Tasks:
Made, set, and planted bean structure
Sowed into ground squash
Seeded blocked fennel and beets
Plowed and tilled plot for the new raised beds
Built raised beds and started filling them with peat, sand, and compost
Planted okra and pepper blocks
Set birdbath (with bricks in it so the bees can drink without dying, this is a necessity!)
Fixed water bins, but it did not work- Brad has a new idea
Dust mulched/ cultivated (this method is working very nicely)
Uncovered tomatoes and set cages
Mulched, pruned, and lifted tomatoes (the branches need to be lifted so they don’t get stuck in the lower part of the cage as the tomato grows)
Watered (extensively)
Turned compost and applied worms
Reseeded Swiss chard
Went junking, found buckets and bird houses
Spayed rabbit repellent on the beans
Plowed the foundation for the greenhouse
Notes:
Compost- Do not use clay, even if you have an abundance of it. It does not break down and ends up just degrading the effectiveness of the end result.
Root Crop Seed Packets- Buy the one ounce package. This year we only bought the smaller packet and it was not enough. We only ended up have about two twelve foot rows from each packet.
Seed Block- Seed block all that you have time for. Cucumbers, squash, melons, root crops, Swiss chard. Though this is more work, the end result is significantly better. Seed blocks are easier to water, do not take up bed space, cannot be eaten by pests, and usually insure a better germination rate.
Seed Blocked Legumes- We are still not sure what is best for the legumes. I know seed blocking peas would be overkill, but we will see about the beans. The ones we sowed last week were watered too much and ended up rotting. Many of the seeds were eaten away by little grubs.
Bean Structure- 10 foot sections of 5 foot fence tied onto 5 ½ foot stakes (not the cheap bendable ones but the heavy, heavy ones) with wire. The it is better to have more stake in the ground than to have more fence on the stake. Our fencing starts ½ foot to 1 foot above the ground and goes as much as a full foot above the top of the stake. Since the beans can reach for the first foot or so of fence, this method makes sure the beans have the maximum amount of fence to grow up.