So yeah

Honestly, this year was so disappointing that I didn’t want to record it. Deer. Raccoons. ROBINS. Grosbeaks. Stupid weather patterns. (Warm weather started late- then immediately got over 90 then cold again.)

Green beans recovered after I fenced them in against deer, but other than that and some excellent carrots everything was a bummer.

Here’s hoping 2024 is better.

Yesterday we pulled the tomatoes (all green) and planted garlic. Duganski & Italian late & music (in that order starting from shed).

Green tomatoes went in a box, and I dug up some of the peppers and bagged them for the greenhouse.

Fertilizing, weeding, progress, uppotting

It’s been warm for a few days, but we’re in for a stretch in the 40-50s. I weeded and fertilized the strawberry patch, fertilized the potted herbs, harvested more rhubarb for soda, mint for drying. The older plum tree is finally blooming, so hopefully we’ll get some pollinators. the peas are finally large enough to uncover, and the beets and carrots are sprouting. Garlic and onions are doing well. Potatoes (from grocery store) are sprouting and I’ve covered them a couple of times.

I up- potted a few of the larger starts and put them on the floor of the greenhouse, and moved the (late) sprouted peppers into 3” pots. I’m still unhappy with my starts, but I think some will pull through. (Btw- I felt the same way last year and it wasn’t as cold!) I definitely think starting with the little pods and transplanting is the best way to go.

The squash in the walls look good, the ones outside not so much- which I expected. I also fertilized the asparagus and cut a few pieces.

Garlic and Cleanup

Fiiiinnnallly got some rain and got garlic in the beds that had tomatoes. South A got (east to west) Italian Late, Duganski, and Music. West H got a mix of (east to west) soft neck and hard neck from this year’s harvest.

While we’re leaving most stuff out for now- I also cleaned up the tomato bags and okra. I transplanted the healthiest looking pepper plants into the greenhouse (with the heater) and one okra. We’ll see how they fair. i also started some beet and arugula micro greens in there.

Favas

I obviously did not pay enough attention, and it looks like a lot of my favas started drying. That’s great, but since I had so much spoilage last year I assumed that the black pods were diseased and cut down the plants that had them. Fortunately I caught myself and consulted the trusty internet. I’m going to peel what I pulled and see what I got.

I pulled some more garlic today. The “silver and white” variety is smallish, and the size of the music is all over the place- but they look healthy. It’s very warm outside so I hope they (and your onions) cure in the shade spot I built for them.

Other things are looking up in the garden. I increased watering to 80 minutes to offset the heat. Had a few more sungolds.

Ok harvest today

Got a couple of strawberries, a bunch of rhubarb, started pulling the onions for curing, more garlic scapes, thinned some carrots, 2 more sungold tomatoes, a bunch of snap peas…

The runner beans are starting to flower- the green beans are still going slow and look a little sun bleached. The favas have some burst pods and need more attention- may rethink for next year. also, there are a couple tomatillo pods forming.