Growing Watermelons on Tomato Cages

We are fortunate to live in Zone 7b where (in theory) watermelons planted in our Kitchen Garden should thrive in our long, hot growing season. Oh, would that it were as simple as that!

Here's a bit of backstory:

Our first year here (2009), we had a couple of rows of tomatoes and peppers in the newly-christened Way Back. That's when it was still a 1/4 acre wasteland of weeds, wild blackberry bushes, and rocks. The soil was pathetic, to put it mildly, having been scraped clean whenever Duke Energy installed the transmission lines overhead; the previous owners had simply ignored this diamond-in-the-rough part of their property. We knew we had our work cut out for us, but I don't think either imagined what a tough-row-to-hoe we'd tackled.

Our next two years (2010 & 2011) were about putting our much-revised 4-year plan into action. We focused on growing the basics like tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash in the Kitchen Garden, and on getting the soil in better shape. And while the garden we planted in 2012 was more ambitious, medical circumstances caused us to abandon most of our efforts to the forces of Mother Nature. Still, we were headed in the right direction...just not there yet.

Our Kitchen Garden of 2013 was the first "according to plan" version, with cool season crops (followed by a cover crop of beans) in the raised beds of the Box Garden; corn, peas, and pumpkins in the Block Garden; and warm season crops in a 4-year rotation in the four rows of the Row Garden. One of those rows (Row #1 in 2013) was designated for the cucurbit family of cucumbers (grown on an A-frame trellis formed from repurposed lattice panels), cantaloupes (really, muskmelons), yellow squash, zucchini, and watermelons.

I trialed using black landscape fabric as a weed barrier on all of my rows in 2013, cutting X's in the fabric at appropriate spacing to plant either seeds or transplants. My watermelon seeds didn't germinate, so I purchased transplants of Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet, and Jubilee watermelons. These went in in mid-May, and by 6/26/13 I was reporting in my journal that we had 10 small fruits on flourishing vines.

Unfortunately, some critter (raccoon? groundhog? turtle?) ate holes in every single melon by the end of July. When a few more melons (mostly Sugar Babies) started appearing, I put them inside nursery pots, thinking "out of sight, out of mouth." They/It ate those melons, too. Such a heart-breaking day.

There had to be a better way.

Because we got such good results with the cukes growing on a trellis, I thought the answer might lie in that direction: upward. But I was out of lattice to repurpose. What I did have in abundance was tomato cages. I wondered if they might work.

Moving to Row #2 in the rotation, I "planted" the tomato cages at the same time as the transplants (started from seeds) of Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby, and Jubilee...again cutting X's in black landscape fabric that covered the row. According to my garden journal, the date was 5/26/14 (much later than intended, due to cooler weather at the beginning of the season).

As the vines grew up, I wrapped and wove them over and around the rungs of the tomato cages. I knew I was going to run into an issue with the weight of the individual fruits, so I was trying to "build" a strong vine system as I went along. Soon the male flowers appeared. Not long after, the female flowers...and the bees...showed up. Imagine my excitement when I took this picture of the first melon of 2014! 

By this time, the vines had grown up well past the top rung, even with my wrapping and weaving, and the fruits were becoming quite heavy, as you can see with this Jubilee (pictured below). And I had begun to research support options in earnest.

While several sites suggested using mesh bags like onions come in, I didn't have those readily available since I grow all the onions we use. Some sites recommended slings made from pantyhose, but I rarely wear pantyhose anymore. I was using a gallon milk jug, perforated in the bottom for drainage and zip-tied to the cage supporting my cantaloupes, but I knew that wouldn't be large enough for a watermelon, even the smaller Sugar Baby (pictured).

I settled upon making slings or little hammocks out of an old summer-weight row cover. I cut 44" lengths of it into strips of about 10-12" in width, knotting them on the ends around the rung above where a melon had formed, securing the ends with clothespins. I knew that the weight would increase as the fruit matured, so I was trying to provide some growing room in the sling.

As the original melons grew, the row cover slings began to show their age. Many had small holes that became large tears, and one melon ripped its row cover in two...sending the now-unsupported fruit crashing to the ground. Another simply cracked open from lack of sufficient support when its sling tore, as seen in this picture. 

At that point, I started making the slings from old t-shirts, which provide much more support. Sling material question solved!

What I didn't realize was just how much the weight of a growing melon would pressure the tomato cage. Thomas had to "retrofit" the cages with support from a steel fence post, driven into the space between two cages, which I then tied to the post. This triage prevented both cages from toppling over mid-season.

I also placed upturned plastic 3-gallon nursery pots under the growing melons nearest to the ground, to give them extra support. And then the rains started, adding extra water-weight to the nearly-ripe fruit.

We harvested 5 melons on 8/8/14: 2 Crimson Sweets, 2 Jubilees, and 1 Sugar Baby. While the CSs appeared to be ripe, I had my doubts about the others. But vine failure, probably due to squash vine borers, led me to try to save the largest of the fruit. Would they be ready to eat?

We chilled a couple and cut into the largest of the Crimsons this morning. When I pierced the rind with the knife, it popped open with a crack...a good sign! And it tasted every bit as good as it looks in this picture. 

So, using tomato cages to trellis watermelons turned out to be a good idea, getting the vines off the ground and providing needed protection from critters for the fruit. The proof was in the tasting!

What will we do differently next year? 

1. For sure, we will sink the fence-post support system at the time of transplanting. 

2. We will definitely use t-shirt strips (12-15" in width) as sling-material. 

3. We will also cut a 4-6" long split in the ends to make them easier to knot around the rungs.

4. I will prune the vines more enthusiastically, especially the side shoots, to keep the plants cleaner and more manageable. With less green vegetation, there will be less pest-pressure.

As always, happy hoeing!

Days of Summer

Alex Trebeck: Lazy days of Summer.

Me: What is NEVER the answer to a question about a garden in August?

