Mystery Seedlings

[surviort_wwdnet]

My squash plants are quickly succumbing to the blazing sun and ridiculous heat! Fortunately, I have new starters for all of them and will replant in fresh soil when they're big enough. My black beans are overrunning everything in the vicinity, so I'll have to tie them to the trellis net to make them behave. I found a tomato worm on one of my tomatoes today, so I sprayed the whole garden to get rid of any pests. I've been avoiding insect spray but I can't afford to lose the battle to little green worms.

Otherwise, I had other things on my plate today, so I did minimum maintenance and took a day off from intense gardening. Still shopping for a portable greenhouse that will fit on the stoop, but it's hurricane preparedness tax-free time, so I ordered a slew of batteries and a new AM/FM/SW/WB radio to replace my 20+ year old Radio Shack model that finally bit the dust.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

so, we had one worm and lucky no others on tomatoes...so, maybe the heat is what is affecting my squash as well as we have had leaves dying. I treated them with H2O2 thinking they had a fungus and will retreat tonight then with some baking soda solution.

Thanks for reminding me of the hurricane preparedness tax free time....

[surviort_wwdnet]

That was the first worm I found and I hope it's the last! Yesterday, my butternut squash plant was so wilted I almost called 911! This morning, after the irrigation system ran, it looked fine and I see a little squash growing. While one side of one of my spaghetti squash plants appears to be done for, the other side is still blooming and has a tiny squash on it. Waiting for the stem on my sugar baby watermelon to turn brown so I can pick it. Okra and spaghetti squash seedlings have sprouted and I think I'll pull up the Romaine to make room for some pepper transplants.

Picked a really nice cuke and made a cucumber and onion salad - delicious! I decided to hoe out my office and got a bunch of it done and almost filled up the trash can. Why do I keep all this junk?

I ordered AAA, AA, C, D, and CR2032 (not tax free) batteries to go with the LED candles I bought, which are tax free, plus the radio. There's more I could order but I think I'm done for now as next week we have an 11K+ roofing job on tap. Ouch!!!

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

yeah, roofing bills stink...We harvested 4 cukes ranging in size from 4"-6" and then a small deformed one that stopped growing. I did some pruning and sprayed some H2O2 on plants which the first spray seemed to help. I have some things that have not sprouted so I will be planting more of some things so that new grow bag and soil won't go to waste...I am back to work covering for a provider that is out for a couple weeks, then off for a week then back on for a week....Not sure I will offer anymore as it just isn't worth what they are paying to travel 42 miles each way, plus I really enjoy being home with my wife and working my garden and mini homestead...

[surviort_wwdnet]

Having to drive any distance right now is painful. Be careful out there! Gas here this morning was $4.75 and I'm glad I filled up a few days ago when it was $4.47. I am still in disbelief everytime I go into a store and see the increase in prices, and the decrease in product availability.

The only one of my seed starters that hasn't sprouted yet is the zucchini. The acorn squash will be ready to transplant in a week or so. I picked 2 cukes today and have turnips almost ready to pick. I have one tomato that's finally turning red, but I would guess there are at least 75 tomatoes in varying stages of growth in the bag garden. The baby butternut squash is twice the size it was yesterday.

I loved my job, but I wouldn't want to be doing anything but staying home, tending the gardens and watching produce grow, swimming every day, and driving my husband bonkers :cool:

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I enjoy going to work and seeing my friends there and some patients that I have taken care of for 10+ years...some 20 years....and love what I do....but I love being home with my wife more. Not sure I will agree to any more work time though. I gave my word back in November when she asked me, and I am a man of my word, but after June, I have no more scheduled.

Only think we are harvesting now is cherry tomatoes, usually about 4-7 per day. Probably have about 30 left to ripen. Seems the plant is slowing down and the leaves are turning brown. I am wondering if it is getting too much sun??? I might try moving it and see what happens...it is in a container. We have one butternut squash that is starting to turn tan-ish, so I think it will be picked soon. We have about 4 others that are not as big as this one that have not started to turn color. In the vertical garden we have crooked neck squash stating to produce, so we will see how that goes. The two we have now are bright yellow and beautiful. The grow bags are coming along. Have a few that nothing has started in so this weekend I may plant other things...will let you know what we plant.

[surviort_wwdnet]

A promise kept....your marriage is absolutely more important than anything.

Tomato leaves - I found that the leaves curling upward and feeling leathery is from too much sun. I guess tomorrow I will go to the garden store and get some shade cloth. I think the ridiculous heat (99 now, 94 at 10 am) and blazing sun are not helping! I have to figure out how I'm going to attach the shade cloth so I can cover/uncover the garden easily. I finally tied the black beans to the trellis to get them off my sugar snaps, and now the butternut squash (I have 2 of them now) wants to travel:(

I pulled all of the rest of the Romaine and added it to the compost - it was starting to get very leggy. Picked some sugar snaps, petted the acorn squash, admired 2 new cukes that should be ready to pick by tomorrow, and tied up some bush beans that are growing about 4' tall. As for my Bantam corn that's supposed to be 5 ft. tall...well I am 5 ft tall, and my husband wanted a picture of me and my corn. He finds this hilarious for some reason. I need to pick the corn before the roofers come next week!

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

wow...my corn is not even knee high yet...hope to have them that big some day....so are they full sun? Mine gets sun 8+ hours per day...

[surviort_wwdnet]

They are full sun for at least 8-10 hours, and I'm going to need a ladder!! They're also in a prime location for irrigation system watering.

