2022 Garden Thread
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Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Despite all the eggplant seeds I planted in 10 small 3.5" pots, I got very few viable eggplants. Today, I transferred 8 of them to larger pots. They will live their lives in the greenhouse.
So, the summer greenhouse is all set with 19 pepper plants, 5 Tiny Tim tomato plants, and 8 eggplants. All the rest of my seedlings, only flowers at this point, are sitting outside the greenhouse waiting to be planted down in the field.
That clump sitting on the milk box at the back of the greenhouse are my 4 pots of basil and 4 pots of parsley.
So, the summer greenhouse is all set with 19 pepper plants, 5 Tiny Tim tomato plants, and 8 eggplants. All the rest of my seedlings, only flowers at this point, are sitting outside the greenhouse waiting to be planted down in the field.
That clump sitting on the milk box at the back of the greenhouse are my 4 pots of basil and 4 pots of parsley.
I may need to grow my peppers and cantaloupe in the greenhouse this year. We're having a record cold spring and the long-range forecast looks like more of the same perhaps until the end of June. In the past, this has not always worked out well due to fungus gnats and aphids, but I am going to try in big pots instead.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Try these. I bought them when my indoor tomato plants got fungus gnats this past winter. Within a few days, I never saw another fungus gnat. I usually don't have a problem with fungus gnats in the greenhouse, but last year I had a problem with aphids and white flies on my greenhouse eggplants. I had to spray them with neem oil once a week. This year, I am going to use these traps. Much easier.
Amazon product ASIN B07QKLHH5X
I’m thinking about putting some yellow sticky traps near my zucchini and pumpkins to see if I can catch any squash vine borers. I’ve seen two adults in the past couple of days. I managed to smash the first between my hands, but I’m not fast enough to do that regularly. I’ve been finding eggs on the stems and leaves of my plants and removing them, but I think some larvae may be inside already. I’ve had some severely wilted leaves that I’ve removed. I didn’t find anything in the stems, though. The plants are still quite young and small and don’t have any flowers yet, so there are no bees visiting. If there are already larvae in the base, they won’t make it, of course. The plants are small enough that I don’t feel comfortable cutting into the main stem at this point.
I have some blue hubbard squash planted as a trap crop. I’m not trying to save that. I’ll just let them infest it and then drown them. I do want to save the zucchini and pumpkin if I can though. I thought that maybe the sticky traps might keep the adult from laying quite so many eggs.
It has continued to be hot and dry down here. I have a good number of tomatoes set on my plants from earlier in the spring (almost typed summer because that’s what it feels like, but it is only half way through May). I think the fruit isn’t setting so much now, though, because of the high heat.
I did harvest a few Carminat Pole Beans this afternoon. It’s not enough to make a meal, so I’ll figure out something to do with them, but I didn’t want to leave them on the plant too long while waiting for others. I don’t know if they’ll set more beans right now. I just checked our thermometer, and it said 97. Thankfully the beans are on the side of the garden that gets afternoon shade earlier, so they’ll be getting out of the sun soon.
I have some blue hubbard squash planted as a trap crop. I’m not trying to save that. I’ll just let them infest it and then drown them. I do want to save the zucchini and pumpkin if I can though. I thought that maybe the sticky traps might keep the adult from laying quite so many eggs.
It has continued to be hot and dry down here. I have a good number of tomatoes set on my plants from earlier in the spring (almost typed summer because that’s what it feels like, but it is only half way through May). I think the fruit isn’t setting so much now, though, because of the high heat.
I did harvest a few Carminat Pole Beans this afternoon. It’s not enough to make a meal, so I’ll figure out something to do with them, but I didn’t want to leave them on the plant too long while waiting for others. I don’t know if they’ll set more beans right now. I just checked our thermometer, and it said 97. Thankfully the beans are on the side of the garden that gets afternoon shade earlier, so they’ll be getting out of the sun soon.
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Finally got much of the garden in. Chuck and 3 of the rabbits have gone to better places.
I still need to work on some fencing so I can get some other beds planted.
Made one mistake while planting. Thought I was planting yellow squash among the tomatoes. Looked in the pocket and found the unopened yellow squash packet. It oh. Shuffled all things around to find what I planted and realized it was zucchini. Oops. Good thing there are lots of seeds in the packet and only a couple plants go a long way. I can’t see them doing well under the tomatoes.
I still need to work on some fencing so I can get some other beds planted.
Made one mistake while planting. Thought I was planting yellow squash among the tomatoes. Looked in the pocket and found the unopened yellow squash packet. It oh. Shuffled all things around to find what I planted and realized it was zucchini. Oops. Good thing there are lots of seeds in the packet and only a couple plants go a long way. I can’t see them doing well under the tomatoes.
