Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 240413

Started work on the garden last week. I decided it was too much trouble to drive into Spokane and try to wrangle four stiff 16ft cattle panels into the Subaru, so went with a more local, if less robust solution: rolls of heavy duty fencing from our hardware store. Cattle panels are 6 gauge wire, while my fencing is only 14. That means I’ll have to find a way to prop up the center.

Each garden section is nominally 6x8ft. Basic configuration for the trellis is three fenceposts per side, with two 4ftx16ft fencing panels arched between them, overlapping slightly. Height at the center is roughly six feet, but the 14 gauge wire wants to sag at the slightest weight. I’m still thinking about ways to handle that.
After I got the paneling up in Section 1, I planted the tomatoes. We should have some Early Girl starting mid-July, with the big stuff coming along in mid-August.

SECTION 1
East Side: Red Roma [D-75], Red Roma[D-75],Beefsteak Hybrid [I-85], Early Girl [I-60], Berkeley Tie Dye [I-75], S-100 [I-60]
West Side: Brandywine [I-80], Super Fantastic [I-85], Champion[I-65], Early Girl [I-60], Brandywine [I-80], Black Beauty [I-80]

SECTION 2
Plantings in Section 2 are incomplete because the local hardware store does not have the right plants. Plans right now are to duplicate the plants on both sides. I am somewhat belatedly direct seeding some of the squash varieties that have not turned up in the stores.

East Side: [Spaghetti], [Butternut], Delicata, Acorn.

West Side:[Spaghetti], [Butternut], Delicata, Acorn

In addition, I’m planting some Marigolds, and some hardware store Lettuce. I plan to top it all off with some seeds-on-tape — beets, radishes, and carrots. We’re not a big fan of beets and we haven’t had much luck with radishes, but as they say We’ve got them, let’s launch them.

GROW BAGS
Celebrity [SD-70]

Husky Red [SD-70]

Pepper   [70]

Patio [D-70]

Burpless 26 Cucumber [70] 

Green Thumb Up My Nose — November Summary

Garden Report for November 2023

four short items.

1. Finished the last of the bathtub-ripened tomatoes just after Thanksgiving. Some of them were bright green, going in — you don’t have to limit your indoor ripening to those with some color. Lost about 15% of them to mold and such.

2. Finished both of the big winterized tromboncino just after Thanksgiving as well. I left them on the vine too long, and the football part had started to rot. The necks were fine. Tastes like a winter squash. If you wanted to say it tasted like Butternut you could, but only in the way that carob tastes like chocolate.

3. I planted some Amsterdam 2 carrots indoors in October. After three weeks, nothing had sprouted. I planted another set on 9 November, on a heating pad, covered with paper towels and plastic. After a month,  nothing had sprouted. I don’t think I’m going to buy any more seeds from Seed King Express.

4. I’ve been watching YouTube vids on using 4×8 cattle panels as a trellis. Unfortunately, they seem to be not easily available in the Spokane area, so I might have to go with a slightly smaller reinforcing grid for concrete.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 231030

This is the last crop report of the year, although I will have a Lessons Learned and Plans for 2024 coming soon. Weather was cold (lows around 20F), with snow.

Closed out the garden. Harvested 2kg of ripening tomatoes (not red but lots of color), and 9kg of greenies. Also brought in the last of the squash, including a large green one that looks like a kabocha, except I didn’t plant any of those.

Squash

Green Tomatoes

Red Tomatoes

As part of the closeout process, I’m trying a new chop and drop method. Turns out, my new whipper-snipper (AKA weed-whacker) is one with stiff plastic blades instead of nylon twine. The blades are strong enough to chop their way through most tomato and squash vines. So once I cut down all the remaining plants onto a tarp, I went through and hashed it all up. Part of it went into a trench in Section 3, and part was layered into four of my grow bags (along with some pelleted fertilizer).   I also took up all the old black soaker hose, and plan to replace it next spring.

Week Ending 10/30	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	81	11000	135	331	32.8
	Butternut	1	880	880	2	1.9
	Potato				52	4.83
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino				37	13.5
	Cocozelle				40	11.14
	Acorn				3	1.29
	Pattypan				7	3.87
	Zucchini				11	2.93
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Pumpkin	2	2610	1300	8	8.82
	Spaghetti	3	1200	400	3	3.9
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans				–	0.81
Grand Total						87.06

So we beat 2019’s 67kg, but were nowhere near 2021’s all time high of 107kg.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 231023

No report for last week because there was nothing to report. Cool and rainy, followed by warm, with a high of 72. Forecast for cooler, with rain. And frost. And maybe snow.

I left most of the tomatoes on the vine this week to get as much color as possible. First frost is forecast for Tuesday, so I’ll do a big harvest today. Meanwhile, the pumpkins and the winter tromboncino looked to be as good as they’re gonna get so I harvested almost all of them. There was one really big winter tromboncino, 1.8kg, and a handful of medium summer varieties. (The summer/winter split, of course, just depends on how long you leave them on the vine).

Tromboncino

Pumpkin and Spaghetti

Week Ending 10/23	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	9	1007	112	250	21.8
	Butternut	1	1000	1000	1	1.0
	Potato				52	4.83
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	6	4104	684	37	13.5
	Cocozelle	1	438	438	40	11.14
	Acorn				3	1.29
	Pattypan				7	3.87
	Zucchini				11	2.93
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Pumpkin	5	5003	1000	6	6.22
	Spaghetti	2	1602	801	3	2.78
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans				–	0.81
Grand Total						71.44

Back in 2019 we closed out the garden on 28 September, just ahead of a killer frost and a touch of snow. So the 67kg cumulative total for that week was also the total for the year, and included  a couple of kilos of green tomatoes. We are now 4kg ahead of that, and I have not even started on the tomatoes.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 231009

The weather is what I think the Canadians call First Nation’s Summer. Highs in the  70’s, peaking at 80 by the end of the week. Then next week it falls off a cliff —  upper 50’s with rain.

Modest crop of squash. Surprising number of tomatoes getting et by slugs, or something. Harvested one of our two winter Tromboncinos. Roasted the neck for dinner, and only ate half of that. So we have half the neck and the whole — football-sized — main body yet to go. Some say it tastes a little like Butternut, but the best I could do is that it tastes very much like a winter squash.

Tromboncino

We’re gonna need a bigger stove

Making another attempt at growing carrots indoors over the winter. Took a small grow bag full of dirt (you could use a 1-gallon planting pot). Stuck in a square of chicken wire. Dropped one carrot seed into each cell of the chicken wire.

Grow Bag

Grow Bag Grid

Week Ending 10/09	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	9	787	87	241	22.8
	Butternut
	Potato				52	4.83
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	1	1960	1960	31	9.39
	Cocozelle				39	10.70
	Acorn				3	1.29
	Pattypan				7	3.87
	Zucchini				11	2.93
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Pumpkin				1	1.22
	Spaghetti				1	1.18
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans				–	0.81
Grand Total						60.29

Back in 2019 we closed out the garden on 28 September, just ahead of a killer frost and a touch of snow. So the 67kg cumulative total for that week was also the total for the year, and included  a couple kg of green tomatoes.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 231002

The weather this week continued autumnal. Highs in the upper 60’s, lows in the mid-40’s, with a short but intense thunderstorm. Next week will be warmer.

Modest crop of squash. Harvested our three Acorn squashes. Grilled up the medium-sized one for dinner, saving the big one and the small one for later. Also harvested some of the unkillable rhubarb, to go with the strawberries the local food bank was forcing on everyone who walked by before they went off.

Cleaned out the Section 4 potatoes. Total for the year is 52 potatoes, weighing not quite 5kg . I’d have done as well by just eating the seed potatoes.

Week Ending 10/02	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato				232	22
	Butternut
	Potato	16	695	43	52	4.83
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	4	830	207	30	7.43
	Cocozelle	4	1097	274	39	10.70
	Acorn	3	1295	442	3	1.29
	Pattypan	2	424	212	7	3.87
	Zucchini				11	2.93
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Pumpkin				1	1.22
	Spaghetti				1	1.18
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans				–	0.81
Grand Total						57.5

Back in 2019 we closed out the garden on 28 September, just ahead of a killer frost and a touch of snow. So the 67kg cumulative total for that week was also the total for the year, and included  a couple kg of green tomatoes.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230925

The weather this week was positively autumnal. Highs in the upper 60’s, lows in the mid-40’s, with occasional showers. Next week will be cooler and rainier.

