The Dawg Patch

[JayneR13]

I harvested my garlic today as well! 27 bulbs total, which isn't bad for a 4'x4' bed. And some of them are huge! I was right to buy new stock. This harvest puts those tiny bulbs I got last year to shame! They're out on the deck to cure for a couple of days, until the next round of storms comes Tuesday. Sigh.

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And the bed has been replanted with my remaining brassicas: 2 Bonnie's hybrid cabbage, 3 Snowhead cauliflower, and 5 Jade Crown Brussels sprouts. I also gave each planting hole a sprinkle of high N lawn fertilizer. Hopefully those volunteer potatoes will grow tubers. I researched companion planting and found one site that said they'd get along fine, and other that said they wouldn't. I guess we'll find out! The Internet is getting to be like the National Enquirer.

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And of course, pretty much everyone got a dose of copper. I found powdery mildew developing in places I didn't think had that problem! Then I ran up to the food pantry garden and did the same. Hopefully with a bit of food and rest, I can get my lawn mowed today as well. It's a really lovely day to be outside. One of the few we've had so far this season.

[GoDawgs]

We have tomatoes coming! Several of those are supposed to put out big tomatoes but they didn't do much at all during last year's herbicide problem. They got a re-do this year and wow! The first tomato from 'Bill Bean' is the largest even grown here, 1 lb 7 oz!

24.07.02 Bill bean, 1 lb 7 oz, largest ever.JPG

And 'Daniel Burson' was 14.7 oz. It's shaped weird because it was wedged in between two really stout stems and kinda grew around them. It's going to finally be a great year for tomatoes, first time in a long time. Oh, they're both so good!

24.07.02 Daniel Burson, 14.7 oz.JPG

This morning I need to yank out the 'Incredible' corn stalks. It didn't do well at all. A lot of the silks came out really late and missed the pollen from the tassels so the ears never really developed like they should. Maybe the tassels were too early. Whatever the cause, that's never happened before. We got about 14 ears in all. Really sweet and good, good enough that I might grow it in rows as well as the Silver Queen next year. Meanwhile the Silver Queen is looking good and about two weeks from picking. Going forward I have decided not to mess with growing corn in a bed. Too much work and hassle.

Yesterday morning I got seven pints of peaches canned. It's been a long time since that happened.

24.07.02 First peaches of the year.JPG

Many times the peach blooms get blasted by late freezes so no peaches those years. The peaches are small because thinning them on the branches was a very late afterthought. Next year the tree will finally get the care it deserves. I'm going to see if there are any left to pick today. The deer have been taking care of all windfall peaches, leaving only the pits scattered under the tree.

In the garden today I need to yank out the 'Incredible' corn stalks. It didn't do well at all. A lot of the silks came out really late and missed the pollen from the tassels so the ears never really developed like they should. Maybe the tassels were too early. Whatever the cause, that's never happened before. We got about 14 ears in all. Really sweet and good, good enough that I might grow it in rows along with the Silver Queen. Going forward there will be no more corn grown in a bed, Too much work and hassle.

[JayneR13]

Way to go, Dawgs! I'm glad to see your tomato problems have eased up for one year at least. I know what you mean about hard freezes killing the harvest, since it happens to my plum trees every single year. Sigh. So make goodies while you can! But you don't need me to tell you that LOL

[JRinPA]

How high are the raised beds for the corn? I haven't tried it in raised bed other than just a few inches of raised row. Mine transplant well into 3-4" beds. Would be tough to get them to germinate reliably though, they would want to dry out.

" A lot of the silks came out really late and missed the pollen from the tassels so the ears never really developed like they should. Maybe the tassels were too early. "

That's what I think I see every year, that is why I hand pollinate two or three times, trying to make sure at least one ear and hopefully two take on each stalk. Three ears, I have finally learned to suppress instead of encourage. I need to do it again tomorrow morning on block one, will be the last time, using some early pollen from block 2. I even planted a few delayed plants on the end of block one, but they went and dropped pollen just about the same time as the rest of block 1. From a ten day late start. I think they either try to match up with nearby plants, due to plant pheromones? Or whatever. Or that's just the way they play the conditions.

