Thought I'd post an update on the garden, to track how things are progressing. As always, click photos for a larger view. The tomatoes in the metal troughs were completely toppled over during the last storm we had. Bent over clear to the ground, cages and all. I set them upright again as best as I could, and Alan set a t-post on the outside of the trough so their cages can be tied off to it. We never get wind from the direction that caused all the damage... it was wacky! That same storm really beat up the larger zucchini plants as well, but they've done a fine job of recovering. The cucumber plants took a beating too, and sill look a little rough from all the wind.
The new garden area we put in this spring is filling in nicely. We ended up having to line up some of our hay along the backside of the garden to keep the hot southern wind from pulling the plants right up out of the ground. The wind really whips the plants around, dries them out, and pretty much ruins any chance of survival. Hay bales to the rescue! They are a temporary solution to the problem, though. We will have to put up some fence panels, like we did on the backside of the "old" garden area closer to the chicken coop. They help so MUCH!
In the new garden, we've got our second planting of zucchini. Just a few plants... that should get us by for a while longer on zucchini! There is a spaghetti squash plant at the far end, too. A new plant for us this year.
I am trying to get some watermelon to grow this year, too. The vines are doing much better now; they took a little while to get going. Before we set the hay bales along the garden, the wind was really rough on the vines. But now they seem to be growing nicely. We have enough time in the season still, so I poked a few more seeds in the ground where there were some "holes" where some of the plants didn't make it. Hopefully they come in quickly and are able to put on some fruit!
This is a row of cantaloupe. It had the same trouble with the wind that the young watermelon plants had, but now they're doing much better! Even putting on flowers!
A few more cantaloupe plants, and at the far end a couple acorn squash plants. You can see what's left of my green beans in the bottom right corner. The grasshoppers did them in. I decided just to leave them, as maybe the grasshoppers will continue to eat on them instead of the other plants.
Here you can see how the yellow zucchini plants have just about abandoned their bed and have taken up residence in the walkway. So much for getting down that path any longer! Even the chickens and ducks wondered how to get past!
In the evening, the chickens and ducks get to visit the garden and hunt for bugs. They are very good hunters, but really need to be supervised while they're in the garden. Otherwise, they get into places they're not supposed to be. For the most part they spend their time hunting bugs, and do a pretty good job of spreading out my compost pile.
More bug hunting... and I see the grass has really grown up in this pathway. Time for more wood chips!
The beds in the back of the garden where I had my salad greens, kale, and beets planted are now empty. Soon, we will prepare the beds for fall planting. I want to add more height to the sides of the beds and add more soil and compost. That will make growing in the raised beds even better! The front beds are still hanging in there. The big cucumber wall (just off the right side of the photo) is just about done for the season. The vines really got hit with bugs and I'm dealing with a lot of wilt now.
Alan is the "harvester" of cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. He leaves a zucchini on the plants if it isn't quite big enough to pick ... and then two days later, SURPRISE! It's HUGE! This is how we get 2.5lb - 3.5lb zucchini! Haa!
Amazingly enough, I have yet to see a single squash bug in the garden this year. Very unusual. I think that with our mild winter, we have a bigger spider population and they are master hunters in the garden beds. In the photo above, those are two wolf spiders (yes, the VERY VERY CREEPY kind) sitting in a zucchini plant. To give you an idea of size, the stems of the zucchini are about 1.5" diameter. They're BIG spiders. And they give me the complete willies ... but I'm learning to tolerate them in the garden.
Here is a photo of one of the spiders sitting on a zucchini leaf ... click on the photo if you'd like to see it larger. You can even see the hairs on it's legs! ACK!!
A pest we do have in the garden this year is grasshoppers. And not just one here and there.
There are oodles of them. Here they are on one of the sweet pepper stakes.
Here they are along the top of the cucumber trellis.
Here they are on the leaves of a sunflower...
And here they are on the back of a sunflower head. They're everywhere, I tell you... This is why the chickens get to hunt bugs in the garden.
And as if that wasn't enough of a garden update, stay tuned for more on our GIANT tomato, and we have another BIG garden harvest surprise to share, too!
