It’s been a little over a week since we managed to plant most all the summer vegetables and fruits we’ll grow this year. Almost all the seeds are sprouted. As you can see in the photo the rattlesnake beans are about two inches high already. They are vigorous growers.
We have been so dry that we’ve actually watered the entire garden by hand twice. That’s something we rarely do, but since it doesn’t look like there’s much rain in the upcoming forecast we decided we needed to.
Yesterday evening we did get a wonderful spell of rain and I know the garden will grow like crazy because of it. Rain does something watering just can’t do.
Our spring vegetables are pretty much gone, well those that showed up and grew are. We do still have a little lettuce and since we’ve done a few plantings of green onions we still have them growing too.
There’s still three raised beds on the bank as well as two large grow bags that needs something planted in them, but we’ll likely wait a couple more weeks before planting the beds as a succession planting of something. I’m going to try growing watermelons in the grow bags and hope to plant them today.
We have lots of green tomatoes. And we have a few tomatoes growing that Chatter and I obviously mixed up the labels on the cups. About three of what we thought were Cherokee Purple tomatoes are tiny blue ones. I’m guessing they are the blueberry varieties that we wanted to try this year.
Here’s the best planting signs for June 2023.
Taurus: good for all root crops and above ground crops 13, 14
Cancer: best for planting above ground and root crops 18, 19
Scorpio: best for flowers and above ground crops 1, 2, 28, 29
Pisces: good for planting and transplanting above ground crops, trees and shrubbery 9, 10
Last night’s video: We Had so Much Fun at the Knoxville TN Mast General Store!
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Late reading this post. I agree with others about the price of plants. I was very surprised at the terrible prices for plants from Lowes and Tractor Supply, plus my local nursery has gone up. Ace Hardware has been a great place to get plants, and prices reasonable. In our area we have something called “Farm and Bureau” where I always get my seeds. Prices are reasonable and plain packaging with plenty of seed, although looks less than years past. I like to check in late summer, because they mark them half. Love all the gardening talk! I had a really crazy dream, and dreamed I visited in your part of the woods. I dreamed you gave me the biggest beans I have ever seen. They were as big as a small hoagie. Then I got lost in your woods when I was leaving. Where I grew up they always talked about “the end of your dream.” It was supposedly something would happen in the next few days that made your dream make sense. Appalachians in the old days put much importance in dreams. So far, nothing at all happening that would seem to be the end of my dream.
The rain did wonders for our little garden. Thank you Tipper for the reminder of the sign planting.
My Grandmothers inn Eastern Kentucky planted Faithfully by the signs. I remember My Paternal Grandmother Casey anxiously checking the mailbox daily for the arrival of her “Raymond Calendar “ to go by. Precious Memories.
My dad always said, “You can’t out-water the sun.”
We’ve had some bizarre weather here in Lower Michigan, too. Frost advisories on Friday and Saturday nights. The past two days in the 90s (terribly hot for this time of year). We’ve also had no rain for weeks. We didn’t see the sun for most of April and May was almost the opposite. I am hoping and praying that, with the coming of June and meteorological summer, our weather normalizes some time soon. I wish this for everyone.
I noticed a gap in the middle of your row cover. If you haven’t already you’d better close that up soon. Those cute little white butterflies that lay the eggs that mutate into the worm that devour and destroy your cabbage will find it an open door to come and dine with you. They will take advantage of any opening they can find. Gaps between sheets of cover and the ends are the most vulnerable.
Ima-thank you for worrying about us 🙂 That dark place is a layer of gorilla tape where we attached 2 pieces together 🙂
So happy you got everything planted. There does seem to be something different about plants getting rain. They seem to come to life more than just watering them. Maybe it’s just one of God’s wonders we don’t understand. We went to Lowe’s last night to pick up some things. We were looking at the garden plants. The prices are unbelievable. Over 5 dollars apiece for tomato plants but I did find some Cherokee purple and another couple of varieties. They had so many plants and no one buying them, and I understand why. Makes so much more sense to get your seeds growing and then plant them especially if you grow a large garden. I am going to try my hand at setting out a few plants in a raised container and see what they do. Continued prayers.
Gloria, you are right about the price of plants this year at Lowe’s, Home Depot and even Walmart being $5-6. I am lucky there’s a place near me that still buys and weighs out any amount of seed you want (like in the old time feed and seed stores) and also grows his own plants and has been selling them this year 2 for $3. The price of his seed is so much cheaper than these small seed company packs you buy and is a lot more likely to sprout. He also sells produce and his own fresh sausage made on Tuesday from local hogs killed on Monday. People come from far and wide to buy his sausage. There is a night and day difference between them and these national brands sold in the grocery store, no comparison.
The weather is supposed to be a scorcher for several days to come, so I planted the last two long rows of green beans yesterday without looking at the signs. If it doesn’t rain soon, I’m going to have to water my garden by hand as well. City water will keep it alive but won’t help it to grow very much. It would have been nice to get rain like eastern KY got over the weekend. We only saw a few gardens as we traveled around an area that used to have one at every house where there was a flat spot of ground. That was sad and confirmed what I already knew.
God, please bless Miss Cindy again today.
Tipper, you are so right about rain vs watering. Plants respond so well to rain and I have to wonder why. Randy, I’m with you: the deer destroy our fruit trees one year. Just chewed everything until they died. We 3 young apple trees and 3 cherry trees – gone. Thankfully they never touched the blueberry bushes.