It finally rained here just when I needed to be hand pollinating the second time so that got delayed due to wet pollen, and I am worried about the payout. I tried freezing some last year, that didn't work for me. This year before rain I collected a bunch (dozens of tassels with pollen and like 3 silks showing...) and was going to vac seal it...but it got forgotten of course. Found it 4 days later.

We need a sweet corn for home gardens that will drop pollen over a longer time span...

My block2 is in the same row, I have only a circle at home for block3, block4 transplants are in the ground for under a week in a single triple row. I need to start another tray or two for block 5, that might be it, going in mid July or so.

I really like to spread them out, but I wish I could get them in to be ready 4th of July. I know I could, with proper babying and a shorter grow corn.

I still haven't grown silver queen, I really love this white SH2. One family grew silver queen last year, the ears got huge, but I think they said that they didn't fill out with kernels. They grew it in a single row. This year they have a double row planted. I definitely advised at least 4 rows across or need to hand pollinate.

[JayneR13]

@JRinPA how do you hand pollinate your corn?

[GoDawgs]

@JRinPA, the beds are 6" plus forked 14" down. The corn was planted in seven 18" diameter circles as I've always done. Same fertilizing schedule etc. Sown April 21, popping up Apr 27. Temps in the low 80's with some scattered rain during the post planting time period. No idea about the screwy pollination thing.

[GoDawgs]

Another hot, dry day. At noon it was 96 with a 106 heat index. They forecasted up to 110 by later this afternoon. Needless to say we got garden stuff done before noon.

I got the cornstalks from that corn grown in the bed pulled. Due to squirrels or whatever playing with those sorry little ears it's evident that we're going to have to surround the Silver Queen patch with the netting "fence". It's not too far away from being done.

24.07.05 Incredible corn stalks pulled.JPG

Then I pulled most of the different bean varieties that had mostly dried down and bundled them for hanging under the pole shed for final drying before shelling. Two of those are meant to be used as dry beans so it will be interesting to cook some later and see how they are. First time I ever grew those kind.

24.07.05 All but one bean variety pulled.JPG

24.07.05 Beans drying.JPG

Using one of those long handled grabbers, Pickles picked the last peaches she could reach, 7.5 lbs of them. That will be about ten more pints after two days of final ripening. They'll be a nice treat and bring smiles during dreary old winter days. Yesterday she made 6 pints of pickled dilly beans from those long Red Noodle beans that keep getting ready!

Speaking of Red Noodle beans, this morning I noticed another pest arrival. There were kudzu bugs encrusting the twining vines at the top of the RN trellis. I will need to spray them tonight with pyrethrin. They prey on legumes but I have found them congregate on fig stems before. If it isn't one thing it's another.

24.07.05 Kudzu bugs on Red Noodle beans.JPG

[Seven Bends]

That is one ugly bug! I see that it recently reached Virginia and Maryland, so maybe I'll be saying hi to it soon. Can't wait.

Too bad it doesn't stick to kudzu. We could use some help with that problem.

[JRinPA]

@JRinPA how do you hand pollinate your corn?

Oh I spend a bunch of time, better probably to just plant a six wide block minimum. Hand pollinating takes two days back to back if done the way I do it.

Day1 when the ears look to have silk formed, but most not showing yet, cut through the cover leaves and silk. You need to get a feel for the silk, so you don't cut through the cob. I try to do this when most all of them have a first cob. But invariably some won't have any yet, and some will be silking a second ear.
Day1 After prepping ear silk, take a paper bag, lunch bag size, and slip that over some tassels. Fold it at the bottom so it can't lose pollen.

