Good luck Cindy.

VGKG those are some kind of cabbages, the huge kind!

First pea pods forming and harvested some kale...lots more coming. And last of the radishes for now.

Margi, vgkg, Cindy - Thanks for the concern.

Cindy - I'm wondering if possibly my delay in setting out seedlings is a god send. lots of older folks here use Memorial Day as a guide to planting tomato seedlings. I remember my mom complaining about having to replant tomato seedlings in June. But that was before the mills closed.

Take care John, I hope they get you fixed up good as new!

We had storms roll through around 3:30 am this morning and the next round is on my doorstep right now. There are two lines back to back that look and sound pretty severe but they are saying low threat of torpedoes.

There was one lightning strike from the earlier storm that sounded like it was very close or even on my property. I didn't smell any smoke though.

We finally had a good rain. 1.1" last night with thunder and lightening that lasted for a decent amount of time. And there's more coming tomorrow afternoon and evening. However, it's going to be a pretty cool weekend, temperature wise.

Thanks Jack. I got good news about my valve job. They delayed the mitral clip procedure till later in the summer as they think my valve is very repairable and also think that the stents will allow so much heart function improvement that the valve will possibly repair itself.

Decided to delay any transplanting till the night time temps improve. But I need to delegate adding manure to some tomato planting holes.

<----Liked "delegate" Good News John, please play along with the Doc to humor him.

Delegate, delegate, delegate!

I had help in my garden yesterday afternoon from my son and daughter-in-law. We picked the strawberries and two rows of the peas. Then they shelled peas while I worked on dinner and then after dinner, I jumped in and we finished all the shelling. Netted about 2.5# or so. I sent a sandwich baggie full home with them. The rest of the peas I got blanched and in the freezer this morning all spread out on baking sheets atop parchment. After work today I'll get the frozen morsels in vacuum sealed bags for winter consumption. Yum!

Jack - good luck with avoiding damage from nasty storms heading your way. Somehow I got skipped again. I could use the rain, but I really don't want the garden destroyed by big winds and shredding large hail, which much of KS has seen in the last few days. There is a chance later today that I'll get hit. I need the rain, but....

The promising rain fizzled out yesterday, not a drop to be had. I did some weed eating this morning before it got too hot and had to wear my covid mask to avoid the dried pollen cloud stirred up which still covered the ground. Picking some more beets today and watering everything else.

One local weather dude says 40% chance of rain on Sat while another says 80% chance. I want to add them up for 120% chance.

Margi - it looks like you got at least a few drops of rain a little while ago. I could use some help in the garden too but it ain't gonna happen. Since I will be away for a week I'm sure the weeds will take over as usual in my absence.

vgkg - it's hard to fathom that Cindy got over an inch and you got squat about 100 miles away as the crow flies. Bad luck, or does Cindy do a better rain dance? The storms that just rolled through here look like they are making a b-line for the mid Atlantic and moving pretty quick. Hope they make it to you.

This front is gong to cool things off here with nights in the 40s and a high tomorrow of 58. My brother is expecting a frost the next 2 nights (34F) at his Wisconsin garden and he doesn't really have a way to cover all of it. He's bumming to say the least.

Yes, Jack. Dulles only had .45" of rain yesterday and that is only 14 miles away.

That front will be here tomorrow afternoon and we will also have a very cool weekend. 60 on Saturday and 57 on Sunday for the highs. Hopefully, the clouds will keep the night time temps up enough to avoid plant damage. Hope it's not too bad for your brother.

"Bad luck, or does Cindy do a better rain dance?"

I think you're right Jack, I need to do more dancing in the garden ;-)

Meanwhile in western Washington https://youtu.be/DlKIkth8Qns

Margi, Jack Thank you.

Jack- I saw those torpedo warnings; you OK!

Rain should be starting as thunderstorms around 3pm and it's going to last through Sunday.

Saturday night's low is predicted to be 46.

John - you may have been very smart to hold off on planting.

Len - Thanks for the video. Hail in western Washington! And still some people don't think that climate change is an issue. This morning it was only 50 degrees here. Felt strange to be putting on a jacket to do my early morning gardening.

I hope the peas made a comfy bed for Mr Fox. I have a hard enough time keeping the peas attached to their climbing fences with the Kansas winds. I don’t need this too.

I picked 2 1/2 pounds of sugar snaps this morning.

Cindy - It occurred to me that I was lucky to have not set out more tomatoes. But I think the two I did set out will be OK..... Hopefully. I took a walk thru the big garden and was amazed at the growth in one week. I was tempted to dig in a spade full of manure in a few tomato planting holes, but resisted. I have no idea what my limit is.

I had excellent results with my apple grafting but only with the ones on rootstocks. The ones I grafted to existing trees had poor results. I did the grafts to rootstocks as soon as I had the scions AND the rootstocks; but waited for better weather to do the grafts to trees.

John - no torpedoes around me but there was some high winds and hail near me. I just got a couple inches of rain here.

Just checked my back garden and that one variety of garlic planted back there is ready to lift. It's one that I do not know the name of as I bought it at a farmer's market and they didn't know the name either (which means that they didn't grow it originally). Much of it is falling over.

It started to rain enough now that it chased me inside.

Again, my sunburst squash seedlings have been eaten. I placed a protective net over them and they still were eaten. Has to be insects. Will give them another attempt and that will be it for this year.

Cindy - Sad news about your Sunburst! I hop you’re successful with your final attempt.

I spotted my first tomatoes last night. Only two plants so far.

The rain is coming at a cost.. temps are suppose to dip down to 47 for Fri/Sat and Sat high will be only 53.. just when my melon plants finally started taking off.. this is my first time growing watermelons.

