The triple-digit heat took a break and also brought us some clouds and breezes this weekend, so I finally got myself out back to weed and prep the overgrown raised beds. I worked in our homemade compost into the existing soil with my hands (and have the roughed-up skin to prove it) and re-set the drip lines. I also let some of the horseherb stay because it seems to serve as soil-cooling "mulch". I also left, for now, the stressed, but generally okay pepper plants, basil, oregano, sage, and thyme.
I sowed the following seeds to transplant as soon as they're ready: romaine, butterchrunch, and mesclun mix lettuce; swiss chard, kale, beets, carrots, dill, cilantro, broccoli, sorrrel, and spinach. I still want to add some fall annual flowers into the mix, too!
I think I've discovered what's preventing this mexican feathergrass from thriving.
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13 comments:
haha on your cat! mine did the same thing and we have one mexican feather grass to show for it and it's just a straggler!
great job on all your hard work! we are almost there. i have to get the seeds sown, and the topsoil from natural gardener to mix into our compost and dirt we made for our new raised beds. ideally i wanted 4, but the heat just made it impossible to get done so we have 2 and i will use other parts of the garden to fill in the gaps...
yay for the cooler temps too! feels like winter after the over 100 death heat we've had..;)
I am impressed with your great start on the fall garden. I just can't quite accept that it ever WILL be Fall....yet. So probably a late start for me (again - what else is new?). Hopefully a wet/not so cold winter will let me get away with that.
Your kitty looks sooooo happy. We have mysteriously "schmooched" plants in places but no outdoor cats or dogs to blame. I always think "armadillo" when I see that but have nothing to back that up. Maybe it is the ghosts of cats past???
Hi cat,
I think two raised beds that you feel like you have control over sounds way more fun than feeling overwhelmed by trying four! Cheers!
Hey Deb,
I'm going with the ghosts of cats past theory! Thank you--getting veggie prep started was tough (mostly mentally), even with the slightly cooler temps.
You SO have the jump on me!! It must be your "Germanic Heritage"!! I just realized yesterday that it is TIME to weed the dead overgrown beds. Naturally, I haven't started yet.
Isn't it AMAZING how 98 feel COOL to us now?
Kathleen,
You're cracking me up--thank you! I had to DRAG myself outside to do all that weeding, even though it is a little cooler.
Great parting shot of the cat. I have always seeded my lettuces directly into the ground. Is there a reason you seed them first into pots and then into the ground?
Hi Bonnie!
The lettuce seeding into pots is an experiment in hopes of giving them a slightly cooler start. It's not based on any science--it's just my gut feeling. I'll sow more lettuce seeds directly into the ground if these fail.
We are lucky that we can be planning a fall garden. I did one bed ready for the rhubarb seeds I planted in pots. You are fortunate to have compost. My bin never got any water so it's as dry as a board. Rain today- well so they say!
Hi Iris,
My cat loves to EAT the feathergrass! He has chomped most of mine down to the height of regular grass after it has been mowed. I don't know how to make him stop - we've talked about it, but he just keeps on doing it.
-Neleh
Iris, will you talk more about your drip system? Morgan and I want to install drip irrigation and I'm interested in finding out about what folks in Austin are doing. Love the blog by the way.
Hi Iris, Will you talk more about your drip irrigation system? Morgan and I want to install drip irrigation so I'm interested in what other folks are doing. Love the blog!
zoomletta,
Husband Kurt bought the drip irrigation kit for around $25 at Home Depot two years ago. He says it was easy to assemble, but a few of the spigots are a little leaky. It covers more than 300 linear feet. Yesterday we noticed some of the holes were clogged, but I'll just take a pin or needle to them and hope that unclogs them.
Thanks for dropping in and glad you like the blog!
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