Harvest and reconfiguration
I haven't planted anything in the garden since putting in 90 day corn plot 7 in early July. The starting of fall plants in the greenhouse, however, will start in two weeks with the seeding of the first sixpacks of fall cauliflower and Kohlrabi. These will be transplanted into the garden in the third week of September into what is now corn plot 6. I will write more about fall brasica planting later.
Now it's harvest time. I have finished harvesting corn from plot 2 and have reconfigured the plot for the pole beans and carrots which were planted with the corn. All corn stalks which don't have have pole beans growing on them have been removed. Those remaining are stripped of all leaves. They are just poles with tassles on top. The hope is that the beans will take over and produce a second much heavier crop. The first crop of beans started in June three to four weeks before the corn was harvested. The beans stopped producing three weeks ago. But most plants will find new vigor which will cause them to rapidly grow and produce from September through October. Meanwhile, the beans in plot 3 just quit but those in plot 4 are in full production. Plot 5 beans will be in full production in a week or so. The second crop of pole beans is often the best both in terms of quantity and quality. But there are no guarantees. I have had years where the second production just didn't happen. The bean plants slowly lost their leaves and new growth didn't happen. Each year is different. The picture below shows beans climbing on spent corn stalks. Note that some of these stalks will eventually break over if bean growth is too intensive. I will then position bean poles where needed and tie the broken corn stalks to them. As the season progresses, the stalks will form a random and quite beautiful array of twisted figures as they weaken and break over. Meanwhile, the bean plants will continue to thrive by climbing all over these structures while producing their tender and tasty beans. I will post more pictures over the coming months.
The carrots in plot 2 are still adjusting to having full sunlight. Some still look stressed which is common for a month or so after removal of the corn. The yellowstone and white Kuttigar carrots have taken off growing already providing a green carpet of lush growth. The purple and traditional orange carrots are still showing stress. The following pictures show beans and carrots in plot 2. Notice that plot 3 is in the background. Harvest of this corn is in progress. It will be complete in another week. The picture below highlights the Yellowstone carrots in plot 2. Notice the purple beans hanging from a spent corn stalk in the foreground.
Below is a photo of the last corn plot, plot 7. Notice that the corn is now growing up around the yellow Patty Pan squash plant which has been in the ground since early April and still a heavy producer. The dark material along the drippers is compost mulch which I added last weekend from a batch of compost which I made approximately three months ago.
And finally, the picture below is of an early girl tomato plant snuggled against corn plot 4. A Kentucky Wonder pole bean grows above it. Winter squash is in the foreground.
I should mention that corn plot 1, which was harvested in June and is now the property of purple bush beans, is scheduled for a 60 day yellow corn planting at the end of August. This will give us our Thanksgiving fresh corn. Meanwhile, the bush beans in plot 1 are into their second production.
The garden watering schedule is to run the drippers for 1 hour and 40 minutes once a week. As the days begin to shorten, the amount of water time will be reduced accordingly. By the end of August, I hope to be at a watering time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Because fresh water is such a precious and rapidly diminishing resource which must be imported into the garden, I continue to explore ways to further reduce watering needs.
danh
Now it's harvest time. I have finished harvesting corn from plot 2 and have reconfigured the plot for the pole beans and carrots which were planted with the corn. All corn stalks which don't have have pole beans growing on them have been removed. Those remaining are stripped of all leaves. They are just poles with tassles on top. The hope is that the beans will take over and produce a second much heavier crop. The first crop of beans started in June three to four weeks before the corn was harvested. The beans stopped producing three weeks ago. But most plants will find new vigor which will cause them to rapidly grow and produce from September through October. Meanwhile, the beans in plot 3 just quit but those in plot 4 are in full production. Plot 5 beans will be in full production in a week or so. The second crop of pole beans is often the best both in terms of quantity and quality. But there are no guarantees. I have had years where the second production just didn't happen. The bean plants slowly lost their leaves and new growth didn't happen. Each year is different. The picture below shows beans climbing on spent corn stalks. Note that some of these stalks will eventually break over if bean growth is too intensive. I will then position bean poles where needed and tie the broken corn stalks to them. As the season progresses, the stalks will form a random and quite beautiful array of twisted figures as they weaken and break over. Meanwhile, the bean plants will continue to thrive by climbing all over these structures while producing their tender and tasty beans. I will post more pictures over the coming months.
The carrots in plot 2 are still adjusting to having full sunlight. Some still look stressed which is common for a month or so after removal of the corn. The yellowstone and white Kuttigar carrots have taken off growing already providing a green carpet of lush growth. The purple and traditional orange carrots are still showing stress. The following pictures show beans and carrots in plot 2. Notice that plot 3 is in the background. Harvest of this corn is in progress. It will be complete in another week. The picture below highlights the Yellowstone carrots in plot 2. Notice the purple beans hanging from a spent corn stalk in the foreground.
Below is a photo of the last corn plot, plot 7. Notice that the corn is now growing up around the yellow Patty Pan squash plant which has been in the ground since early April and still a heavy producer. The dark material along the drippers is compost mulch which I added last weekend from a batch of compost which I made approximately three months ago.
And finally, the picture below is of an early girl tomato plant snuggled against corn plot 4. A Kentucky Wonder pole bean grows above it. Winter squash is in the foreground.
I should mention that corn plot 1, which was harvested in June and is now the property of purple bush beans, is scheduled for a 60 day yellow corn planting at the end of August. This will give us our Thanksgiving fresh corn. Meanwhile, the bush beans in plot 1 are into their second production.
The garden watering schedule is to run the drippers for 1 hour and 40 minutes once a week. As the days begin to shorten, the amount of water time will be reduced accordingly. By the end of August, I hope to be at a watering time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Because fresh water is such a precious and rapidly diminishing resource which must be imported into the garden, I continue to explore ways to further reduce watering needs.
danh
posted by danh at
11:10 AM
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