Gardening

[MauEvig]

Here's my pumpkin plants so far, at least the ones I intentionally planted and not the numerous gourds I've been blessed with that volunteered themselves. I don't think they look too bad considering they got into the ground kind of late.
I planted some beans as companion plants, as they're supposed to add nitrogen to the soil.
I also planted sunflowers which are highly beneficial for numerous reasons.
Hoping to have an overall successful garden!

I also have some tomatoes growing, and ONE jalapeño pepper so far. I'm hoping I get more, but we'll see.
Just replanted some herbs, microgreens, lettuce and spinach along with cat grass and catnip for our feline family members.

[Murfreesboro]

You have a fairly ambitious garden going there! I wish you great success.

[Andybev01]

This years sunflowers all failed.

The rest of the garden is going gangbusters though.

Apparently we had an anomalous thunder storm last night that watered everything really well.

I missed it because I'm wiped out from so many trips moving stuff.

[MauEvig]

You have a fairly ambitious garden going there! I wish you great success.

Thanks, Murf! With the rain we got the past couple days, I'm hoping it'll help things along. It certainly makes the plants happy!

But if all else fails, at least we'll have plenty of gourds. And they're a fall favorite for decorating!

Sorry to hear about your sunflowers, Andy. At least the rest of your garden is successful. Hopefully you'll get to harvest it before you completely move out!

That's the thing about rainstorms, they could be happening in one area, and not another area even if it's nearby. I saw on the weather map how we were surrounded by three thunderstorms and didn't get so much as a drop of water. Of course being exhausted can definitely cause one to miss out on things. I understand moving is a long tedious process, especially if you have a lot of stuff. Some people just have a big yard sale or donate a bunch of stuff to thrift stores if they don't want to take it with them.

[Andybev01]

I will be thinning out my belongings as I unpack.

[Andybev01]

O so happy!!

[Murfreesboro]

Lovely!

[MauEvig]

There's nothing like the anticipation of a growing pumpkin, or any kind of fruit that grows in the garden!
But watching pumpkins grow can get so exciting because it's fun watching them go from little green squashes to the big orange fruits we use for carving.

[Andybev01]

I agree, it's the journey and the destination.

[Andybev01]

And they keep on keeping on.

[Murfreesboro]

Ooh! It's starting to turn!

[MauEvig]

That looks like a nice happy, healthy pumpkin, Andy!

I'm happy that you're having a successful crop this year.

I noticed some little buds on my vines. They have premature flowers on them, so they haven't blossomed yet. It's really fascinating to watch the whole life cycle of a pumpkin in action!

Just hope those pests that devoured my gourds don't make their way to my bigger garden. At least the gourds were a bonus from my compost. I'll be mad if my pumpkins are taken down by those squash bugs!

[Andybev01]

I'd love to take credit but it's all due to my sisters skill at gardening.

If you want to kill off a plant, give it to me to take care of.

[MauEvig]

I was like that, but I think I've improved somewhat. I've gotten better. Or perhaps some years I'm lucky and some years I'm not.
It just takes practice and skill. Unfortunately, you don't get a lot of second chances during growing season so it kind of goes years by year. It's not like drawing or learning an instrument where you can practice daily. It's a lot of trial and error.
But it might help to read up on things like pest control, growing frost zones, what kind of fertilizers and what kind of soil work best for those conditions, companion planting, etc.
Like for one thing, I was told when I water my plants to soak them really good and not do a little bit of frequent watering. Watering deep allows roots to grow into the soil looking for water while if you water shallow the roots won't grow as strong. So if the weather decides not to cooperate, the stronger roots will make a stronger plant that survives in more harsh conditions.
But right now I'm dealing with those squash pests. Soapy water seems to deter them, but it seems once they reach the plant it's game over.

[Murfreesboro]

I'm not a good gardener, either. But our church has a superb garden for the needy, and I've noticed that different years yield different bonuses. The first year, they had an abundance of squash, but last year the squash didn't do well. This year the tomatoes seem to be bumper.