4 Week Update

It's been four weeks from the time we planted seeds. Some plants are doing well, others are struggling, and still others are getting eaten by something or other. Unless Tom is snacking when I'm not looking, we have some pests to tend to.

I went to the library and checked out two books and a DVD by master gardener Jerry Baker. He uses pesticides and fertilizers that you make from common items in your home. One pesticide Tom used the other day consisted of dish soap and tobacco juice. Strange mixtures, but if they work, we're happy.

Here's a rundown of what's happening in TYs Garden today.

Lettuce: Very clumped together but finally doing well. I spread out a few of the shoots, but it doesn't look like they re-rooted well. I won't try moving any more until the roots become more developed.
Cucumbers: These guys are rockin'! Some leaves started turning yellow/brown. I suspected it was due to lack of water. After a few waterings and a good rain they perked right up. AND they've started to blossom (see the flower) which means cucumbers are on the way!

Swiss Chard: Struggling, struggling, struggling. These guys seem to be getting eaten before they get a running start. Many seeds came up, but they were soon gone. Going to do our best to keep the few that are growing alive and flourishing.

Spinach: At least I think there's spinach in there. A lot of what you see is clover and weeds. I'm having a difficult time distinguishing the spinach from the clover. I'll likely leave this alone for a while until the spinach becomes more recognizable.

Collards: These havd taken off like nobody's business! Tom has thinned out this bed twice! He has also sprayed with the Jerry Baker pesticide formula, but as you see, something is still munching on it. We'll need to re-spray this weekend.

Carrots: No problem telling what's what here. Those bushy tops are pretty distinct. And no problems with bugs thus far.

Broccoli: This bed is doing well. Still can't picture how these will turn into broccoli... and not sure how/when to thin them either. Playing the "watch and see" game with the broc.

Squash: These seeds were planted a full two weeks after everything else. They were not going to be the runt of the garden, no way, no how! I suspect we're going to be eating squash casserole, squash salad, squash pie, squash omelets, squash bread, squash stir fry, squash smoothies, etc.

Blue Lake Beans (green beans): Well what can I say about the beans? They are doing great! We'll be shopping for a few trellises (or is it trelli?) this weekend so the beans can grow vertically. That way we'll be able to get more from each plant. These, like the cucumbers, are starting to flower (see next photo).

These are some peppers I started in containers back in May. Not part of the big garden... but vegetables nonetheless. A few weeks ago I made salsa with them. Wish they had more heat, but they do have a strong pepper flavor.

~Y