July 09

4th July

things going well apart from my Hestia runner dwarf beans not growing i read a tip tso i took all the leafs on and cut back going to spray and sock with soapy water to try keep greenfly away i thinning its that but theres yellowish and curled leaves so i have to fing out whats up with them the seeds cost me dearest as well ,well got one bean on one plant i save that for next year hehehe

got 7 nice beetroot out now going to boil and pickle beets or nice :)
letuse OK tomes flying up turnips OK but not keen of them so i will not be growing them again
corn big hope to get something off them fingerling taties flowing other not might have been wind damage thats stutted the other taties but connot wait to try the fingerling one hope end of month

main pic of garden 6th july (click on pic for bigger pic)

courgettes

corn, tomes, onions not got any ripe ones yet and the leafs are worring me going curly have to find out whats up wi th them and soil very dry cannot kep up with water as takes 15 mins to fill a bucket with the well but i trying my best to sort it

bottom celery doing well so are onions ,taties, broccali got all the beetroot out today (8th july hope to make a few jars of pickle beets i love them on a salad need some water for my taties hope to get rain in few days of not have to water them

15th july
well next 6 days will tell what happens to veg this year i was watering and i pulled my back si i cannot lift goign away for 5 daus as well so weather hot so hope plants will cope without me

sown some late f beans beetroot and peas (testing then )and hope enxt week sowing some lettuce see if i can get a crop for fall

27th july
well one week away can do alot for a garden has i just found out
lost plenty of beans going to seed but thats ok in ways i will use them next year
lettuce bolting celery gone funny and plenty of weeds

June09

flaming June as we says in england well not flaming June here at the moment but getting there lows of 50-55 and highs to 75 but thats good at the moment

plenty of watering and weeding this month as i got 95% of my stuff in but
i got a bigger problem i been told by the man who owns the plot i got
yes the Colorado potato beetle i heard about it in UK but we never get there but here its sometimes bad the man said watch out for it as they do get it there and i reminder about 3 weeks back i saw a bug on the ground and thought (is that the dreaded beetle and i think it might have been )as i checked my potatoes leaves and found 2 lots of eggs from the beetle OK i only got 3 rows of potatoes so hopefully i will be able to them at bay or hand pick them off and check them every 2-4 days

6th June
sown outdoors 2nd lot of f.beans and s onions and try ed for the first time k Rabi
things looking good in the garden but need lots of water due to sandy and good drainage soil

June 14
first cock up this year planted the lettuce i sown back end of may and the man who gave me garden had some leeks and broccoli to plant to i planted them as well Sunday morning watered well then went Monday night to check them and the lettuce and broccoli had wiltered to nothing (due to sun and 75-77 deregess last 2 days ) my fault i should have gone and checked them earlier might get a few out of them if not well people do make mistakes and i still learning the weather etc here for veg and with temp going to 80-85 frow now on i been to keep check on seedlings and new sown stuff and make sure they dont dry out

(CLICK ON PIC FOR BIGGER VEIW)

21 JUNE

very surprised that the broccoli came out ok after plenty rain and water hope will will do well lettuce about 50% came back up to thats not bad
temps now into the 80-90s but glad i got everything in so now just weed and water and hope not find the Colorado beetle (not seen non since about 2 weeks back)

24th june
got my first lettuce out taste nice cos(roimine type) might need another week to fill it out fully but was ok
28th jume
had bad storm few days back knocked my corn down but i try to get them back to nornal hope they will be ok
got some beans and lettuce turnips and beet i try next few days and radish things looking good and part from the dearest seeds i bought the dworf runner beans hope they well do well

june 29th
i thought i try some late f beans i got and some lettuce cool weather last few day got more lettuce out and few turnips might not grow turnips agion only me likes it :(
hope for lots of veg in july

may09

may 14th
click pictures for bigger look

things looking good took the plants to the plot and will still use totes for night cover for next 1-2 weeks before planting them French and runner beans and corn coming up OK tomatoes doing well






made set up for tomatoes never done it this way before as normal my tomes was in a greenhouse in buckets but got some old Woods not paying price for canes or tom cages as i dunno if i will use then again due to i dunno if i get the plot next year .





