Much nicer weather to work in the garden, although I am sure the vegetables like it good and hot. I fed all the fruit trees except the 2 avocado trees. Ran out of avocado/citrus food. Will buy some tomorrow.

The tomatoes are starting to ripen-cherry and heirloom. Added compost from my compost pile to each of the tomato and pepper plants. The compost is so rich. I think all the plants needed it. I will add compost each time gardeners come to help. The pile is so big now and there is lots of compost to be had.

It's Hot Today!

So hot I almost don't want to work in the garden. I started with the tomato plants, adding compost and cultivating the soil. Didn't get too far along when Yuh-Shioh arrived. It was too hot to work on the tomatoes any more, time to move to the shade. We worked on the strawberry patch, removing pine needles and lots of loose leaves that had fallen after the bushes were trimmed. Cultivated the soil and watered well.

I need to spray castor oil for gophers in Garden #1. There are 2 holes that I am sure are gopher holes near the tomato plants. Also have to spray for powdery mildew. Whew! Lots to do!

Lots of cleaning up today. Harvested the last of the turnips. cut off lots of new suckers on the watermelon and pumpkin plants. I want the fruit that is there to get really big. Cut off lots of dead leaves on the broccoli, arugula, cauliflower and tomato plants. Tied up more of the tomato branches. Watered deeply.

Juna planted seeds where plants did not come up. Peas, kale, Swiss chard and bok choy. Hope the new seeds do their thing.

Juna came to garden today. I gardened alone last Saturday. I planted 1/2 row of mustard greens and 1/2 row of Swiss chard. The Swiss chard and kale we planted a while ago didn't do very much. I think I have 5 plants out of 2 rows of seeding. I changed the soaker hose in that area last week. Maybe that was the problem - not enough water.

Juna made large wells around the tomato plants. We watered first and then added fish emulsion to the second watering. I have to remember to foliar feed the plants tomorrow (not the tomatoes). I tied up more of the tomato plants. The cherry tomato plants are going wild.

The summer is picking up, so to speak. We had 4 gardeners again today.

Meanwhile, just a note: sprayed organic fungicide on the 2 rose bushes near the garden and organic insecticide on the 2 bougainvilla and trumpet plant. Also spread snail repellent pellets around the lettuce and other vegetables in garden #1 and the raised bed.

We harvested all the arugula on the patio border of garden #1 and planted more arugula. There is still a row of arugula ready to be harvested. Then we harvested the last of the Daikon radishes and planted a 3' x 4' section with potatoes. I am going to use the compost bin around this section of potatoes when we start to bury the leaves and branches. I tied up and pruned more tomato plants. Discovered that the 3 extra plants that popped up in the garden are cherry tomato plants. I would have preferred another kind since I already have a cherry tomato plant, but oh well.

Then, since all the peas were harvested, I decided we should plant more peas, so we seeded two rows where the original peas were growing.

Juna mixed in 2 bags of decomposed leaves into the compost pile. Should be ready to sift and use in about 2 weeks.

There were 4 people working in the garden today. Hurray! It's nice to have a larger group some times. Romaine & Lu tilled the earth around the tomatoes and bell peppers in Gardent # 1 and then tilled the soil around the squash and zucchini on the hilltop. Alitash planted radishes in Garden "1, weeded and cut back dead leaves. I planted red onions and watered.

Lots of food to share. 1st time this year for broccoli, squash blossoms and beets.

Almost forgot, about 5:30 p.m. I sprayed all the vegetables with BioInsecticide. Didn't have enough for the fruit trees, though. Tomorrow I should spray some of the other plants for fungicide. The roses and zucchini and squash leaves are showing signs of powedery mildew. Gosh darnit, no matter what I do, I get powdery mildew. Probably the cool, overcast mornings this spring and summer aren't helping matters any.

Wednesday

What a beautiful day! 3 people came to play in the garden today-Flora, Yuh-Shioh and Juna. Before they arrived I tied up more of the tomato plants. We dug up the earth around the tomatoes and peppers and watered. Pulled up the bolted mustard greens and bok choy. Planted new kale and Swiss chard. Did some weeding too.

Harvested bok choy, arugula, lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, squash, mint, basil, oregano and rosemary. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yes, the Daikon radishes.

Must buy more organic seed: radishes, kale and Swiss chard.

Must spray for bugs and fungus. Thursday or Friday.