What did you do in the garden today?

[OnlySympathy]

Gobstopper Cherry tomatoes are incredible. Will definitely grow them again next year

I’m going to look into those now!

 

[PopoMyers]

Those are the lids with the white sealant, correct?

Yes

 

[PopoMyers]

Hard to tell the size from the picture, but it should work fine to trap chipmunks. Just have to figure out what bait to use. The chipmunks I have in the yard are smaller than a rat, so I would think it would work.

View attachment 4171351

Not quite sure why you want to use a live trap to catch rats and mice only to drown them in a barrel. You can get inexpensive mouse and rat spring traps that both catch and kill them at the same time. I guess it makes sense not to use the spring traps if you have small children or pets that could get hurt.

I used my live traps to relocate pests a few miles down the road into the woods. I hope you can relocate any chipmunks you might be able to trap. I don't put them in the same category as mice and rats, but I know chipmunks can do a lot of damage in my raised beds digging tunnels and such.

They would dig up all my friend's porch plants. She had them caught and relocated.

 

[PopoMyers]

Had to make pickles last night. I pulled something like 15 cucumbers off of my SINGLE cucumber plant. I am shocked by this varieties non-bitterness. Considering the environmental stresses, I thought for sure I'd be tossing bitter cucumbers left and right. Filled a gallon jar with them and set them up for some kosher dills.

I have a crazy amount of green bell peppers growing. First year I have felt like it was worth it to grow them since I'm getting 5-9 per plant right now.

Tomatillos are slowly getting harvested. My tomatoes are slow to ripen but plentiful. We had a chilly spring and an explosion into hot summer so I guess I need patience. Only time will tell how my grafted varieties do but I'll be watching the disease resistance.

Second crop of raspberries is coming in heavy. I have an extremely dedicated batch of bees working the flowers. It's like having an airport in my garden. I love it.

Found a bunch of saw fly larvae on my one rose. Plucked those off and the chickens had a field day. Such joy. This is the only one I planted this year that hasn't officially flowered yet. She has a bud that looks gorgeous so far though. I'm happy as long as she's been busy putting roots down. My other roses needed casual pruning but besides some powdery mildew on my Moonlight in Paris (good thing she's a show-stopper with a peach fragrance of joy), everyone is getting through the heat and humidity relatively easily.

Still struggling to get the garden pathways cleared. My son was tasked by his dad with clearing weeds instead of laying in bed all day during his summer break but he still feels like 20 minutes of work is excruciating labor and discomfort so I don't have much hope there. Jokes on him since he doesn't get his electronics until chores are completed. Muhahaha!

I have poison ivy re-growing amid my flower garden, which is awkward since I'm terribly allergic now. I have to ask hubby to pull it for me otherwise I'm in a whole body ooze experience.

Late planted green beans are coming in nicely. It strikes me how I've clearly been planting them too early since they pretty much leapt out of the ground from the heat.

And finally, we said goodbye to our silkie rooster and strongly suspected frizzle rooster (they sparred frequently). We gave them to my husband's co-worker's grandkids who really get a kick out of them. Unfortunately, we are not allowed roosters in our area. I have a hen who is making a racket like a strangled rooster but she is clearly a hen with her polish plume. I'm thinking of making the run into a semi-compost. I'll let the girls turn everything over and scoop it out in the late fall to overwinter. Not sure how it will work but most things are a grand experiment over here.

What variety is your cucumber?

 

[PopoMyers]

Watering and more everyday. We've gotten this weather pattern that bring 3 hot days, then cools off for a few, and repeat. My poor beans nd dahlias can't manage the extra hot sun in the afternoons and either burn or wilt. Picking raspberries and marionberries, red plums every other day, with yellow plums to ripen soon. They are 2 weeks earlier than normal, although bean and tomato weather was slow to start up.

 

[Supercow]

The lone parasol mushroom looking a bit lost... After 2 months of drought we got several waves of rain and it popped up all happy "yay autumn is here" but no other mushroom joined the party

 

[SkyAJK]

dripping

That is very uncomfortable, we had those humid heat weather in spring season and for us, it goes on for a week or more then come big storm or hail storm.

Time for the beach, swimming pool or nice cool beer!

 

[SkyAJK]

Watering and more everyday. We've gotten this weather pattern that bring 3 hot days, then cools off for a few, and repeat. My poor beans nd dahlias can't manage the extra hot sun in the afternoons and either burn or wilt. Picking raspberries and marionberries, red plums every other day, with yellow plums to ripen soon. They are 2 weeks earlier than normal, although bean and tomato weather was slow to start up. View attachment 4177218

May I have some of these red plums?

 

[Rick589]

Watering and more everyday. We've gotten this weather pattern that bring 3 hot days, then cools off for a few, and repeat. My poor beans nd dahlias can't manage the extra hot sun in the afternoons and either burn or wilt. Picking raspberries and marionberries, red plums every other day, with yellow plums to ripen soon. They are 2 weeks earlier than normal, although bean and tomato weather was slow to start up. View attachment 4177218

Nice.

 

[Rick589]

I caught another rat today. I am on fire