What did you do in the garden today?

I can see a couple of cherry tomatoes that are nearly ripe. I'll let them go a couple more days.

The cucamelon is going to be on my list of "grow every year" things.
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I think later ones will be a bit bigger, but not much. :gig They do taste like cucumber, with a hint of lemon. The skin is firm, crisp, and crunchy. I found a couple on the vine, and after eating them, I looked for any more and ate them on the spot. I'll have to plant more than 3 next year so that I can get enough to take back to the house. They'd be good in a salad.
 
I applied third round of predatory nematodes. They hit up to 200 types of insects, cucumber beetle being one type -and fire ants too(although no fire ants are here)! So, I’m hoping with 2-3 applications remaining I’m going to have a better year next year.
:popAlso hoping for updates on this.
 
:popAlso hoping for updates on this.

A few years ago I applied predatory nematodes 1x, and not even the whole pack. They definitely helped. Those were from a different supplier (Spaulding labs). This year, based on cost and postage, I subscribed to a 5 month (might add Oct, weather depending) subscription bc bugs have been a problem and I really try to not use pesticides*. I’m using Natures Good Guys this year. I have already noticed a reduction in those tiny flies, and cabbage looper moths (still have caterpillars munching though). So, I’m hoping next year I can apply early season and late season only, assuming the 5-6 monthly applications this year were successful.

With flies, we start early season, and it really helps late season -we just trap them but fewer flies to breed leads to fewer flies!

* pesticides: I did gave to resort to spraying the fruit trees bc of the Japanese beetles, but they are not flowering and should only impact the JBs. I the pesticide is helping bc limited damage and a lot more growth this year on the fruit trees.
 
This morning when I went to grocery store 4 miles away - closed no power. Went the other direction 10 miles and store open. Forgot ice so stopped in Caseys for ice - closed no power. Water creeping from ice coolers. Second time this year for major outages due to storms.
my power just blinked on one phase monday night. I feel blessed. people a mile away are still without power . Grocery store I was going to go to tuesday is still without power.
21 possible tornado paths, so far they have confirmed 11 I think

just updated the count

"...This brings our current tornado count for the derecho event up to 19, and brings the July 14-15 2-day total up to 25 with still several locations left for us to survey and analyze."







 
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I briefly took a quick peek at the garden this afternoon on a jaunt to the mailbox. All my mulch and cardboard were washed away. The very few corn seedlings that haven't disappeared were flattened by the flash flooding. I haven't looked inside the hoop house to check for damage in there yet.
 
I broke the broody! Woo!

Picked tomatoes and peppers today. My fridge died, had to throw out almost everything in the kitchen fridge. Shopping for a new one this weekend I guess. Not amused.

Pictures of the insanity. Corn topped out at over 10' tall. The tomatoes are 5-6' from the soil level in the beds, from the ground I need a step stool to tie the tops. Clover is thriving, hardly need to water it now! Woohoo.
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The smoke from the wildfires is starting to make the air miserable. That haze in the distance is smoke covering the mountains.
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