We got a good rain last night. I followed it by feeding almost everything with Jack’s 20-20-20, using light to medium amounts depending on the plant. I planted some narrow-leaf milkweed on the hill, but there weren’t many seeds in the packet. The wind during the storm, probably around 20 mph, knocked… [more]

I planted chives in a 10-gallon bag and scallions in a 15-gallon bag with coco coir, pumice, perlite, and mushroom compost on top. I planted celery in a 10-gallon grow bag after removing the top layer to get rid of small roots. I added coir, pumice, and mushroom compost. I planted three… [more]

I removed two in-ground tomatillos and one from a grow bag. Two more in grow bags are on their way out. They produced small fruit and got hit hard with powdery mildew and leaf curl. Beautiful plants, though: long, searching branches that probably stretched for more light. I’ll try again next spring.… [more]

I mixed Trifecta, Azomite, and worm castings and gave each established plant about a tablespoon. Younger plants got half that. I watered everything in with fish fertilizer and Jack’s. I skipped the strawberry patches except for a bit of Jack’s 20-20-20. It’s a heavy round of feeding, but I want the plants… [more]

9/21 to 10/5. In a two week period the pumpkin went from ~2 feet to ~9, all the way around the top of the arch. These leaves were so big and healthy. A couple of things learned here. First, when we grow pumpkins next year on the arch we need to get… [more]

I fed almost everything again with Alaska Fish Fertilizer. Might be too much at this point. I got my soil test results back. I probably didn’t collect the soil samples perfectly. I may not have dug deep enough, and I suspect some recently fertilized soil mixed in. I’m planning a boron foliar… [more]

I mixed 1 teaspoon of Borax into a gallon of water and used it as a boron spray. I hit the established tomatoes, tomatillos, pumpkins, and the spaghetti squash on the arch. I gave light sprays to some younger plants and a few spots on the hill. [more]

I hit the overhanging tree on the southwest side with insecticidal soap. It’s hosting a heavy whitefly population. [more]

I mixed 4 tablespoons of calcium nitrate into 1.5 gallons of water and used it on about ten tomato and tomatillo plants, plus several pumpkins. I also used the spray to knock aphids off the big eggplant in the strawberry patch. That plant might be the biggest one I’ve grown. The pumpkin… [more]

I fed almost everything except the green beans with Jack’s 20-20-20. I wanted to switch from fish fertilizer and give the fruiting plants more P and K. Only the older cherry tomato is producing well right now. One Roma near the roses has a lot of green fruit that won’t ripen, and… [more]

I fertilized nearly every plant with Alaska Fish Fertilizer on the 17th. Everything in the ground and all containers got a dose, though amounts varied. Earlier that week I planted potatoes in a mix of containers and a few in-ground spots. I’m curious how they’ll handle pests and how the different locations… [more]

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This morning Ivy dropped some California Wildflower seeds all around the south side of the house by the AC units. That narrow strip of dirt is often shaded, so I’m not sure what will grow there beyond some native weeds. I’ve been dropping pruned tomato leaves and other things for weeks. And… [more]

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A peaceful moment working in the garden, interrupted by a loud cracking, I look over to see this huge branch falling towards me. I was out of range, just. Later we had someone look at it who was able to point out some dead parts of the tree, and the recommendation was… [more]

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In April I planted seeds for the first time: bell peppers and onions in small plastic cups with drainage holes, and a few in small square ceramic pots. The ceramic pots were a bad choice. We bought them on impulse because they looked nice. At that point, I didn’t understand up-potting at… [more]

In April and May we began to notice more wildlife. It was always there, we just noticed it more by spending more time outside. But I think there has been a real uptick in pollinators with the new plants we introduced. There are a lot of lizards sunning. One in particular we… [more]