Summer is in full swing in The Way Back and brings with it a change in gardening chores for the month of August. As the thermometer soars, enthusiasm for gardening activities typically wanes...at least in the heat of the day. July and August are our hottest months, so we usually don't start a lot of new garden projects...although we do tend to talk about plans for this or that while taking more frequent cooling-off breaks. Still, there is always a mountain of maintenance to-do's in a Summer garden. Plus, we take the first steps for our Fall vegetable garden from mid-July through mid-August.

The best time to do any kind of gardening or maintenance is in early morning when it hasn't gotten so hot, or late in the day after the sun has dropped toward the horizon. Years ago, I promised my mother (who worried about the potential for heat stroke...since that's how her Grandfather Keaton died) that I would "try my best" to follow a rule of "Noon or Ninety, whichever comes first," coming inside to cool off when the clock reached 12:00 or the temps topped 90. In addition to paying attention to the time and temperature, I dress appropriately, keep a cooling cloth (made from strips of an old cotton T-shirt, soaked in cold water) around my neck, take more frequent breaks, drink plenty cooling beverages (water would be best, but I lean toward iced tea), and remember to use sunscreen and bug spray. 

Here's the Garden report for early August:

Kitchen Garden —

• What can I say? I admit I spend the majority of my time here in Summer. I take my morning coffee walk around the garden not only to see what is growing; enjoy the fruits of our labors; snap pictures to document and share; and pick what has ripened; but also to spot problems with weeds or pests before they get out of hand. "Managing by walking around" I call it.

• In Row 1, the okra (mainly Clemson Spineless, joined by a few Burgundy, Green Velvet, and Dwarf...all seed from the Old Salem Seed Exchange in 2013) is starting to produce pods. I have fewer plants than last year, so I hope I will be able to keep up with the harvest (which just overwhelmed me in 2013)!

• Row 1 is the home to my stand of heirloom Nanking green cotton. I hand-ginned the seed from the boles harvested in 2012 and planted 24 "hills," using 3 seeds to a hill (making allowances for two-year old seed). I had a fantastic germination rate, resulting in 1-3 plants per hill. Of course, I have had to replant a few hills due to the dogs using this portion of the garden for their enthusiastic romps, but that was easily done. BTW, someone recently asked me why I was growing cotton? I replied "because I got the original seed from the Old Salem Seed Exchange (and I feel an obligation to grow some and give back), because it represents my own heritage, because it produces one of the prettiest flowers around, and because the growing conditions are right...not to mention that I want to raise enough cotton to hand-spin enough yarn to knit SOMETHING!"

• Also in Row 1, the Beauregard sweet potato vines are running well. This year, I am trialing growing sweet potatoes under black landscape fabric, cutting holes to plant the initial 18 slips. They look happy with this arrangement! My hope is that the fabric will help keep the clay soil moist enough to alleviate its  hardening into a long, solid brick...and make it easier for the tubers to form and then dig. Time will tell whether it is successful. UPDATE: what has eaten the leaves off the sweet potato vines?! We are surmising we may have a ground hog (our neighbor says he has seen one); whatever the critter is, he/she left the vines and just ate the leaves. How odd!

• In Row 2, the cucumbers (Straight Eights and Boston Pickling) growing on the latticework trellis), yellow squash, and zucchini (both kinds of squash are being trialled in tomato cages) are all producing profusely. For the most part, the cukes I am collecting to have enough for pickles; I have made some favorites (at least for me) like marinated (in vinegar and sugar) cucumber and onion slices, veggie cream cheese spread, and gazpacho. I do try to pick the squashes while they are still small and tender, but sometimes they just get away from me. That's when I find baseball-bat sized zukes hiding under the giant leaves.  Can you say zucchini bread? 

• Squash borers and squash bugs can both be fatal to squash, zucchini, and pumpkin plants, and they will attack melons, cucumbers. I check the undersides of Learn more about these pests and how to manage them from this Pender Gardener article: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+76. UPDATE: it looks like the squash vine borers have arrived. Several of my squash plants seem to be showing signs of the frass around the base of the thick vines. Also, because of all the rain and high humidity, the conditions are excellent for mildew. Sigh.

• Row 2 is supporting one of my experiments for 2014: using tomato cages to trellis my melons. [I'm doing this experiment in response to the disaster in the melon patch in 2013, when a raccoon (or something) ate its way through every single melon.)] Since the cantaloupes are vining slowly, they have been easy to train. I only have one 'lope, which I have supported with a zip-tied, vented gallon milk jug, which has drainage holes in the bottom. The excessive temperatures in late June stalled the development of more flowers, so I just have to wait until they recover.

The watermelons are proving more difficult. All three varieties (Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby, and Jubille) are vining well...perhaps too well. All have produced flowers and fruit, with Crimson Sweet winning the numbers game here. I knew the individual melons would need support when they begin to gain weight, so I cut huge swaths of old, summerweight row cover cloth into slings (or hammocks, as Thomas said) and used clothespins to attach them as supports to the ripening melons. Seems to be working in most cases, with the notable exception of the Jubilees...which can weigh 25 pounds. We found the largest of the developing Jubilees on the ground yesterday, after it had ripped through a hole in its sling and snapped off the vine. I picked the two largest CS and Jubilees and one SB (as you can see in the photo below). UPDATE: flowers have returned to the melon vines after a brief hiatus. Several melons are forming at the ends of the vines, so I am bringing out the plastic pots (overturned) to try to provide some protection.

• Row 3 is home to most of our bean crop: Kentucky Wonder and Garden Advantage are planted on the 30' long bean "fence" (made with two 5x15' net trellises strung over 3 6'-steel fence posts), Scarlet Runners are planted on the bean tower, and Fordhook limas are planted in a three-row bed. Of all those mentioned, the limas are doing the best (which is great because they didn't even flower last year, much less make a crop!). We have suffered repeated losses to either cutworms or bunnies...or both...along the bean fence. Still I kept watering the stubs, and many sent out a second set of leaves on alternate stems. The KY Wonders are beginning to flower (finally) so we may get a crop yet...if I can keep the Mexican Bean beetles (which were a scourge in 2013) at bay. I have used neem as a precaution against all other pests in this row, being cautious to use in the late evening to avoid damage to pollinators. UPDATE: the Garden Advantage bush beans have switched into high production mode. Hooray!

