The Beetles are Back

Although they are not as bad as they have been in previous years, the Japanese beetles have returned.  Thankfully, the most I have seen of them at one time is in the pool skimmer...drowned.  They seem to particularly like the okra plans this year, doing typical damage as pictured below.

Today in the garden

After a late planting this year because of weather delays, the garden is finally starting to produce.  By the number if cucumber blossoms, we are in for a lot of fresh eating and pickling this year.
The green beans and black eyed peas are blooming, the yellow crookneck and scallop squashes have tiny fruits.  I am anxious to pick and eat them.  There are LOTS of green tomatoes also.
I have noticed a few pests in the garden, particularly cucumber beetles and Japanese beetles.  They aren't causing to much damage right now though.

Another transplanting

I am currently working on the last transplanting, or potting up, of my tomato seedlings.  Last night I transplanted around 90 plants...and I am not done. 
This has caused me to reflect on a couple things. 
1.  I need another shelving unit with lights.
2.  I need more containers
3.  Going on vacation during all this may or may not be a good idea.  This remains to be determined.  Hopefully they will still be alive when I return.
4.  I LOVE playing in the dirt and can get lost for hours gardening.

Potting up

Repurposing yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream containers for potting up tomatoes.  Love recycling!  I burned drainage holes in them with yet another repurposed tool...a woodburning tool.  I definitely do this outdoors so I don't breathe the plastic fumes.  My great grandma would use a heated nail to make drainage holes in Dixie cups.  I think of her every time I do this.

Back in the swing of things

Well, I have successfully survived my first year of graduate school.  All in one piece.  Wow, is mid-life learning ever different from learning as an 18-23 year old!  The brain just doesn't function quite the same as it used to.

I am taking the summer off from school so gardening has a priority status once again.  :)

The biggest change that I have made this year is transitioning to an all non-GMO seed garden.  The seed saver in me had a tough time throwing away all of the old seed that I had.  Can you believe that I had seeds back from 2008?  While I have ordered seed from other Safe Seed Pledge companies in the past with good results, I ordered all of my seed from Baker Creek Seeds this year.  No particular reason other than I was one stop shopping for the sake of time at that moment.  I take that back...I did get a package of Seeds of Change yellow pear tomato seeds at the local Menards.  Oops.

Here are my towers of drying, recycled containers after I washed and santitized them.  I used nearly every one of them transplanting just tomatoes and peppers.

This is my indoor seed starting set up in my potting shed.  I am going to have to rob my sewing/craft room of its shelving in order to keep my seedlings under florescent lights as I continue to transplant and pot up seedlings.  I think I will be running out of room!

 

I transplanted tomatoes and peppers on Sunday.  I was a bit worried because the peppers totally wilted on me initially but were fine by the next day.  Whew!  The tomatoes got transplanted up to their first set of leaves...not their first true leaves, but the seed leaves.  They will grow extra roots this way.  The amount of growth in them in just a couple of days has been amazing.  I feel like a mother hen checking the progress in the shed every day, sometimes multiple times a day.  Each time, something new is sprouting, needs watered, or just admired.  :)  There is nothing quite like gardening to soothe the soul. 

I am looking forward to documenting this year's garden adventures again...at least until the fall semester starts up again...