Modest crop of tomatoes this week. Mostly Early Girls. I’m expecting at least as many before first frost.

Meanwhile, my face is as red as the tomatoes, both from embarrassment and anger. I’m using flat soaker/sprinkler hoses in the garden.  On the brand that I’m using, the transition from the rectangular flat portion to the round part that attaches to the extension hose is stretched, and the very first spray hole tends to rip (as does the last hole, where it transitions back). A marine epoxy plug backed by tight wraps of duct tape failed almost instantly. Since the hose goes to a two-tube configuration right after the attachment, it’s impossible to cut it and put on a new one.

The result is that most of the water comes out at the ends, and the pressure along the rest of the hose drops to almost nothing. As a consequence, Section 4, with the potatoes, has not been properly watered for months. When I harvested the first two plants I felt like a peanut farmer.

Week Ending 09/18	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	26	2126	82	232	22
	Butternut
	Potato	16	533	33	36	4.13
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	2	1075	538	26	6.6
	Cocozelle				31	9.60
	Acorn
	Pattypan	2	950	475	5	3.45
	Zucchini				11	2.93
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Pumpkin				1	1.22
	Spaghetti				1	1.18
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans				–	0.81
Grand Total						53.2

2019 is still ahead, at 55.6kg.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230918

Warmer. Highs in the upper 70’s to mid-80’s.  Next week will be cooler and wetter.

I’m starting to harvest the winter squash now. Unlike summer squash, I can leave them on the vine until needed without fear that they’ll blow up like clown balloons. Started off by harvesting one pumpkin and one spaghetti squash.

Two too big

Positively cornucopic

Starting end-of-season maintenance on the planter bags — pulling up the dead/dying plants and dumping out the soil. So far, I’ve done the cucumber and zucchini bags, plus a couple of tomatoes.

Winding down

But not gone yet

I’ve planted one of the bags with pickling cucumbers. Should be ready in mid-November, if the frosts don’t get them first. It’s a gamble, but I’ve got the spare bags and soil, so why not. El Nino autumn is theoretically warmer than average (which does not necessarily mean warm).

Week Ending 09/18	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	37	2523	68	232	19.86
	Butternut
	Potato				36	3.60
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	1	255	255	26	5.52
	Cocozelle	2	1050	525	31	9.60
	Acorn
	Pattypan				5	2.5
	Zucchini	2	310	155	11	2.93
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Pumpkin	1	1216	1216	1	1.22
	Spaghetti	1	1183	1183	1	1.18
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans				–	0.81
Grand Total						48.5

2019 has now crept ahead, at 49.7kg.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230911

Much cooler weather. Highs in the mid to upper 70’s and lows below 50F.  Next week will be slightly warmer, into the lower 80’s.

As I said last week, the harvest is thinning out but it’s not done yet. I harvested my second planting of beans — yellow beans — but didn’t get very many. That’s OK, since we’re not all that fond of beans. There’s perhaps fifty tomatoes yet to ripen, six pumpkins, four spaghetti squash, two tromboncino that I’m letting go to winter squash status, and at least one each acorn and butternut squash hidden in the jungle.

Tomatoes

Pumpkin

Spaghetti

Tromboncino

Acorn

Butternut

Week Ending 09/11	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato				195	17.34
	Butternut
	Potato				36	3.6
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	2	425		25	5.26
	Cocozelle	4	1170		29	8.55
	Acorn
	Pattypan	1	550		5	2.5
	Zucchini				9	2.62
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans	–	100		–	0.81
Grand Total						42

Creeping ahead of 2019, now by four kilos.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230904

Rain and cooler weather off and on all week, with highs as low as 64F. We are at the start of Meteorological Autumn.

The harvest continues to slow, but it’s not done yet. There’s perhaps fifty tomatoes yet to ripen, six pumpkins, four spaghetti squash, two tromboncino that I’m letting go to winter squash status, and at least one acorn squash hidden in the jungle.

Week Ending 09/04	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	6	480	80	195	17.34
	Cucumber				–	–
	Potato				36	3.6
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	3	560	187	23	4.84
	Cocozelle				25	7.38
	Acorn
	Pattypan				4	2.0
	Zucchini				9	2.62
	Carrots				–	0.57
	Beets				–	0.25
	Beans					0.71
Grand Total						39.76

Still ahead of 2019 now, but only by about three kilos.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 23008028

Rain and cooler weather to start (which helped kill the Gray Road fire), then in the mid 90’s.  Forecast variable — mid 80’s to mid 90’s, with rain at the end of the week, with highs below 70.

The harvest continues to slow. Not so many squash and tomatoes (but there’s lots of greenies). We left the beans too long whilst we went on the cruise, so we lost most of them (but there’s another crop a’comin. Beets were small and tough — don’t plant again. Carrot crop was small but nice. The grow bag cucumbers have died.

I took all our remaining tomatoes and cooked them down into just over two quarts of juice.

Week Ending 08/28	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	17	830	49	195	17.34
	Cucumber				–	–
	Potato				36	3.6
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	1	380	380	23	4.84
	Cocozelle				25	7.38
	Acorn
	Pattypan				4	2.0
	Zucchini				9	2.62
	Carrots	–	490		–	0.57
	Beets	–	250		–	0.25
	Beans	–	330			0.71
Grand Total						39.76

Still ahead of 2019 now, but only by about five kilos.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 23008021

Extremely hot. Four days over 100. Forecast is for cooler, in the upper 80’s.

The harvest is slowing down. Not so many squash and tomatoes. Harvested one of the small potato bags and got lots of …. small potatoes.

Purple Potatoes

Squash And Tomatoes

Week Ending 08/21	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	30	2663	89	178	16.51
	Cucumber
	Potato	32	1284	40	36	3.6
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	2	933	466	22	4.46
	Cocozelle	3	1064	355	25	7.38
	Acorn
	Pattypan	1	705	705	4	2.0
	Zucchini	3	1100	367	9	2.62
	Carrots				–	0.08
	Beets
	Beans				–	0.38
Grand Total						37.48

Well ahead of 2019 now, by about ten kilos. Next week we’ll be getting beets, and maybe pumpkins, so the gap should widen.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 23008014

Low to mid-80s. The coming week will be upper upper 90s and low 100s.

Lots and lots (and lots) of tomatoes.

Still not so many squash. One of the winter Trombones is all tan now.

Week Ending 08/14	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	53	4752	90	148	13.85
	Cucumber
	Potato				4	2.32
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino				20	3.47
	Cocozelle	2	694	347	22	6.32
	Acorn
	Pattypan	1	530	530	3	1.31
	Zucchini				6	1.52
	Carrots				4	0.08
	Beets
	Beans					0.38
Grand Total						24.07

Surprisingly, we’re only about a kilo ahead of 2019 now. I think it’s because in 2019 we had a number of tomato bags on the unwatered deck, and harvested them all just before going on our Alaska trip. This year the grow bags are all on the autowatering system, and will be harvested over a longer time.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 2300807

Mid-90’s to start, around 80 at the end. Next week is all low 80’s.

Lots and lots of tomatoes. Made two quarts of tomato sauce that was 50/50 Early Girl and Romas .

Not so many squash. We’re letting a couple of the Trombones grow into winter squash size. One enormous Cocozelle that had hid itself behind a cinderblock added to the weight.

Week Ending 08/07	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	72	5875	82	95	9.10
	Cucumber
	Potato				4	2.32
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	2	319	160	20	3.47
	Cocozelle	2	1290	645	20	5.97
	Acorn
	Pattypan				2	0.78
	Zucchini	1	285	285	6	1.52
	Carrots				4	0.08
	Beets
	Beans	382	–	–		0.38
Grand Total						24.07

We continue to lead 2019 in edible biomass — as in almost three times more.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230731

Continuing our hot summer. Very warm (mid-80’s) to start, and Hot (mid-90’s) at the end.

Harvest is picking up. Six hours after I posted last week’s GTUpMyN I picked two Trombones, two Zucchini, and one each of Pattypan and Cocozelle.

Harvested some more softball-sized, heirloom-looking not-Early Girl tomatoes, as well as lots of real EGs.