• Dominating Row 4, the tomatoes are ready...finally! We have been picking (and in many cases eating right off the vine) Sun Golds for nearly a month now...both from the one transplant I purchased from Burpee and from the three volunteers I have been trialing in the raised bed, just to see what (if anything) these offsprings of a hybrid would produce. As of this week, I have been picking the almost ripened Beefmasters and Park's Improved Whoppers...6 nice ones today. I say "almost ripened" because we suffered a loss last week of our very first almost ripened Black Krim, when I discovered a squirrel (or some critter) had beaten me to it. Brazen beasties! 

And then Thomas discovered our turtle has returned. He seemed to be enjoying a couple Romas that had fallen off the vine. We don't think a turtle capable of reaching up and pulling the produce down to his level...and at least when a turtle eats, he cleans his plate!

As tomato plants continue to grow and produce, I try to keep the soil around the plants (which is mulched in mushroom compose topped with leaf mold) consistently moist. Inconsistent watering is the reason tomatoes develop unsightly cracks. Also, blossom end rot (those awful black spots covering the bottom of your tomatoes) is most common on tomatoes but can also affect peppers, squash, and melons. BER is the result of low calcium in developing fruits and is most commonly caused by uneven watering. For some reason, we've lost several of the Beefmasters to BER, but only one PIW. 

• The peppers in Row 4 are growing well and starting to ripen, yielding a couple red pimientos, a golden Orange Blaze, and a couple mild bananas. The hot Cherry Poppers (whose peppers grow up rather than down on the stem) are going into high gear now. I burned my tongue on one of the seeds when I was putting up some in a pint jar (with hot vinegar)!

• I've seeded the Fall garden in the raised beds in the Box Garden: broccoli, cabbage, spinach, beets, carrots, and lettuce. Have to remember to keep the beds moist, since the temps can do a great deal of damage to the germinating seeds of Cool Season crops

• The Block garden has corn and pumpkins inside the fence, with the latter growing faster than the former. I struggle to keep up with removing eggs laid on the pumpkin leaves by the squash bugs...who seem to prefer pumpkins to squash at this point. UPDATE: I planted garden (English) peas around the outside of fence.

• The 3 rows of pink-eye purple hull ("Southern") peas have done fairly well, despite being in the direct path of the dogs' romps. They have stopped flowering, but I hope cooler night temps might encourage another flush of peas.

Here're the latest harvest snap:

Orchard —

• Since ALL of our fruit trees were adversely affected by the late freeze in April, there will be no fruit this year. So sad.

• The Pollinator Garden is looking good! Zinnias have filled in, as have the marigolds. A couple of surprise sunflowers have sprung up; that's one of them in the pic above. And the pineapple lilies (new in 2013) have bloomed! 

Berry Patch —

• Blackberries are winding down and need to be pruned to remove the canes that have just produced this year's fruit. To encourage branching on the new canes (which will produce next year's berries), we cut back the vigorous, new growth two or three times for greater fruit production. UPDATE: Thomas cut back the canes that just fruited.

• Blueberry bushes also need pruning now that their harvest is complete. Thomas cleaned out the weeds from the blueberry boxes (as they are planted in raised beds). I need to prune the bushes and and mulch again with a nice layer of leaf mold.

• The 2 Concord grapes have put on too much new vine growth, along with a record amount of fruit production (see pic). Consequently, we had to do some repair work on the fence-trellising system after a severe thunderstorm in late June. The newest grapes (3 Reliance and 3 Flame) are passing their first formative year without much assistance from us; we are simply allowing them to develop good root systems in hopes they begin to flower and fruit next year. Here're the Concords:

• I spent a cloudy morning rejuvenating the strawberry bed, cutting off numerous runners and weeding. I dosed the remaining "Mother" plants with earthworm casings (fertilizer) and mulched them with mushroom compost. I am attempting to root the "daughter" runners in two flats and several hanging baskets; those that "take" will be used to create a new bed this Fall. UPDATE: the runners planted in baskets have done much better than those in the flats.

Rose Garden —

•  According to "The Pruning Specialist" by David Squire, good results have been achieved by using electric hedge trimmers to prune bush roses. Intriguing. While I balk at using this technique with my hybrid teas, miniatures, floribundas, or grandifloras (or on any rose in winter dormancy), I saw promise in managing the exuberant summer growth on my David Austin English-style bush roses...which is usually an overwhelming, two-day job to tackle by hand with pruning shears and loppers. When I suggested 'hedge trimmer' to Thomas, he embraced the idea with great enthusiasm: more power (say that last phrase with a Tim Allen/Home Improvement-inspired laugh)! I'm happy to report that all 33 DA's were successfully Summer-pruned into shape with the Black&Decker...and all the debris loaded into the yard waste toter for disposal...in less time than it took me to hand-prune the 33 HTs, Minis, Fs, and Gs. The Rose Garden looks neat and clean, albeit a bit bare at the moment, but I have high hopes we will see some of those "good results" soon.

• Additionally, mid-July was the time to feed all our roses, as well as get caught up with controlling pests. At this feeding, I used a combination of 1 cup Mills Magic rose food (ordered online here: http://www.millsmix.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=122 ; yes, it's expensive but a truly excellent product...and shipping is included, which is good because I order 40# at a time) and 1 capful granular Bayer 3-in-1 (which contains insect and fungal pest control as well as some fertilizer) per bush. I have also sprayed the roses with neem oil to help with pest control, although I believe hand-removal of Japanese beetles (knocking them into the soap-&-water mixture in my coffee-canister Kill Jug) to be altogether satisfying, safe, and moderately successful. I am currently researching the Bayer product with an eye toward changing this part of my regime in the future, but for now I will use up my present supplies for 2014. 

