2024 garden season

[masseyrider]

Sunflowers are breaking out.
No rows. Seed just broadcast freehand and lightly cultivated in.
They overtake the weeds.
I'm guessing over an acre.
Bees love it and birds come in every year.
The yellow finches arrive by the hundred.
Even the local critters benefit.
A couple deer bed down in the tall plants.
I watched a skunk harvest his share by walking into a stalk with his shoulder until he can get at the seeds.
Little bit of habitat for everyone.
Attracts people driving by and the local neighbour women.
I'm their hero when I tell them to cut as many blooms as they want.
Rest of the garden I didn't bother with.
Prepped the soil and everything and then changed my mind.
It's only me and it's easier just to buy what I need.
I can only eat so much zucchini, cukes and tomatoes. This spring I dumped half the taters I had put away.
Corn last week was $.22 a cob. If I eat 10 cobs a summer I'm good.
Someone brought me half dozen squash plants so that's it.

 

[Oaktree]

Corn last week was $.22 a cob. If I eat 10 cobs a summer I'm good.

Love corn on the cob, been kinda pricey this year though...anywhere from 75-99¢ /ear. I think Shaws had it 5/$1 4th of July week, but that was it. Usually goes on sale more often than that.
Still a bit early for local corn...mine are just starting to form ears.

 

[CalG]

Wife and I went for a motorbike ride yesterday. We bought corn at $1 per ear. Really GOOD roasted on the grill. worth it!
We don't grow corn due to skunks.

I dug the garlic bed today (70 plants) They are hanging now in bunches out in the car park.
Watermelon radish went in the spot that was opened up.

 

[masseyrider]

Corn is on sale again. $0.20 a cob. I'll get 10 for that price. Even if I don't use it all the local critters like it from my scraps pile.
Sunflowers are just past peak.
I mowed around the field and saw a fair amount of bees working the blossoms.
While mowing the lawn around the house and barn and further the Swallows were in full feeding frenzy. Sometimes I'm tempted to cut the grass if only to watch their acrobatics.
Got some peaches and nectarines from my friend who was getting ready for market.
Just so, so good.

 

[masseyrider]

Wife and I went for a motorbike ride yesterday. We bought corn at $1 per ear. Really GOOD roasted on the grill. worth it!
We don't grow corn due to skunks.

I dug the garlic bed today (70 plants) They are hanging now in bunches out in the car park.
Watermelon radish went in the spot that was opened up.

Starting this late will your watermelons make it in Vermont?
We are considered to be Kanuckistan's banana belt in Niagara and any hope of harvesting melons depends on them started before early/mid June.
I put radishes in large planters. Easy to thin and weed.

 

[DJ54]

Buddy of mine came over yesterday and got 8 ears of Silver Queen for him & his wife. Looks decent even with the lack of rain we've had. I mulched it too with leaves, seems to have done its job. He had tomatoes from plants I'd given him, definitely an advantage of only having 8-10 plants and keeping them watered. Mine are coming along, just can't water the amount I have other than just keeping them going occasionally. I depend on rain for mine. So, we traded corn for tomatoes. Also had some Bell Peppers ready to pull, so got him 6-8 of those. Forgot to get a pic of them, more coming in a few days.

First round of Beets are ready to come out of the ground, so other friends are coming to pull them sometime this morning. Calling for rain most of the upcoming week, better get them out of the ground before they get too big, or even split.

My experiment of setting cabbage and brussels sprouts into second year Cereal Rye living mulch didn't pan out like I had hoped. Worked OK for a while, then grass and weeds came in when it got dry. Pulled moisture away from the plants. Mowed down tight between rows, cleaned up between plants with my trimmer with blade, then tilled either side, then mulched with leaves. After that gave them a good drink of water. Amazing how they have perked up, now to get some rain to keep them going.

 

[JPRambo]

We prepared a first time garden in March after receiving the soil analysis. Friend of neighbors volunteered a trailer load of composted cow manure. The area needed a lot of lime also. Put up a recycled chain link fence and some bird netting.
Wife planted greenbeans the first wednesday of April. Purchased a tomato plant a Orange box store.

 

[JPRambo]

Squash, zucchini, peas, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, radish, peppers, spinach, and bunching onions.

 

[CalG]

Watermellon radish is the popular name.

"What are watermelon radishes? Watermelon radishes are an heirloom variety of Chinese daikon radish. They get their name from their bright pink interior and green skin, not their taste. Members of the mustard family, they're firm and crunchy, with a mild, peppery flavor."

We don't grow any melons any more. the wife got discouraged with the vine borers.

Starting this late will your watermelons make it in Vermont?
We are considered to be Kanuckistan's banana belt in Niagara and any hope of harvesting melons depends on them started before early/mid June.
I put radishes in large planters. Easy to thin and weed.

 

[masseyrider]

Watermellon radish is the popular name.

"What are watermelon radishes? Watermelon radishes are an heirloom variety of Chinese daikon radish. They get their name from their bright pink interior and green skin, not their taste. Members of the mustard family, they're firm and crunchy, with a mild, peppery flavor."

We don't grow any melons any more. the wife got discouraged with the vine borers.

Don't I feel silly.
Never heard of them before.