Re: CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016?

**Scorpio Rising** 6/19/2016, 8:38 pm

Margay--beautiful planter, and I love radishes! I grow at least 3 kinds every spring...am going to try for a fall crop this year. Radish sandwiches....yum!

Kelejan, I really need a 4x4 for some strawberries! I love love love them! I also would like a 4x4 of just asparagus.....dreams! Nothing like company to make me clean the house! I just hosted my daughter's graduation party a week ago today, am still hurting from the weeding, deep cleaning, tidying, etc.! Good to do it actually. Built - in motivation!

countrynaturals 6/19/2016, 11:40 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Nothing like company to make me clean the house! I just hosted my daughter's graduation party a week ago today, am still hurting from the weeding, deep cleaning, tidying, etc.! Good to do it actually. Built - in motivation!

I'm in the same boat. We had the Father's Day party at our house and the in-laws hadn't seen my sfg yet. My gardens were spotless, but my house was a disaster. It took hours to get it whipped into shape. affraid

Now I'm done in. I need a clone! Rolling Eyes

**Scorpio Rising** 6/19/2016, 11:52 pm

countrynaturals wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:Nothing like company to make me clean the house! I just hosted my daughter's graduation party a week ago today, am still hurting from the weeding, deep cleaning, tidying, etc.! Good to do it actually. Built - in motivation!
I'm in the same boat. We had the Father's Day party at our house and the in-laws hadn't seen my sfg yet. My gardens were spotless, but my house was a disaster. It took hours to get it whipped into shape. Now I'm done in. I need a clone!

Oh, yeah, I get it, Suz! I had a team of family and friend who sacrificed all...we literally were washing walls...there is more to the story obviously but my house looks great! I love my peeps!

Glad your get-together was a success!

Margay77 6/20/2016, 8:14 am

Kelejan wrote: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.

I hear you! These were not built for square gardening. I don't plant in alternate squares in the middle so I can step there.

sunny

**trolleydriver** 6/20/2016, 7:38 pm

So far I seemed to be winning the battle with the rabbits. But there is not much I can do about hail (if it comes).

At 7:21 p.m. EDT, Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a cluster of severe thunderstorms capable of producing very strong wind gusts and nickel to ping pong ball size hail.

**trolleydriver** 6/20/2016, 8:02 pm

Weather update as of 8:00 pm.

We are now under a Tornado Warning! Yikes.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/20/2016, 11:01 pm

We had threats of pop-up storms tonight due to the heat and humidity....missed us. We could use rain, but it would be nice if it was just rain!

Hope you dodged the bullet, TD!

**sanderson** 6/21/2016, 1:49 am

First the rabbits, now the hail and wind. tongue

**trolleydriver** 6/21/2016, 9:38 am

The bad weather went to the north and south of us. We could hear thunder and see lightning in the distance. Where we are located it was windy but we didn't even get any rain. I'm thankful we missed the bad weather but we could have used some rain. So today it's back to hand watering the parched SFG and regular veggie beds.

petee_c 6/21/2016, 1:58 pm

how fast is stuff supposed to grow in the SFG?

I planted late May, peas were started indoors in early May. Currently haven't hit the 2nd roll of my trellis which is about 8" off the soil. Cucumbers have stalled at 2 leaves, each less than the size of a looney.

Cherry tomato plants are pretty small. Less than 4" tall....

Margay in Toronto, when did you start your garden?

CapeCoddess 6/21/2016, 3:11 pm

trolleydriver wrote:The bad weather went to the north and south of us. ... we could have used some rain.

HA! That's EXACTLY how it goes at my house all summer long!!! Drives me crazy! I can see it to the north and south, and on the radar it joins together again after it gets past us. So crazy.

BUT, this morning we got almost an inch of rain!
cloudy-bummer

What a wonderful surprise!
CC

Margay77 6/22/2016, 5:25 am

petee_c wrote:Cherry tomato plants are pretty small. Less than 4" tall....

Margay in Toronto, when did you start your garden?

Hi Petee - I started planting seedlings around May 24 - we had a cold spring.

My tomatoes aren't 4 ' tall, but they are growing well. Everything else started slow but seems to be picking up speed.....all my short crops like lettuce are harvestable now.

StrongAsMeat 6/22/2016, 8:36 pm

Hi gang! I'm still here, just haven't posted in a while. Here's what my little food beds look like as of this afternoon. I started on a fence last weekend, I need to extend the fence to the ground between the beds, and make a gate. My wife asked why I didn't surround them separately, but I would have had to build two gate, or reach over the fence to weed, and that ain't happening.

I'm starting to think I may have planted some seeds upside down because the aren't coming up. Razz

The big ones in the left row are beans, spinach bottom right, a tomato bottom middle and other stuff.

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 Tumblr_o977u3WmlQ1ry549vo1_400

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 Tumblr_o977u3WmlQ1ry549vo1_400

Here the two big ones on the left row is summer squash, and two zucchinis on the right. The stuff I want least are growing faster.

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 Tumblr_o977u3WmlQ1ry549vo2_400

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 Tumblr_o977u3WmlQ1ry549vo2_400

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 Tumblr_o977u3WmlQ1ry549vo3_540

**Scorpio Rising** 6/22/2016, 9:25 pm

Pretty! Good to hear from ya, SAM!

petee_c 6/23/2016, 10:13 am

I decided to try some Miracle Gro on the raised garden a couple nights ago. We had some blooming formula in our garage given to us from our inlaws almost a decade ago. Had some crazy numbers... I think it was like 10-50-10, not sure why the phosphates were so high.

Anyways mixed up some half strength in a water can (1 tablespoon for 8L of rainwater) and put it on our 32sq ft garden.... Of note we got one flower on 1 of 12 pea plants (before miracle gro)

I plan to buy some regular miracle gro (what numbers do you suggest?) and do a once week application....