The Planter Tracker (sidebar) says the carrots are ready, so I’ve started harvesting them. Normally I wait ’till the end of the season and lift them all. This time around I’m taking a few at a time. At this point, ready means barely big enough. I have four that are about 20g each. We can have them in a salad.

Early Girl

Not Early Girl

Early Carrots

Week Ending 07/31	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	16	2010	126	23	3.23
	Cucumber
	Potato				4	2.32
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	2	362	181	18	3.15
	Cocozelle	1	145	145	18	4.68
	Acorn
	Pattypan	1	400	400	2	0.78
	Zucchini	2	197	98	5	1.23
	Carrots	4	80	20	4	0.08
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						15.86

Courtesy of the Cocozelle (and a hot Summer) we are well ahead of our nearest competitor, 2019, in edible biomass — as in five times more. A surprising number of recent years hadn’t even gotten to the scoreboard level by the end of July.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230724

Once again, hot to very hot, with highs reaching 98. The air conditioning regularly comes on by 8AM. Lows in the mid-50’s to mid-60’s, just barely enough to cool the house to sleeping temps — even with the house fan on high, the inside temperature tends to be ten degrees warmer than the outside. Next week: more of the same, only mostly very hot.

Emptied a second potato bag. One large, one medium, and four small. About 500g total, e.g. one pound. Hardly seems worth the effort, but they’re very nice potatoes.

The crimson tide is beginning. Harvested three softball-sized, heirloom-looking tomatoes. The tag says EarlyGirl, but I suspect they’re Brandywine or such.

I tried lifting one of the Tromboncinos I was letting go to winter squash status so that the bulge was not rotting in the dirt. Instead, it broke off. The squash was a light brown, so maybe it was ripe already. We sliced it in half, lengthwise, and baked it, each getting one half.  Very good. As they say, vaguely Butternut flavor. Not as much meat as you might think.

I’m a little behind on posting photos, so here’s a compilation of this months harvests.

Pattypan

Tomatoes and Cocozelle

All our Cabbages

First of the New Potatoes

Week Ending 07/24	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	6	1161	194	7	1.22
	Cucumber
	Potato	2	475	237	4	2.32
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	1	360	360	16	2.79
	Cocozelle	3	458	153	17	4.54
	Acorn
	Pattypan				1	0.38
	Zucchini	1	117	117	3	1.03
	Carrots
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						12.74

This time in 2021 the Zucchini were just starting to produce and there were seven spaghetti squash on the vine.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230717

Hot to very hot, with highs reaching 98. More of the same next week.

Found a small, shriveled, two-eyed potato at the bottom of our store-bought potato sack. I cut it in half and planted it in the small potato grow-bag I emptied last week. We’ll see what happens.

Lots of tomatoes, only one ready to harvest, a 55g Early Girl. Four pumpkins, mostly orange. Two biggish spaghetti squash.

We have three big Trombones what I am leaving for winter squash status. Both the Tromboncinos and the Cocozelles are starting fruit, then fading out at the four inch mark. I think it might be the heat.

Week Ending 07/17	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato	1	55	55	1	0.55
	Cucumber
	Potato				2	1.84
	Cabbage				2	0.45
	Tromboncino	3	703	234	15	2.43
	Cocozelle	3	844	281	14	4.08
	Acorn
	Pattypan				1	0.38
	Zucchini				2	0.92
	Carrots
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						10.65

This time in 2021 the Zucchini were just starting to produce and there were seven spaghetti squash on the vine.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230710

Sunny, with highs around 90.

Harvested our first, and possibly only, pattypan squash.

Finally gave up on our indoor cabbage and harvested both heads. Leaves felt tough, but cooked down and turned bright green when we boiled them, so we make cabbage croquettes. I planted them back in early February, so they’re two months beyond the pick-by date.

Emptied one of the small potato grow-bags. Got one medium (98g) and ten small (25g). Only counting the medium. I’ll wait another couple of weeks before I do the next small  bag (there are three, total, with potatoes).

Picked some more Trombones. Here’s the scoreboard.

Week Ending 07/10	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato
	Cucumber
	Potato	1	98	98	2	1.84
	Cabbage	2	450	225	2	0.45
	Trombone	1	67	67	12	1.70
	Cocozelle	2	337	168	11	3.24
	Acorn
	Pattypan	1	380	380	1	0.38
	Zucchini				2	0.92
	Carrots
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						8.53

This time in 2021, things were still growing. Scoreboard start wouldn’t be for another two weeks.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230703

Warm all week, in the mid- to upper-80s, 90s over the weekend, with intermittent CBs. Next week is all sunny and 90’s.

Continuing the comedy of errors that is my gardening, it turns out that the lone Delicata plant that I had hidden in the middle of the garden is really a Cocozelle. The color of the 1.4kg squash tipped me off. MJ is going to wedge it up for pickles. I have one house bag that I planted some Cocozelle in, which we don’t really need, so I added a couple of Delicata seeds. We’ll see if anything comes up. And speaking of big squash, I just found a 780g Zucchini hiding on the back side of the grow bag.

None of the wax beans in the north half of Section 3 have sprouted, so I dug it over and planted Lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson (65), plus Salad Bowl, Sylvestra (55)), Beets, and a couple more Delicata (90, early October) rounded out the day. All slots are now filled.

It’s been a week or so since the potatoes flowered, so I harvested some new potatoes, very good. The Interwebs say that potatoes are ready to harvest in about three months — 12 weeks — but that new potatoes are ready in ten weeks. Do they really grow that much in just two weeks?

Picked some more Trombones. Here’s the scoreboard.

Week Ending 07/03	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato
	Cucumber
	Potato	8	760	95	8	0.76
	Delicata
	Trombone	3	275	92	11	1.03
	Cocozelle	4	2122	530	9	2.90
	Acorn
	Pattypan
	Zucchini	1	780	780	2	0.92
	Carrots
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						5.61

This time last year things were still growing. Scoreboard start wouldn’t be for another two weeks.

Potatoes

Not a Delicata

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230626

Cold and breezy enough that NWS was reporting windchills at the start of the week, mid-80s by the end. Next week will be mid- to upper-80s with intermittent CBs.

Bought some new hoses. Moved the front lawn hoses (known to be good) into the garden, put the new hoses in the lawn. Threw out the old hoses — it’s impossible to repair the hard plastic.

The men came ’round to take down the tree. It went surprisingly fast — about five hours, top to stump.

Picked some more Trombones. Here’s the scoreboard.

Week Ending 06/26	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato
	Cucumber
	Potato
	Delicata				1	0.38
	Trombone	7	480	69	8	0.76
	Cocozelle				4	0.40
	Acorn
	Pattypan
	Zucchini				1	0.14
	Carrots
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						1.68

This time last year I was still planting stuff and it was even colder and wetter.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230619

The week kicked off with the hottest days of the month — 91F on Tuesday — then settled down to merely warm — upper 70s/low 80s, and then cool, with highs in the mid 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Forecast is for more cold and wet (highs as low as 59F), then heating up.

I’m harvesting the various squash more often, to try to stay ahead of it.

Coco-Zuke

Coco-Tromb

Here’s the scoreboard.

Week Ending 06/18	Vegetable (bold = final)	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomato
	Cucumber
	Potato
	Delicata				1	0.38
	Trombone				1	0.28
	Cocozelle	2	135		4	0.40
	Acorn
	Pattypan
	Zucchini	1	137		1	0.14
	Carrots
	Beets
	Beans
Grand Total						1.2

This time last year I was still planting stuff and it was even colder and wetter.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230612

Warm all week: mid-upper 80’s.  Coming week has a cooling trend, into the mid 70s. Over on the coast I think this is June Gloom.

Continuing to fight the irrigation system, ineptly patching holes in the sprinkler hose. Amazon doesn’t seem to have anything better.

Harvested a 98g Cocozelle. You are supposed to pick them small, to encourage growth.

Tried to tie up a spaghetti squash, but only succeeded in breaking it off.

Planted part of Section 3 — Cherokee Wax Yellow Bush beans (53, early August). Saving one section for another tranche of lettuce, in a couple of weeks. Our first batch of lettuce is harvestable at the cut and come again stage, which is good, because the indoor lettuce has gotten old and tough and bitter.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230605

Warm all week: upper 70’s to start, ending in mid-80’s.  Coming week is mid-80’s ending around 90F, with showers in the middle.

Continuing to fight the irrigation system.  The soft soaker is too, too soft and the method of attachment to the coupler is weak…as in disassembles itself if dragged across the lawn.

