The pill beetles are the ones decimating the beans!!!!!! Not the slugs!

Yet again this year, the beans have been devoured by something, as soon as they came up.  I've planted dozens of pole bean seeds, yet only maybe 5 are actually growing, and they look not great either.

But anyway, I've been doing slug patrol nightly for the past several nights (soooo many slugs in the yard) and wasn't seeing a ton of slugs on the beans.  But tonight, my suspicions proved correct when I saw that the newest bean to pop out of the ground is absolutely covered by pill beetles!!  They are having such a feast!!  Sighhhhhh.

So, with the latest beans that sprouted inside in paper towels, today I put them into the pink rectangle thing with three rows -- with garden soil inside.  The tray isn't very deep, so I don't know how well this will work, but my plan is to let them grow there until they're a few inches tall with a few leaves on them, then transplant them, because the pill beetles don't seem interested in the older ones, just the newest ones.

Night crawlers a-plenty! Making babies, woo!

Today was very rainy and tonight while doing slug patrol, saw more night crawlers than I've ever seen in the yard!  Soooo cool!  Quite a few happy couples coupled up as well.  

Slugs galore!!!!!!! ~90% neonates, only a few OGs!

I started doing nightly slug patrol a few days ago given the bean issue where something's eating them before they can get established.  Wow, sooooooooooo many slugs!  All those adults I was finding last September must have done their boogie woogie and left a ton of eggs!  The leaf mulch is also surely a big contributor -- I should look into making leaf mold in future, to provide less protection for slugs.

Anyway, sooooo many of them.  All over the grass.  And of course on things like beans, potatoes, kale, broccoli, and green onions.

The AC Chaleur potatoes had spotty "germination", so I planted some fridge sproutlings in the gaps

The AC Chaleur seed potatoes in the south part of the central bed had a big gap in the middle where none appear to have come up, and when I dug around a bit with my hand I didn't see anything coming up.

So, I used some hidden sprouted fridge potatoes from last year's harvest to fill in the gaps.

On the other hand, the Kennebec on the north part of the central bed have all or nearly all come up beautifully.

GA: Carrots round 2 started today -- with peat moss experiment (over top of round 1 which I'm sure was a flop due to hard-top soil)

Even though the burlap was in place right away, I suspect the round 1 carrots at GA are a flop, as the soil is very hard, and I had left the seeds right on top, not dug in at all.

So, today, I loosed up / re-hand-dug the area (surely digging in the round 1 seeds), then spread out dry peat moss, then watered the peat moss, then broadcast seeds, then spread out more dry peat moss over top, then watered it all in, then re-covered with the burlap and finally watered the burlap.  A few days of rain are called for starting tomorrow -- here's hoping this round works!

Bush beans round one started; have been starting more pole beans

Started enough "Pencil Pod" bush beans for 9 square feet by putting them in a bowl of water today.

And, have been starting more pole beans over recent days because my first method of a big bin of vermiculite didn't work well -- most of those beans rotted.  What HAS been working well is after pre-soaking, placing them in smaller things of vermiculite, and covering with a towel for darkness.

GA: Buckwheat coming up; sowed more buckwheat to fill in gaps

The buckwheat is coming up nicely, but quite a few large gaps.  So, to fill them in, I just used the little hand-"rake" to scratch up the soil, scattered seeds, hand-raked over to mix them in, and watered.

First lettuce harvest of the year; chard will be soon; kale are small

The lettuce, which is all in the three grey rectangular planters, have sprung and are looking great!  Took a first harvest today, with falafel.

The chard aren't far behind.

The kale are looking pretty puny still -- the slugs have a clear preference for them over the chard (they share a bed).  I think the kale will get there though.

GA: Rest of the potatoes planted

These are the NE potato bed.  ~4 varieties -- see notebook for general location.

Put into each hole ~1/2 Tbsp az, ~1/2 Tbsp mrp, 1 Tbsp kelp, and 1 Tbsp alfalfa.

GA: Carrots started, under burlap [and four squares under row cover]

To the bed, added sprinkling of az, mrp, and kelp (no alfalfa).

Methodically placed one seed per spaced hole (used the spacer).

