CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016?

Margay77 wrote:

Yes, we rode home through your rain.  It was not very pleasant!

Thanks for doing the Ride for Dad (Prostate Cancer). My next door neighbour also participated and he came home quite sunburned after the ride. I recently got some good news from my urologist whom I have been seeing every six months re PC (not diagnosed). He said my last test showed no change so he does not need to see me for 12 months. 

trolleydriver wrote:

Margay77 wrote:

Yes, we rode home through your rain.  It was not very pleasant!

Thanks for doing the Ride for Dad (Prostate Cancer). My next door neighbour also participated and he came home quite sunburned after the ride. I recently got some good news from my urologist whom I have been seeing every six months re PC (not diagnosed). He said my last test showed no change so he does not need to see me for 12 months. 

That is awesome news!  

Yes we had a stellar day for the ride up and for the ride itself!  It was awesome to see so many folks lining the roads and giving us 'thumbs up' and waving, not only in Ottawa but also in the smaller towns we rode through on the poker run.

I think we all came back very tired  but very happy.  I heard over $370,000 was raised for research!

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Just found this new little tidbit that I didn't know before:
"Spinach bolts when there's 14-16 hours of light, regardless of the temperature, although warmer temperatures will cause it to bolt faster" from  http://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/spinach.html

that is kinda concerning as I hit 14 hours in May.  I will have to try a different variety and location.  I will see how the front works with only morning sun

p14shooter wrote:

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Just found this new little tidbit that I didn't know before:
"Spinach bolts when there's 14-16 hours of light, regardless of the temperature, although warmer temperatures will cause it to bolt faster" from  http://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/spinach.html

that is kinda concerning as I hit 14 hours in May.  I will have to try a different variety and location.  I will see how the front works with only morning sun

I understand, I read it and went "Really? Well that makes it kind of hard to have spring spinach mature in time!" Do others grow it as a spring crop (without protection) in your area?

I grew 5 varieties this year. Renegade is the one that did well AND hasn't bolted yet. It's a hybrid that is supposed to mature quickly and be bolt resistant. I didn't grow Bloomsdale Longstanding, so I can't compare it to say it's better than that one -- only that it performed better in spring than the Butterflay and Dash that I planted. (I think those two are intended for better fall/winter performance anyhow. I initially didn't know if their claims of "cold-resistant" meant they were good for early pre-spring, or whether it meant good for a cold frame in the fall/winter, so I planted them to see what would happen.)

Nothing but rain showers, lots of them and rain forecast for the rest of the week.  I am hoping my strawberries will not go mouldy.  Lots of future strawberries there. 

I eat a few, give a few to friends, and freeze the rest so that I have my own strawberries all through winter.

Today I went to a peony show.   Lots of beautiful flowers there. I bought a few seeds and was informed that the first blooms take about five years.  I said I can always leave the plants to my friend in my will.  Now I realize why the plants on sale were for $40 each and much more.

Last night when I went to bed I switched on the electric blanket.  A few days before I was sleeping under a sheet.

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Just found this new little tidbit that I didn't know before:
"Spinach bolts when there's 14-16 hours of light, regardless of the temperature, although warmer temperatures will cause it to bolt faster" from  http://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/spinach.html

 huh?!  That certainly explains it. I've tried growing them in shade and all sorts of other tricks. They bolt so early on regardless. The only one that hasn't bolted yet in my garden is that French monster spinach. But it will. I've never had a full grown spinach plant no matter what time of year I try planting it. I wonder if it would do well under a hoop tunnel during the winter?

Peony show, Kelejan?! How lovely! Only the cream of the crop I'll bet.

CC

My strawberries are yielding about 8oz per day on average. Garlic scapes harvested today.

Kelejan wrote:My strawberries are yielding about 8oz per day on average. Garlic scapes harvested today.

I ate some of the garlic scapes yesterday in a stir fry, and today I prepared 6 1/2 oz in four small packages for future use.

It seems a small reward for all the work put in, but one I will still enjoy for later on.
The garlic does add a lovely flavour.

Glad to hear that you are getting lots of strawberries from your SFG Kelejan. My 4 year old s ate our first red strawberry today. He said it w yummy. He grew it in his own 2 by 2 SFG. Many more to come soon- I hope. It looks like most of th tomato plants are doing OK- although some of them may have blight (black on sides of leaves?). The peppers are also growing big- and the herbs are getting tall and bushy. We have some nice weather coming up here in Ottawa- after lots of cold weather and rain in early June. Happy gardening everyone!

