What did you do in the garden today?

Its official. Ive grown tired and I'm so OVER these stupid JBs. They've been around for about 4 weeks already. Their numbers are less, but I'm still having to go out 3x per day to hunt and pick them off my beans and raspberries, fruit trees, and now strawberries!

Cucumber beetles and squash bugs are making a more frequent appearance. But, I'm hoping they have a smaller impact this year.

The vining sweet potatoes are beginning to vine. The mounding ones are mounding nicely. There is one variety that is supposed to be "vigorous vining" - meaning the longest vine type variety, but its definitely not doing very much yet. I'm glad that I decided to use the one raised bed to plant all 12 varieties in (2 of each) because, I can see all the different foliage in a defined space! Also, the black plastic is definitely a good thing. I have planted most under black plastic. But, about 7 of them (all different varieties) are not under black plastic and are just in full day sun. Those not under plastic are growing more slowly, but growing and looking healthy. I'll post a pic of the bed with all varieties in it soon.

No more SVB caught in the last few days, but the plan is to keep the yellow containers out through July, and to keep the netting up for another 10-14 days. I may then decide to wrap nylons around the vines near the roots to deter any late SVB. Here's to hoping for successful squash season.

First gourd flower. Funny bc this plant is really small.
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Gourds in another area of the garden. See how they are climbing? Everyday they are 8-12" longer, with more branches. This bed has (from left) green beans, soybeans (3), carrots (4). There is a farm field of corn behind our garden.
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I also pulled out all the corn stalks. Harvested what cobs I could find. Most of them are dried out. What would you do with these? Make cornmeal? Save seeds for next year?
Corn is wind pollinated. Unless you bagged and hand pollinated the ears, you can expect some crossing to have occurred. If you planted hybrids, the next generation may revert to something more like field corn. If you planted heirlooms, then you will probably get something like what you planted, but who knows what genes came from where?
I don't blame them. Last THW I pulled off my potato plants kept trying to bite me while puking and pooping all over. Little jerks. Need holy water to deal with them.
I take small scissors to clip off suckers when I visit the tomatoes. If I see a THW, I snip it too. If I don't have scissors, I pull the :duc off, toss it on the ground, and step on it. I am mean and ruthless when it comes to THW and JB. NO MERCY!
 
Did you plant saved seed? I'm not a biologist, so I don't know the mechanics, but corn seed you buy for planting is all (?) hybrid seed and the results of you replanting is a crop of disappointment.
That's a good question... I buy a lot of heirloom seeds. I generally TRY to stay away from hybrid stuff.

So, I KNOW I planted Fishers Earliest (Baker seeds) in one row. In the other 2 rows, I THOUGHT I planted a peaches & cream variety. However none of my corn was bi-colored... Maybe because of cross-pollination? They were planted close together...

Anyway, DH doesn't want me to save the seeds since the corn didn't taste good when we ate it. He thinks sweet corn should be able to sit for a day or two and not totally lose its flavor like that... I still think it was overripe but whatever. I'm fine with picking another variety.
 
Good afternoon all. I can see clouds to the North but we are brutally sunny. Whoever said the storms were going around them, we’re having the same issue in my vicinity. :barnieSuper irritated with Mother Nature right now. I’ve been up since 1230 AM, going to make a cup of Java. Have a good night.
 
That's a good question... I buy a lot of heirloom seeds. I generally TRY to stay away from hybrid stuff.

So, I KNOW I planted Fishers Earliest (Baker seeds) in one row. In the other 2 rows, I THOUGHT I planted a peaches & cream variety. However none of my corn was bi-colored... Maybe because of cross-pollination? They were planted close together...

Anyway, DH doesn't want me to save the seeds since the corn didn't taste good when we ate it. He thinks sweet corn should be able to sit for a day or two and not totally lose its flavor like that... I still think it was overripe but whatever. I'm fine with picking another variety.

I was really surprised how good the Double Red Sweet Corn tasted this year! It's an heirloom variety and it's so pretty!

I received two big bags of corn in a swap that I believe are both hybrid varieties but it says they're supposed to have good flavor so I don't really mind. Hybrid just means if I save the seeds that I won't know what I'll get the following year but I honestly have gotten some really good produce planting mysteries and allowing cross pollinated volunteers to grow, lol.
 

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