"Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are."

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Grubby

I've been eyeballing the sad state of affairs with my tomato patch.  They still put out one or two here and there but they're small and rot as soon as you look at them.  They have lots of cracks and splits and the worms have finally found them.

So yesterday, after reading Leighs post over at 5 Acres and a Dream about procrastinating...I figured now is as good a time as any. 



It was 7:30 am and a sparkling 64 degrees outside.  (The nights are getting cooler even though we're still popping up into the mid 90's.)  I donned my grubby outfit.



I'm pretty sure we all have our "getting nasty in the garden" outfit.  Mine consists of a busted up pair of ratty jeans,  SM's old long sleeve shirt, tennis shoes that have split in the soles so you walk funny in them, my old cloth work gloves that have seen better days and a ball cap to keep my hair out of my eyes.

Last year I pulled after a big rain.  Yuck.  This year it's been dry now for a few weeks.  Much better.  Less filth.  I pulled and yanked and began piling everything up.  At least when it's this hot it will dry the greenery up and then I can just burn it.  


Too bad you can't compost this stuff.

I left a few of the tomatoes that looked less diseased than the rest.  We'll see if the cooler fall weather stimulates some fruit to set.  I planted all indeterminate tomatoes this year.  I thought that having tomatoes all season long (in theory) was a good way to go.  Ha.  We get SO HOT here that I'm thinking I'd be better of with one good push of tomatoes.  That's really all I got this year with the heat and disease anyway.  I'll still have a Matt's WC and a few indeterminates but I might as well explore the determinate varities.  Do you plant a mix?  Or do you go all one way or the other?



I left the peppers in too.  You never know.



The green beans I planted in mid July are starting to bloom.

The carrots did pop.  But they're not doing much.  Carrots are such a drag.  I love them but they take FOREVER.  I don't know what the secret is with growing carrots.  Do you?



Out of the 5 different types of lettuces that I planted only 1 came up.  Too freakin hot would be my best guess.

I then hopped on the lawn mower to give the lawn a swirl. 

It's strange to think that fall is right around the corner.  I'm looking forward to it.  We've got LOTS planned.  Hoop houses to build, double digging new spaces and manure.  That's right!  Stay tuned as I somehow get SM to help me spread manure.  (He has an aversion to all things poo...avoids doggie doo and diapers too.)  Poor man....

10 comments:

  1. Tami - See you have the same problem with wild grass that I do!

    Don't you get sad clearing the summer garden in preparation for autumn? But, it is a means to an end, I guess, with all the wonderful plans you have ahead :)

    Please, don't forget to give us progress photo's.

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  2. The secret to carrots? Sandy soil....the sandier the better. I could never grow them before moving to Michigan. Good luck!
    :)

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  3. The lettuce looks beautiful at least...Everything stopped here during the hot spell and then it is beginning to take off now again.

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  4. I usually have good luck with carrots, but this year I can not get them to do much and I have planted 3 times. Maybe this is just not a good year for carrots, although APG's are doing really well. But I am sure she would trade some for a few beans :)

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  5. Did someone mention trade??? Yes, we have everything in order for the great carrot fammine.

    Need beans.

    We have alot of clay in our soil and everyone said carrots don't grow here. But year after year, they do. It's a mystery. I do nothing special but wait them out. They do take forever.

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  6. I think we all have some of the same "work clothes" :o)
    I finally got rid of some sneakers after 20 years :o(.
    You did a lot of work and it looks good.

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  7. I just got my carrots (and a few other things in) for the fall planting season. Hope you end up surprised with a few bonus crops!
    60's sound heavenly!

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  8. You are making me feel lazy! I need to start pulling things out, too...but I keep thinking maybe I'll get a tiny bit more out of the poor things. I'm thinking this weekend I'll need to don my grubbies and get my butt in gear!

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  9. I need to do this as well. I even got a few plants today as I am so late in getting the cabbage and other cooler weather crop in. Always the case, every year, but at least I am consistent. I do plant a variety of both tomatoes every year. Seems to work our well.

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  10. I have been doing some cleaning too.
    This has been a pretty wasted gardening year here.

    I gave up on carrots years ago!
    Only one lettuce came up for me too.

    Ahhhh, the life of a gardener.

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