Garden FYI

I got to do a little work in the garden this afternoon. I picked the okra and tomatoes and also sprayed and fertilized everything.

Sadly the garden doesn't look as pretty as it did about a month and a half ago. The section where the peas were has grown up and needs to be re-tilled. The squash is looking pretty awful, and the corn is cut down. Tomorrow I hope to have time to get the corn stalks up and mow the weeds down in the unused section and till it up in preparation for re-planting.

I'm still not sure what I will be planting. I am pretty sure that I'd like to do rutabagas, turnips, collards, and mustard greens. I'd also like to do cabbage, onions, and pumpkins. I think that I need to try to target getting everything planted by Thursday to take advantage of the potential rain from tropical storm Fay.

Tonight it was just the guys in the kitchen. Dad and I canned seven Classico ® jars of tomatoes and three Classico ® jars of tomato juice. (Classico ® jars only hold 28 oz. as opposed to a quart at 32 oz.) The tomatoes have really started to come on strong here towards the end of the season.

I spared one of the tomatoes from the can. It was the biggest one I have gotten so far and it was just too nice to put in a jar. It is easily big enough to make a tomato sandwich with just one slice of tomato. I will try to get a picture of it and post it here soon. I think that it will probably be the biggest that we will get this year, but who knows? With the fertilizer and the (hopefully) coming tropical storm it is very possible that we'll get a couple other whoppers before everything is said and done.

I'm not sure about picking the purplehulls. There are a few that need it, but I may hold off until Wednesday before I pick them again. They seem to be slowing down some. I don't see as many blooms on the plants as I was seeing.

The okra has slowed down a little bit too, but I think that it will pick back up with the fertilizer that I put out today. My okra is so tall. As you saw in the "Welcome To The Jungle" post most of it is at least as tall as I am. Actually, most of it is taller than I am. I have one stalk that is about 12 feet tall. I had no idea okra could even get that tall.

Sadly, the cantaloupe is also slowing down too. Hopefully the fertilizer that I put out will inspire a few more to grow to their potential. I am also looking to see if the bell peppers will continue to grow.

Dad got one of those pull-behind (the lawn tractor) sprayers. Man, that beats using one of those old-fashioned Hudson sprayers. Not only do you not have to lug around 3 gallons of pesticide, you also don't have to pump it up or refill. This tank can hold 40 gallons of solution. MUCH easier and MUCH faster.

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I'd better get some sleep if I am going to get half of what I need to done tomorrow.