Growing melons
Our garden is growing by leaps and bounds! I swear my rattlesnake beans and tomatoes in the back yard grew a couple of inches over night—at least it looked like they did 🙂
I looked back at the May planting signs post and was amazed at how bare the garden looked. I realize its been a whole month, but the changes that have taken place in that month are just amazing.
We’ve been working to put mulch on all the garden areas and we’ve been keeping up with the weeding. That horrible bed I told you about back in May has now been deep weeded twice more…and today I noticed more of that blooming plant emerging from the ground. Since it grows by runners its almost impossible to get it all out, but my trusty spade and I are going to continue to try our best to remove it.
Our rattlesnake beans are just beginning to grab a holt of the bottom rung of the cattle panel they’re growing near and we have baby tomatoes on quite a few plants. It’s so very exciting to walk around the yard and look at all the new growth and dream about those first messes of beans, squash, and tomatoes.
Here’s the best planting signs for June 2022.
Taurus: good for all root crops and above ground crops 23, 24
Cancer: best for planting above ground and root crops 1, 2, 28, 29
Scorpio: best for flowers and above ground crops 10, 11
Pisces: Good for planting and transplanting above ground crops, trees and shrubbery 18, 19
Last night’s video: Why We Mulch Our Garden.
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I love hearing about your garden and the advice that you share. We have raised garden beds and they are really growing! We still need to plant beans and okra and I’m thinking about trying out some potato bags. Have you ever tried potato bags for potatoes?
Pamela-I’ve never tried potato bags, but last year we used grow bags for our taters and they worked great 🙂
Thank you so much! We will have to try it!
I got my whole huge garden finally in just an hour before the rain let loose. I worked so hard for 3 -4 days and was so glad the seeds were in the ground when those first drops fell. I had some other stuff in my other garden that had sprouted, but really wasn’t doin’ much of anything, till it rained. I mulch everything, because I have no way to water, except to lug buckets from our rain barrels & the garden is just too big. It is amazing how much moisture mulching will keep in & it helps keep the weeds down long enough that the plants can get established. I used some wood chips & some old hay, and like Randy I just plow it back in in the fall. between that, and all the barn/coop cleanings added, I have the most amazing, black soil. Now here’s what I want to know….. Never heard of planting by the signs until I read the Foxfire Books. Not something that is done in CNY (or least no one that I ever knew talked about it). Do these ‘signs’ only work in the Appalachian region, as they are date specific somewhat? I hear you all talk about planting things on St. Patty’s day and such. If I did that, I’d have to dig through a couple feet of snow. So maybe it only works in your zone? I am curious about this. Our growing season is so short, that we all just try to kill ourselves on Memorial Day weekend to get EVERYTHING in at once. We have a very short window of time to get things in & this year the weather has not cooperated until now.
Patty-I think people all over the world use the signs to plant by, but as you indicated would be the case, they may have to start earlier or later in the year 🙂
I’m happy to hear your garden is thriving, Tipper. The mulch is needed this hot week. The rain last week was a blessing but now we’re getting proper hot temperatures.
I only have a few tomato plants and some some Mississippi purple hull peas. Without my wife there is no need to plant much of anything else. I do put straw around my tomatoes to help with moisture and weeds. I live near the Greenville, SC landfill and can get free mulch, it a mixture of the wood brought to the landfill. It is not anything you want to use in your yard. In the past I have put it on my garden spot and plowed it in during the fall of the year to rot over the winter and improve the soil.. Concerning weeds, when growing up daddy would clean out the stall of the mule and use it on our garden. It was not even close to being enough for the entire garden. Unlike the processed manure you buy this was full of weed seed. It was fertilizer but it sure did not help the weed problem. I got used for the weed problem!
Glad the garden is doing so well. I know you will enjoy it when you get in the first mess of beans. By the way, you’re letting your Appalachian roots show in this post. The expression “take a holt” ( as opposed to take a hold) is music to my ears. It is by no means unique to Appalachia, but is common through out the south. But probably more common in the mountains or at least rural areas. You’ll often hear it, but you don’t often see it written out. I don’t think I can tell you how happy that made me when I saw that this morning 🙂
When my dad planted our garden, we never mulched but it sure would have helped. I never would have thought about it but here at home we have always mulched our flowers, plants and shrubs. It does really help keep moisture in and the weeds out. Here in town, we go to a place and take our utility trailer and buy it by the cubic yard. Another enjoyable and knowledgeable blog and video. I love how you plant by the signs. Makes me homesick for a garden. Have a blessed day!
