Erin's Garden Journal—July 12, 2015

July 8, 2015

  • The cherry has lost almost all its leaves, even the green ones. Permaculture GTA says it might be a fungus, or overwatering. No visible evidence of fungus. Added a sign to advise volunteers to water more lightly.
  • The reticulated plastic hose piece that accidentally overwintered outside started disintegrating. Will have to stow all plastic pieces more carefully this year.
  • Squashes are having no trouble at all getting pollinated, despite my initial worry
  • Have to keep stopping squash vines from latching onto tomato stems. 
  • Corn has been eaten down to the ground. Bad year for slugs, we think
  • Microgreens starting to sprout
  • All but squashes are growing slowly. Cool weather? Late start? Unlucky combination of both?

Tasks completed:
  • Thinned carrots
  • Added temporary signs to worm bin (indicating which section to use) and cherry
  • Patched broken raised bed (finally found the missing slat behind the stairs)
  • Cut rain barrel diverters to proper size  


July 9, 2015
Mulberry harvest day with Not Far From the Tree. 8 volunteers (3 from NFFTT, 5 from G@K) gathered over 7 kg of mulberries. We spread tarps on the ground & held plastic sheets between groups of 4 to catch berries as they fell. Ladders, poles, and tree-climbing aided in shaking them down.


July 10, 2015
  • 1st zucchini almost ready to pick
  • All leaves on cherry now fallen. Replace it? Wait and see if it tries again?
Tasks completed:
  • Installed 1 rain barrel
  • Pat installed a 2nd 
 July 11, 2015
Painted, stained, and installed new slat for sign to advertise our website: kimbourne.org/garden

 July 12, 2015

We incorporated a thorough walk-through with our monthly planning meeting. Pat made friends with a pretty moth.

 Here are the notes I jotted down:
  • Wow, after 2 days of hot sun (rare lately), some squashes have doubled in size
  • Tiny tomato seedlings all over raised beds—must have been seeds in the worm castings we added to soil
  • The strongest of the tomatoes I sprouted indoors this spring (middle raised bed) has first blossoms.
  • Strawberry raised bed needs netting or chicken wire to keep squirrels out
  • White clover is sprouting from seed I scattered last week on bare patches in lawn and thinly planted areas of garden. I hope it will reduce evaporation in garden & also fix nitrogen in soil
  • Brenda says rue apparently keeps cats from digging in garden
  • Yellow cherry tomatoes ripening now
  • Next year can we budget for an arborist to prune the mulberry trees?
  • Sheilah says issue with broccoli leaves likely leaf miners.
 Tasks completed:
  • Pinched off spent nasturtiums
  • Weeded grass, garlic mustard, ragweed, other unknown weeds. 
  • Left alone: amaranth, lamb's quarters, white clover
  • Hilled up a broccoli plant damaged by squirrels. Hopefully the support will be enough for it to heal.
  • Decided to introduce weekly social work times on Wednesday nights between 6:30 an 7:30 p.m.. Will begin this week.
Harvest: 1 very large, 1 med., and 2 small zucchini

Instagram