The U/I squash in the NW corner has put out its first fruit. It’s a 180g Cocozelle, a kind of Zucchini. Very good grilled with lime and basil. Also harvested a 380g Delicata. I guess I was supposed to leave it until Fall, but it was very good.

I didn’t prep for corn this year because Spring was so cold and wet. Now, Summer looks to be hot and dry, so I dense-planted a row of corn in between the two rows of potatoes in Section 4.  It’s old corn, and if nothing comes of it, well, nothing of value is lost.

Garden, with Rhubarb

Cocozelle

Potato Patch

Grow Bags

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230529

Cool start to the week, with highs below 70F, climbing to near 80F at the end. Forecast is upper 70’s to start, ending in mid-80’s next week.

Continuing to fight the irrigation system. The new soaker hose is a hard plastic that’s prone to leaks, but isn’t tough enough to take a hit from a whipper snipper. To fix a hole requires an underwater epoxy wrapped in a superglue plastic tape to fix them. I’m thinking of replacing them with a softer soaker.

The cabbages are not a total loss. MJ took some of the bigger leaves (not the outer ones, but not the inner ones, either), braised them, and used them underneath some pot roast fixin’s. Surprisingly mild. I guess we’ll keep them going until we run out of leaves. Meanwhile, one of our Delicatas had a 10″ fruit, about the size of a medium Zucchini (sorry, no weight or pix). I harvested it (about three months early, I find), and MJ fried it with onion in a tomato sauce. Very good.

Did my first mounding of the potatoes. Scraped dirt up from the sides and topped it with wood chips from last years tree removal.

Looks like it’s going to cost us ~$1600 to remove the spruce.  At least we get a nice stump out of it.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

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Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230515

The week started out in the 60’s, and ended up around 80F. More of the 80s next week. Maybe T-storms.

Continued to work on the irrigation system. The whole garden is roughly 38ft long — too long for a 25ft hose but too short for 50ft. I tried putting down a hose, the doubling it over where it hung off the end and closing it with a clamp, one I had to use two hands to open. No effect on the water flow — it’s really hard plastic. So I just looped it back over the garden — the excess covers two sections. Other than that, I’m working on the soaker hoses for the trees and the front lawn.  One old tree soaker got clipped by the mower right next to the input end. I’ll see if a couple of hose clamps will work, but it’s old an brittle. Same problem with one of the lawn sprinkler hoses — one side a foot-long section of hose sheared right off. It’s hard plastic and impossible to repair, so I bought two more, and may get yet a third.

Speaking of irreparable, the inner tube on the front (and only) wheel on the wheelbarrow no longer holds air. I’m trying to decide if I want to go to all the trouble of pulling the wheel assembly off and getting a new one. The barrow is close to 20yrs old, with rust spots and cracking handles. Maybe I’ll just buy a new one.

No new plantings. The Tromboncino already has three or four fruit. The cucumber seedlings I bought all died. Next week I’ll buy more of them, plus a couple of Roma tomatoes. Plus some new hose fittings.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 230508

Weather has been very odd. 45F and damp, followed by 80F and dry, then back down to the 50s with rain. Next week will be back to the upper 70s.

This weekend I planted out the tomatoes. Going in a 4×2 pattern, but put the first column too far in, so I’ll try planting some herbs [oregano | basil| there.

SECTION 2

Row 1 [Celebrity | Early Girl ]

Row 2 [Super Fantastic | Beefsteak Hybrid]

Row 3 [ Roma | Super Fantastic ] [oregano]

Row 4 [ Sweet 100 | Brandywine ] [basil]

I had planned on two Romas, but grabbed one Roma and one Sweet 100

This week I will fill in Section 3 with lettuce and carrots and maybe beets and beans.

Moved two of the sprinkler hoses from out front to the garden, to replace the old soaker hoses. Soakers have to be right next to the plant to do any good so I’m trying sprinkler hoses this year. However, this set of hoses are way too long and leak something awful.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for Spring, 2023

Cold, wet, La Nina spring this year. Farmers are complaining about being a month behind in their planting, and I am too. I started 32 squash seedlings indoors in late Winter, and by mid-April they had grown enough that I was worried they’d suffocate. I transplanted them into 16oz plastic cups, and later into recycled cocoa and snack containers (cardboard, with metal rims). At the end of the month I planted them out into Section 1 of the garden, supporting the longer ones on 8ft furring strips. Not all of them survived the transplanting process, so I ended up with only 13 plants out of the 32, none of which were Buttercup, so I’ll have to use store-bought.

Row 1 [ Scallop | Spaghetti | Pumpkin]

R0W 2 [Cocozelle | Butternut | Pumpkin]

ROW 3 [ Tromboncino | Delicata | Tromboncino]

ROW 4 [Cocozelle | Butternut | u/i ]

LESSONS LEARNED: I’ve decided that a 3×4 arrangement is too difficult to manage because it’s too hard to reach the stuff in the middle. The Section 2 tomatoes, and both the squash and the tomatoes next year, will be a 2×4, with one more in the middle at the open end of the section.

LESSONS LEARNED: Recycled cocoa and chips containers are too hard to empty out. I had to use a biggish wire cutter to get thru the rims, and the cardboard didn’t want to tear.

Also filled up some of the grow bags:

1. x | 2. Cucumbers | 3. x | 4. Potatoes | 5. Acorn Squash | 6. Potatoes | 7. x | 8. Potatoes | 9. x | 10. Sweet 100 | 11. x

The Sweet 100 was something that MJ bought.

The rest will be planted with tomatoes, sometime next week. The potato and cucumber bags are about 1/3 the size of the older ones. They have little windows I can use to harvest early potatoes.

Planted Section 4 with different kinds of potatoes — red, purple, yellow, and Kennebec.

Section 2 will be tomatoes, as soon as the weather settles down, and Section 3 will be lettuce and beets and … and… something else.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 221024

The lovely 70F weather that we’ve had for the last month continued through Thursday, after which the bottom dropped out. End of the week highs were in the upper 40s, about what last week’s lows were, and we had a drenching cold rain.

The rain was predicted to start on Friday and run off and on through all of next week with a chance of frost Sunday night, so I decided to close out most of the garden on Wednesday and Thursday. In the event, we had frost on both Friday and Saturday nights, which pretty much killed my ‘late harvest’ hopes.

Got ~60 tomatoes, ~ten of which were some shade of reddish. The remaining 50 greenies were barely enough to fill one box, a quarter of what we usually get.

Four nicely shaped Zucchinis this week. Probably more picklefodder.

Eight nice acorn squash. Maybe a little early — the leaves hadn’t turned yellow yet — but we’ll let them rest inside for a month or so.

One delicate little Delicata. What I thought was a Delicata now seems to be a pumpkin. It’s turning very slightly orange.

The problem is, the plants planted in the center of the garden (Spaghetti, Delicata, Pumpkin this year) tend to be shaded out, and to get lost in the jungle. This accounts for the Beefsteak tomatoes the size of grocery store standards, hanging off the cherry tomato cage, and Delicatas the size of …well… very small squash hidden behind what may be a pumpkin. I think in future I’ll try putting those in a week before the others.

Harvested the sweet potatoes from Section 4. As with the regular potatoes, the yield was nothing like what I got from the grow bags — 14, totaling 400g. I suspect I may have under-watered that part of the garden. When I was digging it up I noticed it was very dry. Also, the grow bags got a lot more sun than did the traditionally-over-shady Section 4. Sweet potatoes are supposed to cure for a month at 85F and 85% humidity. One YouTube website suggested putting them in a covered container with a bottle of water and a thermostat probe controlling a seed bed warmer. I took an old styrofoam cooler and rigged that up with a $20 thermostat from Amazon and a sawed off juice bottle full of water. The temperature is holding, but I’ve no way to measure the humidity. We’ll see in December.

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	61	4311	70	262	23.23
	Potatoes				63	9.96
	Sweet Potatoes	14	400	29	50	0.89
	Pumpkin	1	985	985	1	0.98
	Summer Squash	3	335	112	9	2.87
	Zucchini	4	506	126	25	9.73
	Delicata	1	172	172	1	0.17
	Acorn Squash	8	8000	1000	8	8.0
	Cucumber				1	0.56
Grand Total						56.39

So, as I hoped, the Acorn squash drove us over 50kg for the year, which is just slightly over half of what we got last year.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 221017

This week continued warm (74+/- 1) and dry. The coming week continues more of the same, except that the mid range forecast is for much colder by Friday, with up to 2″ of rain over the weekend.

