching Onion, Swiss Chard, Marigold
- Second Row - White Forks (Kidding!), Beet, Jalapeno Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Cabbage
- Third Row - Eggplant, Spinach (rabbit food!!!), Broccoli, Multiplier Onion
- Back Row - Sugar Snap Peas (what the rabbits left for us), Early Russian Cucumber, English Telegraph Cucumber, Early Russian Cucumber

 


In this bed (not ANSFG):
- Front Row - Marigold, Eggplant, empty square, Cabbage
- Second Row - Cilantro (?volunteers?), Arugula, empty square, Eggplant
- Third Row - Green Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper
- Back Row - 3 x Big Beef Tomato with Marigold inbetween

 


Not shown
- ANSFG with 8 squares of Strawberry (had 10 but 2 died), Icicle Radish, Atlantic Turnip, Rainbow Carrot (in tophat), 2 squares of Nasturtum, one empty square
 

Also Not Shown
- Not ANSFG bed with 3 x Roma Tomato, Marigold inbetween, Green Bell Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, 2 x Banana Pepper, Broccoli, Eggplant, one square of Yellow Wax Bush Bean, one square of Purple Bush Bean, Cabbage, empty squares


Regular Veggie Garden not shown:
- Plants include Sunflower, Potato, Tomatillo, Ground Cherry, Acorn Squash, Scarlet Runner Bean, Raspberry

Table Top 1 - Rabbits 0.  I'm so sorry you lost some of the other crops to the wabbits.

sanderson wrote:Table Top 1 - Rabbits 0.  I'm so sorry you lost some of the other crops to the wabbits.

I just noticed that I need to put in some more screws for the plywood bottom which has a very slight sag in a couple of places. If I don't do that soon the wabbits could become winners against the TT.

Aargh!!!

Went out late this afternoon to the SFG only to find that over 50% of my Leeks have now been topped by some monstrous creature. It's too bad because the Leeks were doing well this year compared to last year's failure. 

Rabbits, TD? Get some trail cams. Cheap. Amazon.

Dang it!

Or cheaper yet, string together cans with 10#test fishing line, put nails or whatever in em...strong them in a continuous line. Tie to hold up. It will scare them for a while!

Scorpio Rising wrote:Rabbits, TD?  Get some trail cams.  Cheap.  Amazon.  

Dang it!  

"trail cams"?

We surrounded one of the 4x4 beds with a cheap plastic netting held up by bamboo posts located in the corners of the box. Seems to be working. Will do the same with the other beds that do not have chicken wire cages.

Three-quarters of the Table Top is overfowing. The two squares at the front of the photo are slower growing.




Today I decided to make myself a salad from a variety of things growing in the SFG. Unfortunately, Mrs TD does not like a lot of leafy things so it is up to me to consume them or give them away.


I took some of these Spicy Salad Greens from the TT.



Then some Romaine Lettuce.



A Radish.



Some Bright Lights Swiss Chard.



A green bunching onion.



Some Arugula microgreens.



A bit of Spinach (most of the Spinach has been consumed by critters).



I even got me some Kale.



A touch of Oregano from the TT.



And a sprig of Thyme from the TT.



This is what the pickings looked like.



The final product. It didn't need any salad dressing because the components all added their unique flavours.



Hope I survive!

trolleydriver wrote: Unfortunately, Mrs TD does not like a lot of leafy things so it is up to me to consume them or give them away.
...
The final product. It didn't need any salad dressing because the components all added their unique flavours.



Hope I survive!

Oh you will...probably longer than most if you keep eating like that. Lovely salad!

I have the same thing going on at my house. My mother comes up every summer and used to eat lots of greens but seems to have stopped this year, which I didn't know about when I planted. I see blanching and freezing in my near future.

CC

Mrs. TD and CC's mom may like a smoothie or juice with a Granny Smith apple in it. They can get the benefits without having to taste or feel the texture of the veggies. I can eat a whole radish or cucumber warm from the garden, but I don't like them in salads, especially if they have been refrigerated. Too cold on the teeth.

sanderson wrote:Mrs. TD and CC's mom may like a smoothie or juice with a Granny Smith apple in it.  They can get the benefits without having to taste or feel the texture of the veggies.  I can eat a whole radish or cucumber warm from the garden, but I don't like them in salads, especially if they have been refrigerated.  Too cold on the teeth.

Agreed. Actually Mrs TD and I have a green smoothie almost every morning. My standard ingredients are something green and leafy (from the SFG when available), green grapes, banana and yogurt (preferably plain Greek), plus water and ice cubes. I will throw in some pineapple if we have it in the house. The problem is that even then, Mrs TD will only take a small glass while I consume a huge one.

trolleydriver wrote: Actually Mrs TD and I have a green smoothie almost every morning. ...The problem is that even then, Mrs TD will only take a small glass while I consume a huge one.

EXACTLY the same here. Tiny glass and sometimes when I get home after work it's not touched.

Oh well...we try.
Todays smoothie was collards, hemp and just picked strawberries.

I agree, Sanderson...the cold veggies don't work for me either. I even make my dinner salads while home during lunch and then stick the bowl in the oven (not on, of course) so no bugs get to it while I'm gone.

CC

Catching up reading your thread, TD.  Gee, you are doing so well.  I must admit I wish I could do as well.  Keep it up.  Your are a credit to SFG and gardening in general.

Kelejan wrote:Catching up reading your thread, TD.  Gee, you are doing so well.  I must admit I wish I could do as well.  Keep it up.  Your are a credit to SFG and gardening in general.

Kelejan, thank you for your encouragement. From what I read on the Canadian Region thread you are doing extremely well in all your gardening efforts. I'm just following the instructions in Mel's ANSFG book together with a some of the suggestions from members of this SFG forum.

Today I noticed signs of our first tomatoes. There are two Roma tomatoes about an inch in size. They are on plants that I started indoors so I am very happy about their progress.