The ten day weather forecast for Charlotte calls for 90 degrees everyday and thunderstorms every two or three days. This is not great for people who enjoy being outdoors, but it is great for gardeners. It may not be that great for the corn and sunflowers. The tassels on the ears of corn are already starting to darken at the ends and the ears are not filled out. The rain has smashed the corn down several times and this has probably interfered with pollination. About 1/3 of the sunflowers are down too.
The little bitty tomato plants that were started around a week ago for the upside down tomato containers were transplanted to little pots on Sunday. They all seemed to survive. The basil seed that was planted to accompany them did not even germinate. The soil was probably too warm
The green beans and lima beans are the only things in the garden that have not bloomed except for the patty-pan squash that was planted Sunday. The beans are running strong though. When they do start producing at least they have healthy vines. The green beans are planted with corn and butternut squash. The smashed down corn may cause a problem there. Next year I may plant sunflowers with the three sisters and build a frame to support the whole mess.
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/
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Cucumbers and Onions
My wife’s favorite way to eat cucumbers is to marinate them in oil, vinegar and salt water with just a bare touch of sugar. Leave them in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better. I would add a few basil leaves. Michael Swol likes to add a jalapeño pepper. It is fantastic any way you do it.
We picked over 5 ½ pounds of produce yesterday (Sunday). Most of it was squash and cucumbers, but we did pick some mustard greens and salad stuff. I also replanted the patty-pan squash. I found a package of seeds at the Myers Park Garden center. They were “Renee’s” and they had 3 different varieties. The variance seemed to be mostly by color. They were planted in a 3’ wide bed, so they will probably run everywhere. There was a good thunderstorm yesterday that should get them off to a good start.
The thunder storm knocked down about 1/3 of the sunflowers. They were planted a little too close anyway. Today I will pull all of the downed ones and side dress the rest. They are just starting to make flowers.
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/
We picked over 5 ½ pounds of produce yesterday (Sunday). Most of it was squash and cucumbers, but we did pick some mustard greens and salad stuff. I also replanted the patty-pan squash. I found a package of seeds at the Myers Park Garden center. They were “Renee’s” and they had 3 different varieties. The variance seemed to be mostly by color. They were planted in a 3’ wide bed, so they will probably run everywhere. There was a good thunderstorm yesterday that should get them off to a good start.
The thunder storm knocked down about 1/3 of the sunflowers. They were planted a little too close anyway. Today I will pull all of the downed ones and side dress the rest. They are just starting to make flowers.
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/
Monday, June 14, 2010
Big Zucchini
The speed at which a zucchini grows is always amazing. There was a little zucchini on the vine Wednesday. It was no larger than my little finger. Last night the rain came pouring down so hard that I could not go to the garden. This morning that little zucchini was 15” long and huge. The pale zucchini on the bush that was supposed to be patty-pan squash grows much slower.
The same package of seeds that sprouted the spaghetti squash, is sprouting different types of squash. Of the three largest, one is the color of a melon and the others are pale green. The watermelon already has bunches of little melons on the vine. This year we want to do a better job of picking them at the right time (whenever that is). Last year they were good, but had too many seeds.
There is a tomato as big as my fist on the tomato vines. We are getting lots of cucumbers and the mesclun is still producing. Help me pray for that complete salad from the garden.
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 same package of seeds that sprouted the spaghetti squash, is sprouting different types of squash. Of the three largest, one is the color of a melon and the others are pale green. The watermelon already has bunches of little melons on the vine. This year we want to do a better job of picking them at the right time (whenever that is). Last year they were good, but had too many seeds.
There is a tomato as big as my fist on the tomato vines. We are getting lots of cucumbers and the mesclun is still producing. Help me pray for that complete salad from the garden.
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, June 10, 2010
Summer Bounty
Finally cucumbers have joined the garden salad. Tomatoes will be awhile. The squash plants are overflowing their beds. The greens are getting brown and lacy. It is time to get them out of the way so the squash will have more room. The sugar peas are still producing as is the broccoli, but they are starting to look kind of ratty.
I was a little disappointed because I thought that the zucchini I planted was a different variety. It turned out to be tasty, so I was fine. Now I am really disappointed, because what I thought was patty pan is a pale colored zucchini. I hope it is not too late to replant patty-pan. The real problem is that I don’t have any space yet. The broccoli is planted beside okra and cucumber. The sugar peas are in a 3’ wide bed. It is too early to pull the potatoes.
A year without patty-pan squash could be really sad. Maybe I can plant some in the front yard. I had better buy the seeds someplace else. I am sure if I go back to Renfrow’s they will be from the same batch.
