Saturday, July 30, 2011

Hot again

After a brief, but enjoyable, cool spell it has been very hot and humid the last couple of days. Near daily watering has been the norm. Everything look great. Harvested a huge squash and we have a bunch of birdhouse gourds growing. The hot peppers are coming into their own while the sunflowers grow taller daily.
The pumpkins are trying hard - we will see if we get any. The zebra tomatoes are doing well and the strawberries are loving the frequent watering. They are sending out so many daughters, way too cool. Blossom end rot seems to enjoy showing its ugliness - argh!
Folks have found the cut and come again zinnia... remember cut and they will come again, pull the plant out of the ground and they become one and done zinnia - just sayin'! Ahh, vermin!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Blossom End Rot (BER)

So you wanted to know, so did I. It seems it is caused by a lack of calcium uptake. The leading causes for the lack of calcium uptake seem to be; a lack of calcium in the soil, pH being out of optimum range, drought stress, or too much water.
SO, what is our problem? I don't know. We have had drought stress, in some containers we've had both drought stress and periods of too much water. pH seems to be o.k. We just moved the soil to the new farm this year - and as much as I meant to have it analysed after the move...
We are getting lots of green growth and forming flowers, so time will tell. Watering has become consistent and we are getting tomatoes, squash, and peppers - but we are also losing the same to BER. So far the Birdhouse gourds, pumpkin, and watermelon are the most negatively affected. Lots of flowers, lots of forming fruit - then nada...
Keep posted.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

It was June, Now it is late July!!!!

Wow is it hot! Our 4th day in 100+ degree temps - though in some weird way I am enjoying the high humidity with this heat wave because the humidity is keeping the water in the soil from evaporating so quickly...

As usual we started our planting late this year in hopes of a greater fall harvest when the students return. I get anxious because other farmer's crops are coming in in droves and ours are just cranking up.

I don't get the whole blossom end-rot thing. One day, beautiful forming produce the next wilting, dying produce... argh! We are getting squash, cucumber, strawberries (few, small and sweet). Birdhouse gourds are forming as are pumpkins, watermelon, peppers and tomatoes. Eggplant are blooming, okra is growing but no blooms yet. We lost our one watermelon so far - blossom end-rot - is it possible?

Marigold, cut and come again zinnia, sunflower, black-eyed susan, cone flowers, weeds, and natives are all blooming. I love the morning glory on the fence but despise it within the garden.

Tomorrow I will tame (tie up) the tomatoes, and give the native/butterfly garden a good weeding. I weed while watering, but I need to give a good yank and cut to some pesky crawlers.

I have to remember less is more when planting - those measurements on the seed packets are important and I can't seem to get that in my head. They are so small - plants and seeds -when you start.

Our planters for Belair-Edison front porch farmers are suffering. They dry out so quickly and maybe too little food to start - we are organic, but I won't lie and say I don't think about a good dose of miracle grow right now - I know shame on me!

Any who - swat them skeeters and get to watering. see ya in the garden!