Wawa-melon: Second Shift

Shift Work...

Because I wrote my entry so early today it didn't include all of my gardening, so I decided to write a second entry. I haven't been able to do much work outside because of the crazy weather but I was able to sneak in some gardening in two shifts today. For the last few days the rain will pour down for 15 minutes then the sun will come out for an hour. I took advantage for the hours of sun we got before the 7pm downpour that's last until this point, 12am. I'll be picking up where I left off in my last entry.

Amending...

I amended the beds during the second break in the rain. I filled the wheelbarrow with compost and added perlite, just like before then created hills for the 7 square foot plots assigned to the sweet potatoes. I had to scoop the compost mix into the bed, rather than pouring, because it happened to be the one bed with completed fencing. It probably ended up helping me out because pouring would have been a mess and could have crushed the tomato-berry plant taking up the rest of the bed. It's interesting that the smallest fruit, tomatoes, take up the most space. The tomato-berry plant needs a 4x4 space compared to the 2x2 space the Parks Whopper and Atkinson needs. Once I completed the hills I grabbed the recycling bin and added the rest of the compost mix from the wheelbarrow into it. It really looked like I'd have enough to fill the bin but it didn't even fill a fourth of it. I went back for a second filling and Perlite addition. Instead of topping off the recycling bin I went straight to Patch because I didn't want to fill the barrow a third time to amend my plots. I had to scoop into the four plots allotted for sweet potatoes in my bed because it wouldn't have worked any other way. I added a scoop to each square foot then mixed it into the existing soil and scooped another 3-4 inches of compost mix on top. Smart Gardener recommended that I amend the top 8 inches of soil with compost so I mixed one large scoop at least four inches deep then added another 3-4 on top. I think this will give my sweet potatoes a great start. Once I'd added the extra few inches of compost to the plots the twine dividers were covered so I pulled them up and pushed the sticks holding them down just about an inch or two so that they would show but not look out of place compared to the other dividers. When that was done I smoothed everything out and cleaned up all the stray compost I'd spilled. I was careful not to make too much of a mess so clean-up was quick. Since I was already clean I decided to get rid of all the weeds I'd pulled and left collecting insects about a week ago. I wasn't able to get rid of them early because of the weather but I've wanted to so I gathered my pile and tossed it. When I cleared everything I noticed that the spot on the path that housed the weeds was covered in worms and potato bugs or rolly-pollies. The worms instantly started inching their way to the nearest soil and the "rollies" began to scurry. I quickly ran to grab anything to smash the RP's with, I found an old tree stake and started to smash away. I think I got most of them and it was kind of fun. I'm starting to think that RP's are much more dangerous and reproduction-happy than I originally thought. They are everywhere, everywhere. 

Georgia...

I finished smashing grabbed my wheelbarrow with some remaining compost and my shovel and headed back to the Georgia Jet bed. I wheeled the barrow past the gate into the drive way then went inside to grab my trowel, planting gloves, and the slips. I poured the excess water out of the Slip cup and headed back out to plant those babies. We ordered 12 plants but only had enough room for 7 in that bed, and I'm using my home grown slips in the 4 plots in Patch, so I rifled through the lot to find the best looking ones. I set them aside and started marking off 12 inches for each plot. Once I'd done that I planted them as high on the compost hill a I could and as centered as possible. I watered them very lightly because I knew the rain was coming and time was running out on my second shift. 

Seven Georgia Jet slips planted on hills. They look bad but the pamphlet said they would and that they'd survive & thrive.

Wawa-melons...

With the remaining compost mix I topped off the recycling bin and decided between peanut plants and watermelon plants. Since peanuts are a root legume I went with the watermelons. I used the 2 plants, planted from seeds on April 3, that were together in 1 newspaper pot because the recycling bin could only hold two, max. I noticed that a mushroom was growing in the pot. So I pulled it out, took the newspaper off (didn't have too), and planted them in the center. I can't wait for them to produce fruit. I love tiny things and seeing the first mini watermelons will be a thrill for me, haha. I finished planting and getting everything I needed inside right in time for the rain. 

Mushroom in my watermelon seedling pot. 

Two watermelon seedlings planted, May 11, 2013.

Caterpillars

I went out this morning to check on the garden and water things if the sun had dried everything out. It hadn't so I moved into Patch. I sat on the sidewalk and had a good look at my radishes and noticed that almost every single one except for the smallest had a visible red bulb coming up out of the soil. I then noticed that the biggest bulb belonged to one of the shortest plants. I don't think that their ready to harvest just yet but a few more days and I think we'll be having radishes at the Cortes house or they will, not me. I only planted them because I am a beginner and wanted something that was quick and easy to start with... I'll be giving this crop to my mom and the next rotation of radishes to AFAC. I figure that's a great way to do it since I promised them to my mom but also want to give to the hungry of Arlington. 

