June Garden Update

[Gardnr]

I have a little portable greenhouse I set up on the patio in March each year. That is where I start my seed and where my purchased organic plants live until after June 1. We've been organic for over 10y now. Our soil is filled with awesomeness all because of poop:laff:

We are eating strawberries already and the blackberry patch is beginning to set flowers.

Today I planted: 24 tomatoes, 2 basil, 2 cilantro, 12 peppers (bells, jalapeno, italian and habinero), and 4 kale.

I'm letting my eggplant, cucumbers and squash get bigger in the greenhouse for at least another week. I also start my beets in the greenhouse because Quail eat the seeds-little buggers. (learned this trick from my neightbor!) I'll get those put out this week along with my onions and carrots which will have to be covered by netting to protect the fresh tender green growth from those quail buggers.

Tomorrow I will plant my green beans-climber and bush. I'm hoping to freeze alot of these.

Why the insane # of 24 tomato plants for 2 people? We want to make all our salsa for a year. I make/freeze ratatouille (1qt/week is the goal). I also like to take a bag to work and share each week once harvest really sets on.

DH played with canning last fall: pickled jalapenos, pickled beets, habinero/pineapple jam, habinero/pineapple salsa, regular salsa and salsa verde. He had fun and it was mostly successful. (need more heat in all the non-habinero stuff).

So I'm on the hunt for canning supplies. I picked up a 20q water bath pan at Goodwill for $6. I bought 1 at BBB with $5coupon as well so I think we'll be good for production weekends. Now for those canning jar sales!

What does YOUR garden grow? :~) Gardnr

[iris lilies]

Our garden at home, the garden where I live, is on tour this weekend as part of our neighborhoods annual house tour.

while very little is in bloom here, my flower garden is clean and free of weeds, is compleley mulched. The hostas are the stars of the show at this moment.

. DH's veg garden Is looking pretty good and full, but strawberries and spinach are done, as is the rhubarb.our new cherry trees (replaced old cherry trees) are not producing much yet. So, our garden is full of promise this weekend for tour goers if not full of produce.

[Tussiemussies]

We moved two and a half years ago and next summer we will be putting our raised garden beds in and it will include underground fencing and an 8ft. Fence I think since we have had bear at our house four times in about a year.

Today I got my first compost tumbler and another is on its way. I am so excited about learning how to make good rich soil. When we have our raised beds filled next year we will be putting in mushroom soil which is very fertile.

I haven't had a garden in quite some time, but the last time we had twenty-six plants of Roma tomatoes. I made spaghetti sauce and salsa and canned it. I liked the recipe in a book I have packed away better than the Ball Bluebook of Canning.

I am envious about hearing about all of your gardens.

Iris Lilies,what are tthe different aspects between an Asian Lily vs. an Oriential Lily?

Thanks...Chris

[catherine]

We built another raised bad this year: So we have onions and strawberries in one bed, salad bowl in another (a lot of different varieties of lettuce), we have cucumbers and beans, arugula, spinach, squash, garlic, horseradish, and in our herb garden, dill, lavender, chives, parsley, cilantro, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, stevia, sorrel.

Welcome, Gardnr!

[iris lilies]

Thats a lot of tomatoes, Gardnr! YOu will indeed have salsa.

[iris lilies]

...

Iris Lilies,what are tthe different aspects between an Asian Lily vs. an Oriential Lily?

Thanks...Chris

Asiatic lilies are much easier to grow. They come in a variety of colors. They bloom earlier than Orientals; here they bloom in June. They don't have scent.

Orientals are beautiful, but are difficult to grow. They have a very strong scent. They bloom in July.

I sometimes grow Star Gazer or Casa Blanca (Oriental lilies) as annuals, with no expectation that they will come back next year. Even if they do return a second year, they are stunted and miss-shapen. They don't like St. Louis' hot summers.