Picked ten small ripe tomatoes ones this weekend. I’ll close it out next week. It looks like we’ll only have 40 or so greenies to let ripen in the bathtub. About one flat box worth. In prior years we’ve had four or five boxen.

Seven more Zucchinis this week, some of them somewhat misshapen. More picklefodder.

Harvested the potatoes from Section 4. Only 15 larger than a walnut, totaling 1.2kg. That’s about 15% of what came out of the grow-bags, from twice the area. Next week I’ll get the sweets.

Beefed up the berm around the Dawn Redwood. Planted grass in many of the areas killed off by the summer heat.

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	10	925	92	201	18.92
	Potatoes	15	1231	82	63	9.96
	Sweet Potatoes				36	0.49
	Carrots				0	0
	Beets				0	0
	Summer Squash				6	2.54
	Zucchini	7	1352	193	21	9.22
	Delicata
	Acorn Squash
	Cucumber				1	.56
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						41.67

I’m seriously thinking about closing out most of the garden next week, before the cold sets in. We’re still less than half of last year’s crop.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 221010

This week was record-breaking warm (75+/- 2) and dry. Next week the highs are expected to stay around 70F, with the lows dropping into the upper 30’s —  keep in mind that we are now into the ‘chance of frost’ period through the end of the month.

We’re at the tail end of the harvest season. The tomatoes are getting tired. Picked an even dozen small ripe ones this weekend, and it looks like we’ll only have 40 or so greenies to let ripen in the bathtub. About one flat box worth. In prior years we’ve had four or five boxen.

Two Summer Squash and one Zucchinis early this week. MJ will use them, along with last week’s cucumber, in a pickling recipe.

The Dawn Redwood appears to have survived the transplant process. Now to get it through the winter.

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	12	500	42	191	18.0
	Potatoes				48	8.73
	Sweet Potatoes				36	0.49
	Carrots				0	0
	Beets				0	0
	Summer Squash	2	355	177	6	2.54
	Zucchini	3	452	150	14	7.85
	Delicata
	Acorn Squash
	Cucumber				1	.56
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						38.17

This time last year we had already closed out the garden ahead of an on-time frost. Total take was a record 107kg, mostly due to tomatoes and Zucchini.  I think we’ll catch up somewhat when I harvest Section 4.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 221003

Hot week (mid-80’s) ending in a record-setting rainfall (~0.5″) followed by a slight cooldown (upper-70’s). Forecast is for continued warm (77+/- 1) and dry.

Planted another two rows of lettuce in Section 3. The earlier planting is just starting to sprout. We’ll see if we get anything before the frosts come. The late harvest tomatoes and Acorn Squash probably won’t produce anything useful. I put them in too late.

Nothing in the way of tomatoes this week. I’d pretty much cleaned everything out last week. Maybe forty greenies coming along.

One Summer Squash and two Zucchinis early this week. Fat banana sized. Plus at the end of the week an almost 2kg Zucchini what was hiding under a bunch of smaller ones — too big to be salad-worthy, but too small to take prizes. More dehydration is in order. It looks like we’ll also get a single Delicata Squash, which is a winter squash the size of a Spaghetti Squash that tastes like a Butternut.

I started to close out the two non-tomato grow bags next the house, and found that we did have a cucumber! Only one, but sizeable.

Harvested the House Container sweet potatoes. Eighteen puny sweets totaling not quite 500g. Quite a bit less than the regular potatoes. Soil in the bags was very dry, so perhaps the irrigation system wasn’t set right. Perhaps more fertilizer was needed also. I plan to wait for first frost to harvest the garden potatoes.

We now have a new Dawn Redwood to replace our old Cypress. It don’t look like much now, and since it’s the only deciduous member of the Sequoia family (it drops its needles in the Fall), it will shortly look like less. We’ll check back in come Spring.

Little Red

Big Green

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes				179	17.52
	Potatoes				48	8.73
	Sweet Potatoes	18	490	27	36	0.49
	Carrots				0	0
	Beets				0	0
	Summer Squash	1	380	380	4	2.18
	Zucchini	3	2327	776	11	7.40
	Delicata
	Acorn Squash
	Cucumber	1	563	563	1	.56
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						36.88

This time last year we still had ~30kg more than now. Mostly from tomatoes, with some squash. I’m just as glad we don’t have that much this year. I think we’ll catch up when I harvest Section 4.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 220926

No report last week because nothing much happened. About the biggest thing was the onset of meteorological Autumn. Over the last two weeks we’ve had highs in the mid 70’s, lows in the upper 40’s to low 50’s. One day was down to 60F, while another was 76F. So cool Autumnal, not crisp. End of the week started Indian Summer, with turning in a nice 80F. Next week will start with four days around 80F, then cool to the low 70’s.

Section 3 has been pretty much of a bust. The beets came up small and misshapen, and the carrots didn’t come up at all. Early last week I dug most of it up in order to try again with some late season lettuce-on-tape (see the Planter Tracker), despite the fact that we’ll be at risk of frost any time after Halloween.

I left the tomatoes on the vine for an additional week. With cool temps they won’t ripen too fast. At the start of the week we had four baskets of the little red buggers to go through, but i managed to foist off about 20 of them to the four guys on the tree removal crew. Yield was down, I think because the plants are wearing out. I’m going to prune them heavily, because I don’t think they can set and grow any decent fruit before the first frost. We’ve been ignoring the cherry tomatoes, only harvesting a handful at a time. On Sunday I went out and did a full sweep, just pulling them off by hand. Got a nice round kilogram, not included in the total because I don’t count cherries.

I say potato

You say tomato

Or maybe cherry

Harvested the House Container potatoes. Eighteen white potatoes totaling not quite 2kg. Twenty-five Red potatoes totaling over 6kg. Not counting the LTWS — less than walnut sized. There were a couple of grocery-store sized reds, but most were half that size — just right for an individual serving.

I’ve started dehydrating the Zucchini. One 600g Zuke gives 28g of powdered concentrate, a roughly 95% reduction. Good in soups, stews, and oatmeal.

Meanwhile, our 60 year old cypress finally died. Two drought/heat wave-stricken summers did it in. Looking to get a Dawn Sequoia to replace it.

This old tree…

Going

Going

Gone

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	32	2415	75	179	17.52
	Potatoes	45	8466	188	48	8.73
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots				0	0
	Beets				0	0
	Summer Squash	1	368	368	3	1.80
	Zucchini				8	5.07
	Spaghetti Squash				0	0
	Acorn Squash
	Cucumber				0	0
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						33.12

This time last year we still had ~30kg more than now. Partly because we had lots more squash than now. I’m just as glad we don’t have that much. I think we’ll catch up when I harvest the House Sweet Potatoes and everything in Section 4.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 2200912

Not as hot, but still in the low 90s. Forecast is for highs around 80F. Some smoke from OR fires.

More tomatoes this week, including some cherries.

Running out of baskets

We eat these tonight

In addition, we got one Summer Squash and a few early potatoes.

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	30	2462	82	147	15.11
	Potatoes	3	263	88	3	0.26
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots
	Beets
	Summer Squash	1	176	176	3	1.80
	Zucchini				8	5.07
	Spaghetti Squash
	Acorn Squash
	Cucumber
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						22.24

This time last year we still had 20kg more than now, including some nice big Spaghetti Squash.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 2200905

Hot, then hot and windy, then just windy. At least the nights were cool…ish. Next week is more salubrious.

Big tomato haul this week, initially from the house plants. That’s to be expected because they are both early style (Early Girl and Bonnie). At the end of the week we got an equal load from the Main Garden.

Garden

House

Squash

In addition, we got some more biggish Zucchini and Yellow Squash. That’s what we get for failing to keep an eye on them. I blame the heat.

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	68	10108	149	117	12.65
	Potatoes
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots
	Beets
	Summer Squash	1	540	540	1	1.08
	Zucchini	4	2424	606	8	5.07
	Spaghetti Squash
	Acorn Squash
	Cucumber
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						18.08

This time last year we had 20kg more than now, including some nice big Spaghetti Squash. Probably won’t get any this year.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 220829

Lovely weather this week (temps in the mid 70’s), with more lovely weather, followed by more hellish heat predicted for the week ahead.

