Garden Update: June 7, 2013

I am enjoying day 2 of my 4-day weekend today. It's a gorgeous day, and I have a garden update to share!

Remember our grasshopper infestation? Sooo not fun. Disgusting, actually. We are doing what we can to keep the numbers down to something a little less horrific. We have free-ranging chickens, ducks, and guinea, and lots of wild birds coming in to eat. We have most of the area around the house and yard mowed to discourage the grasshoppers from moving between pastures and the yard/garden area. But it wasn't knocking down the population like we needed.

I'm still using organic methods in the garden -- even relocating wheelie bugs and ladybugs to the garden when I find them other places on the farm. But when the numbers of grasshoppers creep up in the tall grass and trees in and around the yard, we spray those areas with a Malathion/water mixture. It's a little more serious than we normally use on the farm, but is still a garden-safe method of control.

During the day, grasshoppers are very active and hard to control. But at night grasshoppers stop feeding and climb up out of the grass and perch themselves along the edges of the pastures on the tall grass stems, along the fence wires, on trees, and weeds. And there they sit, waiting for us to make our way around the yard wearing our headlamps, armed with a sprayer. And yes, I still have grasshoppers in the garden. But not nearly as many as I would have if we weren't able to control the population in the areas around the yard.

So how about a small garden tour!

Some of the radishes have grown a little larger than I had expected. Not a good enough look?

How about now!? THOSE are some radishes!

We've harvested our first couple of zucchini, and lots more are well on their way!

I even picked a couple of ripe cherry tomatoes yesterday evening! And they were deeeee-lish! These are Husky Cherry Reds.

Those ripe cherry tomatoes came off of this plant, which is nothing short of amazing! And it's loaded with little green tomatoes, just waiting to ripen!

This yellow pear tomato plant is also amazing -- it's HUGE, and has officially reached the top of the 4' cage around it. The plant next to it (can't remember what it is!) is doing really well too, but there just aren't a lot of flowers on either of these plants. Some flowers, but not a lot. Maybe I need to supplement with some phosphorus to encourage flowers. I use bone meal when I prep the beds for planting, but maybe adding some worm casting tea might be beneficial. Hopefully I can encourage these two to put on more flowers!

I have cucumbers growing in several areas, but this is the largest area. A full 4'x8' bed of them, and they are quickly vining out of the bed's edges. Under those leaves are a bazillion flowers! And we've even picked a couple cucumbers! I think they are enjoying not being trellised this year.

The pumpkin is doing well (for just being old seeds tossed at the edge of a zucchini bed), and the zucchini and other squash plants are looking healthy. In the blue tub at the left are some mini white cucumbers, a great little variety that is really fun to grow!

I also harvested our first patty pan squash of the season! Alan loves having them grown in the garden, so they got planted again this year. We should also have some other variety to harvest soon.

Here's some organic bug control in the garden ... ducks! Chickens can be really hard on a garden since they're really drawn to eating leaves and small tender fruits, and like to take dust baths in the soft soil -- which isn't so great for plants. But ducks and guinea are great in a garden! They are more focused on bugs! They pull them right off the stems and leaves, and the ducks also root around the edges of the garden beds where other insects like to hide during the day.

Here's little Butter-Butt, doing a bit of insect patrol.

This is a happy garden sight ... three ducks, all munching on grasshoppers! Numm-nummm-nummmmm!

Comments

[Michele]

So beautiful and prolific, Anna. You have an abundance of talent. Hubby has undertaken our garden and my suggestions get an abrupt ssssshhhhhhtttt!!:). Our potatoes and peas have been drowned and rotted in the lowlands, so the loader will bring in some topsoil to build up the area for a replant. Squash has poked above ground and the straw bail garden has a few shoots poking up. Thats more of a trial, we wont have lots of freezer fodder, but maybe enough for summer munching:)

[carol dee]

In spite of the grasshppers you garden is looking great :) Good Job. Way to go ducks. So far we have only enjoyed some green onions, radishes, lettuce. rhubarb, asparagus and kale from the garden. Yum. Looking forward to more soon.

[Lora Lauhoff]

Looks perfect.

[Carol (HB)]

Anna, I don't often feel envy when I look at beautiful things on peoples blogs... BUT, seeing your beautiful garden, and those luscious red tomatoes, I actually am quite jealous! LOL NOTHING compares to the taste of the first, fresh, tomato of the season. YUM! Well, maybe the first potato, or pepper. *sigh*

[Rose Kerry]

Great pictures of your veggies, love the ducks on duty pic's. Thanks for sharing.

[Sue B]

Great photos. Wish we could have some fowl. How do you prepare patty pan? We really haven't gotten a liking for any kind of squash yet. Your garden looks great! I have 3 little green tomatoes and my 4 plants.

[Jeanne]

Anna, I have never known ANYONE with such an awesome garden as yours!! Takes a lot of work, I know. XOXOXO

[Dan Wight]

Nucular radishes, Cool! Are you sure them maters are not some new fangled pot plant? Need more ducks huh! ONE more week of school for Ma! yahoo!

[Linda Nicholson]

Your ducks look very happy snacking on their grasshopper "treats".

Linda

[Gabriela Divine]

I had a dream last night that My Alan and I had borrowed ducks from Your Alan and you, and that we'd put them in the yard to help control the cicada population here in VA.

[Lysa]

Do you ever have a problem with squash bugs on your zucchini? We just have raised garden beds in our backyard and recently had to pull a zucchini plant- it got attacked no matter how much we tried to get rid of them.. argh!

[Troy Louise]

I wonder how my dogs would like having a couple of ducks around? I know those darned grasshoppers are head our way soon. Really fun pics of your cute guys and gals. Enjoy the rest of your 4 day weekend. I have to wait until the 4th of July for my next one!

[Gwen Mangelson]

weeder geese are wonderful, I used to have a goat named lavender that only ate the weeds - she NEVER ate the crops- not typical for goats!