Another warm to hot day, barely a breeze

 It was clear and cool this morning at 9am when I woke up. I could tell it was clear based on the amount of light coming through the closed blinds.

Since Rocky didn't cooperate getting his harness on I went out to the garden early armed only with my gloves and clippers. I had a hunch there would not be any watering and was right.

I took my scrap bucket down last night loaded with corn husks, strawberry greens and all kinds of other veggie stuff. I have plenty more corn and other veggies to use up so it will be chock full again.

Radishes are coming along nicely just wish there were more. Not that I adore radishes but they are nice added to a salad. I grew up with radishes in regular green salads and it's a nice low key spark without it being onion.

 

I'm concerned about the sunflower showing signs of possible spider mites. It could be just the leaves but the speckling is ominous considering it's near the tomatoes. I rubbed as much of all the leaf surfaces as possible just in case and crossing my fingers.

 

The leaning tower of coriander is bugging me so I looked up whether I can harvest the green seeds and all answers pointed to yes so I started trimming the shiniest and most ripe looking ones. I saw one cluster that was starting to change color so left that one on and just kept thinning, above and below.

I also pulled out the slug trap, didn't see any new ones in it so I just dumped the ugly water into the compost bucket and left the container out to dry. Will plant some cucumbers again along the trellis and hope that trap took care of the problem.

A tiny butterfly visited the coriander as  I was trimming it! I am trying to research which one it is and unfortunately due to the angle Google Lens is coming up with butterflies that look like it in Africa and India. I wish I had my butterfly reference handy. Might send the photos to the Natural Museum and see what they say.

Good thing I got a picture of it because I don't think an expert would believe my description of it.

 

Rearranged the tower of coriander again, trimmed up the bottom a bit so the onions weren't being shaded. I will remember next time to put it along the trellis or get a cage just for it that I can open.

It's a lot but it isn't. The greens on the ground are mostly leaves so I just shuffled them off closer to the compost bucket to dry and picked up the bunch I had cut to save. More than enough for using and for seed even though I still have seed left over.

 

 So instructions said to put the seed heads in a paper bag where they'll naturally dry and then just be contained. Well... I don't have any paper bags. I have paper towels then remembered the tea towels that I had received. Bingo! Will give it about a week or so in this weather and then see what they look like.

 

Then have to figure out what to use them in. Next challenge is growing cumin seed. Similar flower and useful seed as well! I have more than enough cumin powder at this point but I think it's something to plan for in the future.

Slowly but surely trying to grow veggies and herbs/spices I can process on my own. 

If I plant chocolate chips will I get cookies?