New England, May 2016

There was a hazy sun shinning this morning  when I went outside with my cup of coffee in hand. There was no dew, no rain, just an orange ball behind the high thin clouds. I let the girls out, then just sat and watched for awhile. The bugs weren't bad yet, the coffee tasted very good, and it was so peaceful, complete with all the birds singing the wonderful morning theme.
    The weather folks changed their tune in my favor, no rain till tonight, which really helped my attitude. Me and Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus insect repellent attacked the chores. That stuff really keeps the black flies away from me, but when I perspire and it get into my eyes, well it is not as annoying as black flies.
    The first time starting the mower for the season went very well, and the lawn was done after only a few hours. Since it was the first mow of the season I was rewarded with lots of browns to mix with the minor amounts of green. Since it was kinda premixed anyway, I thought I might as well put it right into the two composting bins I have. Filled both of them up, added some water from my rain barrels. Good to go. The girls were a bit miffed that I vacuumed up all the green grass that I usually put right into their run. They love it.
    Instead of building a long flower box, I built a 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 veggie bed in a semi sunny spot close to the house. It will be great for beans and cucumbers, as they grow tall up the trellis they catch more sun. This is somewhat an experiment too. I had very little soil, so it turns into about 1/3 soil and 2/3  two year old "mostly" finished compost, not as black as I would like, and it has some fine leaf still intact, but it is mostly dark and rich. Later when I can get some vermiculite I will make it MM. I wish it were more readily available. Next time I can I am going to buy as much as I can and then have it to make these nice little gardens.
    Oh how tempted I was to put in my tomato plants today, but I didn't. I have two out, in places easy to cover if frost comes. One is doing good, the other is starting to get white on the edges of the leaves. I think it is because I have not been regular enough with watering along with the cool and cold temps.
    The Red Sox won, it didn't rain, I got all the stuff done I wanted to, it was a good relaxing day. BTW, the tooth pick remedy for cutworms is great Quiltbea. Rock

yolos wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:Someone on here (camp?) said she put toothpicks around the stems of plants to foil the cutworms....yolos, maybe.  Worth a try?

Quiltbea is the one that usually says to do this.  I have never tried it.

Yes! Quiltbea! I am keeping it in my arsenal.

Scorpio Rising wrote:

yolos wrote:

Scorpio Rising wrote:Someone on here (camp?) said she put toothpicks around the stems of plants to foil the cutworms....yolos, maybe.  Worth a try?

Quiltbea is the one that usually says to do this.  I have never tried it.

Yes!  Quiltbea!  I am keeping it in my arsenal.

I use toilet paper tubes. it's faster and deeper barrier than toothpicks.

bigdogrock wrote:Hey Camprn, it is after 9 PM and the temp is still above 50F!!!!! Are we lucky or what! Rock

Indeed. But I'm still timid about putting out tender plants. Still waiting.

Camprn......I tried the t p tubes but didn't care for them.  They didn't keep the beasties from burrowing up and toppling my transplants.  The toothpicks are snug against the stem making it impossible for the creatures to wrap around the stem.  Anyway, the point being, I've had nearly 100% success with 'picks where tubes and wrapping in newspaper meant more losses.
The 2nd good thing is you don't have to disturb the young roots when using 'picks as you do with tubes and paper.
Just my personal opinion.  Different strokes for different folks.

sanderson wrote:Hi, Molly.  Are those onions for planting?

, Sanderson!  Yep.  They're my potato onions (Green Mtn Multipliers) that I've been carefully multiplying over the last few years.  This winter was the first time we've been able to risk eating the smallest ones and still have enough to plant.  It takes time to build up enough of a "seed" supply, but they're worth it.  The small ones are just the right size to slice thin for a couple of sandwiches or salads being as they're rather pungent which is probably why they keep well.  The ones that have sprouted in storage will get planted separately and we'll probably eat those regardless of size this harvest.

CapeCoddess wrote: Molly!  I've been watching your weather and I saw that snow.  I don't know how you do it!

, CC!  Honestly, I don't know how I "do" it, either.  My hair is back to it's Florida-curly nature now (vs. Winter Dry-Air Straight) and for the first time in months my feet aren't cold at night.  I guess it's a matter of just putting up or shutting up, and since moving isn't an option, I just shut up (mostly) and deal with the cold (grudgingly).  I can tell you that having that nice woodstove sure helps alot.

hey, Molly!

Just a reminder.

What a nice day it turned out to be. The weather folks were way off on Friday's forecast for the weekend, we didn't get a drop of rain here. It was partly cloudy with it being more sunny than I was ready for. I got a lot of stuff done, but, had I planned with the weather being as nice as it was, I would have done more.
    My new little garden is all set to go, I wonder what I am going to put in it. The girls took a big interest in it, they can throw a lot out when they scratch around. It is getting close to time to put the warm crops in. My Mammoth Sunflowers have already broke through!
    Molly your seed onions look excellent, I hope you had some of this good weather, it must be a good feeling that warm is coming.
    It has been a good weekend in the garden, the Red Sox took 2 out of 3, the bug repellent worked, and everything with an engine started up easy after the winter. The Forsythia and the Lilacs are just about to bloom, and a lot of the little flowers are about to peak.
Rock

Beautiful day today.  I was going to plant my maters at lunch but it's too sunny.  I'll do it after work so they can acclimate overnight. 

