Melons and Strawberries!

May can be such a variable month!  This morning it was pouring with rain and chilly.  This afternoon the sun has come out and it's HOT!  Actually pretty good weather for getting a number of chores done indoors and out.

After we cleaned out the pond filter (whew!  stinky!) I planted out the melons.  I grew them in the compost bin last year and am doing the same this year.  I am, however, preparing a little better.  The wood bugs attacked the young plants last year and I almost lost them.

This year I dug holes in the compost and filled them full of potting mixture.  I transplanted the young melons into the mixture, firmed and then carefully put a water bottle collar around each, then applied a generous ring of diatomaceous earth around each one.  That should keep them safe!

Strawberries are forming and some of the berries are getting quite large.  Keep your fingers crossed that the birds and raccoons leave us some!  The last time I grew strawberries, I protected them with special bird netting cages.  Just as the berries were ripening I went out one morning to find all the cages thrown off and no berries left.  Raccoons!  It was the same for the grapes and hazelnuts.

The beans are lapping up the heat.  The beans on the rack were started in the potting shed and are ahead of the half barrel beans.  They're starting to form vines which will quickly scramble up the rack.

The half barrel beans aren't far behind though, and they got a good dose of pond filter water to help them along.  All in all, the garden is coming along well.  I planted out the last of the corn today - Peaches and Cream as I'd run out of the Bodacious seed.  So the Three Sisters bed is mostly Bodacious with one row of Peaches and Cream planted 4 days later.  When the corn is 6" tall, I'll plant Fortex beans.

Frameworks for Tomatoes and Beans

Today's garden chores were all about providing support for tomatoes and beans.

Italian heritage beans in a half-barrel

The framework for the Italian heritage beans planted in the half-barrel was already in place.  The tripod of stakes had 6 seeds planted around it and all are now up.

Zucchini and Italian heritage beans.  Potatoes in the background.

Since a mouse has decided that the potting shed is a great place to grab a meal and that beans are next to corn in deliciousness, I thought it best to plant out those beans now.  We have an 8' framework that sits on the end of any of our raised beds and is easily moved from bed to bed.  Six of the Italian heritage beans which were started in the potting shed were transplanted to grow on the framework.  Two zucchini seedlings were planted in front.

Bean seedlings are protected with water bottle collars

The bean seedlings were protected with plastic water bottle collars and a bamboo stake was placed beside each plant.  The collars protect the bean seedlings from wood bug predation and they can grow up the stake and then grab onto the framework.  By the time they reach that height wood bugs won't be any match for the beans.  The final step was to liberally dust under each framework "foot" with diatomaceous earth.  This is a natural material composed of tiny exoskeletons.  The sharp edges of the exoskeletons pierce the bodies of wood bugs and earwigs, dehydrating them.  Harmless to humans, plants and animals.

Sweet Million tomato growing in a barrel

The other job for today was making the framework for the tomatoes.  The one tomato growing in a half-barrel this year is a Sweet Million and as it's indeterminate it requires sturdy and tall staking.  Three tall stakes were placed in the barrel, lashed together at the midpoint with short bamboo stakes.  One upright provides support for the tomato until it reaches the first horizontal framework point.

All of the rest of the tomatoes in the garden are in one raised bed.  Each tomato has a wire cage around it and a 6' stake beside it.  These stakes are lashed together with bamboo stakes horizontally.  The tops of the stakes are tied together with twine.  It looks pretty rickety but it's surprisingly sturdy and I've been growing tomatoes this way for years now.  As all these tomatoes are determinate and not too tall, the one horizontal framework will probably be enough.  I can easily add another layer if needed.

Chives

Next week after we get rid of a small system coming our way, I'll seed the corn and plant out squash and melons.