[Homestead] Broccoli and garden update

EarthNSky erthnsky at bellsouth.net
Thu May 28 13:24:44 EDT 2009


I'm still getting florets from my broccoli, but a few plants are 
flowering and it is mostly done.  I've picked two cabbages, and the 
snails and slugs are taking over so I may not get another full sized 
head.  I will probably go ahead and harvest the heads at half size, just 
to save them.  I've put out traps, but there are just too many.  It is 
THE disadvantage to having mulch beds.  Like Rob, I am also seeing 
cabbage moths.  The problem with slugs should get better every year as 
the mulch becomes soil.  Today was the first day that I have picked 
cauliflower.  I brought in a few medium sized heads to roast.
We've had so much rain that the weeds are getting voracious. 
Thankfully, I did mulch around plants, but the weeds are starting to 
poke through. I have weeding to do.
This morning I picked a mess of English peas, and I would say I am at 
pea peek.  The plants are still flowering, but it will soon be too warm 
for peas.  After Mr. Rabbit came through, I am lucky that I have peas at 
all.  I took a 80% loss to what I planted on English peas, and a 100% 
loss on snow peas.
My tomatoes are now a foot tall or so and they look good.  The corn is 
anywhere from 8" to 15" tall.  Both the Calais and the Golden Midget had 
zero germination, old seed, so all I have left to plant is Bloody 
Butcher, which I know is good<g>. As soon as the soil dries a bit, it 
will go in.
All the beans are doing well, and the second round of lettuces are 
almost ready for cutting. I did not time it right, so we have not had 
salads for about 3 weeks now.  Live and learn.  I can tell that the 
carrots are growing well, and the beets are a bit larger than 1.5" in 
diameter.  Chard is almost ready to cut again, and finally my cukes, 
butternuts, sweet potatoes, watermelons, and honeydews are taking off to 
vine.  I noticed this morning that the NZ spinach and okra had 
germinated, and that the peppers I transplanted last Saturday are doing 
well.
As to failures, you guessed it-Brussels sprouts.  Again, nice plants, no 
sprouts, but I can see pea sized beginnings of sprouts, just nothing 
more, both on the plants I left the leaves on and on the plants I 
removed the leaves.  The other failure was my sunflower seeds.  I have 
about 10 pounds of seed that will now go to the birds.  Grrrr.
I sowed some Emerald Artichokes-there were 8 seeds in the packet- and I 
await their germination.  I know where I will place 5 of them.



Bev
-- 
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public 
debt  should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered 
and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed 
lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of 
living on public assistance."

--Cicero, 55 BC
http://erthnsky.blogspot.com/


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