July 16, 2015

Good morning, last year I noticed that the drip system was boosting my harvests over hose end watering. I knew that I would need to make planting adjustments but I really wanted to have a whole year to base the changes on.

I will more than likely plant the same total of beds to each crop, they just won't be as densely planted.

In some cases this density thingy might make it easier to harvest. It can be frustrating to pick a 45 foot long bean bed that is spaced 6 inch by 6 inch. I am thinking of going to 12” by 6” instead. Then I will have to note if this really is a 50% drop in production or if the bean plants will be bigger and the harvest remains the same. This will be interesting.

One crop that is for certain to be reduced is the cucumber bed. Two rows spaced 1 foot by 1 foot is driving me crazy. Close to 30 pounds of cukes each week and some times closer to 40. The cukes will be reduced to 1 row spaced 1 foot apart within the row. Similarly with the summer squash but I will favor the crooknecks. Instead of 2 rows spaced 18 inches apart and 18 inches within the row to just one row spaced to 18 inches within the row.

As each of the crops come into full production their planting for next year will be evaluated.

I will be interested to see how okra does. Like last year I planted 3 beds. Each bed has 2 rows 18” apart and in row spacing of 1 foot. All three beds are in production now and this past weekend was the first time that we brought some home from market. This is not a problem because we will pickle them ( there have been numerous requests for them in the pickled form) .

It never ceases to amaze me but each of the previous years going back to 2004 have been more productive than the year before and this year is no different. What I am realizing is that my 6000 square feet of cultivated space is more productive than what I have market for. Presently I have four beds that are fallow that were planted last year. Since the crops matured, I am finding that I have more than enough produce to fill my present demand. I have always thought that my restraint was square footage and that I was near capacity for production. The drip system has made all the difference. I have a lot of room for growth!

This is all to be noted that I still have root knot nematodes, and cucumber beetles that are about to drive me to distraction; and the garden is still out producing. I feel that I do have the squash bugs and the grasshoppers under control. I have gone to spraying every other night, maybe the cucumber beetles attach has leveled off. I t will take a week or too to tell.

Yes it is always good to have a project to work on.

I plan to take a look at the sweets around the first of August to see if they can be harvested. Chile's have recovered from the aphids earlier and I may be harvesting them for market. The habanero peppers are loaded with green peppers. Did have some lettuce but appears that a rodent got into it and worked them over pretty good. What with harvesting, putting food by, watering, and trying to stay ahead of the bugs, it just is not a priority. Once the “noise “ quiets down then maybe.