I haven’t looked it up but I think there are signs for pulling weeds as well. But even then, weeds are persistent and they don’t read the signs 🙁
We had to plant a couple of weeks later than we normally do, so my plants are just beginning to get going. Three days of rain helped a lot. Still need to finish one row of tomatoes and add three more rows of beans and that will have to be when we can get to it, regardless of the signs. 🙁
I just don’t have time to garden this year. Taking care of my quadriplegic son who has recently developed some skin issues and my expecting grandbaby born just yesterday, my hands are full. I have been buying up large amounts of food including some of the Patriots that y’all recently tested. Also plan to have everything/everyone settled in by July to take great advantage of other’s gardening skills at farmers markets and collect vegetables for canning. We did take an afternoon and add flowers to my bird feeding area. It’s looking right pretty. We have attracted many a new bird including some black birds. Maybe they will leave me a treasure. May God continue to bless your family and gardens.
Our youngest son spent two days over this past weekend mulching around plants in our back yard and our front yard. It really looks nice, keeps the weeds away and holds the moisture. In my planter raised beds that sit off our patio, we just have the mixed soil and compost and I really haven’t had a problem with them. I especially love the planters that are about 3 feet tall:) Your garden looks beautiful with all that mulch helping to reduce weeds. That’s a wise use of time spent.
Good for you! I think you are probably like me with little or no room to do any more planting. It is looking like though my 2nd planting of Peaches & Cream corn is not going to make a stand and I will need to replant so the signs calendar may come in handy for that. Only thing I can think might have caused this skippy stand was the rain burying the seed too deep maybe. Seed was 2022 seed.
My Wando peas are fading. I think my last picking will be this Friday or Saturday. I think that would make the 4th picking. Worth doing but not a high yield. I was planning on their shade coming off the melons and cucumbers about now anyway. Plants got about head high (6 feet). The chicken wire trellis worked well except I should have raised it higher or used two runs.
My Rattlesnake beans are running also. No blooms yet. Contender bush beans just barely beginning to try to have teeny-tiny beans. Have small green Roma tomatoes and lots of bloom.
Your garden is beautiful! Lots of hard work. Take care and God bless ❤️
You are the gardening guru and if you say plant by the signs, I have to agree because of your success! Your garden is indeed a beautiful sight of hard work and lovely green as your vegetables grow! Tipper, Tipper how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells and pretty tomatoes in a row!
Love it!
I wanted to plant by the signs when I planned my garden but the weather simply would not cooperate. The plowing and planting were both delayed due to the wet spring. When the ground finally dried, I planted it all in one day before it rained again. I didn’t look at the calendar on planting day, just got lucky I guess.
I love the picture of the baby plants above, just beginning their journey! Your yard/garden is a wonderland of visual delight, and soon to be a feast!
A vegetable garden is a wonderful and amazing thing. I’m glad to hear yours is doing so well this year.
I really enjoy your blogs and youtube channel.I also follow your daughters you tube . It is so nice to watch and read a wholesome, geniune and heartfelt channel.
We live in the middle of NC and always mulch our garden. Mostly we use grass clippings from our lawn mower with a collection bag. Sometimes we put straw down first with grass clippings on top. As you mentioned, mulch keeps moisture in, keeps weeds out, and allows us to walk on top without getting muddy after a rain. It also keep plants clean.
I had never heard of planting by the signs til my Mother-in-Law gave me the ‘lesson’. The first one was, planting peanuts by the ‘dark night’..I know I looked at her and wondered if she had lost her mind…lol…but down in Florida where they grow lots and lots of peanuts, that rule is followed. Keep on weeding, some just won’t give up and I wonder sometime, why are our veggies not that steadfast. Stay the course, Tipper, we are all with ya. God Bless.