Today I was there before dawn to spray the Learning Plot with copper fungicide. I made half a gallon, and I still had enough to spray all the mature plants, even some of the mounds. After I finished with this, I watered only the mounds that needed it, which wasn’t many.
I then decided on the spot to pull the weeds around the yellow squash and zucchini plants and put some chopped leaf mulch around them. I noted that in some of the mounds I have two plants that germinated, and I plan to move and transplant the extras into RRR.
Back at my plots, I did a walk‑through to check the veggies. Fort Knox is doing great — all the Chinese beans are standing at attention and saying good morning. The Blue Lake pole beans are just starting to come up in the raised bed. Peppers and eggplants need a weed and feed in the next few days. I added an early‑morning copper fungicide tomorrow as I noticed some possible Septoria or early blight trying to get a foothold on my July transplants. If it’s not one thing, it’s another — that’s the way the farming life goes. I never get a break where I can catch up.
I pulled the last zucchini in the PP bed, as there were no blooms and I could see frass at the root. The summer squash bed still has four plants left, and all have blooms, so I’ll keep them for now.
Before I got started on prepping the RRR old tomato holes for squash, I was surprised to see four more bales of straw sitting by the gate. I mentioned that Gerald got them when he made a fertilizer run, and I told him if he happened to go there again to buy me four more and I’d pay him back. Remember the plastic I mentioned that I stored in the lean‑to in RRR? I guess I knew I was going to be using it soon.
I put the bales on my pallet and then wedged some fencing in the middle to create just enough rise so the water hopefully won’t pool. The plastic is at least double‑folded, so if there are any holes, I have them covered. I left the two sides to breathe, as I don’t want them getting moldy. If I don’t use them right away, I can always transport them and put them on our covered porch, and my husband will probably say “Oh joy” sarcastically. He’s good, though, as I have things all around the house. We don’t sit out on our porch very much anyway — it’s way too hot for that.
Next, I made sure I had enough tomato holes for a few more tomatoes that I will tell you about when I plant them soon. I marked the ones with a planting tag that were getting a tomato in RRR, and the rest will be for the squash. I have 12 holes and will plant six of each. While prepping — weeding and cultivating the holes with my three tools: the spade fork to dig and loosen the soil over one foot, my claw that I twist to pull weeds and cultivate about six inches, and my hand cultivator for stubborn weeds. BTW, I need to get a new hand cultivator, as those stubborn weeds are bending it to the breaking point.
While working on the holes, I am always on alert for anything suspicious that doesn’t belong. I came across these in two of the holes. It’s a good thing I saw them, because otherwise it could have been trouble if I didn’t take them out and stop the lifecycle of that larva. That white grub will eat the roots of my plants and then become a beetle and do it all over again. Not on my patrol, you little root‑eaters.
After getting the 12 holes done, I decided to take out the Parks Whopper, as it had died. I swapped holes to make sure another tomato didn’t go in there right away and moved the tag to the next hole for a tomato. By this time, all this physical work takes a toll, even if it is less humid and a cooler temperature — I think it was near 90°F at the time. This is even with hydration and snack breaks. I am dialed into my body, and I said that’s it for today. I picked some of the last cucumbers and probably a half‑gallon of okra.
I was just telling my husband that with all this okra, I need to make one of our favorite dishes: okra and tomatoes with a twist. I cook up chopped Polish sausage in the tomatoes and okra and then serve it over grits. Yummy! The other thing I need to do for my sister is dry the okra in my dehydrator. I sprinkle it with garlic and a little salt before drying. You can find my dried okra recipe here.
This weekend I need to find time to work on all this okra. If it isn’t the garden being work, then it is the produce that piles up — but that is all in a day of farmer Nancy, my happy place.