Maybe the hot weather early in the garden cycle doesn’t hurt. It certainly isn’t inhibiting the vegetative growth in the garden. The tomatoes are growing like crazy and only a few of them have fallen over in spite of the fact that they have not been tied up. One plant even has a couple of little tomatoes and one of the yellow crookneck squash has a blossom.
The sugar peas miraculously started producing again and there was a spurt in broccoli growth. The cabbage which normally has poor success in our garden is doing well. One has been picked and there are two more ready to pick. Ana is making a marinated coleslaw with the one that was picked.
The garden has been sprayed twice with BT and the bug damage has been extremely minimal so far. Some of the broccoli leaves are getting pretty ragged. They may have been missed with the last BT spraying. Last night brought a half inch of rain, so the spraying will need to be renewed again tonight with special emphasis on the broccoli.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Sugar peas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sugar peas. Show all posts
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
+90 Degrees not Good
Yesterday’s temperature was above 90 degrees. This causes the pollen that forms in some blossoms to deformed and prevents successful pollination. Tomatoes and corn are especially susceptible. Fortunately most of the corn is not yet blooming. There is no corn in our garden this year. It was too much of a temptation for the deer. The tomatoes are blooming. I think the high temperatures are the reason for last year’s poor tomato crop.
The sugar pea harvest has diminished to almost nothing. There are new blooms however so perhaps there will be more sugar peas. The vines still look healthy. They are almost 6’ tall. Usually by this time of year they are starting to get a little ratty. The squash are doing really well, but this morning one plant was laying on its side. The root system still seems to be well attached. Hopefully it will stand up by the afternoon.
The cucumbers have climbed about a foot on their fences. There are no blooms yet. Of the six grapevines only 1 has grapes. That is the same one that had grapes last year. The fig trees are loaded with little figs. Maybe we can make fig wine.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The sugar pea harvest has diminished to almost nothing. There are new blooms however so perhaps there will be more sugar peas. The vines still look healthy. They are almost 6’ tall. Usually by this time of year they are starting to get a little ratty. The squash are doing really well, but this morning one plant was laying on its side. The root system still seems to be well attached. Hopefully it will stand up by the afternoon.
The cucumbers have climbed about a foot on their fences. There are no blooms yet. Of the six grapevines only 1 has grapes. That is the same one that had grapes last year. The fig trees are loaded with little figs. Maybe we can make fig wine.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, May 6, 2011
Good Crop of Baby Rabbits
The yards at home and at the office seem to be hopping with baby rabbits. Yesterday as I went to the shed something jumped from under my feet. It was so small, I thought it was a chipmunk at first. It was a baby rabbit. So far, there seems to be no depredation in the garden. There is plenty of chickweed, clover and grass in the yard. If they will be satisfied with that, I will be satisfied with them.
The sugar peas are really plentiful. Only half of the bag was planted, but the yield is probably the best ever. They would be good with new potatoes. One disadvantage of the potato bag is that it is almost impossible to grapple new potatoes. The bag is almost full of dirt anyway so maybe it will just get dumped next week.
Knock on wood, the deer have not invaded the garden this year. The fence is not quite finished, but that is the number 1 project for the weekend. It would be good to clean up some of the vegetation on the neighbor’s side. I think that house is vacant and I may be able to get away with it.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The sugar peas are really plentiful. Only half of the bag was planted, but the yield is probably the best ever. They would be good with new potatoes. One disadvantage of the potato bag is that it is almost impossible to grapple new potatoes. The bag is almost full of dirt anyway so maybe it will just get dumped next week.
Knock on wood, the deer have not invaded the garden this year. The fence is not quite finished, but that is the number 1 project for the weekend. It would be good to clean up some of the vegetation on the neighbor’s side. I think that house is vacant and I may be able to get away with it.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
And the Rains Came (written 3/28)
The day before yesterday brought 1.4” of rain and confined me to the greenhouse. Yesterday (the 26th) the ground was too wet for most things. It was ideal weed pulling weather. The greenhouse did get some attention because repotting is so back breaking, it is better to do a little at a time. Today the rain is coming down big time. There are no more cups or potting soil and very little space on the heated mats.