The best lilies for my climate are Oriental-Trumpet hybrids. Trumpets like hot weather, and when Trumpet is crossed with Oriental, we get lovely big flowers with scent in shades of red, hot pink, pink, white, and yellow.

[Chicken lady]

I am struggling to keep up with the weeding now.

Cherries almost done - making pie this afternoon. Strawberries in the freezer. Eating spinach, lettuces, radishes. Early rhubarb is done, late rhubarb might have another pie or two.

Raspberries starting to blush, blackberries blooming.

Kidding is over and the last two goats join the milking group next week - time to stock up on cheeses and ice cream!

[Gardnr]

Thats a lot of tomatoes, Gardnr! YOu will indeed have salsa.

Today went in: 80 onions, 50 leeks, 50 or so green beans, 5 zucchini, 3 yellow squash......

I'm getting there..... :~):~)

[Chicken lady]

Hey Gardner, how do you transplant beets and squash? I always kill them by disturbing the roots if I don't direct seed.

[Gardnr]

Hey Gardner, how do you transplant beets and squash? I always kill them by disturbing the roots if I don't direct seed.

Sorry no sage advice. I just transplant 'em like anything else. Really good healthy soil.

Try letting them get a little dry. Dig your hole and place the transplant. Water it. Then backfill with soil.

[CathyA]

Everything here is planted..........now just waiting for the bugs and mice to eat them. haha
This year I added 2 stock tanks to the big garden and planted tomatoes and peppers in them. People on a tomato forum have told me that I just can't grow that many tomatoes (6) in one stock tank, but so far, they're doing well. We'll see......... I just have to view it as an experiment this year. I need to make some compost tea to help them along.

[cdttmm]

Been working on the flower gardens, weeding, mulching, and moving plants.

The extent of my vegetable gardening this year is 15 tomato plants. Oh, and some basil. Gotta have basil. The tomatoes are looking pretty good and we just got a good soaking overnight and are now supposed to have sun for several days so that should make a real difference.

In other gardening news, one of my beehives swarmed yesterday and we actually managed to catch the swarm! So now I've got another colony to manage. It probably won't produce any surplus honey this year, but that's okay. I've got plenty of established colonies for honey production.

[Tussiemussies]

Thanks iris for the information...Star Gzer Lilies were the highlight of my wedding bouquet....Love those...

[iris lilies]

What a difference one tiny letter makes Ina post!

i wrote above "the hosts will be the star of the show" when I meant to say "the HOSTAS will be the star of he show" so wasn't THAT embarressing!

[iris lilies]

Ok, here is a rather big milestone: as of today I've been retired for 3 months.

AND as of today ALL of my gardens are under control as far as weeds go. Let me tell you that this has been a worrisome thing for me, getting these gardens up to snuff in this, the wettest June in history.

[CathyA]

That's good news IL...........I know how much a job like that can weigh on your mind, until you get it done. Now you can enjoy it for awhile.........maybe 2 weeks? haha We always feel such relief when we get something cleaned up outside, but those danged weeds......they're just stronger than we are.
Oh....and congrats on your retirement. Are you having fun?

[iris lilies]

That's good news IL...........I know how much a job like that can weigh on your mind, until you get it done. Now you can enjoy it for awhile.........maybe 2 weeks? haha We always feel such relief when we get something cleaned up outside, but those danged weeds......they're just stronger than we are.
Oh....and congrats on your retirement. Are you having fun?

i will still have to weed daily, and I!ve got big dig outs to do of major plantings that need to leave. And IVe got a big stand of Johnson or Broome grass to eradicate.,ugh.

but cosmetically everything is looking good and most all has been mulched.

im using less Roundup than in previous years but when I need it, I need it.the bindweed will not leave until I kill it down with roundup.

am enjoying retirement. We do one field trip in the region a week to see new things.

[CathyA]

One field trip a week.........that sounds like fun!
I'm looking forward to DH retiring (which might be never), and not having any more pets to take care of. I would love to go to different great birding areas.
Okay.........I'm going to start a "July Garden update" now.