Guess Who Came for Dinner?! The Farm Report 06-19-2020

Guess Who Came for Dinner!?

The Farm Report

06-19-2020

'member them sproutless store bought spuds I was tellin' ya 'bout? Them ones from the store that had chemicals all over 'em and wouldn't grow? Those ones that had me really really disgusted and mad? Them'ns I was ready to till under and eliminate?

Well as they say, 'Surprise, surprise, surprise!'  They are growing!

When I took Big Red the Tiller out to do in the patch, much to my surprise and joy, they had sprouted after all and were growing! So, I cleaned them up as best I could, and crossed my fingers. 

Annie is happy too. We're both a little upset that I ran the tractor cultivator over the patch and wiped out some innocent little sprouts before I knew they had changed their minds and turned around their attitudes though.

Got Sweetcorn! You might recall I started some sweetcorn seeds in plug flats in the greenhouse way too early. Then we planted out the plugs a little early. Well, so far, success! Kinda. The plants are tassled out, and the ears are silking. But the plants are only about 30-inches tall! Will we get anything to eat by the Fourth of July? That is the goal.

Annie spends a lot of time in the garden with me looking like this. She can smell the coyotes over in the hedge fence row, and she doesn't like it one bit!

I set out some late tomatoes. I just take my tiller and cut a nice furrow row. Then I lay out the plants as I want them.

With the soil nice and soft, it is easy to pull the dirt over the root balls.

Then I go back the other way and pull the dirt from the other side to stand the plants up. It was going to rain that night, so I didn't even water them in. You can't do it much easier than this.

After we're done gardening, it's time for a run. Annie absolutely LOVES to run. This little clip will give you some idea of what I mean. She doesn't like to just trot along. She GALLOPS! That's her coming back down the lane from the timber. This is her 6th trip, so she's slowing down a bit. Every morning and usually every evening she goes for this run. She goes up and back between 2 and 4 time each way! These Aussie Heeler dogs MUST have high release exercise if they are going to be happy. AND, if they ain't happy believe me when I say YOU aren't going to be happy either. Annie is a happy fun dog, but she is a typical herder/heeler. She is 'pushy' and smart. Meaning: She will push and coerce, and con and push and push until she gets what she wants and what she wants you to do. Example: When she is standing outside the door barking at me, she isn't wanting to come in; she is wanting me to come out!

Well, after a run like that, you need a cooling off shower.

Above all, Annie likes her water, and she loves a shower of cold water.

She will stand and let me run water over her just about any time the hose is out.

Her hair coat is heavy, and she has the 'double layer' like a lab or Chesapeake does.

Drink some, swim some, love it all!

You can even lay down, roll over and wash your tummy if you're Annie Oakley.

"Atta Boy, Tim! You know how I like it. Keep it commin'."

Second step for growing Leeks my way. After they're pot bound, I plunk 'em out into a nursery bed in the garden. 

From plastic cup to plop in the garden. Not too tough so far?

I've got two kinds of leeks this year. King Seig is the most cold hardy.

American Flag is my old reliable standby. Leeks take a long time to grow. Notice that these were started back in February, and they're just now going out into the garden in June.

Rake a little dirt over 'em and go away until sometime in July. Stay Tuned.

Time to pick peas, too. See those two lines between the carrots? That's where the peas were.

 If you look over at the upper right hand corner, you can see some onions that have laid down and given it up.

Here is my special 'Pea Pickin' Tool.' If it looks a lot like a hand scythe, you'd be right.

I can't and don't have the time for standing upside down on my head in the garden picking off pea pods from spent vines. Heck with that! I just cut 'em off at the ground, pack 'em into the Ranger and haul 'em into a shady place with a comfortable seat.

A place like this. The pods nearly all come on at the same time, so why make this hard? If you want more peas, plant another row for goodness sake. I got about a dozen bags of frozen peas put into my  freezer for winter. I had fun doing it, and they will be delicious. And yes, I know you can buy a huge bag of frozen peas for a couple of bucks. But I didn't grow those, nor did I have the fun of the process putting them up. It can't always be about the money.

The onions are deciding they're done and ready to harvest.

See that wrinkle in the stem? That's where the tops bent over when they were done. I'll pull them and let them lay in the row a few days, then I'll bring them in and put them up. Some I freeze, some I dry, and some I try to keep - until they rot.

Kink, topple over, pick. If you haven't enjoyed it, there ain't nothin' like a fresh steamed onion with butter and salt! You should try it sometime. It tastes like fried onion rings without the batter.

My sweet potato slips are about ready to go out into the garden. I like to put them out around Father's Day. They don't like it cool, and they grow like crazy when it is hot. All these are from one potato.

Even a little tiny piece of the vine will grow roots and then grow potatoes.

The billboard tarp garden is doing great. I staked and braced the cages today in prep for the big winds and storms predicted for tonight. Salsa in the makin'!

But CRAP! They're back already. That's a blurry pic of a Japanese Beetle right there. Sorry I didn't get a better pic, but I was ... , well, let's just say I was upset.... Have sprayer and nasty farm chemicals on the ready, and this year, WILL USE 'EM! They are NOT going to get my sweetcorn this year, by damn!

I'm OK, hope you are too. Keep smiling AND WEAR YOUR MASK WHEN YOU GO OUT! You're not John Wayne and you don't need to get sick if you can help it - and you can help it! Biting on a stick doesn't count.

I'll go back to my cave now. Sorry....