Saturday, June 16, 2012

One of these is not like the other

I figured that small zucchini on the right wasn't going to give me any squash. If it did I think they would be the size of its tiny little leaves. They are both Raven zucchini plants. The first is growing quite well. The other is convinced it is a cucumber or something. So I pulled the poor thing and replanted.

While I was at it I replanted the third wave of corn. So far the first wave was a bust and I had to replant most. I think seven of the originals are still there. The second wave had to be replanted. Now the third wave is getting replanted. I'm beginning to think I should start them inside in blocks. Well at least most of the first and second wave are finally up. Late but up. The last fourth wave is supposed to go in on June 21st. I don't know if it will have time to mature at that late date, but I'm trying to figure this corn thing out. I thought maybe my issues in the past were all timing. So far it just seems like corn hates me. When we do get some though it is so delicious that I'm going to keep trying. You never know. This year was the first ever for large broccoli heads. So maybe some year will be the perfect corn year. If I'm lucky maybe even this year.

As the weather has been slowly warming up - very slowly as it is 2:30 in the afternoon and the temp is only 65F - the weeds have really started germinating. The crab grass is trying to take over the world. I've been out and pulling as I see them, but sometimes they get ahead of me and I have to actually sit down and weed a bed out. But all in all I'm staying on top of it.

Not much else but harvesting is going on. The summer crops are growing slowly in the cool weather, but growing. Even the sweet potatoes seem to be doing something. Not much but at least something. I expected such a hot summer after the spring we had, but maybe it will be a pleasant summer instead. My favorite weather has always been in the 70Fs. So if that is what I get, I can't complain too much.

10 comments:

  1. My melons look like your small squash. I don't know if there's any hope for them or not. Same with sweet potatoes. The ones I planted in a small pot just for the vine are doing great, the slips I planted for potatoes are just sitting there looking at me.

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  2. I think plants are just acting wierd this year in general. My bush beans germinated like champs. I'm having no luck at all with pole beans. Even in pots they just rotted. I'll try again in the ground.

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  3. I always find the variation interesting. Your cool summer is my ideal summer. . . we can hope. I hear you on the weeds though. I spotted six or seven little Bermuda grass outcroppings today. Guess I know what I'll be doing with any spare time over the next week!

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  4. I think I would have been tempted to leave the mini zucchini in and see what the fruit were like. Then of course when they were terrible I would have regetted not pulling it out.

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  5. I have a mini squash plant too, right next to an entire bed of large ones. It looks quite healthy, it's just a shrimp! I'm going to just let it do its thing and see what happens. I never have much luck with summer squash anyway. All those stories about having tons of zucchini seem like myths to me!

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  6. LOL! It's a mini-zuke. Hopefully we will have some warmer temps soon. My heat lovers are not very happy right now.

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  7. My garden is in the same mode right now... mostly just some light weeding and harvesting for the moment and our weather has been a little cool and damp for the past week or so - the onions and greens are loving it but the rest are slowed down by it.

    On the corn, it really needs warm moist soil to germinate and get good early growth. My regions climate almost never provides the right conditions early enough in the year to mature the plants - which is why I always start them indoors and transplant.

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  8. I live in Los Angeles, and really don't have much of a "cold soil" problem, but I always start my corn in seedling mix in peat pots. This keeps the seedlings safe from the animals that seem to like very young tender plants (squirrels, scrub jays, snails, . . .)
    (I soak the seeds overnight, first, as I do for peas and beans.)

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  9. Corn must hate me too....out of three plantings I have 7 lonely little plants that really look like they are struggling :0(

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  10. You are a more ruthless gardener than I am. I even let mystery tomatoes and pumpkins from my compost grow. I think I would have given the little squash some more fertilizer and let it try to make squash. Ah, well, too late now. Good luck with the replanting.

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