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

p14shooter wrote:

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Just found this new little tidbit that I didn't know before:
"Spinach bolts when there's 14-16 hours of light, regardless of the temperature, although warmer temperatures will cause it to bolt faster" from  http://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/spinach.html

that is kinda concerning as I hit 14 hours in May.  I will have to try a different variety and location.  I will see how the front works with only morning sun

I grew 5 varieties this year. Renegade is the one that did well AND hasn't bolted yet.

Here's a photo of the Renegade spinach square from 2 days ago - it still doesn't look like it's bolting today, but it does have more leaf miner damage than in this photo. My fault - I let my lamb's quarters go from trap crop to breeding ground. Remedied that today ... provided the lamb's quarters I pulled up dry out and that kills the existing larvae.

CC - Is this what you meant by a full grown spinach plant? /\
It's the best I've managed so far (and that's actually not a full 9 square due to germination issues, I think it's 6.)

I am feeling a bit miserable with our weather.  It has hardly got above 10C/50F today and I have had the heating on and no doubt in a short while I will have the electric blanket on again when I go to bed.

I picked no strawberries today as the rain has been pelting down most of the day.
The sun is due to show its face on Saturday.

Beetles, your Renegade squash looks very nice to me. I wish my tomatoes looked as good; they seem a bit pale.  I think that they need some sunshine, like me.

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

p14shooter wrote:

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:Just found this new little tidbit that I didn't know before:
"Spinach bolts when there's 14-16 hours of light, regardless of the temperature, although warmer temperatures will cause it to bolt faster" from  http://veggieharvest.com/vegetables/spinach.html

that is kinda concerning as I hit 14 hours in May.  I will have to try a different variety and location.  I will see how the front works with only morning sun

I grew 5 varieties this year. Renegade is the one that did well AND hasn't bolted yet.

Here's a photo of the Renegade spinach square from 2 days ago - it still doesn't look like it's bolting today, but it does have more leaf miner damage than in this photo. My fault - I let my lamb's quarters go from trap crop to breeding ground. Remedied that today ... provided the lamb's quarters I pulled up dry out and that kills the existing larvae.

CC - Is this what you meant by a full grown spinach plant? /\
It's the best I've managed so far (and that's actually not a full 9 square due to germination issues, I think it's 6.)

Thanks for that info on Regegade Spinach....I am anxiously waiting for some seeds which I ordered after I read your original postl  I think my seedlings from the garden store are about done...sadly.  I love spinach!  Also ordered some other lettuce seeds to put in...

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

CC - Is this what you meant by a full grown spinach plant? /\
It's the best I've managed so far (and that's actually not a full 9 square due to germination issues, I think it's 6.)

Looks good!  The package of the Monstrueux De Viroflay Spinach says 2 ft plant with 10 inch leaves.  Mine leaves get to 1 - 1.5 inch and then the plant bolts.  I'm going to really concentrate on fall spinach this year and see what I can do.

CC

The sun was shining this morning so I was all set to pick some more strawberries and mow the lawn when my friend asked me if I wanted to do some shopping.  I jump at any chance to go grocery shopping as I can only carry so much when walking or busing.

Of course, getting these free rides means that I have to go where and when the driver wishes which is OK with me.  Unfortunately although my actual grocery shopping took about 15 minutes as I always stuff I stock up on, we made a couple of othr trips so the total time taken was about two hours.

While driving around, the heavens opened and the rain pelted down.  There went my morning itinerary.   It has been like that all day; some sunshine  then sudden downpours.  My grass is growing like crazy and I have so many other jobs I want to get done.

It has also been chilly, 9C and whatever F is.  Also windy, blowing all the blossoms off my flowering shrubs.  The bees work like mad as soon as the sun shines but I expect they are having a frustrating time.  The swallows are busy diving in to their nest and out again.  I expect they have babies to feed and having to work hard to get enough insects in this wet and windy weather.

My transplanted rhubarb  is settling down nicely and has produced its first good leaf.  I am still wanting to get my tulip bulbs lifted and dried.  The garlic should be ready in about three weeks now that I have taken the scapes.  The delphiniums are in full blool, pale blue, dark purple and light purple and the hollyhocks are in bud, looking forward to seeing what the colours are.