Watered it in, then placed burlap (one layer) and watered it all.

One row of four squares I covered the next day with row cover (the heavy stuff) because the burlap wasn't wide enough.

GA: Buckwheat south bed sowed

 Sowed buckwheat all along the south end of the plot -- so that's 3 feet by roughly 21 feet.

Didn't add any amendments at all.  Just loosed the soil, raked it smoothish, scattered the seeds, raked it again, and watered it.

A: Potatoes bed 1 planted

The SE potato bed is planted.

West part is fridge potatoes -- mostly white, some red.  (All standard-size.)  They had grown inches-long "leaves" in the fridge.

East part is three Kennebec (the rest of the Kennebecs are in the backyard), and all of the Cal Whites.

For each, into its planting hole I put between 1/2 and 1 Tbsp each of azomite, mrp, kelp, and yes alfalfa too.

Pole beans for yard soaked in water overnight tonight

Two varieties of pole beans for the yard:

- Scarlet Runner (from package seeds)

- Kentucky Wonder Wax (from package seeds left over from last year)

Cut up the bigger gaga potatoes

^^^

Freezer is almost empty of last year's meals

Not much left at all!  Just a few jars.  Plus several jars of pesto.

Stevia from last year all gone (except for the two small jars of un-inspected)

Alas!  Used up the last of the aphid-inspected stevia today.  Have been having 1/2 tsp per workday (though used to use only 1/4 tsp) in my tea.  I don't think I can stomach using the un-inspected stuff, so will use the store powdered stevia until I get some of my own this year.

Results of carrot experiment = [EDIT: FLOP!!!!! README] success! (and no freezing needed) -- and part b of round 2 carrots started

EDITED ON MAY 20TH 2024:  Actually, this was a total flop -- although they germinated beautifully on the plate, it looks like none have "taken" in the garden.  I've repeated this several times in recent days and so far all a flop.  I won't do this again -- too bad, because they germinate sooooo quickly this way.  Next year it will be burlap method all the way!  Though  maybe I'll try an experiment with doing 48 hours of plate, then when they go into the garden, covering with burlap.... Hmm....  worth a try!