The only plants producing pickable product are the tomatoes. The Zucchini has turned into a bushy monster, with no produce. The Acorn Squash is starting to produce, but they won’t be ripe for another couple months.

Just the beginning

All hat and no cattle

More on the way

Lots of cherry tomatoes coming in, but they don’t count for weight.

	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	19	1400	74	49	2.54
	Potatoes
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots
	Beets
	Summer Squash				1	0.54
	Zucchini				4	2.65
	Spaghetti Squash
	Winter Squash
	Cucumber
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						5.73

I’ve given up on setting any kind of records this year.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 220822

Just got back from a week-long Alaska cruise — of which more, anon — and the garden is doing surprisingly well. Better than the lawn. Must be the automatic watering system.

The Zucchini managed to sneak in another monster ~2.5kg. Not sure what to do with it.

Got our first Summer Squash.

Surprisingly few ripe tomatoes, other than the cherries.

Garden Plants

Harvest

House Plants

Week Ending 08/15	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	20	1140	57	20	1.14
	Potatoes
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots
	Beets
	Summer Squash	1	540	540	1	0.54
	Zucchini	1	2400	2400	4	2.65
	Spaghetti Squash
	Winter Squash
	Cucumber
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						4.33

We continue to run behind last year, but I have hopes for the upcoming couple of weeks.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 220815

Not as hot this week, with highs in the mid to upper 80’s. Next week in the mid to upper 90’s.

Our lone Zucchini is finally producing. Harvested two small ones so we won’t get overwhelmed. Our Spaghetti Squash is running all over the place, and I’m working to tie it up to the stakes.

The cherry tomatoes are putting out a dozen or so every few days. The other tomatoes are producing lots and lots of greenies.

The determinate tomatoes and the the Cocozelle Delicata are surviving, but not much in the way of growth.

So we start the scoreboard.

Week Ending 08/15	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes
	Potatoes
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots
	Beets
	Summer Squash
	Zucchini	3	148	74	1.15	1.25
	Spaghetti Squash
	Winter Squash
	Cucumber
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						1.25

We continue to run behind last year, but I have hopes for the upcoming couple of weeks.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 220808

The week went from hot to bearable to hotter, peaking out at 97F on Sunday. Next week is forecast to peak at 100F, but be mostly in the mid-90’s.

Our lone Zucchini has been growing like a weed, and producing lots of fruits … that get to about 10cm long and then die. One, however, did better, hiding out by hanging down into the hole in one of the cinderblocks where it could grow undisturbed. Came in at 35cm and 1.1kg.

The cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen, but nobody else has any color.

Planted out one of the grow-cups with the determinates and the big cup with the Cocozelle Delicata. Both survived the operation. Also tried planting a bunch of seeds from a melon what I bought. We’ll see what comes up.

So we start the scoreboard.

Week Ending 08/08	Vegetable	Count	Total Weight g	Unit Weight g	Grand Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes
	Potatoes
	Sweet Potatoes
	Carrots
	Beets
	Summer Squash
	Zucchini	1	1100	1100	1	1.1
	Spaghetti Squash
	Winter Squash
	Cucumber
	Late harvest tomatoes
Grand Total						1.1

We’re running well behind last year, when we had 10kg of harvest already, split evenly between the tomatoes and the zucchini.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 22/08/01

Looks like we’ve survived the heatwave. Didn’t hit 100F here, but Spokane was 102F and we peaked at 99.7F, so close enough. The coming week will be breezy, with highs around 90F.

Section 1:

All are doing fine. Small tomatoes already showing.

Row 1: [ Sunsugar Yellow | S100 | EarlyGirl ]

Row 2: [Brandywine | Superfantastic | Big Beef ]

Row 3: [ Champion | Red Beef | Bonnie ]

Section 2 :

Growth continues uneven. Some are doing very well but others are just hanging on. The Zucchini keeps throwing off fruit that grows to <10cm long, then dies.

Row 1: [ Acorn | Summer | Zucchini ]

Row 2: [ Acorn | Spaghetti | Pumpkin ]

…………………….[Delicata]

Row 3: [Butternut | Butternut | Straightneck ]

Section 3 The only thing left here is the row of beets.

Section 4  The sweet potatoes and of regular potatoes continue doing OK.

House Container Bags:
Potato | Potato | Sweet Potato | Sweet Potato | possible Cocozelle | Bonnie Tomato / Basil | Cucumbers | Early Girl / Oregano |

Potatoes are going wild. Sweets are hanging on. Tomatoes and herbs are doing OK. The remaining cucumber is doing … OK. The year-old Cocozelle seeds have produced two seedlings.

The irrigation system is now working pretty well. Have not switched to soaker because I realized I’d put the beets in too far from either arm.

Indoor Container:
The big container has some very strong growing seedlings (indeterminate), and the four planter cups have two seedlings (determinate). I’m not sure either one will produce anything by the next frost. One planter cup suddenly produced a fast-growing Cocozelle, I’m waiting for the weather to improve before I plant it out.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 22/07/25

I didn’t realize that it’s been a month since my last weekly report. That’s because not a lot has been going on. The days of rain and coldness are far behind. The day’s of 100F are scheduled for the coming week.

I recently watched a YouTube that talked about late-planting of tomatoes — how you should put in a set of determinates that will ripen just before first frost. With my usual timing I went down to the hardware store…the day after they sent all their seeds back.

Neither the Bi-Mart Cocozele nor the Bi-Mart Acorn squash have sprouted. I think I shan’t get seeds there any more.

Golden photobomb

Main garden

Section 1:

All are doing fine. Small tomatoes already showing.

Row 1: [ Sunsugar Yellow | S100 | EarlyGirl ]

Row 2: [Brandywine | Superfantastic | Big Beef ]

Row 3: [ Champion | Red Beef | Bonnie ]

No sign of the 2m of carrots-on-tape I planted between columns 1 and 2.

Section 2 :

Growth is very uneven. Some are doing very well (the Zucchini already has fruit), but others are just hanging on.

Row 1: [ Acorn | Summer | Zucchini ]

Row 2: [ Acorn | Spaghetti | Pumpkin ]

…………………….[Delicata]

Row 3: [Butternut | Butternut | Straightneck ]

Section 3 Replanted the one row of lettuce-on-tape and one row of beets-on-tape. In this case, ‘one row’ means a stretch along one side of the soaker hose. Some beet sprouts showing already. The cluster of spaghetti squash is down to one spindly plant. The acorn squash hasn’t come up yet.

Section 4  (two rows of sweet potatoes and two half-rows of regular potatoes) is doing OK.

House Container Bags:
Potato | Potato | Sweet Potato | Sweet Potato | possible Cocozelle | Bonnie Tomato / Basil | Cucumbers | Early Girl / Oregano |

Potatoes are going wild. Sweets are hanging on. Tomatoes and herbs are doing OK. The remaining cucumber is doing OK. The bucket potato didn’t produce, so I put in a larger container and planted the Bi-Mart Cocozele. As I said up top, that didn’t produce anything either. Since the container was sitting empty, I decided to try an older packet of Cocozelle seeds, one I knew had sprouted before. If it works — big if — I should be getting some at the end of September. If it doesn’t work, well, I’m no worse off.

The irrigation system is now working pretty well. Since we’re headed into some really hot weather I’m going to switch to soaker hose.

Indoor Container:
Since I couldn’t buy any new seeds I’m trying out planting some old tomato seeds — indeterminate, but needs must — indoors for planting out in early August.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 22/06/27

The cold and damp has given way to warm and hot. Hit 87 over the weekend and 92 on Monday.

Some of the store bought seedlings didn’t make it through the dank. One of the Zucchini, one Summer squash, and Spaghetti squash died. Since the hardware store plants were pretty ratty, I started some seedlings — Pumpkin, Summer squash, and Spaghetti squash — but the only thing that came up were the Spaghettis. In the middle of last week I started another batch, in a bigger set of pots . MJ bought a Delicata, which I’ve put in between rows 2 and 3. Bags are doing well. Mostly.

Section 1:

Row 1: [ Sunsugar Yellow | S100 | EarlyGirl ]

Row 2: [Brandywine | Superfantastic | Big Beef ]

Row 3: [ Champion | Red Beef | Bonnie ]

Also put in about 2m of carrots-on-tape between columns 1 and 2.