We still have a couple of days like this to get through then there is light at the end of the tunnel with Saturday, Sunday and Monday displaying that little yellow ball in the weather forecast.

I hope the rest of Canada is having good weather,  Northern BC in Dawson creek     are being flooded. I think all this stuff is coming from  the U.S.A.  It is needed in California now to help with their fires.   Enough is enough.

I am crossing my fingers for June 24, 25, 26 as there is a very big wedding happening just down the road from me and I have volunteered my driveway and boulevard ro accommodate at least two RV's and four cars over the weekend.

Kelejan wrote:


My transplanted rhubarb  is settling down nicely and has produced its first good leaf.  I am still wanting to get my tulip bulbs lifted and dried.  The garlic should be ready in about three weeks now that I have taken the scapes.  The delphiniums are in full blool, pale blue, dark purple and light purple and the hollyhocks are in bud, looking forward to seeing what the colours are.

Why do you lift your tulip bulbs?

Margay77 wrote:

Kelejan wrote:


My transplanted rhubarb  is settling down nicely and has produced its first good leaf.  I am still wanting to get my tulip bulbs lifted and dried.  The garlic should be ready in about three weeks now that I have taken the scapes.  The delphiniums are in full blool, pale blue, dark purple and light purple and the hollyhocks are in bud, looking forward to seeing what the colours are.

Why do you lift your tulip bulbs?

Because I still have not decided where I really want to leave them.  In addition, I am trying to increase the number by bringing on the little bulbs that can be taken off the larger bulbs.

After my rather depressing weather post yesterday,  I woke once again to bright sunshine.  Afetr reading the weather forecast, I find I have a window of today and tomorrow morning to get things done and the temperature will rise to 21C, comfortable enough to work outside.

I have already picked two pounds of strawberries, will process them for freezing, then see to the tulips bulbs and by then I hope the lawn is dry enough to mow.

Then I will take a break.

I need to mow as well, although it has been 2 weeks since the grass was mowed....no rain. Strawberries, Kelegan where is your bed? Raised? MM? How are the weeds?

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First harvest of radishes this year

Beautiful brick planter! (and radishes)

sanderson wrote:Beautiful brick planter! (and radishes)

+1  I totally agree.

trolleydriver wrote:

sanderson wrote:Beautiful brick planter! (and radishes)

+1  I totally agree.

+2.  I love the way the corners are cut.  Did the corner bricks come that way or did you have to cut them on the 45* angle.

yolos wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:

sanderson wrote:Beautiful brick planter! (and radishes)

+1  I totally agree.

+2.  I love the way the corners are cut.  Did the corner bricks come that way or did you have to cut them on the 45* angle.

thank you all.  We actually received 95% of those bricks from someone who didn't want them anymore.....it's been several years but I believe we had to cut the miters ourselves.....quite a job!

Scorpio Rising wrote:I need to mow as well, although it has been 2 weeks since the grass was mowed....no rain.  Strawberries, Kelegan where is your bed?  Raised?  MM?  How are the weeds?

I have two 4x4 beds devoted to strawberries.  All descended from the four plants I purchased about four years ago.  The  first bed is situated in front of my house, but does not get as much sunshine as the second bed that is placed in a sunnier position.

Between the two I am getting at least one pound of berries per day.  Still lots more to come. they are June bearing so by the end of the month they will have finished producing.  I am considering changing the beds by layering them like I have seen here.  I find it hard to harvest a flat four-footer; the berries lay on the straw but somehow get lost.  After harvesting, I walk around the beds and keep finding more.
When they are missed then they get mouldy.  (Moldy in American ).

Disaster with my tulip bulbs.  They put on a lovely display this year, but when I went to dig them up a couple of days ago, there were very few bulbs remaining.  I don't know whether it was the incessant rain that we had that rotted most of them.  So disappointing. 

Main job for me this week is to clear the car porch of all my working stuff.  Everything keeps ending up there and it looks a mess. Friday/Saturday.Sunday my neighbour's visitors will be making use of my driveway and naturally  I want to present a neat appearance.  So I must put away the tools, buckets, bags of peat etc etc. to the back of the house where my shed is located.  Sometimes it is good for me to have visitors as it makes me clear the pace up.

Margay, lovely planter.  I would find it hard to reach into the middle to weed or harvest.  I am a little person and like three-footers.