Garden Update

It's been a very long time since the last complete garden update. It's amazing how fast time and weeds can get away from you. Today Aunt B and I went and got about 24 bags of leaves. We put some on most everything. We did some weeding and I transplanted my beans to fill in the first set. We picked a lot of beets and a few radishes. We cooked the beets and I tried them for lunch. They were okay for being grown in the ground and having no added sugar. (or high fructose cornsyrup)

Plant Status: (6.4.09)

Beets: They are about a foot tall and I have been harvesting a lot of them.  There are 5 short rows but they are disappearing fast because they need to be picked.  

Cabbage: The two of the Cabbages that were planted in Growbox 1 are doing good. They are at least 2 1/2 feetin diameter. The other two that were in the low growbox but I transplanted to the large growbox are not doing too good. They are much smaller than the others. They are maybe 1 foot across, maybe smaller. All four of them are being eaten up completely be cabbage worms. I haven't been in the right store yet to buy the organic insectidial I want.  

Carrots: They are over a foot tall and looking healthy.  

Chard (Swis): I have harvested tons of Swis Chard this year. All of them are still growing and they are looking healthy. 

Corn: After two trys with Heirloom corn we ran out of seed. Aunt B gave me some hybid Peaches and Cream Corn so I planted 3 20 foot rows of it.  

Cucumbers: I transplanted 8 plants outside too quickly and killed them all. I gave 4 to Aunt B and they all died. I have 12 more plants that are about 3 to 8 inches long. I will be more careful with them. I believe that two of the plants I got from the flea market are pumkins, Aunt B says they are a different kind of cucumber. 

Eggplant: They are still on the deck. They are green but not growing at all. They are about 1 inch tall. I replanted four of them in good potting soil. I hope that works.  

Garlic: They are about 7 inchs tall and doing great. 

Kale: I have harvested tons of Kale and they have gotten up to 4 feet tall.  End of Season 

Lettuce: The green lettuce Aunt B gave me bolted already. My red romaine is being eaten by some animal. Aunt B planted me two other kinds of Lettuce. They have not come up yet. 

Melons: I have about 4 to 6 still alive in the field. Because not many of them made it I got some more at the flea market. I have many different kinds and they are all about 5 inches long. (They grow along the ground, not up) 

Okra: The first time I planted not many of them came up because it was too cool. Then I planted some in potting soil on the deck. I will move it down to the field so that it will warm up. 

Onions: About 4 of my onions survived. They are about 4 inches tall. The onion sets Aunt B gave me are doing great. They are almost 2 feet tal. 

Peppers: The are on the deck and they are growing very very slowly. I got some more at the flea market but I don't think I'm giving them enough sunlight. I will move them to the field. 

Potatoes (Irish): The tires are about 4-5 tires high. I filled them up will dirt as they grew and only one has come through the top yet. 

Potatoes (Sweet): They are doing great! Mrs. Stucky gave me a bunch and they have taken off and they are about 8 inches tall. 

Radishes: My second planting is doing pretty good. The three ones I left there to go to seed are huge. They are about 3 feet tall and they branch out almost 3 feet. 

Spinach: The ones in Growbox 2 failed so I dug them up. I don't know what went wrong. The ones in growbox 1 came up and they are done great. They are starting to go to seed now I believe. 

Squash: The Butternut squash is doing good. They are a few inches tall.  

Sunflowers: They are doing good and they are about 6 inches tall. 

Tomatoes: The are looking wonderful. I planted them in a layered rasied bed with leaves peatmoss and straw. I got some tomatoes from Charlie and from Mr. Campbell. 

Wheat: Maybe I should try Rice, I don't know 

-Ellis Richards

CEO of ER Farms and Gardening