Has anyone grown Beaver Dam peppers? Yes, they are a real thing. Brought to Beaver Dam, WI by a Hungarian family around 1912. I picked some up from a local grower yesterday. She says they have a great flavor.
www.pepperscale.com
Beaver Dam Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses
When you think chili peppers, Wisconsin may not be the first place that pops into your mind. But there's a hidden treasure up near the Canadian border with a very fitting name. The Beaver Dam pepper…
www.pepperscale.com
Good thing you caught it right away. We only grow two zucchini plants now. Any more and we would be slipping them on people's doorsteps at night.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
I stopped growing zucchini a few years back. Even my chickens began to hide when they saw me coming with another one! LOL
I think I may have to start over with my attempts at zucchini or just abandon the attempt entirely. The vine borer pressure is just so great down here, and I am not winning any of my battles against them. I saw more damage when I was putting up yellow sticky strips around the stalks today.
I had hoped to have my husband help me put bird netting over our peach tree yesterday evening to protect the ripening fruit from squirrels. We both noticed as we walked by yesterday that there were peach pits on our walkway. The peaches weren’t completely ripe, but they were well on their way, so plans changed. Instead of trying to protect them outside, my oldest child and I harvested them all and brought them inside to finish ripening.
The small basket in front contained the peaches that were in some way damaged. The other two baskets were the unharmed peaches. I just spread them out so that they wouldn’t be piled too high.
The peaches are really small. The tree itself is pretty small after sustaining major damage during the freeze of February 2021. This year it was also in full bloom when the temperatures dropped to 28 degrees, so I wasn’t really expecting anything of a crop. I was surprised and delighted when it set fruit, but I didn’t really pay attention to the fact that it was a fairly heavy crop. I should have thinned and didn’t. Between the heavy crop and the drought, the peaches are really small (and sort of a pain to process because they’re clingstone). Most of them need more time to ripen, but we’ve enjoyed eating a few, and I used the damaged ones tonight to make a quart of peach ice cream. It was a delicious treat at the end of another hot day.
I had hoped to have my husband help me put bird netting over our peach tree yesterday evening to protect the ripening fruit from squirrels. We both noticed as we walked by yesterday that there were peach pits on our walkway. The peaches weren’t completely ripe, but they were well on their way, so plans changed. Instead of trying to protect them outside, my oldest child and I harvested them all and brought them inside to finish ripening.
The small basket in front contained the peaches that were in some way damaged. The other two baskets were the unharmed peaches. I just spread them out so that they wouldn’t be piled too high.
The peaches are really small. The tree itself is pretty small after sustaining major damage during the freeze of February 2021. This year it was also in full bloom when the temperatures dropped to 28 degrees, so I wasn’t really expecting anything of a crop. I was surprised and delighted when it set fruit, but I didn’t really pay attention to the fact that it was a fairly heavy crop. I should have thinned and didn’t. Between the heavy crop and the drought, the peaches are really small (and sort of a pain to process because they’re clingstone). Most of them need more time to ripen, but we’ve enjoyed eating a few, and I used the damaged ones tonight to make a quart of peach ice cream. It was a delicious treat at the end of another hot day.
Has anyone grown Beaver Dam peppers? Yes, they are a real thing. Brought to Beaver Dam, WI by a Hungarian family around 1912. I picked some up from a local grower yesterday. She says they have a great flavor.
Beaver Dam Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses
When you think chili peppers, Wisconsin may not be the first place that pops into your mind. But there's a hidden treasure up near the Canadian border with a very fitting name. The Beaver Dam pepper…
Those look really interesting, Begreen. My father-in-law spent his childhood in Hungary and used to cook some excellent Hungarian dishes. My children like exploring a Hungarian cookbook that we have (written in English, or we’d be hopeless) and making some traditional dishes.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
I got all the fruit trees, fruit bushes, and fruit vines fertilized today with a new fertilizer I bought. Kellogg Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer. (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ke...)
I also got two small, raised garden beds down into the field. They are 3 x 2. I have 4 - 3 x 6 raised garden beds I want to make into 6 - 3 x 3 raised garden beds by cutting one of them in half and "sacrificing" it to make the 4th side of the ones I cut in half. I'm going to plant annual and perennial flowers in them down there.
I also got two small, raised garden beds down into the field. They are 3 x 2. I have 4 - 3 x 6 raised garden beds I want to make into 6 - 3 x 3 raised garden beds by cutting one of them in half and "sacrificing" it to make the 4th side of the ones I cut in half. I'm going to plant annual and perennial flowers in them down there.
Partial rhubarb harvest tonight. Need to deliver 2 bags to friends. I knew the wife was not looking forward to processing when she started calling people to find out if they wanted some, lol.
Well, a prime example of why my wife has low expectations. She decides to make strawberry rhubarb pie, because she bought a lot of strawberries last night and I decided to horrify her with a surprise rhubarb harvest. We have all of the ingredients except flour and pie crusts. I get sent to the store. I bought the wrong pie crusts, and chose the “good stuff” flower… I guess we normally buy the cheap stuff? Anyway, she’s off buying the right pie crusts, lol. And told me now she’ll have to make cheesecake since that’s the crust I bought. I thought a graham cracker crust would make a great pie.
Well, good thing I like cheesecake!
*Always look on the briiiight side of life!* (whistling now)
Well, good thing I like cheesecake!