Bless your chickens for helping you with the grasshopper population. Whenever I see a bunch of grasshoppers, I always think of Laura Ingalls Wilder books and how the grasshoppers moved in and ate their entire crop. :( Your garden looks lovely. Crossing my fingers that you get some watermelon this year. :)
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | July 01, 2012 at 12:34 PM
Wow! What a garden. I must agree with your Dad about those spiders & Robin about the grasshoppers. Yuck, yuck, yuck! And, since I'm catching up on your posts, I'm so envious of those beautiful tomatoes & congrats on the wonderful family for little Lulu. Hugs & happy weekend - it's supposed to be 96 here on Sunday.
Posted by: Troy Louise | June 15, 2012 at 03:33 PM
Holy moly, I have never seen that many grasshoppers at once! Grasshoppers don't bother me but you can definitely keep those spiders!! Bleah!
Posted by: Michelle | June 15, 2012 at 02:39 PM
I've stopped rocking in the corner of the room for now - those grasshopper pictures are going to give me nightmares for a LONG time!! You posted those just for me, right?!? Nice garden though :)
Posted by: Jennifer | June 15, 2012 at 01:25 PM
wow! your harvest is a plenty, and the garden has been a success this year!!! I'm so happy for you. Thank goodness it hasn't been like LAST year!
Now, those chickens and ducks need to eat some more grasshoppers! OMGosh, there are tons of them! I've seen them like that in TN, a long time ago...just TOO MANY to count! We used them as fish bait...the fish love them! I used to catch them and put them into a match box or jar. They always spit on you when you put the hook thru! LOL I'll bet your Dad has done this as well! ha
Glad the harvest is plentiful. Keep those gorgeous tomatoes coming!
Posted by: diane mcvey | June 15, 2012 at 09:29 AM
I absolutely love seeing your garden pictures. Takes me back to my granny's garden that I loved visiting. I'm afraid the closest I'll ever get to a garden again is through your pictures. Had I seen spiders and grasshoppers like you have, I'd never have gone back in to my granny's garden, she didn't have chickens. Lulu looks adorable and I'm sure she'll be so happy with a family with kids. Bless you for that.
Posted by: rose kerry | June 15, 2012 at 08:24 AM
Okay, I was already creeped out with the wolf spiders, then you had to show us the grasshoppers. Then you SHOWED US MORE! This is the stuff of nightmares! ACK! I could so never live in TX.
PS: That cute puppy with his new forever home MIGHT have redeemed you. :)
Posted by: leslie (crookedstamper) | June 15, 2012 at 06:14 AM
Hooray for chickens! I had a friend who would let visitors take a grasshopper off a plant and throw them into the chicken coop -- the chickens were kinda trained! Letting them roam through is probably more efficient!
Posted by: Queen Mary | June 15, 2012 at 05:41 AM
It's not nice of you to mislead people about the size of the spiders. I personally have seen wolf spiders down there 3inches across and that zuchini leaf......just 6 inches across!! That spider is as big as a hockey puck for cripes sake, where's the shotgun.... that picture gives me the shakes....I can only think of one word... RAID kills bugs dead....the only thing worse that spiders for me is bats. That's a whole nother story tho....Love Dad
Posted by: Dan Wight | June 14, 2012 at 10:12 PM
Those spiders are.......icky! Shiver! But I do appreciate seeing the photos! I wondered how you faired after the huge storm. Did you get tons of giant sized hail too? LOVE the chicken photos. More please!
Posted by: Jennifer Woodward | June 14, 2012 at 08:57 PM
YuCk!! Grasshoppers are gross! We usually don't get them till late July/early August here in Michigan. Our planting season is sooo far behind yours. You'd get a laugh if you could see our plants..just starting to blossom/come on in the garden...Love your new picture! hope all is well...
Posted by: Kellie | June 14, 2012 at 07:41 PM
WOW look at the garden grow! Way ahead of us here in IA. I was out tonight with the camera taking some phot updats. Can't wait to see the next surprise! :)
Ugh, grasshoppers, and so many of them. Good Chickens. IT was mighty brave of you to let the spiders stay and even take close up pics, (I know how you feel about them.)
hugs....
Posted by: Carol Dee | June 14, 2012 at 07:21 PM
Those grasshoppers make my skin crawl. Yuck! I'd rather see the spiders then those hoppers. So glad you found a home for the lost puppy. I would have taken him but my dh would not have been a happy camper...and he's already grumpy enough. Ha! Hey, great new pic of you on the blog. What's the name of the friend you're holding? Take care. Robin
Posted by: Robin Barwacz | June 14, 2012 at 05:47 PM