Re: [gardeners] 4th of July in the garden

Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 04 Jul 2000 07:15:03 -0600

Where do you live, Craig? I'd start summer squash from seeds now, but the 
main enemy here in sw Idaho is the host of squash bugs. We don't have vine 
borers here. Late planting may get around squash bugs. Do Blue Lake beans 
taste good? Try Contender green beans some time. Margaret L


At 08:09 AM 7/4/00 -0400, you wrote:

>As you may remember, we had a hail storm that hit and garden damage was bad.
>
>Life goes on.
>
>The green beans have done very well. Picking 13 to 15 per plant. Ate a 
>bunch and canned the rest. I always plant Blue Lake (Wyatt-Quarles) as 
>they produce prolifically.
>
>Bell peppers have been wonderful. Years past were very thin walled, this 
>year they are supermarket perfect. Pulled about 16 from 6 plants!
>
>Yellow squash seams to be hurt the worst. I think the storm weaken them 
>enough to let the vine borer have his way. They are producing, but their 
>days are limited. Any comments on replanting them at this time?
>
>Did something good with the tomatoes. Ever notice how they out-grow those 
>round tomatoe cages? Well I took two of those tri-fold square cages and 
>laid them across the tops of the round stand up's. The plants grew right 
>up thru and "fell" over the top I had laid out. Very sturdy and supporting 
>the plants well. Kinda looks like a tomatoe hedge. With my long arms 
>harvesting is not a problem.
>
>Corn is weak and probly won't do well. Too much time spent with my son's 
>b-ball team. (Good trade off). They won the bronze metal in the state 
>games and are on their way to Orlando for the A.A.U. National 10 yr. old 
>Championship in August. I'll be along as coach.
>
>The good news is that I wintered 2 red haboniero (sp) pepper plants and 
>they are doing wonderfully this year. Last year they had just gotten to 
>size when mother nature sent her first blast of frost. I hurried outside 
>with a shovel and two 5 gal. buskets. Didn't do much for the interior 
>"decor", but hey! I'm a guy!
>
>I got some horse radish roots from up north and am basically clueless as 
>to when to harvest. They have been in the gornd since fall. The greens 
>came up well and have sort of died off. Should I let them go? I do know 
>they will take over the garden if not contained.
>
>Time to pile peppers on the kitchen isle and warm up the canner. Ya'll 
>have a good fourth a be safe.
>
>Craig Watts
>
>(footnote- thanks mother nature for the free black berries. they've been 
>wonderful!)