Green thumbed folks, gardeners and grow your own

Another lovely morning in the garden.  Hope the weather holds!

That looks amazing Nan!

Thanks. I think it's doing reasonably well. (Knocking on wood.)  I still have a lot to do on getting it into "proper" shape, but it's coming along. A little bit better this year, hopefully better still next year.

We have two plots. This one, which is a level one down on sandy loam with spectacular drainage (and wayyyy too much bindweed) and one on the side of a clay slope that has some serious drainage issues. This one didn't do so well last year, as it had been basically an abandoned space until we took it on and so it had a ways to go to be "in shape". Plus it didn't rain enough or at the right times, last year. This year, however, I'm very pleased with how it's done. Now if I can just get those tomatoes and squash to ripen up enough to pick before the vermin get them, and the beans survive until the pods are dried out so I can shell them, I'll be happy.

I spent most of this morning digging ditches around the raised beds in the clay garden and purchased one of those perforated, flexible drainage pipes that I hope will carry some of the excess water that has been standing in some areas out to the edge of the plot and into a drainage channel that runs down the slope just outside my gate. If it just goes ahead and absorbs down into the soil, that's fine. But the squishy puddles tell me it's not doing that. Things just haven't done that well this year in the clay garden, even using raised beds, and the Romas are really struggling. I'm positive its because it's semi-waterlogged.  I have a hunch, and that's all it is, that we'll be seeing another rainy summer next year.  So improving that drainage seemed an important thing to do now while the weather is cooperating. With the snow that will come this winter, as it will, once it starts melting that water needs somewhere to go as well instead of just standing there in miniature lakes.  I sure hope this works!  I'm not much of a ditch-digger, but I think I got it properly sloped and will wrap the pipe in weed block to keep the soil from clogging up the holes. Then rebury it most of the way and put wood chips on the top, so it'll look as it did before I dug it out. I am prohibited by the bylaws from putting gravel in the trench, so wood chips will have to do. With much wider pavers on top, every few feet, so I can still walk down that aisle without crushing the pipe.  Fingers are crossed!

I really do enjoy being out there. I have no clue what I'm doing, but I'm having a great time doing it!  Especially when something DOESN'T die a horrible death. 

I really do enjoy being out there. I have no clue what I'm doing, but I'm having a great time doing it!  Especially when something DOESN'T die a horrible death. 

That's the best thing about gardening, just giving it a go. 

Seriously. 

It has also taught me that I was not designed to be a ditch digger. OMG I am sore!

I got the wrapped drainpipe put down, stacked pavers on on each side (about every three feet) on end, and one on top of those to step on, put back the soil mixed heavily with wood-chips (hoping it'll help drain), shoveled all the rest of the soil I'd dug out of the trenches into a wheel barrow, took it around the side of the garden, and shoveled it back onto a square that isn't doing so well. When we got this allotment plot in the Spring of 2021 we found that the prior occupant had put in those square raised beds sides made out of some kind of synthetic product all down one side of the area. Unfortunately, they also had excavated the holes out and put all sorts of gravel and broken pottery down there and then put the soil back in. (Obviously, drainage was an issue for them, too!)  The dirt has washed down into all that debris, so I've been adding bagged soil for the last two years and watching that subside. Even having put down sheets of cardboard and landscaping fabric. I've had a little luck with some flowers that have very shallow roots, but not much else. Except weeds

So  I just added about 8 inches of decayed woodchips mixed with the native clay soil (I scraped all the woodchips up off the paths between the beds before I re-dug the drainage) and now that square can gurgle the rest of the summer, the fall, and over the winter. There were a fair number of earthworms in all that, so I hope they enjoy their new home!  I would assume that with the addition of a little compost or fertlizer in the spring perhaps something might grow in it a bit better.  I did save the flowers that had been in there - a white Bachelor Button.  I had planted blues and purples, but I got two plants that had white blossoms. So I've saved them and will sew their seeds next year. They are quite nice and survived in those square beds so hopefully might even thrive in this "new and improved" one.... 