Section 2 :

Row 1: [ Acorn | Summer | Zucchini ]

Row 2: [ Acorn | Spaghetti | Pumpkin ]

…………………….[Delicata]

Row 3: [Butternut | Butternut | Straightneck ]

Section 3 One row of lettuce-on-tape and one row of beets-on-tape. In this case, ‘one row’ means a stretch along one side of the soaker hose. Not doing very well. Perhaps it got over-rained on.

Section 4 is two rows of sweet potatoes and two half-rows of regular potatoes.

House Container Bags:
Potato | Potato | bucket Potato | Sweet Potato | Sweet Potato | Bonnie Tomato / Basil | Cucumbers | Early Girl / Oregano |

Potatoes are going wild. Sweets are hanging on. Tomatoes and herbs are doing OK. One of the cucumbers died, but I won’t try to replace it.

The irrigation system is now working pretty well. I’ve left it on sprinkler instead of turning on the hoses because many of the plants aren’t big enough for their roots to reach the wet.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 22/06/13

A cold and wet May has been followed by our traditional June gloom. Temps mostly in the 60’s, with rain, heavy at times. As in 1.35″ in 24hrs, followed by 1.75 in 48hrs on our back deck. Turns out, the gutters had filled up with dead leaves and so everything was washing over the sides, particularly where two roof angles came together. Water got into the basement and soaked the carpeting in MJ’s office. Lots of fans and air filters, and it still smells. No days above 80F, which puts us (so far) in second place for coolest start to Summer ever. Cold, as in, they’re still reporting windchills.

Some of the store bought seedlings didn’t make it through the dank. One of the Zucchini and both Spaghetti squash died. Since the hardware store plants were pretty ratty, I’ve planted seeds — Pumpkin, Summer squash, and Spaghetti squash.

Bags are doing well. Mostly. Potatoes are thriving, all except the bucket. Sweet potatoes are hanging in there.

Section 1 is planted and has cages/stakes installed:

Row 1: [ Sunsugar Yellow | S100 | EarlyGirl ]

Row 2: [Brandywine | Superfantastic | Big Beef ]

Row 3: [ Champion | Red Beef | Bonnie ]

Also put in about 2m of carrots-on-tape between columns 1 and 2.

Section 2 is planted and has cages/stakes installed:

Row 1: [ Acorn | Summer | Zucchini ]

Row 2: [ Acorn | Spaghetti | Pumpkin ]

Row 3: [Butternut | Butternut | Straightneck ]

Section 3 One row of lettuce-on-tape and one row of beets-on-tape. In this case, ‘one row’ means a stretch along one side of the soaker hose.

Section 4 is two rows of sweet potatoes and two half-rows of regular potatoes.

House Container Bags:
Potato | Potato | bucket Potato | Sweet Potato | Sweet Potato | Bonnie Tomato / Basil | Cucumbers | Early Girl / Oregano |

The bucket potato is a 12″ pot with a plastic bag liner and one chunk of potato. Theoretically, one can lift out the bag and harvest new potatoes.

Still working on getting the irrigation system into shape. Replacing lots of washers and attaching lots of hose clamps. Fortunately, it’s been rainy enough I don’t really need to irrigate yet. It’s a cold La Nina Spring, and now we’re headed into the traditional June Gloom.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for May 2022

I have decided not to try growing corn this year. We’re coming off a La Nina winter, and we’re still getting threat of frosts, with snow in the passes. We didn’t exceed 70F until the 26th, a record

Emptied the carrot cooler. About 800g of Danvers Half Longs. Most smaller than my thumb. Not sure what I want to plant in it.

The Winter Red lettuce we planted last October is growing in unenthusiastic clumps in the garden. Starting my cut and come again program. Mixes nicely with store-bought iceberg.

Furring strips all in

Soaker hose installed

Section 1 is planted and has cages/stakes installed:

Row 1: [ Sunsugar Yellow | S100 | EarlyGirl ]

Row 2: [Brandywine | Superfantastic | Big Beef ]

Row 3: [ Champion | Red Beef | Bonnie ]

Section 2 is planted and has cages/stakes installed:

Row 1: [ Acorn | Spaghetti | Zucchini ]

Row 2: [ Acorn | Spaghetti | Zucchini ]

Row 3: [Butternut | Butternut | Straightneck ]

Section 3 is awaiting orders

Section 4 is two rows of sweet potatoes and two half-rows of regular potatoes.

House Container Bags:
Potato | Potato | bucket Potato | Sweet Potato | Sweet Potato | Bonnie Tomato / Basil | Cucumbers | Early Girl / Oregano |

The bucket potato is a 12″ pot with a plastic bag liner and one chunk of potato. Theoretically, one can lift out the bag and harvest new potatoes.

Still working on getting the irrigation system into shape. Replacing lots of washers and attaching lots of hose clamps. Fortunately, it’s been rainy enough I don’t really need to irrigate yet. It’s a cold La Nina Spring, and now we’re headed into the traditional June Gloom.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for April 2022

We ate the last of last year’s spaghetti squash this month. A new (to us) cooking technique was to cut it along the lines of latitude rather than the traditional halving it by longitude. If you use an electric carving knife it’s easy. That gives you a bunch of donut shaped slices, suitable for individual servings.

Container carrots doing OK. They are Danvers Half Longs, and are a little small even for them — size of my thumb. We’re digging them one at a time and eating them raw for snacks.

Sweet potato slips are doing well. Regular potatoes are sprouting eyes. All ready to plant, if only the frost season was over.

Started my annual soil-buying spree. Potting and garden soil to mix for the potatoes.

Next week I start putting in the tomato stakes (i.e. furring strips).

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for November, 2021

We used the last of the tomatoes on the 30th. They were all ones that were picked absolutely green and ripened inside. This year we had a record 26kg of greenies. We lost 10-15% of them to mold and such, either before they ripened completely or after they were ripe but before we got to them (for those who still use US measurements, 26kg is ‘a whole bunch’). Still, pretty good for 7 weeks after we closed out the garden.

Are these carrots?

Late Lettuce

Early Lettuce

Hairy Vetch

The carrots we planted in pots in mid-September seem to be doing well. Should be ready for harvest in another three or four weeks.

The pea sprouts in the old cooler have sprouted. Not really impressed with the flavor. I’ve moved them onto the deck with a plexiglass cover, to take their chances with the cold. Maybe we’ll get some peas.

Garden lettuce is still going strong despite several frosts. The replacement planting has just come up, thanks to a fortnight of mostly mild weather. I plan to throw a plastic sheet over them once the frost returns. Indoors, I’ve just planted a batch of winter lettuce. Outdoor lettuce should be ready in early January, and the indoor lettuce in February.

We have six spaghetti squash left. A couple of them were picked a little greener than one would like, due to impending frost, so I’m not sure if they’ve ripened properly.

Meanwhile, the hairy vetch is doing well.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 211011

Started out warm (low 70’s), then dropped into the high 50’s, with lows in the lower 30’s.

On Wednesday I closed out the garden, just ahead of the frost (10/07, our average first frost date), including taking down the greenhouse and emptying the last house bag of its carrots. Total was 105kg, which is not only a record, but is ahead of almost any two previous years worth of produce.

Cornfield

Recycling

Mini Maize

Last week’s Green Tomatoes section on The Scoreboard was only those what came off the house bags. This week, it’s all the greenies from the main garden — over 25 kilos worth.

Section 3 remains essentially unchanged. The lone survivor of the cucumber seedlings I planted a couple of weeks ago is coming along, but getting anything out of it before the frost kills it is looking less and less likely. I’ve been getting enough greens for our salads through simple thinning. As with graham crackers and milk, getting the lettuce and tomatoes to come out even requires skill and luck. Section 3 carrots are looking good. I’ll harvest them right before the first hard frost (late October?). Carrots total here is not a final number. I’ll update it when I finish the harvest.

Final Harvest

Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

Carrots and a Pepper

Both the corn and the sweet potatoes were severe disappointments. Sweet potatoes were the size of carrots, and totaled 538g — probably less than the size of the one I cut up for slips. Despite my efforts with fans and shakings, the corn didn’t get properly pollinated. All the ears were small, and all but one were bare of kernels. Still, I’ve learned a lot of lessons that I can put into effect next year.

