What did you do in the garden today?

[Dandelion and Clover]

My first Tomato of the year - Mortgage Lifter!
Oh it is ugly. Between the high temperatures then the flood of rain. It got all kinds of cracks.

Today I'm working on some taller stakes, every plant is leaning out. I got a bunch of 3ft cages because I've always used pots and didn't grow big plants. Well, I have new growth learnings! Yay! (I had over 50 plants in this bed, I thinned it out to about 30 - which is still crowded. Learning all kinds of lessons this year.)

 

[Dandelion and Clover]

Here are Garden pics:

Squash bed looks great!
In front are yellow squash. In the back/other side are the 2 butternut plants (will climb trellis), on the corners are smaller "HoneyBush" squash - like a small butternut, but have never grown them, and they are growing rather slowly - they look healthy - just slow.
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I have garden envy! Yours looks amazing.

 

[BReeder!]

I don't have good soil in my new place. that's why I will plant a lot of fig and pomgranate trees. they thrive in poor soil and don't need chemicals to survive. I already bought a few paulownia trees and hope they will make it.

Did you already move or still on the island?

 

[Mutchi]

I noticed that in surtan parts of my yard are dead. I have been watering the yard for two days now and nothing has changed!

 

[BReeder!]

My first Tomato of the year - Mortgage Lifter!
Oh it is ugly. Between the high temperatures then the flood of rain. It got all kinds of cracks.

View attachment 2737065View attachment 2737067
Today I'm working on some taller stakes, every plant is leaning out. I got a bunch of 3ft cages because I've always used pots and didn't grow big plants. Well, I have new growth learnings! Yay! (I had over 50 plants in this bed, I thinned it out to about 30 - which is still crowded. Learning all kinds of lessons this year.)
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Ugly, but tasty I bet!

For your bed of tomatoes, 30 certainly is a lot. Is that a 12ftx4ft? I am growing with sense planting this year and my tomatoes are about 12"-15" apart, but they are heavily pruned to a single stem. You could consider doing some pruning, especially if they are indeterminate.

 

[gtaus]

Picking strawberries while girls have their morning free ranging

Just picked a handful of strawberries myself this morning. First year for me growing strawberries, but, so far, consider it a great success.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Hey TJ, first for helping a guy out! If you don’t see him eating any of it then I wouldn’t be too concerned. Just keep an eye on him. They don’t always eat while they go, I’ve found little poops here and there where there’s no food.

Well, yes... Same here on the poop nuggets left here and there. I'm watching him closely and so far, no symptoms of eating things he shouldn't

 

[TJAnonymous]

I missed this before. Don't know about the litter, you could get a cat litter box with a top opening if you are still concerned, but make sure the little darling has a stick or two to chew on and that it can't chew wires or light cords. I had a classroom bunny that was a little trouble maker in that regard. I'm glad he didn't electrocute himself.

It's a large corner litter box that is shoved under a wooden bench seat so it is already covered from above... The buns loves to lay behind it because it is shaded and I think a sort of natural cave. The tile is also cool so next to the planter on the windowsill (all evidence of greenery is long gone), behind the litter box is his favorite place to chill.

Oh, and no worries... I've tried to ensure no electrical cords since I knew that was a temptation.

 

[gtaus]

So here is my canned cake. I clean/sterilize the jars. Make batter, add 1C per pint jar, bake, and when out of oven cap and seal, let cool. It helps to use the silicone baking mats to prevent the jars from sliding around on the baking sheet.

That looks like a great idea. Unfortunately, Dear Wife said she was done with canning so we gave away all our canning jars to my cousin. Never thought about cooking cake in a jar. I'll have to look into that idea a bit more.

Do you have to use good canning jars or can you reuse any old grocery jar, like maybe from olives or pickles, etc...

 

[gtaus]

Strawberry's, seems maybe a bit too warm down here now, mine produced and now are idle. Just keeping them alive, they have shown a sudden burst of growing, hopefully new crop coming soon?

This is my first year with strawberries. What I have learned so far is that there are basically two types of strawberries. One is the June bearing strawberries which produce fruit once per season and then they are done. I got the Everbearing variety, which is supposed to have about 3 pickings throughout the summer.