I have to go find some Naproxen.    Oww owww owwwww!

If you get the chance, and I'm not sure how well they'd do there, but the Amish Paste tomatoes have turned out spectacularly here, even with all the rain and clouds we've had all summer. Good meaty fruits that process well for sauces and soups, and tasty enough on their own to slice for sandwiches. They were pretty disease-resistant, too - one of the last in the whole allotment gardens to catch the blight. They produced a decent number of fruits in poor conditions, so in case you're looking for something new to try you might like these (if you can get the seed).

Thanks for the recommendation. It looks like they are available here. 

Oh, good. I was thinking that except for the extreme heat we had for a few weeks, with all the clouds and rain it was reminding me of Glasgow, so maybe they'd work there?  You might have to tent them, but maybe not. Good luck!

So, for those who grow them, is there some secret to getting a good germination rate for leek seeds?  I've planted (in starter pots) over 30. I have only six, and that was after replanting after three full weeks with nothing hatching....

Wow. I have never done anything special with leek seeds.  I just spread out in a tray, lightly cover with with soil and cover with a clear lid. That's it. Get loads and loads.

Hmmm. I re-planted about 30 and I've got nine, count 'em nine, up. But a new one today. SO perhaps they're just running a bit slow this year. Some of my other seeds (flowers mostly) say they're not supposed to germinate for 14 to 21 days and it's been less than a week and they've sprouted. So I have no clue what's going on.

It fits, though.    It was almost 70F here yesterday and "nature" is totally out of kilter. I have heard robins and geese. The local birds are nesting, but we're due to have a week of cold weather next week and there isn't going to be much food for them. When I was at the garden I saw a few intrepid scout bees who came over to check me out, but there are literally no blossoms for them - nor are those plants anywhere near ready to bloom - most aren't even up yet. It's a month too early for this. I am hoping the guy who manages the hives is on top of things, but I'm going to take over a hummingbird feeder and nectar and put it up just in case the bees need a little help.  It's going to be an interesting year, weather wise, I think. I'm going to set up the garden for a hot summer - drip irrigation.

[Edit:  I think I'll switch back to Musselburgh Leeks and see if they do better.]

Yeah, it was a trap. It's 36F with 30mph winds out and supposed to be like this for most of the week.

I'm glad the only things that sprouted in the ground in my garden are grape hyacinths and garlic. But I do feel sorry for the birds as there is still nothing for them to eat.

Ok, I gave up on the leeks-from-seeds (I have like 2 that are still alive). Bought a tray from the plant nursery - really can't go wrong with "Bonnie Plants". Not sure what variety they are, but they survived transplanting and seem to be doing ok out in the dirt.

Next question - Have you any experience with growing ground cherries? I have only just heard of them last year and thought I'd give them a go this year. They have been tremendously slow to germinate, although I've got six now that are starting to put on their "real" leaves. Not sure if I need to plan for tomato cages/stakes for these or not. I am finding conflicting advice online. Some says to plant them 18 inches apart, others say four feet apart.  Eh?

I've not grown ground cherries, but have grown tomatillos. Tomatillos have needed staked like tomatoes.  I'm not bothering this year, as my yields were just not great for the space they take up in the greenhouse.

Hmmm.

Well, I have a space for them, so I'll plan on staking them up then. My guess is the field mice will get the fruits before I can get them.

Found out that the leeks are "American Flag" by Bonnie Plants. That's a solid standby. If they all actually grow, I'll be up to my armpits in leeks this fall. 

For some reason a lot of my tomato seeds just did not germinate this year. Instead I replanted a bunch of "Cosmonaut Volkov" seeds I had from a few years ago, hoping that one or two might make it. I've got six promising seedlings now. They are kind of determinate in growth but indeterminate in production, and make a tasty fruit. They are saying we're to have a hotter-than-normal (as far as those kind of predictions can go) summer this year, so I'll see how the commies do in the garden, I guess. Along with the Amish Paste.