...ya' know, sometimes you have to take the little times and make them be big times....until the really big times return. I love to play in the water. Yesterday, I helped our ditch rider clean the ditch on the opening. You have to follow the water and clean the debris as it flushes itself out on the first run. It's not real exciting, but I love playing in the water. On the down stream end of a culvert, much to my surprise, instead of a clump of leaves....out popped a big skunk. I must have jumped 10'. So, for another summer, grass grows and water flows.
I was always late getting home from school as I loved to play in the ditches and make the water run straighter.
Peppers still under the lights. I wish it would start warming up a little more. Our season is kinda short here for peppers, especially fully ripe colored peppers so I don't like putting them out even in the greenhouse until nights are a little warmer.
I hear you... For better or worse I just put 5 pepper plants out. The spot I grow hot petters is on the sound side of my garden shed so it is in a micro climate, protected by north winds, and prone to daytime heating along the wall. I have gotten away with it before (starting them out so early), but some years they just sit there not doing anything until things warm up.
Shame about the short season. I usually put mine out late because they really don’t thrive until late hot summer. That reminds me. I have 3 plants of Carolina Reapers hanging in the shed and they need ground up.
My main compost has reached 140f internal temperature. Two or three more turns and it will worm infused and ready for a crop of zucchini on top, then it will be a fine loam to spread over the the garden sometime in August.
Black Raspberries Red and gold raspberries recovering from the rabbit pruning this past winter. Strawberries are coming back to life. There is a stump from a giant sunflower that I cut down last fall.
Nice healthy looking soil and plants you have there Brandon Scott. How do you support your tomato plants? Single stem and staked high, or grow them semi-wild in cages, with some pruning? In a 4' X 10' bed I put 3 or 4 indeterminate tomato plants which are surrounded by cages made with concrete wire mesh. These cages are around 5-6' around and 5' high. I initially prune the bottom branches to keep the leaves off the ground and stave off blight, and then don't prune until the tops reach over 7', and the side branches impede my foot paths.
I use cages that are 2’ in diameter. This is the first year for these raised beds. I put the cages staggered in the bed but touching. Then I planted the tomatoes. I will put the cages back shortly and where they touch I will wire tie them each in 3 places. At the ends I am gonna drive 7’ t posts to hold the whole mass together. My cages are 5 ft high. In this soil I think they will (or could) grow up to 12 feet tall. I am gonna keep about 10 inches pruned at the bottom for the blight. Staggered I think the wind will help keep the bottoms from being saturated. I irrigate everything with small emitters so I don’t soak the whole plant. I’m really enjoying this growing where you don’t have to bend over. I did see some interesting tomato trellis designs on YouTube I liked. Gonna try it in one bed. I will dig up a video and attach it in a minute. Thanks for the compliments.
I did something similar for pole beans, but bed to bed so you can walk underneath. Maybe more of them will get picked if they can be seen.
I do the same thing for cucumbers and pole beans! I make hoops out of the cattle panels. You just go under and the cucumbers hang there for picking. I have a large one between 2 beds this year and my cukes will be vining shortly. I’ll be able to walk under this one for picking. Great minds think alike.
Only about five of my 22 crowns are just starting to put out spears. The soil still feels cold. Hopefully by the end of next week I will have enough for a few meals.
