From: JC_Gilliam@fccc.edu (Jon C. Gilliam) Newsgroups: rec.gardens Subject: Garden notes for next year Date: 8 Jul 1994 09:40:00 -0500 - Rutabagas have big leaves -- don't plant more than 1 per square foot. I planted 4 (yes, four!) to a square foot this year, and they're making quite a canopy in their fight for the sun. - One hill of 3 pumpkin seeds is enough! We planted 2 'hills' of 5 seeds each this year (and didn't thin any), and pumpkin vines are now invading many of the garden paths, the only place I can let them roam free. Walking through the garden is now a bit like hop-scotch. - I've got to find a way to grow watermelon and cantaloupes vertically. I think next year I'm going to give those A-frames a try. This year, I put up some netting along one side of the melon patch, and since they're icebox melons, I think it's going to hold. Luckily the pumpkin and melon vines are far enough apart that they don't compete over garden path space to sprawl over. - Squash does really well planted among the corn -- both summer and winter squash. If you plant the 'bush' varieties, they won't climb and 'pull' on the corn too much. - New Zeland spinach is somewhat of a dissappointment. The flavor of the fresh leaves doesn't (IMO) compare to spinach, and the leaves are small. It does well cooked, however. Next year I'm going to look for spinach varieties that are slower to bolt. I like spinach. - The spring peas are done, and the vines are now in the compost pile. It seems that the work you go through to get a mess of beans is pretty high in comparison to the amount harvested. Instead, my advice is to plant an edible pod pea, and to freely use them young in salads, or to cook with them pods and all. Shell a few later on for adding to other dishes. - It is true that you can plant 9 bush beans to the square foot, but it is also true that harvesting is a bit difficult if you plant several of these square feet next to each other (guess who did that). If I didn't like them so much, I'd say I planted too many green beans this year -- but the overflow is making it pretty reliably into the freezer. Next year I think I'll plant pole beans. - I know it goes against my grain, but next year I'm determined to really prune off those side branches on my indeterminate tomatoes that I'm training up strings on my vertical frames. This year, I've tried to just add more strings, and train up the side branches, but they've advanced beyond that. Now there are such nice looking fruit on these renegade vines, that I know I can't even force myself to prune. Do it early. - Fresh sage, oregano, and basil are super. I'm going to plant more herbs next year. - If you've had a fairly dry spell after your cabbage heads get good size, and then you start getting a good rain, run out and pick all the heads. If you don't, they're probably going to split post haste. - What to do with all those bugs in the Japanese Beetle trap? Put them in the blender with 2 cups water (the *garden* blender), blend well, strain, dilute, and spray everywhere. Bright blessings! :jon ----- Jon C. Gilliam Like a wild ass in the desert go I forth to my work! -- Patrick Stewert, "Dune"