What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

The rain earlier didn’t do much. I watered the big garden and the green beans on the slope and everything else. The okra seeds I planted a few days ago have germinated already. The flower seeds and tarragon that the grandkids planted on Saturday are germinating as well. I’m hoping to get the peppers planted next week.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Well, I might have killed my potatoes...

I covered them with insect netting in hopes of preventing potato bugs. They were doing pretty great as seen here.


Then we got 16" of rain combined with an onslaught of aphids & thrips & other pests that I didn't catch because I didn't see them through the netting.

Yesterday I realized that all the foliage was dying and rotted. I took the netting off and ended up having to prune back about 98% of the foliage. I sprayed the heck out of the entire bed with spinosad and something for blight. Hoping it bounces back and sends out new growth.

 

[PopoMyers]

My spinach is bolting. I'm probably going to pull it soon (here, chickens!) and plant some more green beans where it was.

We are getting some much needed rain! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mother Nature!

Do you let your spinach have seeds? I was excited to harvest seeds last year, and they are growing beautifully. Did not know that there are male and female, both needed for pollination to occur. I am loving converting to an all heirloom, open pollinated garden. No need to buy seeds anymore.

 

[PopoMyers]

I have replanted my pole beans 3 times! I fixed that with sluggo though & they're finally big enough to survive the slugs. Some just started climbing the trellis. Little jerks would eat the leaves before they could even emerge.

Yup, that has happened to me more than I can count. Dang slugs!

 

[Sally PB]

Do you let your spinach have seeds? I was excited to harvest seeds last year, and they are growing beautifully. Did not know that there are male and female, both needed for pollination to occur. I am loving converting to an all heirloom, open pollinated garden. No need to buy seeds anymore.

I have never let my spinach go to seed. I might just let them and see what I get.

I'm happy to save any seed I can! Seed security is another form of food security for me.

 

[PopoMyers]

@PopoMyers, 3 oz of EWO topsets is not very many! I ordered a half pound (I think) when I started them, and I would have remembered if I'd paid $66!!

Inflation has hit the seed market as well, don't you think? When everyone started a covid garden and got chickens, it also drove prices up, including coop building supplies.

 

[Sally PB]

Inflation has hit the seed market as well, don't you think? When everyone started a covid garden and got chickens, it also drove prices up, including coop building supplies.

Oh, definitely! $2.75/pack seeds are $3.15 or even $3.95 now.

And then there's the germination rates some people are having!

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Do you let your spinach have seeds? I was excited to harvest seeds last year, and they are growing beautifully. Did not know that there are male and female, both needed for pollination to occur. I am loving converting to an all heirloom, open pollinated garden. No need to buy seeds anymore.

I always save seeds where possible. I usually end up with extras (with extras being defined as ‘more than I could personally use in a year or two’) for things like lettuce, but there’s a seed library near me so I take them there. (And usually grab seeds for different things in the process. )

 

[PopoMyers]

I always save seeds where possible. I usually end up with extras (with extras being defined as ‘more than I could personally use in a year or two’) for things like lettuce, but there’s a seed library near me so I take them there. (And usually grab seeds for different things in the process. )

Our seed library is in the library, but they only take seeds in labeled packages, as in seed packets. I wonder if I could start one? Not sure how to do that. Seeds, as we all know, are perishable in the wrong storage conditions.

 

[Sueby]

Even my husband commented on the price of seeds the other day! He was shocked thinking they were under a dollar a packet. He then understood why I went back a 2nd time when they were on clearance.