Here was my original note when I wrote this on May 15th:

~~~

Wow!  The carrots I "sowed" on plates which went into baggies indoors 5 days ago germinated!  I'm sure they mostly germinated yesterday even (given the length of several of them already), but I hadn't checked.

The plate that had spent 24 hours in the freezer was about a day behind the plate that never went into the freezer.  I'm convinced that the freezer step serves no purpose and just wastes a day.

Today I put them all into the carrot bed, NOT by carefully transplanting one by one, but by sort of gently dispersing them around (after I re-loosed the soil).

Didn't have enough to cover the whole area, so started more in the same way today, but without the freezing of course.

First basil harvest (/pruning)

A nice harvest with the first pruning of these 18 plants!  Had them on noodles with nutritional yeast and onion top trimmings.

Beets round 2 -- part 2 -- soaked today, will sow indoors tomorrow

(To fill in the remaining gaps.)

Results of experiment with beets round 2: Indoor starts a clear winner

Wow, the beets I started inside 6 days ago have now mostly germinated and popped up a cm or two or three, whereas the beets I started outside 6 days ago and are under row cover are mostly nowhere to be seen.

Today I transplanted the indoor beets.  The ones that had multiple split apart easily, so I split them up.  We'll see how they take.

Stevias were rootbound!! Potted up.

I had noticed the stevias weren't looking great.  Uppotted them today and saw lots of big strong roots.  Hoping they were just sad in the small starter pots.

Next year I should either remember to uppot the stevia early, or just put them in a good-sized pot to begin with.

Two of the stevias went into the decorative containers that I plan to keep inside all year (using my indoor homemade mix, no outside materials), probably one on the kitchen table and one upstairs under lights after all the other seedlings have gone or freed up space.

Topped half of the store-bought peppers

Topped 4 of the 9 green peppers, 4 of the 9 sweet banana peppers, and the 1 hot pepper.  Though the hot pepper was already quite bushy -- but I topped it anyway.

(I already topped all of my home-grown peppers a while ago but it hasn't helped with bushiness for them yet -- they all look so wimpy.)

Beets -- round 2 (round 1 was a TOTAL FLOP)

Wow, this is the absolute worst beet germination situation I've ever had, like, ever, I'm pretty sure.  There were MAYBE 3 or 4 max that germinated.  No idea why.  I had covered them with a light mix of vermiculate and soil, and watered frequently.  

So, today I started round 2.  I did them a couple of different ways.

Both ways I started by soaking the seeds overnight.

Then, one batch I put directly into the garden, sprinkled around rather than measured/spaced out, and placed a piece of floating row cover over top.

The other batch, I sowed inside, in my homemade potting mix, using the tray that has .... 36? little compartments (that I use for lettuce for example_).  These I'll wait until they pop up and have grown a wee bit, then will transplant them the typical way.  I put 2 seeds per compartment.

Carrots -- round 2 -- new method, and, an experiment

Well, next year I'll for sure use the burlap or cardboard method.  But the problem is this year, though germination was spotty, there are a decent amount growing -- so I don't want to throw all that away.  So, how to fill in the gaps?

I'm trying out the method in this video:

- Sprinkle soil (I used soil from the garden) over a plate (I used my real plates, not paper plates).

- Moisten the soil.

- Sprinkle carrot seeds generously over top.

- Don't cover the seeds -- just press them firmly down.

- I then misted the seeds to make sure they're moist (but the video doesn't do that).

- Place the plate of seeds into a large ziplog bag, and seal the bag.

- The video says to then put the plate in the freezer for 24 hours. EXPERIMENT:  I did two plates -- one went into the freezer, the other didn't.

- After 24 hours, remove from the freezer.

- Place bagged plate in indirect sunlight (either inside or outside).

- Monitor until they germinate.

- Once they're popping up, sprinkle the soil with the seeds into the garden.  She doesn't "transplant" them one by one or anything like that -- she just brushes them around the area.

- Done.

So, today I got round 2 carrots started using the above method, with the experiment noted above (one plate went into the freezer, the other didn't).

My peppers are leggy and wimpy, so bought some from Ritchie's

Yeah... my started peppers all look so wimpy.  Like Charlie Brown's xmas tree.  And that's with some topping to aim for bushiness.  I'll definitely still plant them out and see how it goes, but, I needed some backups.

So, bought three kinds of seedlings from R's:

- ____x 1

- Sweet Banana x 9

- basic green pepper x 9

Butternut started

I was late starting the butternut squash (Waltham) because I didn't have any seeds left.  Bought some today, started 5 seeds.

Buckwheat sowed

Sowed buckwheat in the east half of the central bed.  All I did was rake up the top layer of soil (didn't do any digging), then scatter the seed, then rake around a bit, then water it.  Didn't protect it with anything to keep it safe from critters -- so we'll see how it does.

Potatoes planted in yard -- with an experiment

Today I planted out 12 x Kennebec (north of the broccolis) and 12 x AC Chaleur (south of the broccolis) in the central bed.  A few days ago (on May 4th) I had cut some in half, and they look to be sealed over now.

