wiredfool

July is almost over, and we’ve had the first rains since July 3rd the last few days. Some notes and observations for next year.

* The hot weather stuff is happy with weekly or slightly more often watering, once they’re a decent size and have roots that go down deep enough.
* Seedlings and shallow rooted stuff aren’t as happy and need more water, and the reseeded carrots are really not doing well.
* The infilled beans and squashes are doing well.
* We’re getting our first zucchini flower now, with many to follow soon.
* The corn is still a disappointment. Spotty germination, slow growing, rabbit munching.
* The tomatoes are going nuts. The tomitillo probably needs more support than it has.
* The peas are dying out, and the trellising that we had put together for them flopped over onto the potatoes. We need to run two long rows of peas per bed next year, with a central trellis that we can get to both sides of. Also, more peas. We should have reseeded when the April seeding failed completely.
* Favas are tasty, but one bed is about 1 1/2 meals, if that. Thankfully, we’ll throw down a bunch of fava seed as cover crop for overwinter.
* The potatoes are now showing the difference between the two older plantings. We should plant more of them, and keep them together in the garden for watering purposes.
* In general, we need to think about the watering plan, so that things that need watering more often are closer together, without drought tolerant stuff in between them. Also, there’s one corner that’s in the rain shadow from a couple of firs, and that portion is a lot drier. That would be better for some of the better established stuff, since it’s also farther from where I usually water.
* Spinach & salads should be planted more at 6 week plus intervals, not monthly.
* Raspberries like a little water when their fruit is ripening. Also, ripe raspberries are like nothing else.
* The first of the overwinter and fall stuff is planted. Spinach, Carrots, and Chard, and Beets because we finally got around to planting them. I need to be careful to keep these beds moist. I’m thinking of covering the carrots with clear plastic for moisture retention till they sprout.
* Kale is planted too.
* $3 ‘starts’ of basil are best from Trader Joes. They’re small bushes.
* The cilantro is nuts, and the seeded ones are starting to bolt. I think it’s time to plant more.