Garden Journal June 3, 2009-July 7, 2009

Gardeners' notes compiled July 10:

June 3 - Mulched basil and peppers. Watered seeds.
June 5 - Foliar-fed entire garden with fish emulsion.
June 6 - Cucumbers up, pole beans have grown considerably.
June 8 - Carrots in tomato rows germinated. More corn and gourds in north row up. Fed Barbara’s compost to tomatoes. Planted EZ Pick snap beans near corn.
Planted borage seeds in gourd/bean row.
Flushed irrigation lines to remove calcium and mineral deposits.
June 14 - Squash blossoms! Several on many plants. Potatoes with lots of blossoms. More rain and thunderstorms in the schedule...as well as above and below average temps. How's that for Kansas weather? Let's just keep our fingers crossed we don't get hail!
June 15 - Yellow crookneck squash developing.
Foliar-fed.
Took soil sample from tomato row. Delivered sample to Douglas County Extension Agent Jennifer Smith: There are four forms of nitrogen in the soil. Extension office tests for two; they make recommendations for fertilizing and provide no N numbers. Jennifer said that next year, add compost before planting. Potassium is only an issue at 800-900. Tomatoes likely were struggling with the weather.
June 17- Weeded and mulched one tomato row.
(One day this week, early childhood class toured garden and planted radishes in cucumber row.)
June 22 - Weeded cucumber bed, top-dressed with compost.
Squash ready!
Watered overnight.
June 24 - Harvested squash, delivered to Sula at the Merc.
First cosmo blooms! Some zinnias budding.
First row of tomatoes have blossoms.
Aphids on one squash blossom. One limb of a squash plant was dead, found a break, suspect vine borer.
Cucumber being eaten by cucumber beetle (yellow and black stripes found on many plants).
Heavy weeding and mulching.
Tied horizontal twine for pole beans.
Soil very wet under mulch over potato plants.
June 27 - Weeded, mulched.
June 29 - Posted wooded garden signs made by students.
July 1 - Teachers and summer students harvested squash.
July 3 - Harvested more squash, added to July 1 harvest. Heavily harvested basil.
Several squash are diseased. Plants have yellowing leaves and rotting fruit. Yellow crookneck are developing a black and fuzzy mold. Green striped squash is turning yellow.
July 5 - Just got back from the garden and it is looking pretty green and growing there. Saw one Louisville Slugger (zucchini)...they just jump to that size when you turn your back.
July 6 - Led cucumbers up trellis. Added vertical twine for yard long pole beans.
Wrapped plants around corn; some gourd plants are too heavy.
Some carrots in leek/oinion row are mature enough to harvest.
Cultivated and mulched pole beans.
Mulched zinnias.
July 7- Early childhood class harvested squash. Another squash plant is dead--the one closest to the one earlier removed due to signs of borer.
Foliar-fed everything except squash and the herbs soon to be harvested.
Harvested cullinary sage and Mexican tarrigon.
Made second delivery to The Merc–squash, tarragon, sage.