Crazy Weather

The cabbage is doing wonderful especially the red cabbage. The lettuce and broccoli is total confused and some is starting to bolting on me before getting very big. The pepper are doing OK, I will make sure next year to them in front they are getting too shaded behind the broccoli. Waiting for a day when it not too windy or cool to plant some more.

Celery

I'm trying a new way to grow celery, since my seeds didn't seem to want to grow this year. I just cut off about two inches from the bottom of the celery and I put one straight in the soil and one in water in the kitchen. Lets see which one grows faster. :) I'm loving these cooler mornings.

Zucchini & Squash

I'm harvesting Zucchini and Squash and keeping ahead of the powder mildew for now with pruning and Neem oil. I pulled my cucumbers and the mysterious bugs I had are gone. I kept a couple and froze them to send to University of Florida. I will update the blog when I get the results which I'm sure will take a few weeks. Everything, Broccoli, Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Peppers, Tomatoes and Lettuce are growing great, no full grown fruit yet, but should be harvesting soon. I will be planting the last bed my up coming weekend. I wanted to plant it two weeks ago, but other tasks came up. I love this time of year, it's getting cooler. :)

Neem Oil

I'm not a big fan of Neem oil, I really dislike the smell. However, my squash and cucumbers fungus issues were getting bad and some little bugs I have never seen before were all over the plants. Well the cucumber vines are looking sad, but it still producing plenty of good fruit. The little bugs are still running about, but in much smaller numbers.

Rain Great! Mildew not Great!

I'm getting hit with Powdery and Downy mildew on my cucumbers, watermelon, pumpkins, and squash. the Marketmore 76 cucumber seem to have suffered the least and the pumpkin was the first to show signs of disease. I picked my two watermelon even thought they were too small. I hope they will be ripe enough to be sweet. I don't think I'm going to any small sugar pumpkins it suffered the worst. I think I will try the Seminole pumpkins next year. I can't find if they will be good in a pumpkin pie, so I guess I will be the tester of that next year. :) The cucumbers are still producing as is the squash, it's just a matter of time they will stop. I think next year I will also try the mixture of tsp. of baking soda, a couple drops of soap and neem oil and see if it prevents the disease. I read a few articles that will stated this mixture would help prevent it if done  every week or after rains before the disease shows up. The winter veggies are all looking good and the broccoli is really taking off. I'm still putting on Spinisad since I seen a few chew marks.

Harvesting Cucmbers!

Cucumber Harvest

The Suyo Long and Marketmore 76 cucumbers are both maturing now and they are delicious. I still only have two watermelons,but they are getting bigger. I got squash starting, but no pumpkins yet. I'm a little wooried, the pumpkin plant seems to be suffering from power mildew. I cut off the infected leaves hoping to beat it from speading. I don't care for Neem oil, but I may have to use it if the mildew keeps spreading.   

Another Good Guy - Long-Legged Fly



Long-Legged Fly



A Good Guy



Bee Pollinating Watermelon Flower



Flowers Everywhere

Watermelon 2013

The cucumbers, watermelon and pumpkin are bursting with flowers. The watermelon is getting some good size fruit. The squash bug seem to be staying to a minimum and I have been keeping the plants sprayed with Spinsad every week since I have seen some moths in the plants. It still seems to be bug season, but manageable. 

Two Firsts This Morning

Watermelon Flower 8-13

This morning I have two flowers in bloom on the watermelon plant! The other first was I found a squash bug. I got him and a green anole was happy for an easy breakfast. I can't wait until everything else starts popping!

Garden Bed Three Planted

I planted Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage in the third garden on Thursday, August 29th. We got heavy rain that night hopefully the seeds stayed in place.

Uncovered the Third Garden Bed.

I have uncovered the third garden bed which was done solarizing. I will be planting that bed sometime this week. I love all this rain we are having, making everything grow!

Planted the Second Garden Bed.

I finished planting the second garden bed and the broccoli and cabbage seedlings have started to break ground. Always exciting!

Next Garden Bed is Ready

My next garden bed was done solarizing, so I uncovered it. I've put in my watering ollas, so its all ready for planting this week.

I will be planting in this bed:
DeCicco Broccoli
Golden Self-Blanching Celery
Gamba Peppers
Red Acre Cabbage

I may throw in some onions, leeks or herbs too if there is enough room.

Happy planting!

Compost Workers




Black Soldier Fly Larvae

  The rain has brought me some serious compost workers. My compost is teaming with black soldier fly larvae. They have brought their appetite and I'm feeding them as fast as I can. I think they are starting to outpace me in consumption of food. They will not win any beauty contests, but they make some quick work of the garden, fruit and veggie scraps.

First True Leaves

Pumpkin Seedling with First True Leaf

My seeds I planted on Wednesday, August 7th have their first true leaves already! The rain has really boosted their growth. I haven't seen any pests yet, but I'm keeping a vigilant eye peeled since we are in high pest season.

What I have planted in the garden:
Suyo Long Cucumbers
Marketmore 76 Cucumbers
Sugar Baby Watermelon
Buttercrunch Lettuce
American Flag Leek
Granex Onion
Small Sugar Pumpkin (New England Pie)
Ping Tung Eggplant (planted on Tuesday, August 13th)

My Wautoma Cucumbers seeds just arrived today I will get them planted this weekend.

Happy Gardening.

Solarization

Solarizing Garden Bed

I uncovered my first bed from six weeks of solarizing the soil. I can't wait to start planting on Wednesday!

Catching up - Salad Tables

I have some catching up to do. I started planting the fall/winter vegetables on October 16th. I made some changes to the garden beds. I had baby bunnies making a nest in my garden. I have tried fences in the past, but they always seemed to find a way in, so I'm trying salad tables. I planted garden #2 first. I really fought my OCD on that one. :) I planted the following on Oct.16th:



Vates Kale - This is much better than the Red Russian, less bitter.
Early Flat Dutch Cabbage
Basil - Sweet Genovese and Holy
DeCicco Broccoli
Golden Self-Blanching Celery

I intermingled the following to have some companion plants some with pest help
Fernleaf Dill - with Broccoli/Cabbage supposed to improve growth and repels pests
German Chamomile - with Cabbage supposed to improve growth
Nasturiums - With Kale/Broccoli/Cabbage deters pests
American Flag Leeks/Granex Onions - I planted these in the middle of larger plants since they seem to grow fine even when they are an understory plant.