I’m getting back on track with Monday updates, so let’s see what’s going on in the garden.

Garden Log

Container 1

Container 1 Progress

It’s worth noting that this container seems to have something wrong with its weed cloth. Whenever the water runs out it’s brown - full of dirt it looks like. I’m assuming it won’t be a problem before we take that container apart and plant something new in it.

Also, this container seems to have a low soil level. I guess I didn’t put enough in when I made it.

  • Bush beans - Still many leaves going bad, still no beans.
  • Flowers - Doing great. Too bad I want vegetables and not flowers.
  • Ginger - Starting to look pretty pathetic

You know what? I’m calling it with this container. There’s nothing happening here that’s worth having this real estate occupied. Nothing is producing, the weed cloth is busted, the soil level is low - I’m through with it. I have a much better use for this container which I’ll get into below. Maybe - MAYBE I’ll try to save the beans. They’re still alive and might make it through August. I will probably save the flowers just because they’re pretty and the white ones I tore out show no signs of dying, so they must be pretty hardy (or is it hearty? Turns out it’s ‘hardy’ )

Container 2

Container 2 progress

The eggplant is still making lots of flowers, but none of them seem to be setting into eggplants. I have been told I’m not alone in this. Meanwhile, leaves are getting picked on by bugs. I really need to make a spray for them. I found the perfect recipe in a magazine in the Walmart Tire and Lube waiting room but I didn’t have my phone on me to take a picture. I might have to make another visit…

Those beetle bugs have come back - I have fun flicking them into the distance every time I find them.

Container 3

This container is currently shaded.

This container also had a bout of mushroom growth which seems to have been fueled by excess rain. There’s a bit of fungus growing near the turmeric as well which is a bad sign.

  • Parsley - The yellowing is increasing. I’m almost certainly sure the problem is the wet soil. Parsley likes well-drained soil and between the rain keep the top layer wet, the soil wicking keeping the bottom layer wet and the shade keeping the worst of the sun at bay, the soil is almost permanently moist - hence the mushrooms and fungus. This is going to be tricky to fix: parsley does not transplant well so I can’t move it. The shade seems to be helping the pepper, but maybe I can remove it for a while since the pepper isn’t fruiting. Parsley
  • Big pepper plant - Some of the leaves look a little off: curled, withered, etc. The new growth on the stem is doing well, so that’s good. Hopefully removing the shade will even some things out. Pepper plant
  • Poblano sprouts - I see a couple of the little sprouts I planted starting to peek out of the soil!
  • Green Pepper sprouts - Don’t know if they’re doing anything. Time will tell.
  • Turmeric - Still big, still healthy. There’s some fungus near the base of one of the plants that I need to address.

Sprouting Plants

I’m creating a new section for plants that I’m sprouting.

Green Onions

Since I moved them outside, three of them are taking: Green Onions

Poblanos

In addition to the sprouts I planted in container 3, the ones I was sprouting inside have done this: Poblano Sprouts

Nice! Time to plant them!

Fruit Trees

Papaya

No new picture this week, but I’m starting to wonder about this plant. Maybe I should start measuring its height because I don’t notice a significant difference in it from week to week. There were some yellow leaves, yes, but nothing really worrying. Yet, I don’t see an explosion of growth either. I don’t know what to expect.

Avocado

This has got to be the most boring thing I have ever watched. It’s been three weeks since I started this and no movement at all. I will stick with it because I have nothing better to do, but I’m not convinced anything will happen at this point.

What? You want a picture? A picture of nothing happening? I’d repost last week’s picture but it’s too much effort.

Plan

Container 1

Okay, time to tear this container up and refit it:

  • Replace the 1.5” PVC pipe with 2”
  • Add the T-junctions to keep the top from settling down into the water reservoir
  • Replace the weed cloth so the dirt isn’t leeching out into the water
  • Drill drainage holes in the bottom and cover them with the cloth
  • Add more soil - and specifically, add perilite or coffee grounds to keep the soil loose

I will (reluctantly) save the flower and the beans and try to replant them, but the ginger I’m just going to harvest and see what we have. It’s not like we lack for ginger: there’s always some in the kitchen to sprout and plant if we want.

The real purpose for this container is going to the the SPROUTING CONTAINER! This will be placed in an out-of-the-way place (i.e., indirect sun) to provide an environment for newly-sprouted plants to be plated and grow before moving them into one of the other containers. That’s the reason for keeping the soil loose: to encourage growth of small plants.

There’s all sorts of things that we can sprout from the vegetables we buy:

  • Green onions
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Peppers
  • Beets?

Who knows what else? I’ve had so much luck with sprouting that I’ll try anything at this point. We’ll put all of the seedlings here, see which live and thrive, and then transplant them after they gain a foothold. This container will have a rotating array of plants.

In the mean-time, I think I’ll move the shade from container 3 to this one and see if that has an effect on anything.

Container 2

Treat the eggplant for the bugs. Other than that, who knows? How can I attract pollinators? Maybe I’ll take a lesson from the Chinese and do it with a paintbrush. Oh look, I found a guide. Wait, what does it say? ‘Eggplant production is negatively affected by high…temperatures?’ Imagine that…

Container 3

I’m beginning to like this container a lot more, so I want to keep it around. To that end, I’m going to remove the shade to try to reduce the moisture in the soil and get rid of the fungus. I should look for another way to to treat for fungus.

Container 4

I think I make a new container and try to transplant the beans into it after I tear apart container 1. Some other stuff needs to go in here though…

Containers 5-6 - Planned for Fall

Possible options:

  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Green onion
  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • More greens
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli

Fruit Trees

We want the following fruit trees:

  • Avocado
  • Mango
  • Lime

Summer Crops to Plant

It’s getting to be fall time and too late for summer crops, so I’m just going to keep this list of summer crops here for future reference.

  • Yellow squash
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Okra
  • Southern Peas
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Peppers
  • Eggplant

Harvest Log

Harvest Date Green Pepper Tomato (Beefsteak) Beans Eggplant
Up to now 12 11 0  
6/17/17 2 5(3) 0  
6/24/17 0   0  
7/3/17 0   0 0
7/10/17 0   0 0
7/17/17 0   0 0
7/24/17 0   0 0
8/3/17 8   0 0
8/10/17 0   0 0
8/14/17 0   0 0
Total 22 14 0 0

To Do

  • Find a spray to spray on the eggplant to counteract bugs
  • Remove the shade from container 3
  • Refit container 1
  • Make a new container (container 4)
  • Figure out what else to put into container 4 (new
  • Move shade from container 3 to container 1
  • Figure out how to reduce fungus in container 3
  • Plant poblano sprouts

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