Garden Update

I got up at 6am to do some gardening. It's too bad it is pretty dark at 6. But I started some work. I pulled up a few weeds, added them to the compost, added some kitchen scraps, added some dried hay, then added some comfrey and some more weeds and some composted compost! : )

I took 4 wheel barrows of compost and put it around the garden. I am trying to make room to turn the compost. I put 2 wheel barrows where I grew the rutabaga this spring, and plan to do peas. It is about 4 inches thick all over that bed! So lovely looking! I Also put some on the wheat by the sweet potatoes, some around the pole beans and at the end of the bed. I then put some around the old corn stalks. I am planning to leave the corn talks up to give the good insects something to hide in this winter. I have another watermelon growing. Hopefully with chicken wire over it the deer won't eat it. I also have another melon. I think it is a muskmelon. It doesn't look like cantaloupe, and not quite like watermelon. I am hoping I get something from it, it is about 4" diameter.

My loofa are all over the place. But don't seem to be setting fruit yet!

My tomatoes have gone all over the place. Next year I will know that I need to support them or else do fewer. I can hardly walk the pathways anymore because the tomatoes are sprawling so much. I picked enough beans for supper last night. And a couple dozen tomatoes. Most were green. I can't let my big tomatoes ripen on the vine, or the bugs eat them. The cherry ones can get pretty ripe and I am picking a few every other day. I picked one leek to go with the beans. I also picked 4 cucumbers from the new vines, and Jed picked 7-8 from the others. Composted anything over 6" and kept the others.

Speaking of cucumbers. The fermented dill pickles seem to be doing well. I took some scum off the top Saturday and Yesterday. They smell good! Fermented cucumbers are suppose to be a lot better for you than cucumbers. I guess cucumbers don't have much in them, and fermenting them, like kim chee (spelling wrong I'm sure) makes them better for you. Like yogurt or something.

I found a grape vine. I wish I was good enough to tell which were muscadine and which are wild, but unless I see fruit I can only really guess. I plan on using it for my display for the agribusiness fair. I have most of it written up. I still have lots to do though. I am just trusting in Him to help me get all the things done I need to do. I'm trying not to rush, and yet not be lazy.

English Vintner