The rain barrel is in overflow mode. The grass needs cutting. At least it was easy digging the post holes for the fence on the unfenced side of the garden. It is too wet to put the posts in though. Most of the sugar pea trellis was installed. Renfrow’s had some string net that looks like it will work really well. 30’ was not enough and they don’t open again until Tuesday.
All of the greens are doing great except for the arugula. It has gone to seed. At least it will be easy to pull off with the ground so wet. The onions that were started last month are already appearing in green salads and being chopped for garnish on soups and mashed potatoes and things like that.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The rain barrel is in overflow mode. The grass needs cutting. At least it was easy digging the post holes for the fence on the unfenced side of the garden. It is too wet to put the posts in though. Most of the sugar pea trellis was installed. Renfrow’s had some string net that looks like it will work really well. 30’ was not enough and they don’t open again until Tuesday.
All of the greens are doing great except for the arugula. It has gone to seed. At least it will be easy to pull off with the ground so wet. The onions that were started last month are already appearing in green salads and being chopped for garnish on soups and mashed potatoes and things like that.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
In Like a Lion?
More like a pussycat. It is March 1. It is a little bit cold, but the day is beautiful. Last night brought a pretty noisy thunderstorm. Today is lovely. Can’t wait to see what the lamb is like.
Yesterday at the master gardener class, there was a beautiful clump of parsley growing at the entrance to the classroom. Parsley plants have always gone in on Good Friday in our garden. It is a close relative of carrots though, so why should it not be cold hardy. Yesterday afternoon the parsley was taken off the heat pads and put on the unheated bench. Today it will go outside to start hardening off.
The sugar peas stuck their pretty little heads out of the ground yesterday. It is time to build a frame to hold the strings for them to climb on now. Last year the frame was 3’ high. That was not enough. This year it will be 4’. Some other garden construction needs building as well. There is one side of the garden that does not have the 8’ fence. There will also need to be trellises for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and winter squash.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Yesterday at the master gardener class, there was a beautiful clump of parsley growing at the entrance to the classroom. Parsley plants have always gone in on Good Friday in our garden. It is a close relative of carrots though, so why should it not be cold hardy. Yesterday afternoon the parsley was taken off the heat pads and put on the unheated bench. Today it will go outside to start hardening off.
The sugar peas stuck their pretty little heads out of the ground yesterday. It is time to build a frame to hold the strings for them to climb on now. Last year the frame was 3’ high. That was not enough. This year it will be 4’. Some other garden construction needs building as well. There is one side of the garden that does not have the 8’ fence. There will also need to be trellises for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and winter squash.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Cornfusion
The rains finally came. When I went to work yesterday morning (5/17) at about 6:15, the rain gauge showed about ½ “. I went by the house at about lunchtime and it showed 5”. That has to be some kind of mistake; but we did have a lot of rain. Look at the corn. It is smashed completely down. Maybe it will come back up.
The broccoli all got ready at the same time. We have cut 5 good sized heads. Now the side shoots are almost as big as the heads were. The sugar peas are yielding a handful of pods every day. There are some little squash that will surely be ready to pick by the end of the week, if not sooner. The cucumbers are climbing their fence, as are the watermelon and cantaloupe. The spaghetti squash is getting ready to climb.
The greens are producing all that we can eat or give away. The salad greens are too. The herbs are all harvestable except for the parsley. It will be big enough to cut by the weekend. My friends all have little tomatoes. The tomatoes in our garden are only at the blossom stage.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Where Have all the Flowers Gone
The sugar peas are chest high. They have no blossoms yet. It seems that they are of a size to have flowers by now and possibly even some pods. The sugar peas were our first garden construction of the season. 4’ bamboo poles were placed in the ground at the corners. 12’ poles were put at the top and bottom and string was woven between them like a cats cradle. We hope to facilitate and extend the harvest this year. Normally the peas lay on the ground and are very hard to find for us but not for the slugs. The vines are damaged harvesting the peas.
