What did you do in the garden today?

[pennyJo1960]

Been out all day not been in the garden one day no rain we had to get groceries

 

[NightingaleJen]

@NewBoots Cupcake has such a beautifully coloured coat! Can't wait to see baby pics! Gorgeous zucchini. Our varmint keeps tearing up my seedlings, but I keep sowing and praying that at least a couple will germinate.

@TropicalBabies Good for you! That is one heck a shot!

@Sueby Sorry to hear about your beef issues...but that did make me laugh! Your tomato blight makes me sad. That's always so frustrating! Lost nearly our entire crop last year to blight. With new beds and soil and mulch, though...argh! So sorry.

Last night I went out to find more garden destruction...but Hubby moved the trail cams from the deer trails to the veggie garden so we could really pinpoint what was happening. Somewhat unsurprisingly...a raccoon, one that just tore several peanut butter-baited rat traps off his hands and continued with his destruction. Argh! Without Ben wandering around, the critters have gotten so bold. Next up, a trapper.

 

[NewBoots]

All of the Brandy Boys have it, the San Marzanos are ok so far but they did get it eventually last year so they probably will too. It can sort of be treated with copper sulfate, it won't cure them but they will live & produce. I'll have to treat them every couple of weeks though & I don't like using the stuff so I'm considering ripping out the plants. At least it's early enough I could plant something in their spot. Not sure what to do here.

If there's any chance of it spreading, I'd rip them out.

 

[WthrLady]

That is EXACTLY how I feel.

I just sprayed with copper. I don't get it. Blight is the reason I switched to these hybrid Brandy Boys instead of my fave Brandywines, they're supposed to be less prone.

I replaced 16 last week for wilt. I swear. They weren't even 2 weeks in, but they came with it. I couldn't yank them out fast enough. The ones I bought from a mom and pop market in the middle of nowhere and the ones I started are going gangbusters.
The ones I bought from a professional nursery are terrible looking.

I'm putting up a windscreen around the garden to help with the roaring winds. My squash won't tolerate it at all. A normal day here can howl in the upper 20s and 30mph range. Then storms go even higher than that with 70 not uncommon. I loose a lot of tomato limbs at the end of the season due to the wind. Maybe this will help.

The wind also makes keeping up with watering difficult. The trans-evaporation triples with the wind.

 

[NightingaleJen]

The ones I bought from a professional nursery are terrible looking.

That's what we think wiped out our tomatoes last year—wildlife took out my Green Zebra seedlings, we picked two up at the pro nursery, and lo and behold, they brought disease in.

Your frustration is 100% understood!

 

[pennyJo1960]

It can be so frustrating We have the one store here like 40 minutes from home Sunbirds
they have a private nursey they own never had a issue with their plants

 

[igorsMistress]

You just described my kitchen exactly! & Gray is what I want to paint the cabinets. I can't do white though, DH is too messy. He takes a shower & when he's done the soap is dirty. I don't even get how it's possible.

I know how that is

 

[AllenK RGV]

Good shot! Sounds like a pretty small target.
She didn't have them last night but she's pulling fur like crazy today so maybe tonight.
Cupcake was pregnant when we got her so we got her and her 4 babies for the price of one.

Good afternoon gardeners, we got an inch of rain last night so just had to water the greenhouse. Made a shopping run this morning so that took a while but I did pick the zucchini this morning, making spaghetti for dinner and a couple of these will be great with it:View attachment 2187385
The one hid from me but it was still fine if a bit big, but I had heard that chickens were keen for overgrown zucchini so I split it and cut it into chunks. They weren't too sure at first but now there are just a little of the skins left. And since the kale is now growing out of control I give a bunch of leaves to the chickens hanging from a cord.

Got a watermelon at the store and I'm itching to offer some of it to the chickens and rabbits but I'm trying to practice some moderation. Of course if I want to eat some myself I'd need to do something with those rinds, right?

I know this is a bit late but if you are pan searing or incorporating into a pasta dish, please keep the rinds. Those beautiful zucchini should not be pealed.

 

[NewBoots]

I know this is a bit late but if you are pan searing or incorporating into a pasta dish, please keep the rinds. Those beautiful zucchini should not be pealed.

Only the chickens refused the rinds, I added the whole slices to the spaghetti sauce. But thanks for the tip. If I hadn't had my hands full, I would have browned the slices in butter and served them as a side. So happy to meet someone else who likes their zucchini cooked that way!

 

[karenerwin]

I have a few radishes sprouting but no sign of the carrots yet. Some more of the wildflower seeds are sprouting too. No sign of the San Marzano’s yet but I think those seeds were super old.
I did spy a pinkie sized zucchini!!
Last year I only got 2 zucchini the whole season.
My friend gave me a 6 pack of the deep purple petunias that were worse for wear. So i planted those in the garden too. All 6 of them had varying amounts of green on them so I am hopeful that at least some of them will make it!
I only got about 20 of the marigolds transplanted and then my daughter called. So I met her for lunch and we ran some errands.
I went to the bee store and got a couple ofQueen excluders.

The white chick on the roost next to the yellow chick is one of the meat chicks! I’m very impressed that it made it up there! The only way to get up there is to fly!!

I really love dark purple flowers! These were planted by the previous owner.
Oh, and I noticed that several of the blue pole beans have sprouted!