• The Shasta Daisies I started from cuttings in 2013 are looking beautiful! They have created almost a solid hedge of green leaves topped with flowers bearing large white petals and bright yellow centers. Not only are the daisies perfect companion plants in a rose garden, they make excellent cut flowers to add to summertime arrangements. Other companion plants that are doing well in The Rose Garden include coreopsis, lambs' ears, liriope, Autumn Joy sedum, and dianthus (pinks). The Black Knight buddleas I started from cuttings are nearly six feet tall, and two volunteer giant sunflowers have also added height and color to this area of the Way Back. I replaced a couple of casualties in containers, lost to the cold winter (most regrettably, the agapanthus) with two different Japanese maple trees. Interesting to note: so far, Japanese beetles have not shown any interest in the Japanese maples.

• We have reclaimed the patio in the Rose Garden by doing a bit of furniture rearranging: the rockers moved from the front porch to the patio; the glider moved to behind the Pollinator Garden in the Orchard; and my readers chair moved to the front porch. Fruit basket turnover, right?

Front Yard —

• We tackled the chore of dividing the iris along the front walk and around the lamppost, as you see in the pic above. Here are the instructions we followed when we did that:

"Pick a day in late July or early August when the temperatures are below 90 degrees.   Irises grow from rhizomes, which are elongated stems that grow horizontally below ground and have roots attached to them.  Using a garden fork, lift the whole plant out of the ground. Snap off or use a sharp knife to cut off the vigorous ends of the rhizomes.  Make sure that there are roots attached to each portion.  The center portion is no longer productive, so you can throw it away. Before re-planting, inspect each portion and discard any that indicate the presence of Iris borers or soft rot.  Cut the foliage on healthy rhizomes to about 8 inches.  They prefer dry feet, so replant them 8-10 inches apart in well-drained soil just at or slightly below the soil line.  Don’t pile mulch over the roots.  Mulch can retain more moisture than the rhizomes can handle."    

• We replanted several fans, gave some to our neighbor, and still have a tub full for Missy M's new garden. Thomas moved a crepe myrtle sapling and also spread several bags of black mulch around that area.

• I cut back the stems of the Gethsemane mums down at the mailbox, before they began to form flowers. This allows them to delay flowering until fall. Typically you want to finish this chore by July 15. Never one to squander the opportunity to get new plants for free, I started new chrysanthemums from the cuttings. (Those started in early July should flower this fall.)

Here's how I did it: "Take a four- or five-inch cutting. Pinch off the leaves on the lower one third of the stem. (Stem cells at the base of each leaf produce the most active growth. New roots form there easily.) Remove leaves further up the stem also, leaving three or four small leaves at the cutting tip. Once leaves are removed, put each stem section into a container of water while preparing more cuttings. Pre-moisten potting mix or seed-stating mix in a wide-mouthed pot or planting tray. Use a pencil or dibble to poke holes in the soil about three inches apart. Dip the stem where the bottom leaves have been removed into rooting hormone such as Rootone. Stick one cutting in each hole. Push dirt against the stem to make good soil-to-stem contact. Place pots or a tray with cuttings in bright shade (no direct sunlight). Allow about four weeks for roots to develop. Keep the soil evenly moist while new roots form. For a week or two, expose the container to brighter light but not to full afternoon sun. Don’t let the soil dry out. Plants can then be transplanted to the garden or into larger pots. Keep new transplants well watered for a few weeks. Shield from afternoon sun for two or three days."

Whew! I could use a day off! But there's no rest for the wicked...and the righteous gardener doesn't need any!

Garden Begins to Give

I love June! This is the month in the gardening year when the warm-season crops and many of the inhabitants of the Berry Patch begin to ripen. Every morning's coffee walk yields exciting finds, with just enough of a harvest to determine what we are having for supper...but not too much to start the panicked: "Yikes! What am I going to do with all this zucchin?!"

Since pictures tell a better story, here are a few for you, starting with the first zukes, the first cuke, the first blueberries...and the garlic and potato harvest:

A word about the potatoes...we realized we were fighting a losing battle with the potato bugs this year, so we dumped the potato bags and harvested what we had. (Yes, those ARE purple-skinned potatoes, called Midnight.) Our neighbor's fig tree (right over the fence from where we had the grow bags of potatoes) usually provides shelter for an army of birds that make short work of the potato bug larvae; alas, that tree suffered much in the harsh Winter past and the birds were little in evidence during the crucial time. I will try to get a late crop...fingers crossed.

A word about bugs...

With the arrival of the warm-season crops comes the arrival of the warm-season pests, especially the prolific squash bugs. I hate squash bugs! I have been diligent in squashing the squash bugs and squishing their eggs, then removing the affected squash leaves. These bypass the compost bin and go straight to the yard waste toter...getting them off the property! I'm taking no chances here.

In addition to employing "mechanical controls" in managing pests, I do use chemical controls in the form of insecticidal soap and neem oil. The latter seemed to do best sprayed directly on the nymphs, if I missed any of the eggs and they hatched. Need more info? Check it out here: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74144.html

I also hate squash vine borers, which haven't made their presence known...yet. I've done all I can organically do to prevent them (which is the best line of defense) by rotating the location of the squash from last year's planting and turning the rows after the first killing frost last Fall to expose the grubs that take to the soil to wait for the next opportunity to ruin my squash crop.

Speaking of pests I hate...with a passion...did I tell you that the Japanese beetles have arrived? Oh yes, they have once again invaded the Rose Garden, which has produced the first flush of blooms, taken a little rest, and is now on the second flush. The best organic line of defense for these terrors is...well, once again, a picture tells the story:

Some gardeners use a jar, filled with water and a squirt of dish detergent (to break the surface tension). I use a JUG, as I know a jar is totally inadequate. I use the top of the coffee canister to knock the beasties off the blooms and into the jug. Bwwwwwahahahahah! You do have to get rid of the contents of the jug, or the smell will overpower you.

