End of June Garden Thoughts

Well, it’s nearing the end of June and I’ve got a few thoughts on how my garden is progressing…. we’ve had some decent enough rain, though the last couple days of heat have really scorched the grass and given all the garden plants a little wilty look. We’ve started to water some, just to keep everyone happy. Mostly the pumpkins and the apple trees.

dsc04641Just got the last of the dirt into the two new raised beds. 30 more bags! Shesh…. I think I’ve bought almost an acre of dirt into the place! Thousands of pounds, no doubt. At one point I had a running total, but suffice it to say, we’re closing in on about 4,000 pounds of bagged dirt and then 3 cubit yards brought by dump truck. That is a serious amount of dirt.

And I do believe that next year, I’ll have to do a little more additional dirt, as I would like to fill up a few of the beds that are more like 3/4 full instead of full. Actually I think I’ll get compost instead of just top soil so that the beds will be extra healthy and happy next year.

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These last two beds are going to be home to beans, corn and a few transplants from the shady beds. In the shady beds I’m going to plant more peas and spinach and lettuce. We have two growbags with watermelon and pumpkin in and they are just not thriving like they should, so I think I’m going to plant them in the sunny beds. These two beds get almost continual sunshine, so that should help the melons and pumpkins.

The pumpkins were extras from the side yard plantings and I wanted to see how they might fare over on the shady side. It’s very apparent that the pumpkins want more sun and such. So, I think they will do okay, being moved.

dsc04642The cabbage is absolutely beautiful! I just planted two head to see… and I have to say, this is perhaps the best looking plant on the whole homestead! They are both growing nice and beautiful… and the bugs are leaving them alone… they look beautiful.

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Peppers are doing nicely… this one here’s HUGE! I forgot the variety, I know they are all sweet peppers, nothing spicy. I think next year, I will definately plant more peppers… they are doing very nice.
dsc04645Here’s another pepper, a yellow one and it’s growing nicely. They don’t have a ton of fruit set, but they are growing nice and green leafy, and beautiful. They still have a good two months to go, so I’m not worried. They are sheltered a little bit by the tomatoes, which of course, are happy and growing like weeds. Tomatoes are SO easy to grow, it’s insane.


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Cucumbers are finally starting to vine a little bit and creeping up my crib headboard stand. They are setting lots of flowers, so that’s a good sign. Haven’t seen any little baby pickles yet, but it’s still early. I might get a couple more plants and try them in the sunny beds, see if that has much affect on them. I kinda like the idea of having the sunny side and the shady side of the moby…. I can test the same variety in both spots this year to see what does best.

dsc04649All the bush beans are starting to flower and they have the most beautiful light shade of purple to the flowers that I’ve ever seen! The camera doesn’t do them justice…. it’s just the nicest purple color…. I love it. But then, I love purple…. (g)

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The wheat is doing pretty good. At least as I can tell. It’s all got heads now, and is getting more and more kernels on the heads as the days go by. My only problem? Kitties. They LOVE the wheat field. The little runts go out there and lay in it and chase each other and all that. It’s kinda funny to watch, but it’s not doing too good for the wild wheat field! Maybe if I had planted it in neat rows and such, but oh well. It’s mostly just for fun and an experiment anyway….

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Well, here is one of my biggest disappointments. The corn field.

We had only about 10 corn plants come up from over 60 or 70 seeds planted. They just failed to do it. The sunflowers are doing great, they are all up and healthy looking. And the mini pumpkins and birdhouse gourds are all happy and doing their thing… but corn? Shesh… hardly anything.

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I did a little reading and I think that it might have been too dry for a good germination and that’s what kind of did us in. So. I got another couple packs of a different variety of corn and the left over of the other corn seeds and I am soaking them today. Letting them get a good suck of water to see if that helps get a better germination rate. This evening when it’s cooler, we are going to plant the first variety in the field, and over plant it… just plant all the seeds.

And the new variety will be planted down the center of the new raised beds… and over planted, to see how well it germinates. I’d rather yank a few and thin it, then to have like nothing growing.

We get hot weather through September, so I think we will have enough time for a crop of corn. It is afterall, still June! Hahaha…. I doubt it will be knee high by July, but then we planted the first batch just a week or two late anyway. Like I said, this year is kinda experimental anyway… we’re doing pretty good. Not batting a thousand, but we’re seeing a pretty good return so far. Most of the plants and seeds are doing well. Still got another 3 months of good growing season left! At least 2 and a half…. for certain!

The second batch of corn says 75 days to maturity, so we’ll be pushing it, but hey, with global warming and all, we’ll make it. (gg) Actually it was pretty mild into October last year! Might give the punpkins and melons a little extra time to get some good sized dudes set up and ready for the fall! That will be great!

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About Mobymom

the banjo player for Deepwater Bluegrass, and the editor of BuckeyeBluegrass.com as well as the main graphic designer of the Westvon Publishing empire. She is a renaissance woman of many talents and has two lovely daughters and a rehab mobile home homestead to raise.

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