N & C Midwest: June 2016!

It is June, everybody!  I need to get my maters staked soon, they are going to get away from me!

Sanderson asked: Can the rabbits be relocated near the beds but not into them? Frogs, toads, and lizards - hate to hurt them also.

Me too, darn critters!  Sometimes they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time!

I found some chipmunks yesterday that were obviously near.  Sprayed some peppermint around the area and am hoping that that will keep them away.  Why are the cute animals the ones that can do damage?

Would like some warmer weather now.

I came very close to stepping on a beautiful little toad that was nestled in some of the mulch around one of the beds.  So glad I noticed it there before doing much work around the bed, which was not easy, since it looked just like a leaf.

As for the bunnies.... with all the rain we've had, and work being done on the house and the surrounding landscaping, there just isn't a good place to relocate them where mama will find them.  Oh - and there's Nigel.  I'm pretty sure I know what he will do if he finds them, so I'll need to keep a constant eye on him when he's out there.

I've decided just to leave them there, and sacrifice the carrots.  I'm slowly harvesting the green onions as I need them, so I can go ahead and get them out of there.  The yellow onions have a ways to go before harvest time, so I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope they have no interest in them.  Same with the potatoes.

Then next year!  Taller cages!

In other news... all my toe-maters are just exploding with new fruit - wow!  Probably time for a Tomato Tuesday offering, although they are all just little greenies right now, and I'm sure all the folks in the south will think, "Meh - big deal," it is a pretty big deal for June 1 in  Kansas.

I actually did pick one ripe one a couple of weeks ago, from the BushSteak plant that set one fruit in January during my winter indoor growing experiment.  (Don't know if anyone would still remember my post about that - it almost died before it got warm enough to bring it outside.)  Still, it's quite a feat.  It will be a few more weeks before I get any more from that one, but wow, that plant is doing incredible now!  It has about a dozen new tomatoes on it, with another dozen or more following soon after.

CitizenKate wrote:I came very close to stepping on a beautiful little toad that was nestled in some of the mulch around one of the beds.  So glad I noticed it there before doing much work around the bed, which was not easy, since it looked just like a leaf.

I pick the toads up and put them in my boxes.  They love living in there...I think.  I mean, they could jump out but they don't.
CC

Garlic is starting to turn a bit...harvest later in the month.

Chinese Cabbage is a bit hail damaged, but salvageable for stir fry.

We pulled a couple of carrots to see how they were doing and were disappointed...nice broad carrot shoulder at the soil surface, then quickly morphing into multiple tap roots about an inch down.

Sugar snap peas still rockin...picked a few galons of pods on Monday night...just a few plants are yellowing like they are done for the year.

Picked and ate the first of the cylindra beets...yummy.

Picked the first of the green cabage heads...home made slaw.

Hoping tomatoes and cukes will dry out with some sunshine enough to recover from any moisture related disease problems.

CKate, I think that is what I would do too. Sounds wonderful to taste TOMATO! They could possibly be the reason that I started this whole endeavor...

CC, I love that idea! I have toads! I love them! Sometimes I find them swimming around leisurely waiting for me to come and fish them out of my pool in the mornings, they are so cute! I am gonna put them in my boxes! They will love it there! Or they can jump out!

Landarch, interesting about your carrots? Nematodes?

I am weeks away from where you and Kate are, my sugar snaps just put up blooms last weekend. I can't wait! I am still in the leaves and roots session of early summer! I do hope to check out the turnips I planted...didn't write down when I did that, may just pull one and see! Nothing else but leaves happening here! But all in the works.

CapeCoddess wrote:

CitizenKate wrote:I came very close to stepping on a beautiful little toad that was nestled in some of the mulch around one of the beds.  So glad I noticed it there before doing much work around the bed, which was not easy, since it looked just like a leaf.

I pick the toads up and put them in my boxes.  They love living in there...I think.  I mean, they could jump out but they don't.
CC

Katie (daughter) has a toad house and miniature pond in her mint patch. I have to relocate my toads there because I'm afraid they might eat my caterpillars.

Oh my goodness. I know I have a short growing season, but I can't believe the produce you folks are harvesting!! Well.... my tomato plants have all established wonderful roots and are taking off - I have 46 plants, 45 varieties. Should have fruit by August. The cabbages I started indoors are beautiful, not developing the head yet but I am encouraged. The raspberries I transplanted from my son's yard are looking lovely - no fruit there until next year. Most of my seeds have sprouted, I put up my bean trellis yesterday but they won't need it for a couple of weeks. Hot peppers are holding their own - the plants have become very bushy and I'm pretty excited to see how they produce. 