In each potato hole, I added 1 Tbsp kelp, 1/2 Tbsp azomite, 1/2 Tbsp mrp, and ~1/2 tsp of myke.

The experiment is that in each type's northerm-most row, I added 1 Tbsp alfalfa (in addition to the above amendments).

It will be interesting to see if any difference in the ones that have vs. don't have alfalfa.  Last year (2023) I didn't add any alfalfa to the potatoes, and they did well enough.

OMG!!!!! EXPERIMENT RESULT! YES add alfalfa to the tomatoes' & ground cherries' potting mix!!!!! *HUGE* difference for those with / without alfalfa!!!

Lately I had been noticing that some of the tomatoes and ground cherries just weren't very well -- they were soooooo slow growing and still tiny, whereas others were much larger and better.

Well, only today did I think to have a closer look.

Sure enough, ALL of the ones that are so small and slow-growing are the ones from which I omitted alfalfa in their potting mix!  ALL OF THEMMMMMMMM!  Not a single one that didn't get alfalfa is doing even remotely well!

For the ones that had alfalfa in their potting mix, almost all of them are doing quite well.  A few are slower, but still way bigger than the no-alfalfa ones.

I am shocked and amazed at the huge difference!!

So, today I pre-soaked some alfalfa pellets and put them over top of the ones that didn't have any, and gave a watering.  Hopefully it's not too late to save them!  We shall see!

Next year start the greens earlier -- it will be a while before first salad harvest

^^^

Soooooo many earthworms!!!

Wow!  There were tons, tons, tons of worms, including baby worms, in the pile of soil where I had dumped the container soil last fall and where there were lots of leaves and on which I had piled the hollyhock stalks etc.   I was in that pile today to put some of the soil into containers and wow, soooooo many worms!  Way more than in other part of the garden where I was digging today.

Reference: Squash bugs webpage

I've never had to deal with squash bugs yet, but am quite sure it will be a thing at gaga.  So, was doing a bit of research to steel myself.  Here's a great page with a lot of tips/tricks:

https://tendingmygarden.com/squash-bugs-tactics-for-winning-the-war/

I am thinking I might actually try keeping tulle on some of the allotment squashes even after they start flowering, and drive over every morning or every other morning before work to hand-pollinate...  I'm not sure, we shall see.

Started in PT: cucumber, watermelon, cantalope summer squash, winter squash (forgot to buy butternut)

Started a bunch of seeds in PT today -- some of these will be for the yard, some will be for gaga:

- Cucumber:  Eureka

- Zucchini:  8-Ball

- Zucchini:  Golden Glory

- Zucchini:  Dark Green

- Summer squash:  Golden Scallopini

- Watermelon:  Blacktail Mountain

- Cantalope:  Hales Best Jumbo (from the foil packet collection)

- Winter squash:  Jumbo Pink Banana (used up the last of the foil packet seeds)

- Winter squash:  Cushaw White

I forgot that I didn't have any butternut squash seeds, so I will buy some and definitely grow that too.

Potatoes for yard have been cut

In the yard I'll grow these varieties:

- Kennebec

- AC Chaleur

I chose those randomly from among the many potato varieties I bought at Ritchie's last week.

A few of those two kinds are still left over so will go to gaga.

I cut most of them in half, placed on cardboard, cut side up, will let them scab over before planting later this week.

Where are the beets!? Carrots are appearing

The carrots sowed a few weeks ago started appearing a few days ago.  

The beets on the other hand are very few and very far between!

The beds look so compacted.

I hadn't covered with anything -- no cardboard, no burlap, no plastic, etc.

Next year I realllllllly need to use an alternate approach and cover them with something.  I think the multi-times-a-day of watering them really compacts the soil.  And, if I miss out and they dry out, wah-wah.

Carrot experiment: lazy sowing under leaves

I lazily sowed some carrots in the following way, to see if it works.  My guess is it will work.

After planting the broccoli/kale/green onions into their same bed in the central bed (all under one double-layer of tulle), along the west and south sides of this I spade-dug the soil, flattened it down, sprinkled some carrot seeds, watered them with the little green watering can, and loosely placed some leaves over top.

That's it.  I'm not going to baby them or anything -- no daily watering, etc.  

Que sera sera!

Hardies have been transplanted into yard

Today I transplanted these into the yard:

- broccoli x 3 (all piracababa) -- with double-layer of tulle

- kale (all dwarf vates) x 9 in north bed and x ~3 or 4 in with the broccolis -- with double-layer of tulle

- chard (all fordhook) x 9 in north bed -- with double-layer of tulle

- green onions x ~5 in with the broccolis -- with double-layer of tulle

- lettuce (Ruby and romaine) -- all the long grey rectangular containers

Left over of the above plants, that can go into gaga later on:

- broccoli x 2 or 3

- kale

- chard

- onions

Cabbage butterfly moth thing seen in yard!!! FOY

Wow!  Seems so early in the season.  The one I saw was on the ground at first, walking/futzing around -- I wonder if s/he was newly emerged from inside the backyard!  Flew away eventually.

Therefore, I ran inside and quickly netted all of the relevant hardies (they're still in their small pots).