Bill’s garden report

Next we inspected the plants. We clipped out the extra corn plants in the square foot corn beds. I was really surprised with the low germination rate of the store bought seeds. Only about 25-30% sprouted. You’d expect more from something that cost so much.

The tomatoes are looking good. There are small green fruits on the vine. It won’t be long before they’ll be ready. The basil plant is doing well. I cut a sprig off of it and made a sample of pesto for dinner.

I see that we have three truck loads of mulch waiting on us near the parking lot. What a workout!

There are some weeds, mostly grass, in all the beds now. That would be a good task for volunteers… Just make sure they know what is planted in each bed so they know what to leave in. The cilantro is so small it could be confused as a small weed.

The soil in the row garden is so hard. I see where the kids have been walking in it. They need to cultivate the soil near the plants. I can give a demo if they need it.

We could use some more of the straw spread out around the existing plants. No more than 6 inches deep, max. Ideally there should be no soil visible in the raised bed area. It should be entirely covered with plants, straw or mulch.

The zuccinis are looking strong.

The first area where I cleared weeds up to the fence is covered with poision ivy. I think we need a poison ivy assassin to come out with the special roundup that’s made for the devious little villians that gave me a dose that was at least 10 times worse than I’ve ever experienced. We need to get rid of it before there are more victims.

I’ve been saving milk jugs and two liter bottles so I can tote water. So far, haven’t needed any…