I have been outside most of the day today (9
hours straight) – fertilizing veggies and flowers, harvesting my onion beds for
the 3rd time (and chopping the pulled onions: 24 today), and then
watering the veggie beds.
I feel sunburned; but that’s okay. A lot was accomplished today that will pay off in big dividends ;-)
I used Miracle Grow and a water bucket on the flower beds, but fertilized the edibles – veggies & herbs – with Fish Emulsion mixed and poured into a hand held sprayer; I started doing that years ago and like how the nozzle wand reaches into hard to reach spots and sprays the fertilizer directly into the root zone with no waste whatsoever:
FISH EMULSION FERTILIZER MIX going into hand-held pump
I took inventory while I fertilized and noted several appreciative things …
The Corn bed is thriving - I saw at least 3 tassels
starting to peek out from under the top corn leaves; and a few leaf bases are starting
to swell with baby cobs. The stakes behind the corn stalks help keep the corn from being bent so far backwards that it breaks or falls to the ground in the high river winds that tear through here; like earlier today while I was fertilizing them.
starting to peek out from under the top corn leaves; and a few leaf bases are starting
to swell with baby cobs. The stakes behind the corn stalks help keep the corn from being bent so far backwards that it breaks or falls to the ground in the high river winds that tear through here; like earlier today while I was fertilizing them.
Bush Beans are setting blossoms; beans should follow by end
of month.
of month.
Chioggia Beets plumping up and nearly ready to harvest.
Rutabagas are plumping up.
Blueberries get harvested every few days; Aza eats half of
them, but I get enough to freeze too ;-)
them, but I get enough to freeze too ;-)
And in-between the fertilizing and inventory, Hubs pulled down the hummingbird feeders for a cleaning and refill – and had to tread carefully because a wasp was buzzing around one of the feeders and we are all scarily allergic to those winged demons; even so, as soon as I saw that wasp and stayed back until it flew off, I was reminded of this old Sci-fi movie posted above. LOL!
Hubs and I swell up when stung, but I have a more severe reaction that includes swelling of throat/tongue, buzzing in the ears, and an accelerated heartbeat. But I am NOT going to stop gardening or hanging hummingbird feeders, so we (including the bees and wasps) are just going to have to have to come to an agreeable conclusion with ME as alpha queen bee since I am ultimately the one who decides is they live or die ...
After the fertilizing was done and the onions harvested, I sat outside under the carport and prepared huge bowls of various cuts of onion that were measured and frozen for future Winter meals …
The castoff onion leaves were used for mulch in the veggie beds – I use EVERYTHING safely useful & beneficial to soil building for mulch ;-)
Chopped onion leaves used as mulch between veggies. This is
the Celery, Swiss Chard & Carrot bed.
the Celery, Swiss Chard & Carrot bed.
Chopped onion leaves were also used to mulch the remaining
onions bed ...
onions bed ...
And chopped onion leaves were also laid as mulch at the
base of the Roma Tomatoes - which are coming on strong :-D
base of the Roma Tomatoes - which are coming on strong :-D
… and ruined my feet by continuing to wear my thongs on them in this hot/sticky weather instead of changing into tennis shoes to do all this activity - and NO! I DID NOT wear underwear on my feet; I am referring to flip-flop footwear when I talk of thongs :-D :-D :-D