On the flip-side, I have been enjoying the asparagus and rhubarb in abundance! 

CapeCoddess wrote:
I pick the toads up and put them in my boxes.  They love living in there...I think.  I mean, they could jump out but they don't.
CC

Makes sense. It's probably a comfortable spot for them, as it is kept shady and kept moist, and they could probably do a pretty good job of controlling insects. I'll try that next chance I get.

Scorpio Rising wrote: Sounds wonderful to taste TOMATO!  They could possibly be the reason that I started this whole endeavor...

Tomatoes are definitely what got me into gardening. I love a good tomato, and store tomatoes are so disappointing. So my very first "garden" was two tomato plants.

landarch wrote:
We pulled a couple of carrots to see how they were doing and were disappointed...nice broad carrot shoulder at the soil surface, then quickly morphing into multiple tap roots about an inch down.

Mine are doing something similar, although I picked a short variety to grow in the SFG, that typically grow to about 6 inches, because the beds are not deep enough for a 7-8" carrot. They look great at the surface, but only about 2 inches and the tip spirals into multiple smaller roots. I wonder if maybe the soil underneath them was a little too compacted when I transplanted them. (Most of mine were started indoors.)

My salad greens are exploding and after a totally disappointing chard year last year it is doing great so far.  Have harvested radishes, too early yet for carrots but all 3 plantings are moving along so far.  Should have the first meals of chard and kale by the end of the weekend.

Landarch and CK, I had that problem when planting in dirt, but it was nematodes combined with not great soil preparation probably...too compacted. My old windowboxes are deeper and that is where I put the carrots. Mine are way early too.

Herblover, sounds great! What are you going to do with your kale? This is my first year with it and it is a large and prolific plant! Love it! I have only chopped it and eaten it raw as salad greens, but it is going to town! Maybe I will check the recipes, too

SR, Sauteing seems to be a favorite. Also, you can blanch for freezing. If you have a Seal-a-meal, that is a great way to freeze it. I freeze it in portions for 2; great thing when I'm staring in the frig, looking for a veg for dinner. Or, slightly thaw and use in a smoothie/juicey.

sanderson wrote:SR,  Sauteing seems to be a favorite.  Also, you can blanch for freezing.  If you have a Seal-a-meal, that is a great way to freeze it.  I freeze it in portions for 2; great thing when I'm staring in the frig, looking for a veg for dinner.  Or, slightly thaw and use in a smoothie/juicey.

I like it steamed, too, but just tried sauteing, and that is delicious! With the amount I grew this year, we're eating it as fast as we can harvest it. I think I'm going to grow more of it next season. Wouldn't mind having enough to freeze for when it's out of season.

I am pretty much the only one eating the kale. Kids don't seem to like it or give it a chance! I might need to blanch and freeze it too!

Heading out to the garden to stake my maters, harvest the turnips, and probably pull some of the bolting Black Seeded Simpson lettuce. And kale, etc. Will try to grab some pics!

The laying down of the tomatoes did not work so good. So I staked 'em and hope they straighten up! They will, right? They were pretty twisted....

Pulled the Black seeded Simpson, left the Matchless to form heads. Got turnips out, cut some kale and picked a few sugar snaps! Also pulled a bunch of grass. Pole beans are up. Cukes with blossoms, some of the maters have baby maters (I think the cherry, Sungold). Peppers had some blooms as well. I may put in some more carrots or a Yukon Gold where the turnips came out.

You who are in Ohio are so far ahead of we who live in Minnesota.  (Not that I'm complaining)  It is just that I hate to go to the store to purchase salad greens, etc.

Scorpio Rising wrote:The laying down of the tomatoes did not work so good.  So I staked 'em and hope they straighten up!  They will, right?  They were pretty twisted....

 

LOL ...Never heard of such a thing. What on earth did you do???

CC

Scorpio Rising wrote:The laying down of the tomatoes did not work so good.  So I staked 'em and hope they straighten up!  They will, right?  They were pretty twisted....

Do you mean, when you planted them, you laid them on their side to get more stem into the mix? When you do that, you can train them to grow upward from there by varous means, usually a stake will work.

Or, the day or 2 before they go into the beds, lay the containers on their sides and the tender tips will naturally turn upwards.

After planting, mine just lift their heads toward the sun without any help from me. Takes about 24 to 36 hours.
CC

Today I was watering in some new mulch I added (shredded paper shopping bags), and decided to share some video of the contraption in action.



I was running the water slower than usual. Normally, the spray goes just a little beyond the boundary of each square, and they overlap just slightly.