Day2 after 24 hrs those cut silks will grown 1/2" to 3/4" and a have a very receptive brushhead. Bend the tassels down and shake to deposit all that last day's pollen into the paper bag, then remove the bag. Use a paintbrush with a fan tip (or something that can hold a good bit) and dip into the bag and paint that pollen onto the silk. The way I have read it, it takes a grain of pollen for the tip of each silk. The tip. I am not sure whether pollen can enter the silk through the sidewall of the silk.

Another way to gather pollen is collecting it in a big tray, I use a disposable aluminum roasting pan for that. But it only stays fresh for a day.

I first read about it as a way to create hybrid corn seed, but I leave out the part where you cover the ears before and after pollinating. For creating hybrids you would cover the ears, and bag tassels for pollen from your male donor corn stalks. But I just do it to get good full ears in small blocks.

[JayneR13]

Thank you! I've read that some just run their hands over the pollen tassels, then over the silks. Have you tried that and if so, what do you think of that method?

[GoDawgs]

Today has been another hot one. Nothing new there. We got garden stuff done early and by lunch were back in the house until this evening.

The kudzu bugs were gone today so last night's spritzing of pyrethrin did the job. I also spritzed mating pairs of leaf-footed bugs that were multiplying on the same Red Noodles. Good riddance.

The Silver Queen corn is going down the home stretch to being ready so I'm sure the squirrels are quivering in anticipation. Time to dash those dreams! This morning while Pickles watered everything to get everything through the day, I pounded in t-posts around the four corn rows and tied tall poles to each post. Around 8pm this evening I'll bang in a nail about 6' up each pole to hang the netting on and then Pickles will help me hang the netting. The last task is to pin the bottom edges of the netting to the ground so squirrels can't get in under the net.

Meanwhile, the Dixie Green blackeye peas I'm trying for the first time are blooming and the first baby peas have started.

24.07.05 First babies on Green Dixie peas.JPG

The Ha-Ogen melons got off to a slow start but is finally starting to climb and bloom. Lots of pollinators visiting but no fruit setting yet. Too hot?

24.07.05 H'Ogen melon blooming, climbing.JPG

Before heading into the house I checked the tomatoes and eggplants. More stuff ready! This is today's eggplant haul. Left to right: two Millionaire, a Matrosik, two Rosita and two Chinese String lying in front of the others. They're starting to be a little smaller when ripe. I'm thinking Eggplant Parm soon... Mmmmm!

24.07.06 Millionaire, Matrosik, Rosita and Chinese String.JPG

More Eva's Purple Ball...

24.07.02 Eva's Purple Ball.JPG

Another giant Bill Bean tomato was ready as well as a bunch of SunSugar cherry tomatoes. I think tomorrow I'll make lunch a Panzanella Salad with half a baguette of bread I have in the freezer and a ton of these fresh tomatoes.

Pickles put up seven more pints of cuke relish this afternoon. With that batch, the one she did the other day plus what's left of last year's, there should be enough relish in storage for a year. Now it's Pickles' pickle time. LOL!

The forecasted pop-up storms seem to be gathering out there. Grumbles of thunder to the east, west and north. A weather warning just came over the weather radio for flash flooding in the area with "two inches of rain having fallen in the warned area". Hmm, must be under the thunder grumbles, not here. Hope we do get some. At least it's already breaking today's torrid heat. That in itself something to be grateful for.

[PlainJane]

Everything looks absolutely fantastic!
You should have baby melons any minute now.

[Wildcat82]

With all the corn and bean stalks, looks like it's time to make ensilage.

[GoDawgs]

With all the corn and bean stalks, looks like it's time to make ensilage.

If I had a chipper shredder, all those cornstalks except the roots would be headed for the compost pile but I'm not going to try chopping them all up with a hatchet. LOL! The roots would have to be separated out and toted to Mt Brushmore as I don't want any possible nematodes contaminating the compost pile.

