Thursday, July 30, 2009

Yesterday's Garden Walkthrough

When I went out yesterday morning to do some watering and harvesting I found a honey bee doing a dance in this squash blossom. Of course I didn't have my camera and by the time I had retrieved it the fella was gone. Moments later another bee arrived. I am not sure what type this one is though.
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This is the bushy, furry asparagus bed with a handful of dahlias thrown in. I peered in around back, and sure enough, new spears are still emerging. I figured they would be done by now since most have gone to seed and they are a "Spring crop". Maybe they are just trying to catch up from their late start?
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Welcome to the tomato jungle! There are quite a few plants with diseases, but so far this hasn't affected the fruit production. All the plants seem to have caught up to one another in size (some were started much earlier than others). The flavor of the Juliet Plums is superb, but their size in my opinion only makes them good for fresh eating. I couldn't imagine trying to make sauce out of those tiny things.
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Here's a good one.....whats the biggest thing in my garden? The sunflower seedling my son brought home in a Dixie cup from pre-school, ha! The sweet potato vines underneath are finally starting to ramble. (Don't mind the weeds.)
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This is one of the handful of winter squash growing in containers. I never thinned this pot and there are two plants growing in there, I hope they have enough room to get through the season. I don't see how they could but I just don't have the heart to pull one out now.
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These beans are a 'fall sowing'; the muskmelon seedlings originally in this straw bale were eaten by critters in the night. I added some dog hair and metal wire for good measure and so far they have been left alone.
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The neem spraying on the apple trees has not helped any, in fact they are worse. I think the situation is too far gone and requires a more potent chemical. The trees are not happy, hard to put into words, but I can just tell things are not good. I used Bonide Garden Dust (an insecticide-fungicide) today and gave them a fish emulsion feeding. I don't know if the dust will work any better than the neem, but if I don't stop the insect damage soon these trees may weaken beyond repair.

Next year I will be sure to use the neem proactively (as Ruralrose suggested) along with Horticultural & Dormant oil spray. If anyone has any other suggestions please share them! I know most literature calls for regular spraying of fruit trees, and I was hoping to avoid it if at all possible......maybe that just isn't realistic?
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Lastly, yesterday's garden bounty. BLT's and refrigerator pickles are in my future, this is what I have waiting for all summer!! My bucket was actually heavy today, weighing in at four and a quarter pounds, YEAH!

8 comments:

Erin said...

My impression too is that the fruit trees need regular spraying. I have been doing it since I couldn't bear to lose my new apple trees! It's funny though, wonder what they did in the days before neem oil and insecticides, lol??? My squash blossoms are always full of at least 4-5 bees per blossom, they are so busy!

Kelly said...

Do you mind telling me what you have been using, and when? Just curious as to what has been working for your trees.

Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig said...

Gorgeous! I'm cracking up about the sunflower...isn't it always the things we plant without a second thought that do the best?! Irony...

Speaking of weigh ins..are you recording your harvest at Path to Freedom? I want to do it next year...every little bit adds up, right?

Kelly said...

Michelle, I am not. I actually have only weighed my potatoes in the past, a food scale is on my wish-list. If it isn't heavy enough for me to register it on my bathroom scale I have not been weighing it. I will check into that Path to Freedom though, maybe next year!

Beegirl said...

You kitchen garden is lovely! Thanks so much for stopping by the "Burbs". Just went to A,V, M and printed off the zucchini chocolate chip cookie recipe. Just hauled in five more...gad-zooks that makes 48!!

Kelly said...

Girl you have quite the harvest! My kids ate those cookies last year without a clue,lol. I have not made them yet this season but they will be in the oven once everyone tires of the zucchini bread. (FYI- I prefer a finer rather than overly coarse grate on the zuc. for the cookies)

Tessa at Blunders with shoots, blossoms 'n roots said...

Your garden looks nice- yummy harvest!

Erin said...

I used Bonide Fruit & Orchard Spray...it was included with my apple tree order from Star Bros. -So far so good!