Sunday, July 30, 2006

2006 - So far this year

It has been a less than wonderfull year for plantings in the back yard. First it was cold and wet and then extremely hot and dry. Most of the plants are under stress even with tri-daily waterings. The spinach went almost straight from seed to flowering and the leaves were small and stringy because of the heat. During the first part of the summer the hangers on the fences tended to be water logged from the frequent rains and now with the heat need watering more than three times a day. Fortunately the geraniums are a very forgiving plant and seem to survive despite of the extremes.

The basil plant was not so lucky. I planted it in a circular pot that is about 70cm across with Rosemary. The plant was very spindly and even with watering didn't produce much in the way of quality leaves. It quickly flowered and despite pruning it didn't bush out. I removed the plant totally and the Rosemary is now taking over that space. The Rosemary on the other hand is thriving despite of the heat and I should be getting a good bumper crop this year.

The two pots (60cm x 60cm) of tomatoes (one cherry and one regular) and also thriving. Both have been propped up with stakes and now are 1-2 metres in height. I don't know if this is because they are in planters or the soil I use or the fertilizer (miracle grow) used every week. I have already had several cherry tomatoes with a large number of green tomatoes on the vine. The regular tomato plant has approximately 1 dozen green tomatoes on the vine and I am looking forward to a good crop there.

The carrots are also thriving and Emily has had three dinners with her carrots. The onions are thriving too and we use them for salads and cooking. They are quite mild and have a pleasant taste. Our next project is to take the planter from the spinach and replant them with carrots to see if we can get a second crop for the fall.

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