While I was looking at the radishes, admiring the bulbs, I noticed that there were tiny bright orange-red bugs all over the brick and all over the radish leaves. They look like a version of tic that sucks plant blood. I think these tiny insects are the cause of the enormous holes in the radish leaves. Luckily, they aren't affecting the root development and they are easily killed. When I saw them all over I went inside to make a spray bottle full of soap and baking soda to spray on the leaves. I sprayed on the radish leaf covered with red "tics" first and it killed them. The mix didn't just wash them off or cause them to scurry, it killed them. After seeing that the mix actually demolished them I sprayed the mixture all over the brick walls and strawberry buckets. To be honest I think the brick wall is what attracted them to my bed to begin with, I used to see them all over the brick ledge of my window as a child but never saw them otherwise. So maybe a brick bed isn't such a good idea. 

I've been googling all day and finally found them they are red spider mites and I did the exact right thing by spraying them with dish soap but unlike my initial thought it won't keep them away. The soap only kills this type of bug on contact. I'll put out some diatom-earth tomorrow, if I'm not too scared.

After spraying with the mixture I went inside to make a vinegar, soap, & water mixture for the weeds. I started spraying the weeds when I saw it... yes, the first caterpillar of the year. A gypsy moth larvae. Yuck! It's the insect/worm I fear the absolute most. I fear it so much I based my decision on wether or not to start a garden on the fact that I didn't see 1 caterpillar last spring. So, I figured they had kind of died out of this area. I hope I wasn't wrong in assuming that because if they start popping up all over I won't be gardening until they turn into moths. That's probably weeks. I didn't amend the beds or plant the sweet potatoes because every time I tried to go outside I felt a caterpillar crawling on me. Yeah, they drive me extremely crazy. I hate them. Here's hoping I won't see anymore. They did cut down the tree where they used to nest so hopefully that was a rare straggler. 

Birthday Backdate

Birthday...

 Since I didn't do much gardening today except for watering I am going to write a little bit about my birthday because it was a garden birthday and I didn't get to write about.

Considering, that gardening is my thing on April 18th I spent the very warm afternoon planting tomatoes, lemon balm, and basil. I then showered and got ready for dinner with my family and boyfriend. At dinner I spoke of my garden, my hopes for it and then we did presents. My mom gave me a beautiful garden tool set by Threshold and a matching pair of women's gardening gloves. The ones made of canvas and suede, heavy duty. I like them so much but I know I won't do any planting in them for fear of getting them to the point where they are no longer recognizable. I was going to return them because I knew I would not use them because I liked them so much but I thought again and decided to keep them. I looked around online on how to clean them but found very little. I know garden gloves aren't meant to stay beautifully, perfectly, and purely clean but I also believe that they wouldn't make them in canvas and suede in beautiful patterns if they couldn't maintain some of there glory. So how do you clean these types of gloves? Or are they meant just for heavy duty work, like, weeding, wheeling the wheelbarrow and shoveling ?

Boyfriend...

Once dinner and all of that was done Mike and I came home and opened the presents he'd gotten me. He got me 2 sun hat, I requested, a few unrelated items, and a pair of comfortable headphones, the newest out from Apple, and the MOST comfortable amazing headphones/mic I've ever had. I have a hard time using headphones because my ears are sensitive and he knew I'd want to listen to music as I worked in the garden... great gifts all around. He also knew that I'd have trouble wearing an expensive hat out, at first, so he got me one cheap but very cute one and one more expensive one. That way I can easy in to the nicer one. 

Imagined...

When I imagined up Patch I also imagined what I would look like in Patch. I would have a sun hat on or around my neck, matching gloves, tools, and knee pad. I'd be wearing old shorts and a tank top and just be very smiley and peaceful. All the stuff I got on my birthday made that image come true. I don't have the caddy yet but I just found a matching one. Overall really good HAUL and birthday!

Tomorrow...

I'll finish building the tepee trellises, weed, and amend. I'll post a video on how to build the trellises and some images of the finished product in place!

Tool set!

Caddy I'll soon get!

Cheaper (L) and Pricier (R), love them both. I have a neon shirt to match the cheaper one.

Gloves to match my tool set and soon caddy. Love the pattern!