Peter

**trolleydriver** 6/23/2016, 10:34 am

petee_c wrote:
I plan to buy some regular miracle gro (what numbers do you suggest?) and do a once week application....

Peter

Personally, instead of going the chemical route I would try a good compost mixture (5 different kinds) as used in Mel's Mix for ANSFG as a a side dressing. Homemade compost would be good. My neighbours use well composted horse manure in their regular row veggie garden and have good success. I am thinking of trying fish emulsion.

p14shooter 6/23/2016, 6:07 pm

well things are finally starting to look like a garden.

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 2016-06-23%2016.34.11

The other garden looks quite the same. I am being patient with the carrots this year. I hope they will amount to something. I have had a couple cuttings from the beets and I think they are starting to bulb up now. The lettuce I was complaining about seems to be doing a little bit of growing now, but I still expect it to bolt any time. The spinach and lettuce I planted in the planter seem to be doing ok at the front of the house. Onions may be starting to bulb up, I hate to dig around and squeeze them. I did have to dig down to the garlic today. That seems to be doing fine. Listening to all your talk here, I bought some slug bait and it seemed to stop the buggers from feasting on the beans. Life is as good as it gets.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/23/2016, 6:42 pm

Lookin' good, p14!

Peter, do you use Mel's Mix in your raised beds? It needs recharged after each crop with additional compost. I never have enough, so sometimes I side dress and rake in blood and bone meal. Do you want to stay organic ? MirAcle-Gro grow is chemical fertilizer. Some sources say it harms the soil bio system. Food for thought.

**Kelejan** 6/25/2016, 1:22 am

Margay77 wrote:
Kelejan wrote: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.

I hear you! These were not built for square gardening. I don't plant in alternate squares in the middle so I can step there.

Makes sense, Margay. Why not put a stepping stone in the squares you do not use. then you would not have to weed them.

**Kelejan** 6/25/2016, 1:24 am

countrynaturals wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:Nothing like company to make me clean the house! I just hosted my daughter's graduation party a week ago today, am still hurting from the weeding, deep cleaning, tidying, etc.! Good to do it actually. Built - in motivation!
I'm in the same boat. We had the Father's Day party at our house and the in-laws hadn't seen my sfg yet. My gardens were spotless, but my house was a disaster. It took hours to get it whipped into shape. Now I'm done in. I need a clone!

I can completely relate. Very Happy

In the old days I would have said I needed a wife. Now I would change it to housewife.

**Kelejan** 6/25/2016, 1:35 am

We have a big wedding at my neighbour's house tomorrow. Huge tent, no room for parking etc. I donated my driveway and roadside verge to take about three RVs and four cars. The wedding itself takes place at 4pm and then they will party all night go home on Sunday. I hope the sun shines for them and they have a great time.

Naturally I have been tidying up my garden just because. . . . Very Happy

Unfortunately it has been raining cats and dogs for the past two days, but I did get the roadside verge grass cut just before it all came down.

Luckily the weather forecast says cloud and some sunshine, no rain. 23C so it should be quite pleasant.

I fear for my strawberries. Been picking about a pound a day but have not harvested for two days and I fear they will be mouldy. I did get seven pounds of cherries from a friend and I am sick of pitting them and processing. Stained my fingernails on my left hand so badly that I had to use bleach to get them clean again. Such a shame as the cherry tree was laden and it only took me about twenty minutes to pick the seven pounds and the tree looked as though I had hardly touched it.

Two years ago I harvested about 64 pounds of golden plums and took them to market. Sold about 24 pounds and gave the rest to the food bank. I do know that I would not make a living at it so now I content myself with harvesting just enough for my own needs.

OFF TOPIC: I have been spending too much time these last two days watching the
TV and Internet as BREXIT has been happening. Although I have lived in Canada since 1979, I an still interested in what is happening in the country of my birth and upbringing. Now that it is over, sort of, I will get back to the things that I can influence, my own life. Very Happy

**sanderson** 6/25/2016, 3:46 am

Kelejan, I hope the weather cooperates with the wedding. I know what you mean about tidying up your area, just in case . . . Off topic, I'm a news hound so I also watched the process.

SAM, Good to hear from you happy hi

Petee, I'm suggesting that you go organic instead of Miracle Grow, especially with wild numbers like the one you had in the garage. Use something like the Espoma line of products. When you open a bag of organic, it should smell awful like dead poultry. Wink

Shooter, Glad the Sluggo worked.

Margay77 6/25/2016, 6:19 am

Kelejan wrote:

Makes sense, Margay. Why not put a stepping stone in the squares you do not use. then you would not have to weed them.

Yes, Kelejan, that is on my agenda, have to get to the store to get a couple. Thanks for the suggestion! CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 3170584802

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in June 2016? - Page 4 3170584802

**Kelejan** 6/25/2016, 8:26 am

Margay77 wrote:
Kelejan wrote:

Makes sense, Margay. Why not put a stepping stone in the squares you do not use. then you would not have to weed them.

Yes, Kelejan, that is on my agenda, have to get to the store to get a couple. Thanks for the suggestion!

Make them circular, will look prettier. Very Happy

You can also move them around when you need a change.

**Kelejan** 6/25/2016, 8:28 am

Kelejan wrote:
Margay77 wrote:
Kelejan wrote:

Makes sense, Margay. Why not put a stepping stone in the squares you do not use. then you would not have to weed them.

Yes, Kelejan, that is on my agenda, have to get to the store to get a couple. Thanks for the suggestion!
Make them circular, will look prettier. You can also move them around when you need a change. I think I will make use of my suggestion for myself. This year I have not managed to fill all my squares so if I put in something like that, it will help smother the weeds. But I do use a lot of mulch.

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