Hello All

I can't believe that I have not posted since July.  Time has gone by so fast and I don't know where it went.  I have been doing so much in the garden to prepare for fall and doing some quilting and organizing various areas in my home.  I have a few things that I will be posting real soon.  I hope everyone out there is doing well and that you are gearing up for the first day of Fall next week, Wednesday September 22nd.

Beet or Not To Beet? (Updated Photos/Video) OUT OF HERE

Found out this is a "Redroot Pigweed".  This plant is coming out as soon as I get home.  Will be put in a black trash bag and put in the trash.  I don't want it reproducing.  I hope that I catch it in time.  Thanks Linda Lehmusvirta, CTG and Linda Lehmusvirta, A& M.

Previously Posted 06/27/2010-I think this plant will be a beet. The reason I say this is that I turned this bed for my spring planting and there were beet seeds previously sowed in this bed and only a few sprouted. If it is a beet, then I don't think it will last as the package says this variety is sensitive to heat (Ferry-Morse Beet, Tall Top Early Wonder). If you recognize this as a beet plant, could you let me know? I am going to allow this plant to grow and see what happens. It is nestled in between 2 eggplants, onions and carrots, so it is not harming anything, but I am not sure what it could be.

Update (07/18/10)-I have been doing more research, but still have not gotten a name for this plant. The leaves do not smell like mint and the plant has gotten quite big since posting. I took some more photos and a video of it with more closeups. I am hoping that someone will recognize it and give me some information. Thanks to anyone that has any information that will lead me to figuring out what this is.

End of Potatoes

Today while doing some cleanup around the garden, I discovered that the greenery on the potatoes was severely ding back.  I decided today was the day to pull the plants and take whatever potatoes were in there.  I don't have a scale, but it was quite a bit (4X3 bed and on only the back portion was planted with seed potatoes).  We had a lunch of fresh french fries and they were good.

Well before I pulled the last plant stalk I noticed a tomato horn worm, then another.  I looked at the stalks that I just pulled and there was one there too.  After research I discovered that potatoes are in the nightshade family (same as tomatoes), so I assume that is why the horn worms were attracted to it.  I never noticed them before, so this whole time they were stripping the plant down.  No problem.  Next year I know what to do, plus the next bed will be a lot deeper so that I can get more potatoes.

You can see in the background of this photo that some of the greenery is dying back.

The photo below was taken upside down, Those are onions at the front of the bed.

You can really tell below which seed potatoes took.

Potatoes first emerging

Potatoes, Last of the container plants

Here is an update on the last of the potatoes that I had growing in containers.  They did not produce much at all.  From the 2 containers, see the amount that came out (size of golf balls).  I also did not think they would be good to eat as the skin did not look great.  These were white potatoes and they had me a little worried, so off to the compost they went.  These potatoes came from our feed and supply store.  I am sure they would have produce better with being in the ground and the watering was consistent (I watered them regularly but they would dry out before I got home (could be because the containers were small and black and the sun just sucked the life from them).  I now only have a few plants in a raised bed and just today while out watering I notice the red potatoes were trying to peek out, so I covered them with more soil, I guess with the hot temperatures the soil is shrinking so I will need to pick up more soil to make sure they are covered and not exposed to the sun.  I think that I will stick to growing red potatoes, we like those in most of our meals anyway (when we do have potatoes) and the white potatoes are usually used for just baked potatoes or fresh french fries.  I am glad that I tried this, because now I know what may or may not work.

Have you tried to grow potatoes or do you leave your garden space to other things and buy your potatoes from the grocery store?

First Tomatoes Of The Season

I am happy to say that I have finally gotten some tomatoes from my garden.  Last year when I first started gardening, I planted several seeds of the Yellow Pear tomato variety.  It was an indeterminate and I received lots of plants with tons of greenery, but not very many flowers.  I feed the plants regularly (but that was the problem, I feed them before they started to fruit and I think that is where I failed).  I also had several other tomato plants in makeshift upside down containers (flop) and I also had one in a "TOPSY TURVY" (flop).  Maybe it was the location of the plant, not enough sun, maybe too much watering, maybe anything.  I am happy to say that I have several tomato plants growing and about 5 of them are in buckets and 4-5 are in my raised bed, with 2 additional plants that I received at a swap, that is finally starting to take off.   Everyone of the ones in buckets have started to set fruit and the tomatoes below are from those plants "Black Prince Russian Heirloom (left) and Early Girl (right)".  All the ones in he raised beds have set fruit and I am hopeful that the 2 that I got a swap will do the same (they will be my late in the season tomatoes, when the others poop out).  People tell me all the time that tomatoes are one of the easy plants to grow (along with peppers) and I should have no problem.  I think they are right, with PRACTICE.  These tomatoes were real good.  They are small, but that's great since only my husband and I like tomatoes (daughter does not like them unless it is ketchup, spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce).  We are able to pick the fruit and they are great personal sizes.

Have you tried the upside down version of planting and what was your success, did you do anything different with these plants than you did in your in ground/raised bed/containers?  Also, have you tried growing tomatoes in buckets/containers, what was your results (I know some varieties are more conducive to container gardening)?

Here are photos of last year's garden and the lonely tomato that I got, it was good, but one, come on.

Watermelon: I see you

Well while watering the garden today, I came across this little baby melon starting to produce.  I have been watching the plant carefully (at least I thought I was) because I wanted to know how it is produced an actually see it form.  I missed this one (so far it is the only one growing, but the plant has lots of flowers).  This should be a sugar bush variety (or it is a black diamond), the tags have disappeared (maybe they are down in the soil.  I picked up the seedlings from Red Barn Nursery (before I found out that it is real easy to grow melons from seeds once it warms up).  Even if I get one watermelon, I will be happy.  I realized that I previously had the watermelons in part shade (my tree started leafing out and it started shading the plants on that side.  Once I moved them into total sun, it started producing lots of flowers.  I moved the vines to now grow up the fence with stretchy garden tape.  I don't have a lot of space in the garden and plus I don't want to have to hop over the melons once they start to produce, plus I am chicken, I like to see if there is anything on the grown that I may step on.

Here is the plant the day I moved it out of partial shade (looking sad, but still growing).

Have you tried growing watermelon before, were you successful and what variety did you find worked for you?

Garment Measuring Chart

I came across this post...Pattern Making Measurement Chart...this weekend while reading various blogs. I think this is pretty cool. I have seen similar charts like this, but I think the picture is truly darling and the various areas of measurements are more than I have found on other charts. I am getting into making garments for myself and this chart really is helping me understand where to do the measurements (even if my body parts per se are not in the same spot as the chart, still trying to loose that baby fat, did I mention my daughter turned 15 last month, HA HA).  When you are a beginner and trying to read patterns a chart with your measurements is very helpful.  I learned the hard way (even though I had read about it before) that clothes bought in the store are not the same size as clothes you make from pattern.  Take a look at this you never know, it may be something you like.