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/
I was a little disappointed because I thought that the zucchini I planted was a different variety. It turned out to be tasty, so I was fine. Now I am really disappointed, because what I thought was patty pan is a pale colored zucchini. I hope it is not too late to replant patty-pan. The real problem is that I don’t have any space yet. The broccoli is planted beside okra and cucumber. The sugar peas are in a 3’ wide bed. It is too early to pull the potatoes.
A year without patty-pan squash could be really sad. Maybe I can plant some in the front yard. I had better buy the seeds someplace else. I am sure if I go back to Renfrow’s they will be from the same batch.
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, June 8, 2010
Here Come the Squash
Friday night there were enough squash to make a big mess of squash & onions. We used green onions from the garden too. Sunday there were over2 pounds of squash. We had squash casserole. Mick McNeely taught me a new trick. Pick a handful of Sage leaves. Get some olive oil hot in a pan. Drop the sage leaves in and crisp them and pull them right back out. It takes 5 seconds or less. Be careful not to overdo it. After the squash dish is cooked garnish it with the sage leaves. They provide a wonderful surprise when bitten into.
Zucchini is coming in now as well. The variety is not exactly what I thought was planted, but they are tasty. That is what counts. The patty-pans are covered with blooms. They all seem to be males. No squash there. There are three little spaghetti squash and several “pregnant” blooms. I am having to spray with BT every couple of days because we are getting so much rain. The fence and the human hair seem to be working fairly well for the deer, so I haven’t bothered with pepper spray. I see small rabbits in the garden every morning; but the garden is well advanced enough that they don’t eat much.
The corn is tasseled and has little ears. The height of the cornstalks is all different because of it being smashed down several times. Who knows if there will be any kernels on the corn?
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/
Zucchini is coming in now as well. The variety is not exactly what I thought was planted, but they are tasty. That is what counts. The patty-pans are covered with blooms. They all seem to be males. No squash there. There are three little spaghetti squash and several “pregnant” blooms. I am having to spray with BT every couple of days because we are getting so much rain. The fence and the human hair seem to be working fairly well for the deer, so I haven’t bothered with pepper spray. I see small rabbits in the garden every morning; but the garden is well advanced enough that they don’t eat much.
The corn is tasseled and has little ears. The height of the cornstalks is all different because of it being smashed down several times. Who knows if there will be any kernels on the corn?
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, June 3, 2010
First Across the Finish Line
Michael Swol sent an email this morning with a picture of a red tomato. I know it is true, because I saw the tomato in his garden when it was green. I am still green myself, with jealousy. I assume he took the picture yesterday, June 2. I don’t know of anyone who has picked a real tomato (not a cherry or grape tomato) yet, so I am assuming that this is the first in our circle of friends.
The rain gauge showed 1.4” of rain in the garden overnight. The corn was no worse off than before. No better either. The largest tomato is about the size of a ping pong ball now. The yellow squash picked yesterday was the largest yet; but still pretty small. The sugar peas and broccoli are still producing; but they look like they may be finishing their short but productive lives.
The little tomatoes that got started in the greenhouse Friday are poking their heads up. The basil has not. These will be for the upside down pots that can be brought into the greenhouse at the end of the season. Earthworm castings were harvested this weekend to make potting soil for them.
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/
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
(Sun)Flower Power
The sunflowers are 8’ tall and they still do not have flowers yet. Only a few have fallen over so far. The variety is “Mammoth Russian”. We have planted them before, but not since moving into the city. When fully mature the flowers should be at least 12” across. When dried they will be stacked in a plastic bag with the top open. They can be given to the birds one flower at a time. The birds and squirrels go crazy. The seeds are, of course, great roasted; but we are too lazy to shell them.
The corn is about 6’ tall; but laying down it is only about 1’ tall. The rain finally got the corn that was in the three sister’s bed as well. The rain helped everything else so much it doesn’t really matter. The corn is tassleing already, will this affect the pollination?
The squash is blooming and making yellow squash. The zucchini is coming slowly and the patty-pan has flowers, but no fruit. There are a couple of spaghetti squash on the vine, but no butternut squash yet. Tomatoes and cucumbers are growing slowly and the mesclun is holding out. We may get a complete salad yet.
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 corn is about 6’ tall; but laying down it is only about 1’ tall. The rain finally got the corn that was in the three sister’s bed as well. The rain helped everything else so much it doesn’t really matter. The corn is tassleing already, will this affect the pollination?
The squash is blooming and making yellow squash. The zucchini is coming slowly and the patty-pan has flowers, but no fruit. There are a couple of spaghetti squash on the vine, but no butternut squash yet. Tomatoes and cucumbers are growing slowly and the mesclun is holding out. We may get a complete salad yet.
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/
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