I spent all day moving a mountain of leaf mold from the caged area where it has been composting in place since last Fall to its new home...as mulch for all the plants in the Row Garden. Whew! Ten wheelbarrows-full. That was a huge...and heavy...undertaking! But the plants look good...and I know they will do better in the hot months of July and August if mulched. 

I'll close out this post with some more pics, showing some good things to come.

Happy hoeing!

To Do in the Zone 7 Garden in June

It's the last month of Spring...how is your garden growing? Here's a photo I took after this morning's coffee walk...peas and carrots...and one ginormous onion! The "English" peas are winding down, the carrots are finally ready, and the onions just might take over our world...wow!

By now in Zone 7, you should be well into your planting of warm season vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, melons, cucumbers, okra, and Southern peas are all in the ground here in The Way Back Kitchen Garden. I chose to forgo eggplants this year since we are neither big fans.

And, like us, you are probably pulling up many of the cool season crops as they begin to bolt and go to seed. I made a contribution to the compost bin this weekend as I replaced the broccoli, cabbage, spinach, and bolting lettuce plants (all in the raised beds in the Box Garden) with plantings of a variety of bush beans and some Salad Bowl lettuce that is supposed to withstand the coming Summer heat "better." I'm giving it a good chance by planting it against the west-side boards on the raised beds (which will provide shade from the harsh setting sun) and under the cucumber trellis frame, over in the Row Garden...again for added protection.

I also decided to devote one box (L-shaped, with the equivalent of 3 3x3 squares...or 27 square feet, if you do the math) to a tomato trial. Last year, you may recall I put three Sun Gold tomato suckers I'd rooted in this box...one in each 3x3 square. And they thrived, to put it mildly. 

When our first frost threatened last Fall, I harvested all the remaining tomatoes, green and gold ones, and turned them into Green Tomato Relish (great on hot dogs...and black-eyed peas, by the way!). But I didn't pull the plants. Well, they survived that first frost. We had another warm spell, as we often do...and the plants flowered again...and more Sun Golds arrived. But many of these fell into the box when I did finally pull the plants. I tried to remove as many as I could, but apparently missed as many as I got. 

I didn't plant this box with cool season veggies, as I was going to let it rest. Nature had other plans! Before I knew it, I had worlds of tiny Sun Gold tomato plants. Good grief! Knowing that SG is a hybrid tomato, I "knew" that I couldn't count on any of these reseeded babies to produce fruit like the 3 parent SG plants. But, what would the fruit look like? And would there be any fruit at all? Sounds like an experiment to me!

I pulled all except three "baby" plants...the ones that had seeded themselves in the center of their respective squares, more or less. I wanted to see what I will get from the seedlings of hybrid plants. Well, one question is answered: will they fruit? Yes! The three remaining (and many of the ones I removed) have all flowered and are developing tomatoes...and they look just like the tiny bunches of Sun Golds that the parent plants produced last year. I'll report back on how the reseeded plants' fruit tastes soon. Very soon!

Additionally, I seeded my garden borders with marigolds and zinnias, using the seed-heads we save every year after frost kills off our favorite annuals. The seeds we harvested last Fall are descendants of flowers we had around our garden in O'Fallon, MO...over 5 years ago. The originals were hybrids, so the first generation of plants from the saved seeds weren't "true," but subsequent flowers are pretty reliable. And the whole point is to get lots of flowers to attract pollinators...without spending a fortune. Check!

Speaking of pollinators...

Mr. T cleaned and cultivated the Pollinator Garden, which starts its second full year in the Orchard. The pineapple lilies we purchased at the Daylily farm in Garner last year have all survived this past Winter (how, I will never know!) and are sending up reddish-purple leaves. I set out tiny transplants of zinnias and marigolds (started from purchased seeds), plus some Root-tone-dipped cuttings of the Moonlight mums and Shasta daisies, which are thriving elsewhere on our property. I also planted a few sunflower seeds, but I think the crows were observing me from their high perch on the transmission line tower...and will probably make a meal out of my efforts before I can say "shoo!"

So what else is on this month's checklist? Here goes:

Checklist for Zone 7 Gardens:

• Mulch container gardens to help retain moisture in the coming hot weather, using a top-dressing of compost
• Remove Spring annuals as the weather heats up
• Set out seedlings of warm-weather annuals; direct-sow seeds of annuals like nasturtiums. 
• Prune and fertilize spring-blooming vines such as clematis and wisteria after they bloom
• Fertilize and prune spring-blooming shrubs such as azaleas and rhododendrons after they bloom
• As vegetable plants start to flower, begin regular feeding with diluted fish emulsion
• To direct growth of new canes, pinch tips off of blackberries and young grapevines
• Keep blueberry bushes well-weeded and well-watered as their fruit ripens; wait until after the harvest to prune and fertilize
• Weed strawberry beds and add a mulch of compost topped with a layer of straw
• Prune indeterminate tomatoes by removing suckers and topping off the main vine as it reaches the height of its cage and/or stake; try rooting a couple of the hardy suckers to have more plants.
• Sow seeds of heat-loving vegetables (squash, pumpkins, melons) directly into the ground
• Continue to feed roses monthly and treat with a 3-in-1 systemic per label instructions; deadhead as they finish their first round of blooming
• Prune once-blooming roses after they've flowered this month
• Check the undersides of leaves of warm season veggie plants like squash, tomatoes, cukes, and melons for the eggs of pests such as the potato beetle, squash bugs, etc. Squish ALL eggs...or if that doesn't sound like fun, remove the egg-infested leaf and put it in a container (I use a 3-lb coffee canister) half-filled with soapy water; ditto with any adult pests you see. Don't just leave the eggs! The goal is to keep the next generation of pests from hatching. The more pests, the less produce. Simple math.

June is a busy month in the Way Back gardens, as we transition from one season to another. Happy hoeing!