potatoes Russian banana poking there heads out (i always mound up the soil of potatoes straight away instead of waiting to mound then up )have to watch for late frost (hope theres none now )
peas coming well as its radish made holes for courgettes(zucchini's )are whatever they called lol )




going to put 2-3 hands full of cow manure in each hole to give then good start as i will for tomes and corn and peppers
onions looking good only think i worried about is the carrots and s onions (green onions USA people call them )

planted i Roma tomato outside (16th may)to see if it will do OK with last few weeks coldish night weather as i needed the space for r beans in totes

planted 1st lot of French beans (green and yellow)outside (16th may)as i dropped the pot and it broke so i had to plant them out hope they be OK no frost but temp down to 42 middle of next week hope the weather get warmer soon as its nearly time as they say lots of people plant memorial(UK may bank Holiday Monday)day in Michigan

may 17th
had to cover plants outside up due to near frost that morning hope we not going to get any more frost as hope to plant out this weekend

may 19th
well weather next 6 days was 70s and 50s night time so why wait for mayday so i thought i try it and planted my tomatoes (golden and Roma ones)and peppers out last night

may 20th
planted sweetcorn (first lot)put handful of cow manure in each hole before planting)
planted runner beans(pole )the bush ones i one row cannot wait to see how they form as bush plants hope like the picture on the pkt
planted a couple of lettuce end of rows (6) i had from first sowing )

pics from 24th may

22-23 may
plenty of things to plant put the melons and water melons in the ground (bit small but i think they will be OK) planted rest of tomes(again only 2-3 inch tall but no Patience wait so i think they will be OK ) planted herbs in a small bed i made for them
well Every thing is in the ground apart from some sweetcorn i raised from seed late but they be going in next week

the well with the water in is weird you got to add water and pump it to get it going and only can use the left hand and you need strong hand to pump it after 5 mins you knackered lol
weather 70+ day nime 50-55 night time and plenty of weeds mainly bind weed ahhhhhhhhh its a pain in the neck but 10-20 mins a day or every other day will hope keep it down the soil id good but sandy top 2 inch of soil very dry in these sunny days dunno what be like when gets to 80+but hope roots of plants will have got down abit lots of watering and weeding from now planted everything apart from fbeans,radish lettuce beetroot turnips in mid June for late crop now just water weed and hope heheeh

30th may

got my first produce out of garden about 8-9 little radishers cannot wait to get more and other stuff

veg chart

f beans (yellows free saved from last year 20 cents green ones)
sown==23th April indoors green(burpee string less) and yellow ones == seeds came in about 6 days put under see thought tote outside (like mini greenhouse) 29th April

planted the yellow and green beans outside on 16th may hope they ok as i think last frost has gone day after had to cover up but weather ok now

harvest
21june first 5 beans will get more in about 7 days got handfull 26june (about 9 weeks to harvest)
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sown outdoors 6th june both sorts 90% germination doing ok

harvest
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sown outdoors 16th june
harvest


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r beans (4 dollars for seed and shipping)
(Hestia a dwarf r beans first time i tryed these )
sown ==28th April indoors== sown some more 9th of may indoors both in totes in garden waiting to plant out side

planted out 20th may in one row handful of cow manure under plants
plants not doing well only foot hight and not a lot of leaves but got flowers not really sure if they do anything
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corn (early golden bantum)(90 cents)
sown ==23th April indoors==seed came 4-6 6 days put under see thought tote outside (like mini greenhouse) 29th April

planted outside(first lot) 20th may put handful cow manure under plants planted rest of corn 24th may
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beetroot(Detroit reds) ( 40 cents 2pks)
sown==1 row outdoors 1st may
doing well (16th may)
thinned beets 23th may

harvest
4-10 of july nice size not plenty for 3-5 jars pickled beetrootsan same for nornal use about 9 weeks from sowing to harvest
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sown outdoors = 16th june

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carrots (Nantes cordless) (20 cents)
sown== 1 row outdoors 1st may
not come up yet dunno fi they do anythink(16th may) 24th may only about 15 carrots came up (well try and keep them see what happens)so i sowed another 20cent pk 24th may to see what happens
sown 30yj may as well to try outdoors
50% came up a few more that first ones :
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courgettes(black beauty) (20 cents)
sown== indoors 1st may
planted 22 may outdoors 3 of them

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cucumber
bought and planted 23may 3 of them (1.50dollars)
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lettuce (80 cents)
sown
1st/Th April indoors outside under totes
harvest
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lettuce (1.50 dollars )
bought 10-12 romaine lettuce to get early start and use the ones i sown for later crop about-4 inch high
transplanted out doors 8th may
harvest
got first one 24th june nice need 4-6 days to fill up but there nearly there started harvest 28june
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lettuce
sow in ground 25th may 3 sorts will keep 5-8 from each lot of lettuce( cos,iceberg and black seeded simspon) (might have killed them due to hot weather )
harvest
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sown indoors = 15th june in pots

