Tuesday 28 June 2016

Success ...

Finally, we were able to grow cucumbers in our tunnel, I mean actual cucumbers that one can eat.  I will post picture shortly.  I checked this weekend and noticed full size cucumbers tucked under the plant and was amazed by the size, I mean, was amazed as I tried before and got only small size and not even close to decent size.  This year I think, we will heave pretty good cucumber crop.  Despite late frost, they are producing and producing well.  I am pretty excited about this as this is first time I managed to get to this point.
Almost forgot, after rain, things started to show and there is a bit of optimism related to garden and yard.  Spend some time on Sunday aerating lawn in anticipation of more rain, though, rain did not materialize.  We might have  thunderstorm today and hopefully this will help.  Grass looks not too bad but still showing sign of distress (yellow patches).  Bad news, couple of plum trees might not survive as late frost weakened them and they look pretty dead.  I will give them chance and keep them till at least next spring, but little hope they will survive.
That is the nature of growing things at high elevation and possibility of killer frost in June.

Saturday 25 June 2016

Rain

What can I say, prayer were heard, it is raining and ground is wet. Nothing to add, very happyalongwith my grass that started to show a bit of green out of that happiness.

Tuesday 21 June 2016

Euro Soccer (football)

I forgot to mention, due to recent tournament, I might re-focus on soccer(football) for a little while.  Great soccer games, unfortunately mostly played early so I do record and watch them in the evening.  Yesterday highlights, Russia is out, Welsh players have eliminated Russians and are moving up.  So far, not too many surprises (perhaps should mention Albania great showing, big surprise here), Lame Portugal, really Ronaldo was , lets say boring and useless.  It looks like most of the star players don not shine during early stages of the games.  All I can say, game are pretty decent, good level and great entertainment.

Monday 20 June 2016

Weekend work

So this weekend I have decided to tend to my tomato plants inside of the large tunnel.  Rather than leaving them with limited support cages, I installed strings for supporting growth of the plants upwards.  Got a hint from my sister who is rather accomplished gardener in Europe.  In fact I visited her last week and was amazed at her garden, but she has it easy given the elevation of +- 250m above see level.  She is about month ahead of my garden, as her tomatoes outside have already fruit the size of small apples.
Anyway, we did remove some "suckers" and  bottom branches on plans that have flowers and hopefully this will spur faster growth and fruit development.
Yard is in terrible shape due to lack of moisture. We had rainfall Saturday night and in all only got 2.09 mm according to my weather station gauges. That is nothing.  It was also exceptionally windy whole weekend and that result is further loss of moisture.  Grass look terrible and desperately waiting for any type of rain, forecast call for 60% chance tomorrow, hope this will materialize.  All we can do is hope now.  This year el Nino deprived  our location of rain and usually, June is the wettest month here.
Will keep my fingers crossed for rain.
My Already distressed plum trees were infested with aphids, so had to spray them with insecticide soap hoping that this will remove that infestation.  Will have to repeat this treatment few time over next few day to ensure success.  They do not look well, these trees partially due to lack of moisture, as they are unfortunately outside of sprinkler reach so I need to start manually watering them.
So it was busy weekend in the garden but also, due to father's day, busy doing things with my kids, including them working on garden chores.

Friday 17 June 2016

Unwanted visitor

I discovered trespasser on the property in form of Northern Pocket Gopher.  I started to burrow  around some tree and brushes, I since I planted some apple trees last year and this year, I did not wanted to take chances that they may die as a result of the activity.  I decided to place special trap to try to get it.  First attempt did not work as it continue to dig more mounds and many holes appeared around the trees.  I could not determine which corridor was primary one and after investigating (flattening all the mounds) I discovered one that was rebuilt next morning.  I set the trap and nothing was cut in it.  It was time for the next step, flooding.  Got my garden hose and my trusty German shepherd to assist me in case it will come out suddenly, we embarked on eviction via flood.  I stuck the garden hose into the corridor that looked fresh and about 4' of hose went into it (I did attempt into multiple holes before that) around the water for about 20 minutes and ... finally give up  and walked away, but not before setting trap on that corridor.
This morning wanted to check if there was any activity in the area, so went to check and it seem like nothing has happened, until I looked at the trap and yes, in it was culprit.  Sad but unfortunately, that is what happens to trespassers (unwanted).  I am happy as the new tress were in real danger due to proximity to burrows.  I hope this was the only one (in general they are solitary like moles), but will monitor the situation.  Last year my neighbor has real infestation and he trapped eight of these creatures.

Thursday 16 June 2016

Photo update

As promised, I took time yesterday to get some photos to show progress.  In the mean time, yesterday morning we had a frost!, yes frost -1 deg C!!!!  Unfortunately, some of the potatoes and zucchini were affected, not in a dramatic way but zucchini a bit more.  I think couple of my outdoor tomato plants got significant frost bite.
Anyway, nature is unforgiving, in addition to frost is so dry that I spend few hours trying to save our lawn from completely turning brown.  Need desperately rain and nothing in the forecast, I would be happy even is thunderstorm materialized.
In the tunnels, different story, all growing fast and need to do some tomato "suckers" pruning and run line for support it.
Lettuce in the lower tunnel is healthy and ready ...
Cabbage just about to start forming heads..

Small tunnel view...

My rhubarb as you can see is about 4' tall


Potatoes , some showing frost burn
Another cabbage ...

 Tomatoes showing flowers


 Garlic plants

Well, my apple tree bearing fruit, hope it will  survive as they look great

Wednesday 15 June 2016

Update

I was away for few days and hence no new posts.  I am back in town and bit disappointed that despite forecast, we received almost no rain and as a result my grass is pretty much dying.  Yesterday there was threatening cloud but went wrong way. Garden is doing good, but some of my potatoes are showing strange sign of burned black leaves.  Not sure what that might be and how to treat it.  Will research as up to this point, my potato crop was incredible.
Once I have a moment I will post updates and photo from my garden.