May Has Arrived...Finally

Crazy weather this year has made for a slow start in the Kitchen Garden...and much loss in the other gardens. Sigh. 

Of course, I can't blame being behind the times all on the weather. There was my cataract surgery and recovery...then came the 12 days away from home when we went to Louisville...and then I spent the past week attending the NCEMGVA Conference in Winston-Salem. And while I was learning more about gardening (but not actually gardening), the weather flipped straight into Summer...91 today. Double sigh. 

I did want to share some of the fruits of our labors with you. Here's a picture of our first cutting of broccoli, along with some asparagus. 

We had cut some yesterday to grill along with some salmon steaks, so the pickings appear slim; still, the 4-year old asparagus bed is yielding more than enough for the two of us. Out in the Raised Beds, our lettuces (red and green romaine, along with Buttercrunch and Red Sails) look fabulous, and our spinach is quite healthy and productive. We probably have enough onions to supply a small restaurant, because I am trialing using onions extensively in the (red) cabbage bed to help reduce the number of cabbage worms. Seems to be working well. And the carrots and peas are finally joining the party. So, the cool season crops are doing well, even with their slow start to 2014. 

But I'm almost embarrassed to report we haven't put in a single Warm Season transplant or seeded a single crop in the Row Garden yet...and it's almost Mother's Day. Triple sigh.

Time to get down to business! Here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May*:

Kitchen Garden:

·         May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).  I've got my work cut out for me, don't I?

·         I'll also be planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st).

·         When setting out tomato plants, we set up stakes or cages so we won’t disturb the roots later.  I try to remove any suckers to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots, and I remove all branches below the first flowers to encourage a string central stem...and to discourage pests. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!)

·         We'll be planting beans (pole and bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest. I did get some English-style runner beans and some Kentucky Wonder pole beans planted around the tuteur last weekend. We will need to set up a bean "fence" in Row #3 this year (factoring in crop rotation, by moving everything one row east each year...alaman right!) to provide support for the main crop of Kentucky Wonders. 

·         I've started seeds and hope to plant basil and dill directly in the garden this month. I took cuttings of mint and divisions of chives from Missy M's herb garden, and I want to get them settled into their new abodes here in HPNC.

Orchard and Berry Patch:

·         I will fertilize the blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month. All are looking healthy and show signs of a great year...fingers crossed! Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

·         I'll need to spray the fruit trees with the first spray after fruit set. Sadly, the extremely cold winter and the late freeze on April 14-16 probably means a rather anemic crop. There will be no pears or plums, and few peaches and apples...if the squirrels don't get them again this year. The only heavy fruit-set has occurred on the crabapples. 

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

·         To prevent black spot and control pests on roses, I will use the 6-week systemic 3-in-1 variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

·         We will prepare a couple new beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias...possibly by the fence, so there will be a good backdrop.

• Additionally, on our list is to document all the roses we lost to weather this year. I already know about the following: 3 Always and Forever, 2 Cinnamon Girls, 2 First Prizes, and one each Kordes Perfecta and Pope John Paul. We also had to remove my absolute all-time favorite floribunda, Mardi Gras, which was showing signs of rose rosette disease (which is always fatal). Here's what it looked like in years past:

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Back yard gardens:

·         It’s time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, especially caladiums and gladioli. I already have some glads coming up that seem to have made it through the winter we had.  We shall see...

Our rhodo in full bloom in early May.
Time to fertilize and prune after blooming.

·         We (read this 'we' as Mr. T) need to remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from our plants, and they make the gardens look so untidy in any photos. He is a weeder-fanatic, so naturally I encourage him to play to his strengths!

Lawns and Grasses

·         According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, we need to mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

·         Since lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week, it's time to get the irrigation system going for the year. 

Other             

• We will take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds! As you know, I love taking loads of photos!! To try to keep our property productive as well as pretty...and to protect these beautiful creatures...if I need to use a pesticide, I use Neem Oil, which is marketed as an Organic spray. Still, it is still toxic to bees...so I don't spray in the morning when bees are most active.
• We have moved all the plants that wintered on the plasticized screen porch out to their summer spots, including the three citrus trees. The Improved Meyer Lemon and the Orange trees are both flowering profusely, while the lemon tree I started from seeds from a lemon from my Aunt's house in Arizona still hasn't flowered...but is beautiful and green nonetheless. We have moved this big tree in its container across state lines a couple of times now, so it's with us to stay no matter.
• After incorporating the finished compost into our garden, we began a new compost batch in our barrel. I hope to get a worm or two or ten working this time, so must remember to feed and water the pile regularly. 

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection. Well, I can say with certainty that I get two out of the three!

Happy hoeing!


==================================
* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

Here's What Spring Brings

March is always a busy month in our Zone 7 garden...with far more items on the To Do List than decent days to do the To Do's! With our wacky, wintry weather still hanging around (we had snow flurries on Tuesday of this week!), we have had to cram a lot into shorter blocks of time.

What we have done so far in March:

►Celebrating St. Patrick's Day is a good reminder that it's time to plant potatoes. We have used grow bags successfully for several years now (remember? I have posted about them before here...:-), and this year is no different. I've planted 10 bags so far (2 more to go) with Kennebec, Yukon Gold, Midnight Moon, and Russet. I have seen tiny green shoots in the very first bag of Russets I planted, so that means they survived some pretty chilly temps. 

►Planted 6 new bareroot roses in the Rose Garden: 3 Midas Touch (AARS), and 1 each Sweetness, Lagerfeld, and Wild Blue Yonder (AARS winner...& dedicated to my Daddy, who often sang the Army Air Corps (now Air Force) song: "Off we go into the wild, blue yonder, flying high into the sun..."). Also we (and by "we," I mean Mr. T...;-) transplanted the two Cinnamon Girl miniature roses that survived the winter from their containers to the Rose Garden, replacing the two First Prizes (AARS) that did not survive the polar vortex. Sun Sprinkles, the 3 AARS-winning miniatures also in containers, seemed to have fared a bit better, so I just pruned them lightly.

