Sunday, May 13, 2012

May 12, 2012

It was chilly and cloudy today. The high temperature was in the low 60's, but in spite of that, Jim tilled the whole garden, weeding the potatoes and peas, and finished planting the garden except the winter squash, which we will wait on for a bit, to reduce the bug damage.
So, we now have beans, three more rows of sweet corn, for a total of 8, okra, cucumbers (the ones we started from seed and transplanted didn't make it), summer squash, and a yellow tomato added to the earlier planting.
I think if we try the cucumbers from seed again, we need to cover the seedlings when we put them in the garden.
A few days ago we had frost.  Not a killing frost, but enough to burn my coffee trees in my mini garden.  They aren't supposed to see 40 degrees.  That was disappointing, it spoils the looks of the garden, and it was so nice before.  I'll wait awhile to see how they grow before I attempt any pruning.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Swimming Pool

The best time to set up the swimming pool is when it is still cool.  Algae can grow in an hour in hot weather, before the shock treatment starts to work.  Jim cleans it out with the pressure washer and the vacuum excavator.
Pool day this year was May 5th, 2012
I bought enough shock treatment for the season from Menards at 3.98 a gallon, buy one, get one free.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

May 5, 2012

Last week we had several really hot days.  Eighty-five degrees and above.  I had the air conditioner on  for those days.  I always drag my feet, dreading the electricity bill, but when we have company, special gatherings, or too much heat, I have to give in.  It did cool down nicely at night, but our brick home with few trees around it soaks up heat and it is hard to cool it down at night.  Plus, it was so humid, that once the a/c was on, we didn't want the humidity to sneak back in.  One day, we had the pea-soup fog we had to put up with last summer.  There is so little visibility it is scary.  And there are always a few people who obviously think it is unnecessary to use headlights in such weather.  I send my daughter off to school to turn onto a highway that she can't see 1/10th of a mile.  She just goes in faith, and I wait for 15 minutes to pass with no phone call so I can relax.  
Jim planted another two rows of Incredible sweet corn.  This makes six now.
The turnips, swiss chard, peas and potatoes are all up.  The onions are looking very well, and two rows of sweet corn are up.
We planted the tomatoes and cucumbers we started from seed yesterday.  The tomatoes are about six inches tall, we used milk jugs to protect them, not from frost, but from wind.  We have about 12 plants, mostly Romas. The cucumbers are about as big, we planted them three to, whatever those little fibers planter thingy are called, half picklers, half slicers. But one of the pickle plants was broken.  That isn't too surprising since the flat of plants sits in front of the deck door to get sun, and is kicked around by enterers and outerers, and little boys.  It's a wonder more weren't damaged since I'm sure our grandson fell on it once.
I spent a few hours weeding and wood chipping in the flower garden. The end is getting nearer, but it is taking me a long time, and weeds are growing where I've already been.
I sprayed the bind weed, but I see where the tops have died, new growth is coming up from underneath.  Sometimes I wonder if spraying is really the answer, but pulling it out it a full time job.