What have you done today in the Garden?

Thanks for the berry explanation, Mel. I get the idea that they would make good jam.
It looks like you have been toiling outside getting those beds ready for planting. Here’s hoping that you will get some decent weather.

 

Everyone's gardens are moving along famously!

Today I installed drip irrigation for the sauce tomatoes. That's all of the raised beds although one will need a redo when I plant the peppers.

I laid most of the black plastic for one squash bed. A second squash area will need more effort. because it's a crowded area and weeds are an issue.



I put up a trellis for the Honeynut squashes.



I've never grown squashes on a trellis but I think it will work. Honeynuts are considered a small, personal size squash and if needed I can make little hammocks for them.

 

Winter squash can be huge! Well -sprawling might be a better word! I would like to try those Honeynuts myself!

 

Daniel, I must say, that is some trellis you have constructed. Jack has got nothin’ on you, mate.

I have questions, but they can’t be answered until harvest time. I am excited to see how this project develops.and of course, the hammocks. I am watching this space.

Well, perhaps one question now then.
What are the materials you used there to make the trellis?

 

Today was 22.C And a low predicted of 4, which is a nice change all be it low. We do enjoy the berries IQF'd on cookie sheets and then thawed over winter for yogurt breakfast, pancakes, sauces, company pies( hubby can't eat an enire pie even over a week ) or snacking. We find the frozen berries are juicier and sweeter. I do make a lot of jam but we maybe go through three jars a year. ( with the exception of tarts and cookies for hubby) I give the rest of the jam to the kids.

I do the same with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. And hopefully in a few years , the haskaps. I freeze them on cookie sheets and then bag them. That way we can take out what we want over winter, place a bowl of them on the table in the early AM and by time for breakfast they are thawed enough for eating. Sometimes a communal spoon is necessary, but they are still a burst of flavour that is treasured.

 

@marlingardener - thank you for explaining. It helps me appreciate all you do for your beautiful gardens. I have trash cans under the eves of the stable for the lower garden. I pack water for the lower and greenhouse. My neighbours have the cubes you mention for water collection. I had no idea they could be resourced from other sources. Your gardens must taste especially fabulous from all of your hard work.

 

Mel, you make it all sound so delicious and so much fun.
If I understand the process correctly, you freeze your berries on a sheet of baking paper then into a container and stored in the freezer. Can you not just freeze them all in a container and get the same result? Or, do they ten to all stick together in a big ball?
I am inquiring because I freeze some berries and peas in…just in a ice cream bucket or sometimes in Chinese food plastic container.
Interesting idea of yours.

 

@Sjoerd the trellis was an old cedar trellis that used to be attached to a wall. I pounded two fenceposts into the ground and used rope to attach the trellis to the fenceposts. It's not going to last one hundred years, but maybe will last one garden season.

 

I see, Daniel. It is nice to have stuff around to be able to do those things, isn’t it. I reckon two fenceposts ought to do the job.

 

Yesterday I planted half of the final raised bed. My attempt to grow a Spring crop was not successful - the peas are not blooming yet, and it's time to plant the peppers. I pulled out the peas plants, fed them to the hens, topped off the soil, added some steer manure, mixed and smoothed, and planted. One good thing, the pea roots did have Rhizobium nodules, so I proved I successfully established a nitrogen-fixing microflora there for legumes. We ate some pea shoots in a salad.

It was going to be all peppers but there were three small growing dwarf tomato plants to plant too - Extreme Bush and Tanunda Red, which grow about 20 to 24 inches tall. I planted Banana peppers and Early Jalapenos. There are still Serranos, Thai, Cayenne and Tabascos to plant. Not sure where some will go. I will give some away.

I concluded that I should install the drip emitters immediately after planting, then install the paper mulch immediately too. That way it need no hand watering and barely any weeding, for the season. Our rainy season may be done - there is often no rain late May to early Sept. I tripped over the former soaker lines and fell, so I removed them then installed the individual emitters. I was attaching the valves with a zip tie gun, but it's not tight enough and some blew off from water pressure. I found a screw-on type hose clamp that works much better, much tighter so ordered more. The drip system has a learning curve but in the end it is worth it. The paper mulch is a revelation too, makes it so I don't have to hassle with irrigation hoses while weeding and cultivating, and conserves water. I can't haul water or hoses any more in summer heat.

All of the squashes are planted. For their mulch, I'm using black plastic. The freshly cleared bed is almost covered, and I ordered tubing for a branch line for the irrigation. Last year squashes were hand watered but this year they get drip lines too. Some will be more difficult, because weeds got ahead if me and it is a multipurpose area with other plants to work around or remove.

I added about six more inches of soil for the first container potatoes. They have room for another four inches.

Today's list: Till bed for sweetcorn, plant sweetcorn, plant cucumber seeds, maybe plant marigold, basil, dill seeds. Maybe fill in some potato trenches.

 

@Dirtmechanic here was half of last year's crop.

and 2020



This year I'm replacing the giant Pink Banana Squash with Burgess Buttercup, and the giant-er Illinois Squash with Uncle Dave's Dakota Dessert Squash. Sad, those two are sentimental favorites. But the smaller ones might be more practical.

 

I freeze some of my raspberries together in bags, but over the years I've decided that I enjoy being able to take out what I need without bashing anyone around. . I have three bags/containers of individually frozen raspberries for the winter and the rest I bag together. I IQF my blueberries and strawberries as well. There is nothing finer in the depth of winter than a strawberry from the garden on yogurt or pancakes, rather than a cardboard one from the store. I IQF my peas, baby carrots, sliced carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, some green beans and all fruit. My greens ( swiss chard, beet greens and kale) are blanched, drained and then stuffed into the size of smaller bag I like and frozen as a block in a bag. It does take up a little more room at times, but I really enjoy the convenience of it. ( I can pour out a measure for a batch of scones or berry sauce rather than thaw a whole bag, take out however many veggies I would like - referring to myself more than hubby will try to take a pass on the veg ).

I made the mistake once of making pierogies and not IQFing first....what a mess hahahaha

 

Today is the day to start on the flower garden's beside the house. I'm playing "beat the rain" today. The zuchinni seeds will also get planted in a raised bed with black landscape tarp and a soaker hose underneath. I'll start some more sweet corn indoors today to try and have a few plants this year. Fourth time is the charm.

Yesterday was a big day. Very exciting stuff. The below freezing lows were removed for the first time, and all of the row covers came off to see who lived, who germinated and what needed attention. I had a lot of help from hubby removing the anchors and logs to keep the row cover in place. The cedar stakes were left in place just encase we get hail or more below freezing.

Some of the little plants may live that were eaten. Everyone had a side dressing of blood meal and watered in. I had to cull over 20 asparagus spears that just couldn't survive the below freezing. Carrots are up, beets, lettuce and onions and leeks are doing well. In a few days I hope to transplant the beans. It is still cool, but atleast it is lows of 4, not -4. I'll take it.





Hey hey @Daniel W ...lookie look....a Tri Cot on my Gold Nugget Buttercup Squash. We shall see if any magic happens in its growth

 

Gourd Almighty! That is Amazing!

 

Hoi Mel.
That abbreviation, IQF? What does that mean, “Individual Quick Freeze”, or something? Chuckle, I am woefully at a disadvantage with abbreviations.
I see what you do with the freezing. Having things frozen but not in a solid ball is indeed very handy when cooking pierogies— you are quite a chef.

Your plots look very good to my eye. What a set of challenges you have though.