Garden is in full swing and feeding us smoothies and salads daily:

Looking great CC.  I can't wait to start harvesting for smoothies and salads but it's going to be a while before that happens.

I think I read in another thread that your brassicas are disappearing?  This is what I do to mine as soon as they are planted out:

Well harvested collards & kale
 
Broccoli - Covered late as I thought being next to the garlic and shallots would keep the cabbage butterfly away but it didn't work.
The interplanted lettuces, mustard greens and pak choi will be gone by the time the main plants need the space. 

The netting & tulle seem to keep the squirrels out, along with everything else.  Unless it's the fake snake I put out a while back.

All 3 succession plantings of sugar snap peas are coming along nicely.
First pea planting

Second pea planting 
In-ground flowering & fruiting strawberry bed at the top of the photo and to the right of the netted box.

And last pea planting, behind the brussel sprouts, lettuces and chard

Cherry tomatoes - Sun Gold, Black Cherry, Sweeties - planted yesterday


Pak choi and Bloomsdale long standing spinach are bolting already.  We haven't even hit 70 yet.

My spinach bolted super early. It is gone. Lettuces doing fine so far. Nice spread, CC!

I had my first casualty today. I found my tray of 24 Mammouth Sunflowers mangled . All of them had broken through and looked very healthy.  At first I thought it was the Ladies, but they hadn't been let out today. So, I refilled the tray and set it in what was left of the light of day next to the garden. Twenty minutes later I walked by the garden and noticed it had been raided again. I noticed a chipmunk skittering off. Lesson learned, I will bring it in tonight and now I need to figure how to protect it in the future. BTW, we got about .7" of rain today, we needed it.
Rock

I am sure you could make this stuff cheaper, but I bought it last year after my squirrels ate every single red tulip bloom ....

I have used it on my sunflower transplants.  Lost all of my direct seeded sunflowers last year...3 packets.

So far, so good!  I did not pay that.  More like $10 range

https://jet.com/product/detail/f588448c947241b797ea844e9caaa256?jcmp=pla:ggl:cwin_home_garden_a3:household_supplies_a3_other:na:PLA_348543180_24223045020_pla-161671986540:nana:2&code=PLA15&ds_c=Placeholder+Campaign&ds_cid=&ds_ag=Placeholder+Campaign+ad+group&product_id=f588448c947241b797ea844e9caaa256&product_partition_id=161671986540&gclid=CM6U-6CT9MwCFQIKaQodcYoLgw

bigdogrock wrote:I had my first casualty today. I found my tray of 24 Mammouth Sunflowers mangled . All of them had broken through and looked very healthy.  At first I thought it was the Ladies, but they hadn't been let out today. So, I refilled the tray and set it in what was left of the light of day next to the garden. Twenty minutes later I walked by the garden and noticed it had been raided again. I noticed a chipmunk skittering off. Lesson learned, I will bring it in tonight and now I need to figure how to protect it in the future. BTW, we got about .7" of rain today, we needed it.
Rock

Heartbreaking! But if it's any consolation Miss Lilly presented us with a chipmunk this morning. It had probably already decimated my first time sunflower seed planting. I didn't know I was supposed to cover them. Lucky you on the rain! We're as dry as a bone here so it was Watering Wednesday for me.

Got my pole beans planted and then came down with a full blown summer cold. No energy for anything else.

SR, what ate your sunflowers?

Honestly, the whole sunflower debacle was traumatic. Most got eaten while in the ground (squirrels), and the little babies got pecked to death by birds! They were literally pecked to death! Too little to defend themselves.....

Not this year! Planted all at least 4" tall. Sprayed with that critter off. Fingers crossed...they were all there last night. Didn't get a look tonight....pool duty

Let me know if they made as soon as you know. Thanks, Rock

In past years when we planted sunflower seeds directly in the ground and did not protect them with cages, then we were just providing a feast for the local critters.  Last year we put little hardware cloth cages around them and they were OK.  This year I started them indoors and they were transplanted outside a few days ago. We still put the small cages around them.  So far so good.

Hey TD, I think that is the way I am going to go as well. I have some extra 1/2" hardware cloth that I can fashion into a good cover for small plants, I am just wondering if they can dig under or just push it up and get in.
As good as those sprays are, I don't care to use things like that, not that I have anything against it, but it does make me wonder why it can't be on food plants. Maybe I am just to finicky. Rock

Bush beans and pepper starts were planted out today.  SFG and fruit trees are watered.  The pollen, hanging worms and oak beards are horrible!  But the fresh salads are delicious!  Ceased salad tonight for dins.

Heading back out to mow the lawn with ha!f a box of Kleenex stuffed in my pockets.
What is everyone else up to this weekend?

I am happy to report my hummers are back.  I've had food out for them for a couple weeks and only saw them a few days ago.  I'm a Happy camper.

quiltbea wrote:I am happy to report my hummers are back.  I've had food out for them for a couple weeks and only saw them a few days ago.  I'm a Happy camper.

Doncha just love 'em? 

bigdogrock wrote:Let me know if they made as soon as you know. Thanks, Rock

All but one is still there!