It's hot in the garden... 107 days

It is soooo hottttt outside. This heat is unbearable. The tomato plants have stopped producing tomatoes and the leaves are getting burned.  All the spicy peppers are producing but all other peppers have come to a rest.  I guess peppers like it hot but not this hot.  Eggplants are doing well but being attacked by white flies... grrrr.  My watermelon rotted; better luck next time. Since I started powdering the corn with Sevin it began shooting up. Those corn worms are so destructive, they will eat up all the plant before you can blink.  I hope I get to eat some of that corn.

I got new green beans in the works; woot, woot.  The bugs killed my squash plants; grrr.  I uprooted the cucumber vine and am in the process of growing a new one.  I also have zucchini plants in the works.  I've been powdering them so these dumb bugs don't kill them. Bugs, bugs, and more bugs; a never ending battle.

Anyhoot, I'm going to start tea composting in hopes that my soil becomes better and the plants become resistant to bugs. Wish me good success. lol

Thanks for visiting.

Till next time, debb.

 

80 days; not 3 months but almost...

I've heard lots of gardeners and farmers tell folks that they shouldn't give up on gardening if things don't go as expected.  Well, they are right.  I've been mad, disappointed, sad, and thought about giving up all together. The one day I decide I'm going to give up I spent 4 hours in the yard replanting, debugging, pruning, organizing, weeding, and my brother installed the drip system he built in the beds.  BTW, thanks a bunch Oscar; it works perfectly.

I stared at the cucumber vine and said to myself that I was going to rip it out of the ground and not try to grow cucumbers again. So long waiting, killing squash bugs, hand pollinating, seeing no results, really disappointed me.  I was tired, sweaty and it was starting to rain when I looked over to the hose to shut it off and I saw a cucumber next to it. I did a double take and screamed, OMG, is that what I think it is? My brother began to laugh and said, "I thought you knew that was there?"  Negative, I was about to end the life of the vine.  I jumped for joy and thanked Jesus for showing me that things take time and if I don't give up I can reap a good thing.

Anyhoot, since I put the watermelon vine next to the cucumber vine, lots of bees and bumble bees are hanging around and doing their good deed.  That is awesome!  I've got more cucumbers and watermelons growing.  I'm so excited.  I'm so glad that I ever decided to plant a seed and see how it all turns out. In the process I have my flip flops imprinted on my feet from the sun but that is alright cause the satisfaction of eating fresh picked veggies compensates for it all.

Almost forgot to mention that I've canned the banana peppers, made Puertorican hot sauce (pique) with the cayenne peppers, dried up the sweet basil, let the swallowtail caterpillars eat my dill, and loving it all.



Till next time, debb.

SWEET PEPPERS

SPICY PEPPERS

CALABAZA

2ND BATCH OF JALAPENOS

2ND BATCH OF EGGPLANT

COLLARDS

2ND BATCH OF CAYENNE PEPPERS

MORE JALAPENOS

RANDOM FLOWERS & MY SUNFLOWERS

REGROWTH OF ROMAINE LETTUCE

ORANGE BUTTERFLY

ORANGE BUTTERFLY

AVOCADO TREES

SPANISH SWEET POTATO

SO MUCH GREEN

WHITE EGGPLANT & ECHINACIA SEEDLINGS

 

CHERRY TOMATO SEEDLINGS

ASPARAGUS

CAYENNE PEPPERS

DRIED BASIL

SWALLOWTAIL LAYING EGGS ON DILL

CANNED BANANA PEPPERS

CAYENNE PEPPERS

PIQUE

56 days?

I'm losing count of the days but that's not a biggie, right? Anyhoot, its getting super hot out and
I'm not one to be out in that heat so I'm pondering on adding a drip irrigation system to these beds and asking my hubby to help. That's gonna be a challenge! Good luck to me!

Everything in the yard is going well. Still having a problem with these worms. I really think I'm done with cabbage plants. I pulled the Brussels sprouts. Grrrrr!  I have 3 broccoli plants in one of the beds. If they continue to attract nasty creatures then I will pull them also. Surprisingly, the collards are now doing well.  Yay!

Uriahs spraying the bugs :)

I planted corn, sunflowers, potatoes, beets, random flower seeds my daughter brought from work, and cantaloupe; all from seeds cause its cheaper.  I do not like these Topsy turvy's at all. I've had to give the plants so much support with rope its ridiculous.  I will plant tomatoes the traditional way from now on.  I've replanted suckers and they are doing well. Hand clap for that!

The squash bugs are getting to the cucumber plant and I believe that's gonna be gone soon. :(  No cucumbers? :( But I love cucumbers. :(  However, still got hopes for the watermelon. :)  I covered the core of the plant with aluminum in hopes of keeping borers way from them. We shall see....

This gardening stuff is tough and attention needy.  However, with the fact that I decided to experiment with so many different things, I now know what works and what doesn't. I can say that I am way more prepared for the fall and even better prepared for the spring. That alone makes me smile.

Thanks for tuning in.

In Him, debb.

Harvest 6/25/2013

Harvest 6/24/2013

Harvest 6/25/2013

The Worm eating my Flowers

 

Thai Basil getting Huge

 

My Garden Dragon Fly

 

Squash bug down, I repeat, Squash bug down

 

Beautiful Thyme

Egg plant harvest

Spicy Bell Peppers and Sweet Peppers

 

Watermelon and Cucumber

3 Broccoli Plants

Collard Greens

Eggplants are growing well

Sweet Potatoes

Corn, Sunflowers & Stuff

Romaine Lettuce and Celery

Spanish Sweet Potato