I hope to get some more squash, zucchini, and peas planted this month. I like the benefits of doing succession plantings, but don’t always get it accomplished. I did manage to plant some more onions about a week or so ago.
Today in my Mountain Flavors class we visited Tim, my neighbor down the road. As we walked around his big garden he explained to the class that once he plants corn he plants it again and again in three week intervals. Of course you’ve got to have a big garden to do that sort of succession planting. His corn looks great. He expects to start harvesting from the first he planted in another two to three weeks and the last corn he planted is just barely peeking out of the ground.
I was surprised to see a couple of cattle panels in his garden. He said the men working on the bridge were using them for pouring concrete and ended up with two left over so they gave them to him. He said that was years ago, but he decided to use them this year and see how they worked.
His apple trees suffered from the late freeze we had, well they more than suffered. All the trees had small apples on them and after the freeze they all fell off. I was saddened to learn Tim will have no apples to sell this year. I haven’t told Granny yet, but I know she’ll be disappointed too. She swears Tim’s apples are the best she’s ever eaten. I’m not sure of the variety, but the apples are red.
Here’s my favorite planting by the sign days for July.
- Taurus: good for all root crops and above ground crops 3, 4, 30, 31
- Cancer: best for planting above ground and root crops 8, 9
- Scorpio: best for flowers and above ground crops 17, 18
- Pisces: good for planting and transplanting above ground crops, trees and shrubbery 25, 26, 27
Best fermenting days for July (when the signs are in the head).
- 1, 2, 28, 29
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When very young my father and mother divorced. Consequently mom had to work hard to support me and my sister. I was blessed growing up about a block from my Grandpa’s house. I spent lots of time with my Grandpa gardening and helping him with chores. Until I was older I really wasn’t aware that not everyone was aware of doing things around the signs and the moon. Ever wonder why you can set a post and for some reason it just doesn’t seem to want to set solid? Or prune a plant and have it get sickly or even wilt away?
All things come together as a big beautifully arranged symphony, with each creation, all the way down to the tiniest atom, having their own notes. Playing a note at the wrong time or at the wrong pitch won’t stop the symphony but it doesn’t sound as pretty as it does when played in harmony.
All of a sudden communications have been cut off from e-mail?
Chip-are you saying you’re not receiving my emails? I bet they’re going in your spam or junk folder, sometimes that happens. See if they are there and if they’re not we can figure out what’s going on.
I started planting corn in 3 week intervals several years ago. I plant in a box and transplant the corn after it has been up several weeks. I do this to keep the animals from pulling it up as it comes up. I also found that I don’t need to plant twice as much to get half as much corn. And it is not any more work than planting seeds in the ground as I was replanting two and three times. It also means the seeds will have the water needed to germinate.
I blamed crows, racoons, doves for pulling the corn up. Last year I trapped 44 chipmunks and 42 racoons. The chipmunk problem seems to be reduced this year, but I have caught 8 racoons so far. I get sick of having to dispose of the creatures but what else can be done.
We started buying tomato and pepper plants in April and putting them in larger pots until frost is gone. We will actually have tomatoes in July for the first time. I have decided to start squash and zucchini next year.
Yesterday in the awful heat and humidity that’s been holding my part of Massachusetts hostage under a steamy blanket for days, I quickly dug a 3×3-foot spot and planted more kale. It took me a long time to realize that it’s better to plant even a tiny patch of something than to wait for more comfortable weather and plant a long row.
We use cattle panels in our garden for certain things to. Yes I bet granny will be disappointed. The frost hit our cherries and pears and few little apples that we were going to have.
I don’t think I have ever planted in July. It is awful hot around here then. I could come up with some space to plant a few things though.
I try succession planting in corn but if germination is delayed on any of the plantings it loses its purpose. I made two plantings of corn starting in May but we had a dry spell and the first planting didn’t come up but waited for rain. Second planting did the same, then both came up together when we did get rain. No succession at all. All of it will be ready at the same time.
I get frustrated sometimes. I asked a fella awhile back, “Who would be a farmer on purpose?” I don’t think he knew what to make of that remark. I was half serious and half joking. I don’t have any plans to quit trying and dread the idea of having to someday.
I thought I had heard all of the Jerry Clower routines but I heard one I must have missed. He was talking about an old boy who maintained that it was best to dig fence post holes at the right time of the moon.