Even though the neighbors line up to take pictures of your impeccably weed-free, absolutely straight rows of vegetables and Better Homes and Gardens has made an appointment to feature your garden in their next issue, or NOT!
The reality may be pumpkin vines strangling anything that dares venture on the pathways, zucchinis the size of small children hiding under its giant leaves and tomato plants totally out of control; all is well.
Try not to worry about rows of carrots you didn’t thin and as my grandpa used to say, “Grew as thick as hair on a dog’s back,” it is not too late. Simply eliminate or extract sections at a time, leaving a space of about 5 or 6 inches, then thin to one tousled green plant. The little ones are delicious and full of nutrition or, if it is too much work, are great in the compost pile.
Though your visions of supplying the Worlds Food Bank haven’t panned out, your garden will satisfy the people you feed at your table and your friends and neighbors.
As for hungry caterpillars, slugs and beetles, you can pick those off your plants—I have special gloves for them too.
My garden attracts mice, so I invite the neighbor’s cat for lunch and she usually goes home with a full belly. I have potatoes and beets with no bites out of them. I think I can attribute this to biological (biotic) control, and I try to eliminate (a-biotic) chemical control as much as possible.
If you have rodents, check your irritation system frequently, as the little critters love to chew holes in the water lines going to your plants.
Drip irrigation is the most efficient method of watering. But if you only have overhead sprinklers, try to water early in the morning; there is less evaporation and the susceptibility to a disease is also less.
Fun fact about squash and other cucurbits: The blossoms are edible. My daughter served me beer-battered zucchini blossoms on my birthday, and they were delicious, nutritious and oh so pretty.
The cucurbit blossoms have interesting characteristics; male and female flowers on the same plant. The male flowers open first, then the female. Guess what happens next? Zucchinis!
Don’t panic when you’re charming bleeding heart begins to wither and looks like it is dying. It isn’t really dead; it is just resting until next spring. Like the yellowing leaves of the daffodils, wait to remove them until they are limp.
Funny story about my King Alfred Daffodils; one summer day, friends of mine came to visit. They remarked about the unusual plants along my entryway. I chuckled and said, “Those are the spent leaves of the daffodils. When they finished blooming, I braided them and tucked the ends under the clump. The spent braids come right up with scarcely a tug.” I told my friends that even Kings have Bad Hair Days!
Still wondering about the value of gardening?
1. Much savings on therapy sessions
2. Ample supply of vitamin D
3. Rebate on your Workout Program
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners at http://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/
or call 509-477-2181 for more information
Master Gardeners are also available at the Cheney Library on the 1st &3rd Fridays of the month from April to October.
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