August 18, 2017
I have a row of cauliflower transplants that are doing better than the original row. They are taller and bushier. I think it must be because they were put into a hole with loosened soil which allowed the roots to expand more quickly. They are even doing better than the ones I transplanted into the greenhouse. The ones in the greenhouse have jagged leaves with holes in them and I found cabbage moth caterpillars on them. Apparently the yellow jackets don't hunt in there as routinely, even though the door is propped open and a side panel is off..
Location, location, location. The Brussels sprouts are forming tight heads this time of year because they are getting afternoon shade. The summer lettuce has not bolted for the same reason. The dry melon mounds on the other side of the garden are too close to the huge grape vines that are sucking all the water out of the ground. No more melon will be planted on that fence line :(..
August 19, 2017
Have you ever seen a bag skittering along the ground and remembered you had a cat? We have three. They meander through the garden periodically throughout the day. They have become incredibly welcome because of their rodent and bird hunting. I didn't even need to put the bird netting on the peas this year. There are no burrows and mouse nests under the zucchini and melon. They sit in my lap and make me stay longer in my shade spots..
I didn't know gardens needed cats but when you see them stalking you can't help think of the wild cats in far away places. Your garden becomes a jungle and you view it through a different perspective. You look to where they are looking and try to see what they are seeing. When you come across them laying in the corn patch shade napping, it makes you want to tip toe..
August 20, 2017
Two of the Perpetual Spinach plants in the greenhouse, and three in the row outside, have not produced seed yet. They keep producing leaves. Crazy huh? I cut down the plants that went to seed and they are now making leaves, but they are small ones and getting ignored in favor of the larger leaves. Spinach all summer is great. If the p!ants don't overwinter I'll plant new seeds. I'm also not getting blossom end rot on the tomatoes that have no mulch..
They have no tomato towers either and are growing on the ground. The leaves shade the soil and it's always moist. The leaves closest to the moist ground stay cooler and don't have to respire as much so the plant uses less water. Only a few tomatoes have gotten insect damage from sitting on the ground, which is the main reason for using towers. We like growing vertically but I don't think the tomatoes do..