*Always look on the briiiight side of life!* (whistling now)
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Today, I filled 2 - 2 x 3 raised beds with soil and 1 - 4x4 raised bed with soil down in the food forest. I filled them with flowers: Forget-Me-Nots, Zinnias, Marigolds, Yellow Fern Yarrow, Black Eyed Susans, Shasta Daisies, and a few sunflower seeds.
I started dismantling the 3 x 6 raised beds in the backyard. I am going to make a bunch of 3 x 3 raised beds from them to scatter around the food forest with flowers to attract pollinators.
You can see the raised beds I removed in the foreground of this picture. The 2 in the left foreground have garlic in them, so I can't move them until late summer.
I started dismantling the 3 x 6 raised beds in the backyard. I am going to make a bunch of 3 x 3 raised beds from them to scatter around the food forest with flowers to attract pollinators.
You can see the raised beds I removed in the foreground of this picture. The 2 in the left foreground have garlic in them, so I can't move them until late summer.
I started planting flower seeds also. Hopefully they come up nicely.
Were the beds not well enough protected outside of the food forest? Are you trying to get everything together for the ease of watering? What are your plans for the space those beds will be vacating?
It has continued to be hot and dry here. We hit 100 degrees today with lots of sunshine. (Those are hot July temperatures, not the normal May.) I filled all the ollas in the garden and gave the plants some surface water. There may be a cooler front pushing down this weekend, so we might have some relief if temps get down to the eighties for highs.
I have a couple varieties of cherry tomatoes that are starting to show hints of color change on the early fruits, and there are some larger-fruited varieties that haven’t set any fruit yet at all. Even heat lovers have their limits.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
No, they were protected in our backyard area by a fence, and we have been growing in them for a few years now. We just decided to move all our raised beds down into the food forest and grow our annual vegetables down there, too. The level part of our backyard is on the small side before it begins to slope downhill (just beyond those beds). A large part of the level area is taken up by our greenhouse, chicken coop/run, raised pond, a tool shed and a garden shed. I would like to be able to have more area to plant flowers in the backyard and have a nice seating area. We will also now have all of our food-growing efforts within the food forest.
Hope the temperatures come down somewhat for you. You folks have been having unseasonable hot temps and less rain. I feel sorry for those trying to garden in the south and southwest. This has been a tough season already.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
We scored another 20 cubic yards of wood chips from a guy who has done tree work for us from time to time. I told him we could use another 3-4 truck loads. I would like to get the rest of the food forest covered with chips before the end of this growing season. Right now, it is only about 1/2 covered, and about 1/3 of that we have to recover since we used builder's paper instead of cardboard when we started. The builders paper disintegrated, and a lot of grass grew through the chips. Now we put down a double layer of corrugated cardboard before laying chips.
I just read an article naming rhubarb as the next superfood.
Am I wrong in thinking that eating a quarter of that pie is a good breakfast? It has strawberries too! Lol
If not, than my backup excuse is I’m doing my part to get leftovers out of the refrigerator.
Am I wrong in thinking that eating a quarter of that pie is a good breakfast? It has strawberries too! Lol
If not, than my backup excuse is I’m doing my part to get leftovers out of the refrigerator.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Today was wet and overcast until about 3pm, but we got a ton of work done.
I finally finished the 2nd 7 x 7 bamboo trellis and installed it in the pergola.
I also put together a cedar raised garden bed that I bought last year and never used. I filled it and planted some purple cone flowers, yellow fern yarrow, and black eyed susans in it. The cone flowers were taken from another garden. They got a bit droopy, but they are looking better now.
We got the netting on the trellis area for the cucumbers, acorn and butternut squash, cantaloupes, and Lincoln peas.
We put another layer on our new asparagus. 15 of 20 plants came up so far.
And, we added some soil to the 3 beds of potatoes. Here's one.
The rest of these pictures are just some random shots of the food forest.
More flowers for the pollinators.
A view from the southeast corner
A view from the southwest corner
The windmill we recently installed
A view from the northwest corner
A view from up in the backyard
Onions
Some of the young fruit trees
Our Concord Grape vine
Bush Beans (Contender and Blue Lake) and Snappy Peas
One of the 4 tomato beds
Detroit Beets and Purple Top Turnips
Two more raised flower gardens and the bird bath
I finally finished the 2nd 7 x 7 bamboo trellis and installed it in the pergola.
I also put together a cedar raised garden bed that I bought last year and never used. I filled it and planted some purple cone flowers, yellow fern yarrow, and black eyed susans in it. The cone flowers were taken from another garden. They got a bit droopy, but they are looking better now.
We got the netting on the trellis area for the cucumbers, acorn and butternut squash, cantaloupes, and Lincoln peas.
We put another layer on our new asparagus. 15 of 20 plants came up so far.
And, we added some soil to the 3 beds of potatoes. Here's one.
The rest of these pictures are just some random shots of the food forest.
More flowers for the pollinators.
A view from the southeast corner
A view from the southwest corner
The windmill we recently installed
A view from the northwest corner
A view from up in the backyard
Onions
Some of the young fruit trees
Our Concord Grape vine
Bush Beans (Contender and Blue Lake) and Snappy Peas
One of the 4 tomato beds
Detroit Beets and Purple Top Turnips
Two more raised flower gardens and the bird bath
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