Today I pulled up the last ten plants of a variety called Calima that I got from this year's MMMM. They all germinated and the plants looked really good but no beans! Well, I did find four pods hiding when I pulled the plants. They're the only bean variety of the ten I trialed that didn't produce. Oops, there's one more. Pole bean Garafol Oro. It's the last one standing and the foliage is wonderful but I see one pod and no other flowers. I'll let it stay there as long as the foliage is still nice and see if it's a REALLY late bean or if it just isn't meant for this environment.

[JayneR13]

Last year when I was Site Leader at my community gardens plot, I had to dig two plots full of corn stalks so the tillers could till. It was ugly! I totally don't blame you for not wanting to chop. And yeah, the nematodes. Corn is so yummy but it's quite the hassle! All of my stalks, including the roots, went to the city's compost pile. They were just too big for mine.

No beans?? Too much nitrogen perhaps? And yeah, peas are coming here too. I have to go over to the food pantry garden on Wednesday to pick, and that reminds me I'd better check the beans! There has to be something under all of that foliage.

[GoDawgs]

@JayneR13, I don't think it's too much nitrogen. Because beans fix their own I only use 5-10-15 pre-planting and not a lot of that. Garafol Oro got no more or less than all the rest. Maybe it's less heat tolerant than the rest? Here's old Garafol, the last pole bean standing.

24.07.07 Garafol Oro pole bean, 2 pods.JPG

The corn was standing tall this morning and there wasn't a drop of water laying anywhere. All sucked up. More storms likely tonight.

I've been watching the corn close for signs of mischief and was going to put the netting around the corn patch yesterday. The poles went up as well but it was getting so hot I had to get inside.

24.07.07 Corn pre-netting.JPG

This morning I put in the nails to hang the netting from and found the very first sign of squirrel mischief... pieces of corn shuck on the ground. And right above that was an ear munched on.

24.07.07 Corn damage, first sign.JPG

24.07.07 Corn damage, second sign.JPG

We hung the netting before lunch and after lunch I secured the netting tightly to the ground with 9 gauge wire pins I made. Several bricks were placed where the ground dipped. We'll see if the little devils will find a crack in the defenses!

24.07.07 Corn netting up.JPG

[MissS]

@GoDawgs Will the squirrels try to climb that fence?

[GoDawgs]

@GoDawgs Will the squirrels try to climb that fence?

I wondered that too last year when I first put it up. I don't think so because last year there was no further damage once the netting was up. We'll see this year. Those crafty little critters have a way of learning fast.

Perhaps their feet don't like the feel of the netting. It gets hung up on everything and can be frustrating at times. Maybe it hangs up on their little claws. I hope so!

We got another 3.1" of rain last evening so 5.9" in two days. This time there was some wind so I'm really hoping the corn's OK. Maybe more storms this evening as the rain isn't breaking the heat wave, just being caused by it.

[GoDawgs]

Last night the sky frowned up again and dumped another 3.1" on us so that's 5.9" in two days. I think I can say that the drought has been broken but the heat wave sure hasn't been. It's hanging around waiting to stir up another batch of afternoon rain clouds. Oh, and again there's no standing water after last night's rain. That soil is mighty thirsty! And the corn's still OK.

Got the first two Warsaw Pasta Squash yesterday along with the first Indian Snake cucumber. I have a hunch that both the squash and that one cuke will be all that those plants make. The Warsaw is an old type of spaghetti squash and it's a bush variety so no long vines which is why I tried it. Trying to save space. There's also one Bushy cuke, so named because its vines are only 5' long. Cukes are about 3-3.5" long. It would make a good one for someone who doesn't have a lot of space to grow long vined cukes.

24.07.07 Warsaw Pasta squash, Ind snake cuke, Bushy cuke.JPG

[JayneR13]

That’s a bummer, to make so little! Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. At least they’re beautiful!

We’ve had entirely too much rain here too, another 1/2” in a 15 minute period today and more expected tonight. I’ll be out spraying my own tomorrow morning and the food pantry garden on Wednesday! It’s good that the drought is over, but a dry spell would be good too. The roots need a dry spell or all of my attempts to save my gardens will mean nothing.