►Noticed that 10 of the "cuttings" I kept when I pruned the roses in February are showing some new growth and promise of tiny root hairs. Got them in pots and covered with plastic. We'll see if I get any new roses this year...fingers crossed!

Compost Happens!

►Added the contents of the compost barrel to the Row Garden (as you see in the photo left), along with shredded leaves, pulverized (powdered...so it will break down faster) lime, and 10-10-10 fertilizer. Then turned the rows and hilled them back up. After a couple of weeks, I'll cover them with landscape fabric like I did last year. Interestingly enough, I heard an Ag agent from another county speak last week, and he advised against covering the soil in this manner. Hmmmmm. Since we had such fantastic results with our trial last year, I think I will have to go against his advise and rely on my experience. I happen to like not having to weed...& and there is no denying our soil looks great!

►Applied 10-10-10 fertilizer to blueberries, blackberries, and grapes in the Berry Patch. All were beginning to break dormancy, although I have concerns about what this later-than-usual cold snap might have done to all those buds, as well as the early-to-break-dormancy-and-leaf-out plum tree in the orchard.

 

►Planted cool season transplants in the raised beds in the Box Garden. As I watched the calendar march through March, I knew that I wouldn't have time to rely on seeding these veggies for a good harvest this year. So I put in 4 kinds of lettuce transplants (red and green Romaine, Buttercrunch, and Red Sails), and then seeded for Black-seeded Simpson and more Buttercrunch; 2 kinds of broccoli transplants, along with red cabbage and spinach transplants. Then, as soon as I planted the boxes and let Mother Nature shower them overnight, I put row covers on to protect the tender transplants. Box Garden looks like it has been eaten by giant caterpillars again. Sigh.

►I also seeded some Danver's half-long carrots to one box. Then, I finally, finally got my peas planted on the fence in the Block Garden...just before this latest dip into the 20's. I haven't checked to the damage yet. Fingers crossed. Again.

►To repair some bare spots in our lawns, we overseeded with grass seed and slow release fertilizer. I got out our soil test for the front yard and realized that we didn't add the second application of phosphorus last year (our soil was so low in phosphorus that we couldn't add enough in one season, so we had to break the application into two parts). We'll put that chore on this weekend's list, as rain is predicted...and a good watering-in by Mother Nature will be perfect.

►Transplanted and divided some pots of liriope that our neighbor had given us last year. Also gave the existing stands of "monkey grass" their haircuts, shearing the old brown fronds before the plants begin to turn green.

Bio-Dome Seed Starter -
New Tomato Seedlings growing to the light

►Started seeds of tomatoes and peppers in my new Bio-Dome seed-starter, as you see in the picture above. I had it on top of the kitchen fridge to provide bottom-warmth for germination, but have now moved it to the counter under the warm, intense undercounter lights. 

I have 4 Roma VF, 4 Park's Whoppers, 4 Beefmasters, and 2 Cherokee Purples (new to my garden this year)...and they have all germinated! That is truly remarkable because those Romas? Well, those seeds are 5 years old! I've started some every year since I purchased the packet in 2010, keeping the remainder in the garage fridge.

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see tiny seeds actually come to life...almost before my very eyes. I have some transplants on order...and I will get a couple of transplants at the garden center, as I always do...but growing from seed still thrills this gardener's soul!

And the peppers? The peppers are slower to germinate than the tomatoes, but I did notice a couple of teeny, tiny stems this morning. Soon, I hope to have California Wonder, Jalapeño, Fish, Mariachi, Cherry Poppers, and Orange Blaze...those last three brand new to my garden this year. 

OK, let me get a hot cup of coffee, put on my jacket, and go see what the garden looks like today. Can't wait!

Happy hoeing!

Let's Get this (Garden) Party Started!

We are coming to the end of a long, cold Winter, I hope. I do so fervently hope! We had the first really warm, dry weekend of the year...as in, two whole days in a row of beautiful weather when both of us could work in the garden. And work we did!

►First up: pruning the roses. All 60 bushes! Yes, you may notice a reduction in the total number because the extremely harsh Winter we have just survived was quite unkind to 3 of the newest: two First Prize (pink) and one New Day (yellow), all  hybrid teas. And, most...if not all...of the remaining ones suffered damage in some way or other. Sigh.

Unpruned roses in
The Way Back Rose Garden

Still, that gave me a good excuse (like I really needed one) to order three new Grandifloras: Sweetness, Lagerfeld, and Wild Blue Yonder (AARS-winner)...all purple er, lavender, since the Rose World doesn't really recognize "purple" as a proper color for roses. Right. Plus, I will be ordering a Midas Touch, an AARS-winning hybrid tea which is my fave yellow rose of all time, and two The Alnwick® Rose, a beautiful pink David Austin "English shrub" rose.

I prepared for the chore by reading up on →rose pruning basics and by purchasing a →new pair of pruning shears. Both steps helped to make this the EASIEST year yet for pruning all our Rose Garden beauties.

→Basics: I have been researching Rose Pruning for a Master Gardening program I will be presenting in early March. I've used many sources, but I'll give a shout-out to the easiest to read, although it is an ancient publication by internet standards (1994): Roses for North Carolina. Here's what the NC State author had to say about pruning:

Pruning: Pruning could be one of the most important and necessary steps in growing roses. Correct pruning will improve the overall shape, promote new, healthier growth, and eliminate dead, (damaged), or diseased canes. Most of the annual pruning in North Carolina should be done in the spring, just as the buds break dormancy. [This is usually quoted as 'when the forsythia blooms'.] The most important thing is to look at the buds. The gardener who prunes too early will gamble future growth to frost, and one who prunes too late will have a plant weakened by loss of sap. So watch for the buds, when they begin to swell, go ahead and prune. Spring pruning also allows for removal of wood which was damaged by the winter. This is helpful in the overall shaping of the rose. The height of the plant can be controlled by pruning, and even after a severe pruning new canes will usually grow to the desired height.

