It’s July 1 and the peas and beets are super scrumptious! During the first week of May we planted the bush peas. Last year we did vining peas and they were not as prolific. (I started this year’s family garden at the end of March. and we harvested lot of lettuce in June.)
Another change was the addition of “bunny honey” to the soil. Since our two bunnies are litter-box trained, we have a constant supply of the best fertilizer. The peas are supported by the metal political sign holders that are found in everyone’s trash, along with some string. I planted each pea one inch deep, two inches apart, in triple rows in full sun. Without full sun all day, you won’t get many peas.
We have two types of beets: Jupiter and Detroit. We planted them in the same way as the peas. They need more separation or thinning. The ones that didn’t get thinned are not as large. I planted more beets today and will plant more each week as I harvest the first crop and free up space. Lack of rain has been a serious issue. I have to spend about 45 minutes making sure every plant has a deep watering at least twice a week.
The sunflower maggot flies are still a problem. We hand catch them with duct tape and that appears to be effective at lowering their population. Cardinals, catbirds, robins, and wrens are welcome visitors as they eat pests. We have a stunning handcrafted wren house made by Ed O’Farrell that we hung on the fence. The cardboard that is used as weed control needs to be added to and this week was perfect timing for that item: Jack McEvoy and James Shorten let me know they had very large flat sheets. My niece Maggie McDonald came and weeded. Martha McDonald brought a table that we needed to use as a storage and preparation area. Tony Yauch and John Yauch hammered in all the tomato cages. Mary Yauch has enjoyed watching all the commotion and not cooking!
LOVE your sunflower…Can’t seem to get them to grow here.