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Post by Mumsey on Jul 18, 2022 4:03:40 GMT -5
Things sure grew while I was away for 2 days! Picked beans and broccoli first thing. Pole beans are starting to produce. In reflection, I'll probably never plant an early broccoli crop again! And I may be done starting onions, such a bust this year with the Patterson not being Patterson seed. The Walla Walla plants I purchased and put in are leaps ahead of the seed grown ones. If DH doesn't approve of the tomatoes I planted just for him, I'll go back to the old ways of just planting Oxheart. But once the weather settled, things have improved immensely. The other day a neighbor said "it's a jungle out there", in reference to my garden.
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Post by gianna on Jul 20, 2022 18:22:21 GMT -5
So far the garden has been a mixed bag from abject failures to pleasing successes. Many of the failures can be attributed to critters of one type or another from some detroying entire plants, to much less bee activity this year.
Failures: The critters totally ate almost all the green bean plants, and 3 batches of pea plants. Gophers ate 6 lush pepita plants, and the remainder didn't get sufficient pollination. I decided to replant the pepitas (hulless pumpkins) and grow them in 15 gallon containers. Turns out the baby quail like the young leaves, can get into the pots, so I'll probably not get much. The new vines were ravaged. Not bunnies or squirrel damage.
Tomatoes have only been so-so this year. And the critters are getting too many of the fruits. Good thing I was able to dehydrate many last year. The numex peppers aren't setting many fruits, though the plants look good. Another pollination issue. But the season can last long here.
Successes: The onions were amazing. I got several that were almosst 2 and a half pounds. And the red onions are very firm and good-tasting though not as large (which I prefer). The baby corn was successful, and I let some go to seed. So there will be lots of popcorn too. The very early experiments with Asian greens was worthwhile. Heading into the coming winter, they will be less of a mystery. The cabbages have been great. More versital than I thought. And figuring out celery has been both fun and rewarding. This should make a fine winter veg here.
The drought is making everything worse including critter pressure. Can't really blame them. Going into next year, if we don't get rain, next summer's garden could be extremely reduced and gray water dependent.
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