JC, if I remember anything from a high school science class, rain water has nutrients in it from the trees and air, city water has chemicals added to it, and even well water is better but not as good as as rain water. The older farmers and probably even some of today’s farmer liked to have a good snow on their winter crops, it has a lot of nitrogen in it. Anyone remember in the past nitrogen being call sody not soda and fertilizer being called guano? Bull dog brand was a favorite brand of my granddaddy. If we keep destroying the woods and land to build housing developments, the rain water will no longer be much good.
I replied earlier, from what I remember in a high school science class, rain water has nutrients in it that city water and or well water does not have. The older generations of farmers hoped for at least one good snow on their winter crops. Snow is said to have a lot of nitrogen in it. Anyone remember nitrogen being call sody or soda and fertilizer being called guano? Bulldog brand was a favorite of my area
The garden looks beautiful, Tipper! Honestly, I just don’t see how it all gets done and the exciting life you lead to boot! It’s a lot. I’m replanting beans. Going with blue that turns green when cooked. I can’t wait. I have a few beans coming up sprouts, but cold rain and dark put the Kybosh on ‘em! I prayed over my garden and most of its alive anyway. Prayers and healing spirits for Miss Cindy and Granny too. May you all be blessed! Btw, Norman Chester writes the sweetest comments ever! He’s a breath of fresh air on a sunny morning!
Tipper, I have a question about the ‘signs’. Does it include seed starting under grow lights? or is it just for planting in the ground? I wanted to start several varieties of flowers but was going to wait for a week due to ‘life’ but should I be starting them today and tomorrow, instead?
Mary-I try to follow them for starting seeds inside too. I think it helps 🙂
With everything going on with your family, I’m glad you and Matt got everything planted. It’s such a joy to watch it grow.
I made the Knoxville video! Thank you for showing everyone and what a crowd! Such a good day.
Miss Cindy and all the family are in my daily prayers. Granny too!
We laughed when we read about your tomato mixup, as we have a similar squash mixup. My husband usually draws a grid of our garden so we can rotate crops for next year. Unfortunately he hasn’t done it yet and we’ve forgotten what we planted where. We can’t identify our summer squash and zucchini because the leaves look the same at this point. In another area of the garden we planted winter squash, and we don’t know which is which —- butternut or spaghetti. I guess it’ll be awhile before the tell-tale shape of butternut is visible!
Such a delight watching you gals do the book signing thing and it looked like your fans loved it too. I am sure Jim was missed, but you did hold your own. I have made so many errors in planting this year, but this is my learning year. I have had a few small things grow before, but never on the larger scale that we tried this year. The bush beans and okry are growing and of course tomatoes. Stay well and have fun on your next book event. Praying for Miss Cindy and Granny and the rest of you youngins. God Bless.
My okra is only a few inches tall but the deer are already trying to eat it, they are jumping over a 6 1/2 ft fence. I know people love and have the right to hunt them, but they are so destructive. I wish they had never came back to my area, now we have more deer than rabbits, they are everywhere. I made a 15 mile one way trip yesterday and saw 4 dead ones on the side of the road, so that means 4 tore up cars. I never have any luck trying to grow my own tomato plants, I tried a growing a new one to me this year, Cherokee-carbon, the seed sprouted and grew about 1-2 inches tall and then stopped growing even though they were under a grow light and I used the miracle grow brand of potting soil in the large solo cups. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. Going by all of my fussing this morning, you would think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed! Still praying for Miss Cindy and family.
“Where severe or persistent damage occurs, depredation permits may be issued to shoot
deer at times other than legal hunting seasons. Request a permit from any South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Wildlife Management or Law Enforcement office
at no cost to the applicant. These permits are valid for 30 days, and are renewable if
additional time is needed to alleviate the problem.”
This is copied from the SCDNR website. You would have to ask what to do with the animal after you shot it but I would imagine they would tell you to put it in your freezer.
There is another option. You can put up another fence about six feet outside the existing one. Deer will not try to jump over two fences. They have no depth perception so don’t know how far away the second fence is.
Here in North Carolina we are allowed to shoot deer if we catch them in the act of destroying our crops on our own property. They must be then disposed of on the same property in a “safe and sanitary” manner, which again includes the freezer I would think. But, you could get in some serious if you plant crops just to attract deer then kill them.
A third option would be to pull up stakes and move up here. It’s only a few miles. We’d be glad to have you, buddy, and will take good care of you!
Ed, unless the law has changed in SC the DNR will only issue a permit to kill these deer out of season if the crops they are damaging are a source of income. They will not give a permit to someone that is just growing a garden. The deer do this damage during the night so you would have to stay up all night. My farmer friend is issued 5 permits each year to kill deer out of season. That is not a drop in a bucket. Most of his income comes from farming, he is driving to NC in the morning to pick up 30 thousand sweet potato slips. Your suggestion of the two fences, especially if electric has proven to be one of the best methods but is cost prohibitive for a small garden. Last fall at least 15 does walked out on my son while he was hunting. He did not shoot because he thought there would surely be a buck close by that would come out. He counted 15 but said he knew there was more, this happen less than 500 yards from my back door. If I was younger, i might take you up on your offer to move. I dearly love the mountains and have always had a dream of having a cabin in the mountains.
So food grown for your own consumption is not income? It’s not income in a monetary sense but it’s still income. I guess if they can’t tax it, it’s not income?
God bless you Tipper, God bless you friends of Appalachia, God bless Ms Cindy with healing and health in Jesus name