Tuesday, July 05, 2016

July 4 Garden Report


So far, fingers crossed—an excellent gardening season.  The rains have come when needed, warm, sunny days, and no critter problems.  Here’s a summary on this 2016 Independence Day.

 Top prize goes to the potato crop.  In bloom and completely filling the rows.  I don’t recall a better looking potato crop.  My son-in-law, Paul asked, “What are you gonna do with all those taters?”  As any gardener knows, as well as those who raise chickens, “Never count your chickens until the eggs are hatched.”  It’s a long time from now until October potato harvest.

 Second prize to the leaf lettuce—we’ve already harvested it four times and it continues to flourish.  Same with the Swiss chard; two harvests and showing no signs of slowing down.

 The peas were so-so—two harvests.  We all so much enjoy eating fresh peas.  I pulled the plants on Saturday and we planted the area to late sweet corn.

The tomatoes—several blossoms showing.  Plants are as luxuriant as the potatoes—no sign of blight yet.  Fingers crossed.  Natasha thinned the rutabagas—we planted them way too thick, but they are on a tear—growing well.  Broccoli ready in a week or so, cabbage heads beginning to show, cucumbers beginning to vine, as are squash and pumpkins.  Zucchini looking good.

Sweet corn knee high and taller.  Has to be knee high by the Fourth—my dad always used that as a measure for the success of his field corn.  The long row of sunflowers is waist high, beating the corn, which we planted on the same day.

The failures so far—always some failures.  The radishes were pathetic.  Scrawny, wormy—I think I harvested about a dozen that were fit to eat. Carrots, well I think I may have a dozen of them that are growing.  Sad.  I like carrots.  Planted them with the radishes.  I must try something different next year.

This year marks the fiftieth year of gardening at Roshara.  One of these years we’ll figure out how to do it.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Vegetable gardening—what can be more fun, and more challenging?

ANNOUNCEMENT AND GOOD NEWS:  A second Clearing Writing Class is scheduled for Friday, October 28.  Call 920-854-4088 to Register.

Upcoming Events:

July 19, 11:00 a.m., Farm Technology Days, Snudden Farms, Lake Geneva, Walworth County. History of Wisconsin Agriculture.

August 9, 6:30 p.m. Winnebago County Historical Society.  Oshkosh Library.  History of Wisconsin Agriculture.

August 12, 9-4, Writing Workshop, The Clearing, Door County. (Filled)

August 20, 10:30-11:30 am.  Waupaca Annual Arts on the Square. 

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them): 

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:
 Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
 Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)

 The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)
Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835



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