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Saturday, August 12, 2006

That Was Then, This Is Now












Above:
Then:My wonderful squash vines back in May.












Above:
Now: actually a few weeks ago...they are gone now.













Above:
Bell Pepper, nipped by deer, ravaged by drought (it's potted) and neglect. Still squeezing out a pepper now and then.
















Above:
Datil peppers, also deer nipped and neglected. The peppers have stopped blossoming now with night temperatures staying above 70 degrees. I'll rejuvenate them with a dose of miracle grow and a move closer to the house where the deer fear to tread and they might actually get watered. They should give me a second late summer flush of peppers...although I wouldn't blame them if they decided not to...I've been a poor caretaker.

I'm planning a major redo of my garden layout, but first, while it's still the season of intense heat, I'm going to try solarizing the soil. I've played with this a little, but never on a garden wide scale.

I'm sure I'll be discussing that project at some point in the future. Posted by Picasa

10 comments:

  1. roger,
    you may have to use your grow lights on those peppers.

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  2. Your overnight temps are above 70? That's our high temp for the day. This morning it was 40. Definitely colder than usual. No wonder our datils are little bitty things. We may have to try that grow light idea.

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  3. Robin,
    I live in pepper heaven, so I'm not really sure how higher latitudes deal with peppers, but Gus the greenhouse seems like the way to go in such a cool climate.

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  4. When we lived out in the woods we had to put a tall fence around our garden to keep the deer and peoples escaped cattle & horses out of our garden. Once we even had a visiting hog pass thru...not a wild one either.

    I went over and read about Pablo's bronze sculptures...that was pretty fascinating and I think I'd enjoy sculpting something if given half the chance.

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  5. You'd think the taste of the peppers would deter the deer enough on its own! Maybe you just need to grow super-hot peppers around the exterior of your garden and the deer will take one bite and run away...

    Do peppers have that same "omigosh too hot" effect on animals, too? Or just people?

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  6. Abandoned,
    A truly TALL fence is the only 100% deer barrier I believe...I haven't taken that step yet and my garden shows it!

    Mrs. S,
    Actually, mammals can feel the heat. Birds don't and that helps the plant to spread it's seeds (in the original wild peppers). My deer pals seem to eat just the leaves.

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  7. ugh, I know the frustrations of trying to grow vegetables...especially those dang peppers...I just can't get the blooms to hold, no matter what I try. I've been tempted to just throw them in the yard and say "you're on your own."

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  8. Peppers seem to do pretty well up here too. It looks like your squash did well for awhile!

    I'm in a bit of a battle with the heat now watering my hops every other day or so. Hopefully I'll still get the final big harvest soon.

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  9. Hurricane Teen,
    Your datils may give you a second crop if you can keep them alive until fall. The squash was bumper this year.

    Thunder,
    Now with that bigdog brew setup, you can make beaucoup brewski. :)

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  10. what second crop? it would be my first! lol. It's just too dang hot for them right now. 90+ degrees and the blooms just drop off.

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