Sharp pruning shears are necessary. Pruning cuts should be clean and at a (45-degree)slant. The wood should be removed about 1/4 inch above an outside bud. Be sure to cut a cane down to a point where the cross-section shows no sign of discoloration. Periodically dip the pruning shears in a 70% alcohol solution to decrease spread of disease organisms. Tree roses are pruned primarily for shape, thus requiring severe pruning cuts. Climbers are pruned according to class. The spring flowering ramblers are pruned immediately after blooming. The old wood is removed to stimulate new growth which will flower the next year. Many climbers are pruned to be kept within a basic boundary with the older canes pruned. Corrective pruning and pruning diseased canes should be done as soon as necessary.

Pruning, like thinning, is hard for me. Really, really hard. As I said to Mr. T while we were wielding our shears and whacking branches left and right, "I feel like Morticia." (Any Addams Family fans out there?) But, I have learned that the better job I do at pruning the roses in the late Winter, the fewer pests (critters and diseases) I will have to deal with come Summer. And the better quality of blooms I get! Win-win, as they say!!

Of course, a "better job" of pruning really depends on a "better class" of pruners. For years, I have used a pair of Fiskars general purpose pruners...mainly because they were inexpensive and readily available locally (I tend to loose them). But for the past few years, the arthritis in my hands has progressively worsened...leaving me in pain after a weekend of pruning our roses. Not this year. I was determined to find something different...something better. Let the research begin!

→Pruning Shears: The gold standard for rose professionals has long been Felco bypass pruning shears. Ask any Rosarian and you will most certainly hear the virtues of the brand extolled. Not my personal choice, though.  You see, I have these short, pudgy, arthritic hands, and I just haven't had much luck with getting pruners, including the top-of-the-line, to fit comfortably...until now, that is.

First, I found an interactive comparison guide to pruning shears online, which is great but does NOT include all models (as I was to learn later in my research). It did give me some guidance...and introduce me to the concept of shears for small hands, as well as some new names (at least for me) in the biz. It also helped me narrow down what I was seeking in my new pruners: shorter length, lighter weight, and ergonomic design. As always, I wanted to find the best...but my economical self was still in the room.

Since local offerings of the names on the list are slim-to-none (and Slim left town...pah-dum-pum!), I ordered several varieties from Amazon.com, including Fiskars, Corona, and Bahco, and gave them the squeeze test. It was immediately apparent which one would be the one I'd choose to whack my way through 60+ rose bushes: the Bahco. Surprise!

I'd never heard of Bahco before this, but after a weekend of heavy pruning, I will never be without Bahco Ergonomic Pruner for Small Hands PX-S2 again. I'm returning the others, considering the return shipping cost to be a small price to pay for being able to compare the different models in my kitchen (I couldn't actually use them to prune outdoors, since I knew I'd be returning them; so, I was limited in my "test" to holding and pretend-pruning).

So, here you have a picture of the Rose Garden as it looked on Monday morning. If you compare this to the one above, you will notice that you can see the containers around the bird bath...something that was hidden before.  The eagle-eyed among you might even spot Mr. T (upper left corner of the shot...:-).

Pruned roses
in The Way Back Rose Garden

►Second: preparing for planting potatoes. I prepped 6 bags (three black, three blue), as shown in the picture below. I plan on using the blue bags to grow the purple-skinned potatoes called Midnight Moon, that I have ordered from Burpee. Yes, I said purple potatoes! Cannot wait to see how they turn out this year!

Potato Grow Bags...
All ready for St. Patrick's Day!

I have had such good success with Grow Bags in the past, especially when I get the planting mix right. I use 1/3 top soil (bagged), 1/3 compost (bagged, mushroom), and 1/3 shredded leaves, with about 1/4 cup bone meal mixed into the bottom layer. Makes a perfect light, lofty soil for potatoes. Then, when it comes time to "hill up" as the green part of the plants grow bigger, I add more leaves and compost to create an easy, light medium for harvesting the potatoes. Heck, you can just stick your hand into the bag and grab a few early potatoes if you want!

►Last: cleaning up. While I concentrated on the roses and the potato prep, Mr. T worked like two men possessed on cleaning up the whole 1/4 acre we call the Way Back. It's surprising how much mess a hard Winter plus two Pound Puppies can generate in 4 months. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see where Winston likes to play King of the Hill!  On top of the bags of leaves, next to the fence. Whew...what an energetic puppy!

We did have a bit of excitement this weekend. Mr. T received a FitBit Flex wristband for Valentine's Day from moi. [For those of you who haven't read about our foray into fitness, check out the posts on our family blog, The Adsit Adventure.] Sunday night, after a day spent almost entirely in the garden, he noticed that the wristband was no longer on his arm. Uh oh. He took the flashlight out to the Way Back, but you can imagine how much luck he had with that. And, no luck by the light of Monday morning either. So, Monday afternoon after he'd finished work, he dumped both yard-waste toters...filled with prickly rose branches and other prunings...out; no luck there either.

He started making the round of "where I was at different times of the day," when he went to the compost bin where he'd dumped the remains of the prunings of the 4 pampas grass clumps. He pulled the front side forward and there it was...just hanging there, like it was waiting for him to find it. Relief!

BTW, about that foray into fitness? You might have read about my (pretend) bike ride across the USA to Disneyland in order to get/keep me in shape for gardening this year. Well, folks...it must be working! I challenged my body by working in the garden for 10-12 hours over the weekend...lots of reaching, pulling, lifting, twisting, stretching, kneeling, etc.; and I am here to report that, other than sore arm muscles, I felt fine on Monday morning! Hurrah!!

Now, we have snow in the forecast for tomorrow (!), but it should be a non-event. And we should be heading into warmer days as we flip the calendar over on Saturday. This gardener, for one, cannot wait!

Happy hoeing!