Sun, Sun Mr. Golden Sun

This is more like it. A whole 2 weeks of sun with just an occasional shower.

I've had 2 green peppers - and very nice they were. A couple of these no-yet-ready hot ones made there way into a chicken curry. Wicked.

A second crop of leaf lettuce.

Mountain Orach and Arrowhead lettuce have done well in the cool wet weather and provided a continuous crop.

Maybe a squash later....

And glorious tomatoes. One or two coming in each day. Nothing taste like a fresh heritage tomato straight from the vine. Ah! worth it.

Surprise - More Rain and local Tornado

Just in case I might need to fill the container I made up this device. The top end is an $11 hose attachment with the watering rose cut off. Some scrap 1/2" pipe was held in place with caulking.

Torrential rains and a tornado nearby.....

We had the wettest August since 1963 with twice the usual rainfall.

What more to say.

Rain Rain Rain and more RAIN

July and most of August were awful. Rain 3 days in 4 and only the odd sunny period. The whole garden went into a form of suspended animation. Tomatoes stayed green and small FOR THE WHOLE 6 WEEKS!!!

Anyway I did get some produce. Here we have rhubarb, zuccini, zucchini flowers, parsley, thyme and broccoli Rab. Thank's Jamie for the Carbonara recipe. All very good, just low yield. Also, a couple of meals of beans.

Replanting

I gave up on the squash and zuccini in Rosebery and Liverpool. Very poor specimens with no hope of a crop. I'm shure this was back to the soil problem. I know the containers that did poorly so lots of compost next spring.

Took out a few inches of soil at the top and added new triple mix and compost and replanted with Bulls Blood Beet and White Icicle Radish. More desperation than anything.

Last week I tried some Borage leaf. First time tasted. Last time tasted. A bit like old fish. I had planted a second container so dug it up and put in lettuce. I'll keep the one going as it is very healthy and they say the flowers are pretty.

Pictures, Pictures....

Came back after four sunny days in the city. Took some quick pictures before it started to pour with rain!

Aphid Update

Five days after spraying with the tomato leaf infusion and the aphids are still there. However, they have not moved and I suspect dead. No ants visible.

I'm using and old window cleaner bottle which does not have enough strength to wash the aphids off. Tried to buy a better one on the way up but no luck.

Only the leaf lettuce affected and it is a very healthy plant so I think the problem is under control.

Sun Forecast

We are looking foreword to a few days of sun so here is a picture of the garden. Looking good!!!!

Potatoes and rhubarb to the right, beans and zucchini on the left and tomatoes behind.

Aphids

This is what happens when you plant lettuces out of their natural habitat!

Unfortunately I could not get a picture of the herding ants - they retreated as soon as I moved the lettuce leafs. This is a fascinating story where ants herd aphids onto a leaf and then secrete chemicals that subdue the aphids and inhibit wing growth. The aphids eat the leaf and the ants eat the aphid's secretions that are a rich food. The aphids benefit as the ants fight off lady bugs and other predators.

My own response was to collect tomato leaves (suckers) and chop finely, soak in water overnight and then spray on the aphids. Will it work?

Technical "Problems"

The week before last I had to re-install the laptop software (thank you Vista). In the process I lost the Access database I used to maintain the plantings and export the html for the blog.

Got it all recreated and did 2 (yes two!) complete inventories to reconcile. Still a couple of containers where we will have to let things grow to see what they are.

The new grid shows replanting.

Also revised the pricing to reflect some recent purchases, mainly soil.

Not all is lost

The nutrient problem only seriously affected some pumpkin and minor impact on the beans. This zuchini is doing very well and we have had adequate salad greens for a couple of weeks now.

Nutrient Dificiency

Some of the beans and pumpkin have pale leaves and slow growth. I thought we had a problem with too much rain. Then I realised these two pumpkins were started together and one was transplanted. Looks like a nutrient deficiency. Looked it up on the web and seems like nitrogen and just about everything else is missing.

I've started a treatment of Wegener's fertilizer. Now wait and see?

The soil (triple mix or black earth plus animal fertilizer) was bought from a variety of sources. Should have kept a record. Next year its leaf vegetables in the bean pots.

Public Enemy #1

Lots of these delightful creatures on the lettuce. Started pulling them off -major yucky - then a friend of my son came up and got them drunk on beer. He cut bottoms off small plastic bottles to make shallow (about 3/4") dishes that were placed around the garden and filled with beer. Every one of those is now full of dead slugs, at least 6 in each. Time to clean out and refill.

Dreadful waste of beer. Hope they like Coors Light and don't get into my Boddington!

Raining Again...

Here it is July 7th and it is 16 C (62 F). We have had rain 2 days out of 3 in the past 3 weeks!!!! So here is a quick pictorial update:

Tomatoes comminag along well, some in flower.

Zuchini starting some flowers

Beans are a bit pale so I suspect too much water.

Rhubarb and Potatoes looking great

I'm quite concerned about the pumpkin and squash whish are growing slowly and have very pale leaves. I suspect too much rain and have been dumping water from the resevoir in the containers. Good job we drilled drainage holes.

Here's hoping for a hot sunny week! Checked the forecast and rain every day except Wednesday.

First up was a radish followed by rhubarb and lettuce. There were 5 adults so we sliced the radish paper thin and had a couple of slices each. Surprise - what flavour. Tasted like the radishes we got at home in England in the 50's. Cleared the sinuses.

Beginning the think there is truth in the heritage seed thing. Just finished reading "In defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. Highly recommend.

Seedling Containers

They say we learn by our mistakes so here is a lesson. DO NOT grow seedlings in these bottles. Impossible to get them out without damage!!

Straight side containers are mandatory next year.

Progress

Here are some photos to show how things are progressing

Even the carrots are starting!

Black Flies

Just in case someone has not seen these delightful creatures. Note the two on the left that have got up under the glove and feasting on my blood!!!

Thinning Out

I was advised to thin out the containers where we had planted extra seeds. However, the Cheyenne bush pumpkin looked so good I could not resist planting this poor specimen from Churchill to:

Netting

Here you can see the nettting for the beans and tomatoes. Attached to chord at the top and tied to holes drilled in the rim of the containers. The netting is available from Lee Valley: http://www.leevalley.com/home.aspx

Picture Time

Raining hard all day but had to take some pictures -

Yes, I will tidy up - but only when the rain stops!

Rhubarb

Memo to daughter: Can I transplant one of these squash?

Freebie blackberry growing in the enclosure!

Potatoes

Squash, Brussels Sprouts and zucchini

Squash and peppers


Salad corner - less sun here

Tomato Row