Cooling trend and last tomato out.

 It is no warmer than 74 today, constant cloud cover and breeze/light wind. Wonderful day for gardening, you'd think with it that cool it would be easy on the system. Nope, worked up a sweat real easy for some reason. The last tomato is out and only one that was on the bush worth keeping.

Starting with the only flowers we have blooming in the complex (other than personal garden things). Liriope in all the places has their purple flowers out which is kind of a day brightener and does make me smile.

Before and after. It was time really, looking so raggedy and struggling with the heat. Making use of my DIY trash bag holder easily. Had to move the bucket out of the way so I could reach all the branches. 

 

That tomato had some of the longest and thickest roots I've ever seen. That one thick one I swear likely went down to the ground past the logs underneath. No wonder it was doing so well! I was tugging gently but it finally broke off at about a foot. All the other roots were spread out through the bed, it was very very happy and showed it in all the fruit it provided during the season.

I also picked up the trellis and dropped it between the fence and the bed while I dug the dirt up and stirred it around a bit. I was tempted to leave it there but it wasn't going to do any good to the sweet peas when they come in (unless I get more dirt to raise up the level to the top).

 

I dug it in a little, then bent it so it was flatter and put it in as far back to the edge as I could (scraped some of the paint on one side, oops). I then got the green wire and tied it to the fence to stabilize it. The wires are approximately 4" apart and there are 8 vertical runs, math says it's 32" wide and due to the curve it can't sit all the way back but I got it within about two inches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So that gives me an extra four inches in the total planting area front to back. Not much but it makes a difference in spacing for the radishes and lettuces. Stingy librarian only gave me 5 seeds, need to go back there I think on Monday or Tuesday and see if they still have some. 5 will likely be enough, IF they all germinate. If there is any problem like the other peas I planted, I need more. That's why you have so many seeds in a packet and plant heavy then thin them.

Rassafrackin' bugs ate that one little cuke and then I noticed a whole cluster coming in. I actually had to break off a leaf so they could get exposed. Almost looks like the flowers have been eaten, will see what they look like tomorrow.

Varying degrees of successful cucumbers, some taking, and others not.  This is my first year successfully growing them so I'm happy. I picked two last night that were about ready, the curved one I pictured before was getting sunburned so grabbed that and then decided the other straight one that had been hanging at the front of the bed should come too.

And another cluster at the very end of the vine hanging over the bucket. There's plenty of room for the vine now, if it were facing the other direction. And there weren't any pill bugs, which were crawling all over after I stirred up the soil. Oh and I ignored the little baby tomato seedlings and dug them up as well. Not going to worry about them at this point. The seasons march on!

Speaking of bugs....grrrr. I picked off an inchworm yesterday but this looks like new damage. Very difficult to focus when you're head is upside down and your glasses keep falling forward.

I saw a video from San Diego Seed Co. about planting fall veggies and herbs. Something that I didn't realize is due to radish sees being soo tiny, they need very finely sifted soil to cover them. Something I do not have but suspect I could figure out. It may have been a factor in the other radishes not coming up, planting too deep, wrong soil and time of year. Will see what happens this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Difference between today and Aug 21. Obviously a difference in the weather and time of day, I didn't get out today until almost 2, I wasn't feeling pressured by the weather at all and we had errands to run. It does look like the Jade has recovered a bit though, even when I was standing next to it, the branches didn't look so bent off to the side.

 I got to talking with Dolores and discovered she's from Guam! That explains an odd choice for her vegetables and she said that she's not a fan of the tomatoes but it was a volunteer from the compost so she let it grow. I'll have to tell her next time that I'll be happy to take those tomatoes when they're ready. She asked where I'm going to put the pepper plant and hesitated, told her it wasn't really the time of year for them and may keep them in the pot until next year but if I had to plant them it would be in the raised bed this time of year. 

I told her I have seeds for lettuces and peas but she wasn't interested even though I told her that's about all she can grow in the shade over the winter. The kale she is growing was another compost volunteer so she's not enamored of it. We both chuckled about how gardening is very experimental and you have to go with whatever you can get.

I still need another four bags of soil for the raised bed and at least another bag for the other two beds. Why can't I be more patient and do things in the right order?