The spinach has been very prolific this year. Normally we get all we can eat; but no more. This year we have frozen some and given a lot away. No e-coli in home-grown spinach. The pepper spray seems to have worked pretty well to keep the critters away from the crops. There was 1 ½” of rain Saturday night, so the mess needs to be re-applied.
The corn is 1’ high and except for the first depredations, it has been left to grow. Some of it was side-dressed with compost this weekend. Some was not. It will be interesting to see how much difference the compost makes, if any.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Green Around the Gills
That is how I am celebrating St. Patty’s day. Daylight savings time got me really excited about having an extra hour every day to play in the yard. I forgot about my poor body. I am so sore that I ache all over. Nothing like an extra hour of tiller and posthole digger to bring pain. Exercise is like drugs. More exercise will hopefully take the pain away and make the yard and the garden look better.
The “dry water garden” is tilled and raked and ready for more planting. The line parallel to the sidewalk is tilled; but not raked. The posts for the deer fence are all installed. Everything in the garden is up except the potatoes and about 2/3 of the sugar peas. The garden is not as green as my gills; but it is getting there.
My friend Mitchell who is a brick mason gave me enough bricks to finish the floor of the greenhouse. Yesterday (the 16th), I went to an empty property and found a whole stack of bricks outside. Now I need another project to use the extra bricks.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The “dry water garden” is tilled and raked and ready for more planting. The line parallel to the sidewalk is tilled; but not raked. The posts for the deer fence are all installed. Everything in the garden is up except the potatoes and about 2/3 of the sugar peas. The garden is not as green as my gills; but it is getting there.
My friend Mitchell who is a brick mason gave me enough bricks to finish the floor of the greenhouse. Yesterday (the 16th), I went to an empty property and found a whole stack of bricks outside. Now I need another project to use the extra bricks.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
One Wet Weekend
The super soaking that we received over the nights this weekend killed a lot of plans; but it helped some others. The rain all came at night; so it did not force people inside. There were some people who started celebrating St. Patty’s day on Saturday morning at 9:00 am. Wow. They had a beautiful day for the parade.
The yard and garden were almost too soggy for walking. The grass did start growing though. The weekend was great for digging postholes; so the garden fence got started and most of the posts are planted. The fence will probably not keep the deer out; but maybe it will change their traffic pattern.
All of the crucifers have come up now and one or two sugar peas have sprouted. A few cabbage plants graduated from the greenhouse to the garden. They are not in cages; but they probably need to be.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The yard and garden were almost too soggy for walking. The grass did start growing though. The weekend was great for digging postholes; so the garden fence got started and most of the posts are planted. The fence will probably not keep the deer out; but maybe it will change their traffic pattern.
All of the crucifers have come up now and one or two sugar peas have sprouted. A few cabbage plants graduated from the greenhouse to the garden. They are not in cages; but they probably need to be.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Wearing of the Green
The price of corned beef has suddenly gone up and is on sale. Cabbage is too. Everyone is getting ready for St. Patty’s day. It is after all the real all American rite of spring. At least a few of the beds in the garden are getting their green clothes out. The Arugula came up on the 10th. The spinach, kale, rape, mustard and turnips popped up yesterday (the 11th). They should be large enough to bring color to the garden in another 5 days.
Something has been digging in the sugar peas. I hope the did not eat all the seeds. There were a couple of seeds laying on top of the ground; so maybe the digger was looking for earthworms. A few of the onion sets have sprouted. That means it is almost time to plant a follow-up crop. One never needs to run out of onions.
The cherry trees on Sardis Rd. are blooming. That is the signal that the sap is rising and Spring is springing. This weekend the time changes giving us an extra hour in the garden each day. Praise be to Mother Earth.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Something has been digging in the sugar peas. I hope the did not eat all the seeds. There were a couple of seeds laying on top of the ground; so maybe the digger was looking for earthworms. A few of the onion sets have sprouted. That means it is almost time to plant a follow-up crop. One never needs to run out of onions.
The cherry trees on Sardis Rd. are blooming. That is the signal that the sap is rising and Spring is springing. This weekend the time changes giving us an extra hour in the garden each day. Praise be to Mother Earth.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