Here’s the almost final score board:

Week Ending 10/11	Vegetable	Count	Total   Weight g	Unit   Weight g	Grand   Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	31	5537	172	210	37.4
	Summer Squash	2	658	329	17	4.0
	Zucchini	4	1256	314	38	17
	Spaghetti squash	7	13578	1940	10	18.6
	Green Tomatoes	87	23497	270	120	26.1
	Carrots	–	2381	–	–	2.38
	Sweet Potato	–	538	–	–	0.558
Grand Total						107

Our end-of-season total is 105kg 107kg, which is over 37kg higher than any previous recorded results, which is to say, it’s essentially a full season’s additional growth. Note that there’s another kilo or so of carrots yet to harvest from Section 3. I’ll update this page when it happens. UPDATE: another 2.4kg of carrots added.

We were not overrun with Summer Squash the way we were with Zucchinis, but here’s a recipe anyway. Finally, as an end-of-season special, and for others like us, who didn’t get a lot of corn out of their corn,  here’s a recipe for tea.

 

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 211004

It is well and truly Autumn in the NENW. Wind and rainstorms are blowing through (we got something around half an inch on Monday), and trees are thinking about turning. Blustery and rainy off and on at the start of the week, with lows in the low 40’s and highs in the low 60’s, warming to 70F at the end. Forecast is for it to continue around 70 early next week, with a cooling trend into the 50’s thereafter.

 Out front, our Redpointe Maple once again is the first in the neighborhood to turn. In the garden, the various pollinators seem to have already thinned out. This means the Zucchini and Summer Squash are ending their runs, and most of what’s left is the occasional slow-grower or well-hidden ones, like the 1.5kg Zucchini that managed to grow down inside one of the openings in the concrete blocks of the garden wall. I think I’ll make soup.

I have emptied out most of the grow-bags along the house (one has carrots in it) and have moved the dirt up onto the front lawn. After the last mow of the season I’ll put in some grass seed and see if Spring will give us something that looks more like a lawn and less like an unkempt vacant lot. There almost three dozen green tomatoes left on the plants in the bags; those I put in the spare bathtub to ripen.

Speaking of greenies, I’m starting a green tomatoes section on The Scoreboard, replacing the non-functional winter squash category. The current entry is only those what came off the house bags.

In the greenhouse the corn still isn’t doing much of anything.* I think I’ll wait until we pass what is probably our peak heat for October next week, and then harvest everything, ready or not.

Section 3 is essentially unchanged from last week. The lone survivor of the cucumber seedlings I planted a couple of weeks ago is coming along, but getting anything out of it before the first frost (mid October?) will be a close run thing. I’ve been getting enough greens for our salads through simple thinning. As with graham crackers and milk, getting the lettuce and tomatoes to come out even requires skill and luck.

Here’s the score board:

Week Ending 10/04	Vegetable	Count	Total   Weight g	Unit   Weight g	Grand   Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	15	2216	148	210	37.4
	Summer Squash				17	4.0
	Zucchini	1	1460	1460	38	17
	Spaghetti squash				3	5.0
	Green Tomatoes	33	2721	82	33	2.7
	Cucumber
	Corn
	Sweet Potato
Grand Total						66

By this time in ’18 and ’19 we had closed out the garden and had our final tallies: 45kg in 2018 and 67kg in 2019, so our current 66kg is right up there, and next week (which may be when we close out for ’21) we’ll probably surpass all previous harvests. Of course, two Zucchinis totaling 2.7kg helped.

There’s still a glut of both tomatoes and Zucchini, so here’s a soup recipe to use up both.

* This newsletter says it’s about 40 calendar days/525GDD from silk to R3 (there’s some math involved), and silking didn’t start until early September. From then until now (32 days), WSU says Spokane County has only added ~300GDD.

 

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 210927

Lovely weather all week, with temps in the 70’s and no rain until Sunday night. I can tell that Autumn is well and truly here: yesterday I saw a large skein of geese — flying west. Forecast for next week is for somewhat rainy (MTTh), with highs wandering between 58F and 68F, depending on the rain.

I’m giving up on the deck tomatoes. Low yields of low-weight fruit. Not worth the time to hand water. Pulled up all three. Left the peppers and carrots, et al. Reminder to not try bush tomatoes on the deck next year. Maybe do herbs. House tomato plants are starting to go brown. Pulled out two of them so far. As I empty the bags I’m taking the dirt out and putting it on bare spots on the lawn.

The Zucchinis continue a somewhat relaxed production rate. Summer Squash are moseying along. Pot carrots have sprouted.

In the greenhouse the corn still isn’t doing much of anything. We’re now at almost 120 days (theoretically , it’s 85 days to maturity). As a test case, I picked the largest cob with brown tassels. It was about 5-6″ long (theoretically 7-8″) — most of the rest look even smaller. Very green looking/tasting when cooked. Looks like it needs another week, at least.* Fortunately, things look to be warm. No change to sweet potatoes.

Section 3 is essentially unchanged from last week. The lone survivor of the cucumber seedlings I planted a couple of weeks ago is coming along, but getting anything out of it before the first frost (mid October) will be a close run thing. I’ve been getting enough greens for our salads through simple thinning

Here’s the score board:

Week Ending 09/27	Vegetable	Count	Total   Weight g	Unit   Weight g	Grand   Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	28	3661	131	195	35.2
	Summer Squash	2	607	304	17	4.0
	Zucchini	4	2045	511	37	15.5
	Spaghetti squash				3	5.0
	Winter Squash
	Cucumber
	Corn
	Sweet Potato
Grand Total						59.7

We have fallen well behind where we were in 2019 (67kg),  mostly because we harvested a bunch of pumpkins and such back then. We slightly above double what we harvested in 2018 (27kg).

Since we have something approaching 10kg of ripe tomatoes of various sizes laying about the house, here’s a recipe on roasting them.

*According to this midwestern site, the corn should start silking about 10 weeks after planting. So that would be about mid-August. Actually, silking didn’t start until into the first week of September, so we’re two weeks behind. If I am reading the website aright, the corn should be in the R3 Milk stage about three weeks later (sometime after 21 Sep). Stages after that (R4-R6) sound like they’re for field corn for feed or something. Another page says that from the silk stage it needs about 45 days until 50 percent milk line. Which would be mid-October, just in time for the frosts.

Green Thumb Up My Nose

Garden Report for 210920

This  week started out comfortable, with highs in the lower 70’s, then cooled to the lower 60’s (lows in the low 40’s), with rain over the weekend. Forecast is for a warming trend, ending in the high 70’s next weekend.

I’m trying something new — planting carrots in some 10″ and 12″ pots to grow indoors over the winter. Going by a program what I saw on the YouTubes, I filled them with soil and laid a slab of chicken wire over the dirt. Using the damp end of a Q-tip with the cotton clipped off, I picked up one seed at a time and placed it in one of the hexen of the chicken wire. Should be ready in late January.

Carrot Grid

Big Haul

The Zucchinis continue a somewhat relaxed production rate. Summer Squash are chugging along. Tomatoes have gone mad, with over 6kg ripe enough to pick. I did a sweep on Friday afternoon, just ahead of the forecast two-day rainstorm. Broke the handle off my small basket. That’s because there were a number of Brandywine and Beefsteaks, running close to 500g each. Also harvested one more Spaghetti Squash.

In the greenhouse the corn isn’t doing much of anything. I suspect it might be the cool weather. Since we’re due for a warming trend, I’ll give it another week. Sweet potatoes are still suffering from their leaf infection. Since we don’t have any frost in the forecast, I’ll let them go a little longer as well. Besides, the way things are laid out, I really have to harvest the corn first.

In Section 3 I’ve cut down the older lettuce what has bolted. The newer lettuce is at the point where I need to thin it. The carrot and chard seedlings are coming along.

Here’s the score board:

Week Ending 09/20	Vegetable	Count	Total   Weight g	Unit   Weight g	Grand   Total	Total Weight kg
	Tomatoes	36	6515	181	167	31.5
	Summer Squash	4	696	174	15	3.4
	Zucchini	3	713	237	33	13.5
	Spaghetti squash	1	1346	1346	3	5
	Winter Squash
	Cucumber
	Corn
	Sweet Potato
Grand Total						53.4

We have fallen a skoshi behind where we were in 2019 (55kg), but still have almost twice what we harvested in 2018 (27kg).

I should be posting recipes for tomatoes, but here’s a YouTube with one last Zucchini snack recipe instead.