Catching up and keeping busy

Just a quick catch up here.  We’ve had RAIN!! 3 evenings of a good pouring.  The rain barrel is full again and the moisture is really showing in the garden. 

Beans are finally starting to come on.  They aren’t really ready to pick but I had to munch on a few I was so excited.

Miss Evie was pretty excited to see the tomato’s and peppers turning color.  She can’t’ see them from above so she squats and looks up in each plant.

An I was thrilled to find pumpkin taking off…if you can call 2 pumpkins taking off & at this point I am.

Right now I think I’m growing more weeds than I am vegies. The humidity is down and It’s a good morning to get out there and take care of that. In fact it’s nice enough I turned the AC off and opened up the house for a few hours.  LOVE the fresh breeze blowing through.

The strawberries are doing well with the transplanting.  Those I transferred to individual pots have nearly doubled what they were and look really healthy

Those that we transferred to the bed have set and established well.  No droopers or poopers.

No poopers makes me happy.

To date peaches in the area have been so high I’ve not bought any but, I found/heard of a sale for .69lb. so I’m off to check that out this morning to pick up a few bushels.  Other than peppers, a few quarts of berries & the carrots & the corn there has been nothing put up this year. Looking through the past years posts it was marathon canning by now.  Just a tad bit worrysome!  

I’ve Thyme and oregano to share if anyone would like some…shoot me an e mail.

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening,weather

Time to move the babies

They are wanting to have babies of their own (but I said no) you need to be a bit older, grow a bit more and become firmly established in your new home first.  Plants or kids, some things never change.  They grow up so fast.

so I know its past time.  I’ve been hoping for cooler temps before I transplanted but I don’t think that’s going to happen.  They need time to establish in the new bed before winter comes

Those I transplanted to single pots are doing really well, & the tiny starts are just getting there.  I may transplant from those tiny containers to the single pots for a while, as I’m not sure they would survive the heat out in the main bed.

The main bed we are picking blooms to let the shoots develop.

As soon as the starts get about 4 inches I’m moving them around in the bed & so far all but 1 has taken the move well. 

More shoots will need to be moved around once a bit larger

Last year when we put this bed in we planted 25-30 plants, and were left with less than 10 this spring.  Those that survived were great producers.

 

Looks like most of the mulch washed away in last weeks rain & needs replaced.

In a way I’m kinda glad the others did not survive because I’ve learned a lot re-establishing the bed this summer.  It’s simple strawberries I know but,  there’s a stronger sense of ownership/pride (whatever you want to call it) tending to the babies and watching them grow knowing what juicy goodness they will provide next spring.

I hope we never loose that feeling and sense of wonder. 

Just remind me I said that when I’m moaning next summer about the heat and needing to pick berries ok?

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Gardening on the cheap,gardening,strawberries

Thrifty Thursday, Strawberry Plants On The Cheap

Don’t you love a good plant score?

A month or so ago Mr. Fix It came home with this hanging strawberry basket (poorly shown to the left of the photo) At the time I kinda looked at it cross eyed (although not ungrateful) I thought of all the berries I could have bought with what he spent on the basket..until I found out it was on clearance and  he nabbed it up. In the basket are 6 nice healthy plants with runners.

Knowing it would slow berry production I decided to let those runners grow. 

Less than half of the plants we set last year made it through the fall, and our strawberry bed now looks a bit like a raised bed with dirt and less than a dozen plants as an afterthought.  I think we were to late in the season for them to establish before the summers high heat & this would possibly be a an answer to replenishing the beds.  2 weeks ago, I attempted to root those babies & am happy to report they all “took”.  I checked this morning and they are all firmly rooted in their little pots.

A week or so later In the clearance section I found more plants.

Originally $15.00 a container & I was able to purchase both for less than $5.00. and an additional 3-4 plants large enough to place in the raised bed.

These were literally shoots that had just rooted to late to sell for the main growing season.  They were so new I dislodged one of the plants brushing the leaves placing them in the car. 

Right now they still don’t look much bigger than this & once I unpack the camera I’ll update the photos. 

I know for some that have strawberries these are a bit silly and not at all cost effective but for me they are compared to full pricing. I’m crossing my fingers they all make it and will provide us with lots of yummy berries next year.

Stay cool out there, todays going to be a hot one

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,Gardening,gardening on the cheap,strawberries