My first black soybean has sprouted!! Most exciting part of my day:cool: More pickles waiting to be picked but will leave them for a day or two.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I am thinking I am not watering enough....My corn started strong and then slowed way down once they got about 6-8" tall. They are now about 10".

Also, since I am working and traveling, we were able to find a campground only minutes from work. So we were able to get in for this week...and hopefully we can extend it one week if they have space. Therefor, I decided not to plant anything else as I won't be able to be here to pamper them. My neighbor, who has her own garden and chickens and starting a tilapia farm will water for me.

She culled two of her chickens yesterday, but were two young to get much meat...but these two were bullies and disturbing the flock so they had to go. Here is a pic...


I got the beef, they have chickens, eggs and tilapia (maybe three more months for tilapia to get bigger)...we both are trying gardens (I am having better luck). We both are installing some solar to run critical things in our homes, I have a pitcher pump for water, I have more stored food...so we are trying to work together and get thru this, what I believe will be a multi-year event.

My wife asked the other day about solar running water heater for showers...I said...we have a trailer and as long as we have propane and/or power we can always use that....house water heaters draw a huge amount of power....

[surviort_wwdnet]

It sounds like you have a nice co-op going with your neighbor. It's good to have like-minded people nearby. We are not so fortunate, with too many rabid Obama devotees in the vicinity. There are still good people who are conservative and appreciate the fact that we had it much better before the current administration, but one neighbor told my husband that Trump was the cause of inflation, out of control immigration, disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, spiralling gas prices, etc. etc. - and there is no way to even talk to people who will violently defend the left no matter what. I say hello, or wave, and that's it. I really wish we could move somewhere with more land and more people who believe in self-sufficiency.

Solar...we have enough to charge the motorhome chassis batteries, which means we have enough for basic comfort. We just need to be mindful to keep the gas and propane tanks full if we need to run the roof AC. We have our own water source as long as we can keep enough gas to run the generator for the well pump. If we have to go pitcher pump, it will be a full time job to keep up with the watering needs.

Watering...I ran a drip line for my bag tomatoes. I put the bags as close together as I could to minimize water loss, and threaded the hose through the bag handles. There was enough to cover 14 tomato plants and 3 squash plants. I ran the water for about 30 minutes to get an acceptable moisture level. If I add a second drip line, I can cover the whole bag garden, but I will also need to buy a 25' garden hose and a hose splitter because the single garden hose we have on that spigot is used for other things. Still no rain here....

We are getting a new roof this week, and if we want to install roof solar, this would be the perfect time. Under consideration...with all the sun we have here, it might be a good investment to have enough to run the well pump and keep the fridge and freezer running. My wish list this week is 2 more 5-gallon gas cans and a third propane tank. Maybe we'll go to Costco tomorrow.

[surviort_wwdnet]

Quiet garden day; transplanted a dozen pepper plants, two spaghetti squash, and one okra. There are 2 big red tomatoes that will get picked tomorrow, a few cukes, and I think I'll snatch the first sugar baby watermelon (it sounds ripe). Pinto beans are turning yellow but I'll leave them until they all are yellow. This was a test plant and I see that pinto beans will grow very well as long as they have a trellis (they borrowed the acorn squash trellis). I have one spaghetti squash plant that's done, so I'll have to detach the vines from the trellis and get the bag out. I won't reuse the potting soil but will refill the bag with fresh soil and plant my yellow squash seedling. I'll put the used potting soil on a low spot in the yard.

I replanted my zucchini starter that didn't sprout, and some of my black soybean starters that didn't sprout. My first sugar snap planting is just about spent (I planted 10 more of them). As soon as it stops producing, I'll pull it out and also the green peas that are nearing end of life. That will leave plenty of room for the lima beans to go crazy in that container. Tomorrow I'll pick everything I can, get it processed, and then I'm going to can some butter.

Yesterday it rained - I mean it REALLY rained, and all of my plants are looking much less stressed.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

sounds like things are progressing well. I am away from my garden until Friday afternoon and I miss it. Wondering what I will find when I get home. My neighbor is taking care of it and I trust her, but you just never know what plants will do...

[surviort_wwdnet]

Squash borers have invaded my garden and I'll be pulling out and trashing 3 plants and the soil they were growing in. Ordered some BT and injection needles but too late to save some of them. Glad I restarted all of my squash plants last week. Otherwise everything else is looking good!

Husband added a spigot to the irrigation system that I can use with the 2 drip lines I threaded through my bag garden. After working in the 99 degree heat, it rained...then it rained again...then it rained again...then it rained a 4th time, and now it's thundering. Oh well, the drip line works but didn't need it today:eek:

[surviort_wwdnet]

In my effort to expand our food production, I ordered a small greenhouse where I can start seeds and grow seedlings before the weather is ready for transplanting. While not the greenhouse of my dreams, at 20"x40", it's the perfect size to sit on the stoop by the side door we never use, and where it won't be in the way. What I need right now is for my husband to decide which shade cloth he prefers, because it's only June and around 100^o every day. My tomato plant leaves are curling up all the time, all the while producing tons of tomatoes - they need some shade and some heat relief.

I pulled and trashed 2 squash-borer-destroyed squash plants, washed the grow bags with soap and water, and put the contaminated dirt on my tropical bed where squash vine borers will find nothing of interest. I injected Bt into the stems of the remaining squash plants, hoping to prevent any further damage. I sprayed all my bean leaves with Natria, put some Sevin around the soil, picked some tomatoes, and headed off to make BLTs.

Patriotic Sheepdog: This is the greenhouse I ordered:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096MG9GBP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1?