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sown outdoors =

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onions sets (50 cents)
planted
25th April out doors
doing well (16th may)
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shallots (1 dollar)
planted
25th April outdoors =not coming good might not go well ??
did not work good only got 2 shallots (16th may)
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s onions (1.10 dollar)
28th April out doors 2 rows (9 foot)
just comming up only about 50% so far have to wait see if other come (16thmay)
about 65% came up not bad but could have been better)
harvest

sown 6june outdoors( grrrrrr dunno why these not comming up i think too dry but i still hope ) note (next year sow indoors first )

well they did come up and going ok

harvest

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potatoes(fingerling's (12)and (7) reds from shop) (3.50 dollars)
planted
harvest
25th April outdoors
planted
Yukon golds 1 row(12)1st may (1.20 dollars)
fingerlings and red ones popping head out of soil(16th may)
yukon ones head popping out 23th may
other doing well

(doing ok but needs watering alot and might not have time to do it )
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leeks (2.20 dollars)
planted outdoors 7th may
1 row normal ways with 5-6 inch holes then watered in
7that was left made 5 inch trench and planted then bottom this experiment this year dunno how they will come as only using fertilizer for feed no manure etc

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peas(little marvel) (1 dollar 5pks)
sown
28th April outdoors
doing ok a few misses but there was cheap seeds (16th may)
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radish (20 cents)
sown
1st/28th April outdoors
doing well (16th may)
harvest
started harvesting in them 30th may nice and juicy

sown 25th may outdoors

SOWN ( 20 CENT PK) EVERY 3 WEEKS)


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tomatoes (3 dollars)
sown
sungold 27th April indoors =might not get a lot of off them but hope at least 3 trusses could have bought some plants if i known they did them see what happens
sown 6 seeds 5 came up going well so far

planted outside one as a tester plant(20th may)about 2-3 inch high 23 may planted other 3 out taking chance with tem so little but i thnk they be ok
harvest
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tomatoes (3 dollars)
bought 4 Roma ones 28th April (45 inch high)
harvest

bought 4 golden girl ones (3-4 inch high)
harvest

both outside under totes from april 28th
keep eye on weather

planted the rest of tomato plants out 18th may golden and roma ones
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peppers (1.50 dollars)
2 chocolate ones and 2 purple ones
bought 4-5 inch) same as tomes under totes

planted both out 18th may
goign slow at the moment will keep eye on them (6june)
harvest
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red cabbage (1.50 )dollars
bought 4 plants 8th may transplanted them == 12th may
harvest
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water melons and cantaloupes (1.50 dollars)
bought 3 plants of cantaloupes and 5 plants of water melon(sugerbaby)just to try see what happens never grown these before so nice to try something new

planted out 22-23 may
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calabrese(broccal in usa)
man who gave me plot gave me 9 plants of calarese very small dunno if they will make it but put a row in 24th may
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turnips(40 cents)
sown out doors1st may=
harvest
got a few little ones out 23th jume
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sown out doors 16 june =

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HERBS

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marjoram (70 cent)
sown ==25th April indoors
about 15 seedlings so far small
thin to 5 plants slow growing they are

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basil (20 cents)
sown==20th April got 12 in single pots 1st may under totes
planted 4 outside 18th may see if they still do ok
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coriander (20cent)
sown==25th April
got 5 plants comming on ok
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parsley (70 cents)
sown 25th April
4-5 plants comming on a bit slow
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mint apple and spearmint (free from last year)
will have 4 buckets of mint this year i love mint had 20 varieties when in england
still cannot tell if got apple mint or not
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tarragon
bought plant 5th may(2.20 dollars)
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me

well i been a veg growing in UK for 30 years and now chance to start another one i was lucky that i got the land as this nice man put a sign in his garden saying free organic land space and i jumped at the chance to get some and the best thing its only 100 yards down the road from the apts we live how lucky was that :)i am in shelby twp Michigan and times are a bit difference from UK sowing and planting so this will be experiment as well-so here goes let the sowing and planting begin :)
the plot started at 15x15 but i extented it to about 25x25 feet now now 30x30ish i lost count how big it getting hehe now 46x26ft now




the ground is very good might drain quickly might have to water more
will buy all general fertilizer for the garden as might just be this year for the garden and not spending lot due to i dont know if i get or the nice man will let me have it next year and dont want to put alot into it for if that happens so touch wood just fertalizer and nice weather hope
cost so far
seeds plants about $30
compost and bags cow manure $8
fertilizer $6
about $45 all in with herbs as well not bad at all hope to get 3-4x out of it



totes as mini greenhouse with tomatoes and peppers and other veg use as for night time if low temps works well



French beans and corn seedlings



seedlings of herbs basil,marjoram, and parsley and cilantro



this is the plan for the veg plot this year




took totes to plot on 13th may as it gets more sun there and be a week or so before i will plant them in there final place now the main think now they say last frost 15th ish of may but i will keep check and hope next week plant them