The last few months have been very hot and dry, but with the water we pump from the wells helps them out get through the rough periods. When it does not rain we come out once a day, in the mornings before the sun is up over the beds. Using a pump and battery we pull water from barrels. And give each bed enough water to get through the hot day.
The lettuces have done well, but I regret not putting more wood chips around them. The mud splashes up on them and makes it hard to wash them. If they were dressed in wood chips I think it would help.. Well next year we know what to do. This bed also settled a lot and needs more dirt anyways.
The cantaloupe vine is doing well in the horseshoe bed, though the other small bed they are in is not as well. But luckily we do have a fruit forming.
Eventually we will put it over a brick to help keep it dry.
My raised beds are mostly holding together well. I did learn that screws do not like being pulled, and will break. So I may need to put some t-posts by some of the beds were the screws holding them together do not become an issue.
This year is going much better for the tomatoes, but not without issue.
Some of the tomatoes are forming something called “end rot”. So we have bought some magnesium and calcium to see if that helps resolve this issue.
Big beef stake fruits are forming.
The pepper plants are starting to become active. For months they did not do much besides just survive. But now I see them forming new leaf sets.
Another plant that has taken off is horse gram (Dolichos biflorus), it will produce edible beans. But right now its vining out and reaching for the fence.
A week later and wow its half way up the fence. From what I have read its also known as “lablab”. This is my first time growing it.
My potato cuttings are coming up, not many. I think I may have cut up old spuds when I needed more green ones.. Oh well. If we get any that would be cool.
At this point most beds are uncovered, but a few still need attention and covering.
Hopefully next year we will fill in all the beds, this year I would say 3/4 are full.
Even the ginger is getting its ass kicked by this weather. Its growing but quite yellow and not so happy. Seems most things growing in these very shallow beds are not happy. Maybe they got less dirt than the rest.
So hopefully the plants recover as the weather gets more rainy. But at one point we got no rain for a month, and I think it takes a toll on some of these plants.
The wild flowers growing seem quite happy and unphased by the dry weather.
We just leave them be and only cut them back when they are crowding important plants.
The tomatillo plants are growing and forming flowers. We hope to get some fruit soon.
They have little yellow flowers on them.
While checking on our beds I came across this baby turtle. I offered it some lettuce but seems it was uninterested.
I left it alone and shortly after it walked off to somewhere else.
Without these barrels I do not think the garden would be growing. I am thankful to have such machines to make this possible. And always looking to improve, maybe with some permanent irrigation as a long term goal.