I have some PVC pipes that i've used to make a tent over the vegetable garden.. wondering if it's worth setting it up for these temps on my watermelon rows and melons, will it make a difference in temps? wondering if the slightly warm soil will help keep the temps higher than ambient?

Stevie - Welcome aboard! Yes it will make a difference. I just came in from pounding 4 rods/pipes and setting a gallon milk jug on top of each. I'll put a 12 x 12 sheet of heavy (6 mil ?) clear plastic over the pipes later in the day. This was to cover the hot frame which grew my tomato, zucchini, melon and brassica seedlings. The tomatoes are up to 18" high. The Costata Romenesco zucchini is even taller. The plants are too big to try to close the window sash that was covering the hot frame.

Sauerkraut anyone? I'm expecting a big harvest of cabbage this weekend. Maybe a dozen or more cabbage heads before they split. I'm planning to do the fermenting thing , either in the jars or in a crock and then can it. Has anybody done this?

HU from oklahoma

I went out and put the plastic over the hot frame after dinner. I found out what my new limits are; Nothing! That's it for gardening till I get stented. Is that a term?

I think I'm capable of watching the weeds grow. HA, ha.....

Take care John. my room mate got stinted too.

HU from oklahoma

OkieHU - Check out the Harvest forum here and you can find several threads on fermenting sauerkraut.

Harvest forum - sauerkraut

YIPPIE! I'm singing in the rain today. So far we've gotten almost a full inch since last evening with maybe another inch to come by tomorrow. It's been a tame non-violent rain and the ground is soaking it up like a sponge, the garden and fruit trees are very happy. This should take care of the lingering pollen too. Next week will bring cooler temps around 80F for the highs, a Welcome Relief!

OkieHU - Thank you.

vgkg, I got about ½ inch. Didn't need much more as moisture was already good. Be glad when it gets nice and warm again. First planting of corn is knee high. Tremendous strawberry year. No fruit or nuts this year.

So far we've received 1.6" of rain. Most of it came yesterday though more is expected tonight. Right now it's not raining, but it's cold!! It was 53 when I got up and now down to 52. Have the heat on indoors again.

There were mobs of people going to the beach this weekend. Unfortunately, it is not a good beach weekend. There were even tornadoes in southern Maryland yesterday during rush hour and beach traffic.

It's been a very strange spring here.

We started out to take the plastic off the hot frame but went back in when we realized what the temp was outside. Zima!

Funny thing I noticed in the corn I planted which didn't sprout till the last week or so; I planted it over to a compost pile but it didn't germinate within about two feet of the pile. The pile contained fall leafs and greens taken from the garden or the kitchen. No grass as while I have a bagger I haven't used it in at least a decade. Nothing in it from off the property except the kitchen scraps. The compost would block the morning sun but not the afternoon sun. Don't use herbicides or insecticides except I did spray the apple trees with an insecticide. ??

John, my best guess is that the compost pile acted like a blanket/insulator and it may have kept the soil around it too cool causing the seed to rot?

Going down into the 40's here for 2 nites but I think the ground has enough stored heat from the recent heatwave that it won't do any harm. I like the upcoming week of near 80F, with more rain in a few days.

vgkg - This plot was planted with Burpee's Northern Extra Sweet which is sposed to be able to withstand cold soil. Doesn't sound like it on the seed packet. I'll just plant the missing spots with Peaches and Cream when I plant another patch (when/if) I can. I was expecting the time between planting dates will keep them from crossing. Specially if I cut off the tassels on the older plants.

Brrrrrrr.......53F here this morning with a few lingering showers. Went outside to check the rain gauge and all toll so far is 1.75", a very nice overnight soaker added on to yesterday's 1 inch. I picked what is near the last of the peas (my hands are still like ice) and to my surprise there was 1 cucumber ready to pick too. "Cool as a cucumber" seems to fit well today. I could almost hear the cabbages swelling up out there, so thankful for a deep soaking rain. The whole garden may be shivering a bit today but it's also smiling.

It's pretty cold here, too. 49 overnight last night but tonight it's supposed to be even colder. 44 possibly. I'm hoping the clouds hang around to keep the temp from dropping too much. It's not raining at the moment and the temp is 53.

Only 1/10" of rain since yesterday evening for us.

PS. - I'm wearing wool knee socks.

We are in a warming trend yippie! Low 70's today and into the 80's for a few days, then we cool down again with 40's at night. I want my garden in California but still live here.

I cleaned up garden paths and put everything away this morning, that felt good👍

The Brandy Boy on the left is a one pounder

Lipstick pepper

Ozark Giant

Transylvanian pepper

Chimayo

Poblano

Sandia pepper

I awoke to rain today. Looks like close to an inch in the gauge. Love the moisture, but I'm not sure how I'll get the peas picked today, strawberries too. It's supposed to be rainy all morning. Maybe it will clear off in the afternoon enough that I can get out there. Maybe it's good that I can't go outside quite yet. there are several things that I need to do inside.

Yesterday I got some broccoli blanched and frozen. Since I had the mess already, I went out and picked another head. The biggest so far. 1# 3oz. I'll add a picture from my phone in an edit...

As I was trimming a bush around the house, I saw a bird's nest that was inhabited. I stopped the trimming and proceeded to stand there, nearly motionless in hopes of getting a picture of the adult birds feeding the babies.

Nice looking “pounder” Richard! I have some blossoms on my pepper plants, but that’s all so far.

Just picked this cabbage a few minutes ago, VgQn said "Can't you get them to grow a bit smaller?" nyuk....

Great photos everyone!

Richard I see you have the transylvanian and chimayo producing. Mine are still tiny shivering plants hoping for some sun and warm nights.

Margi the bird photos are precious.

Vgkg that is some cabbage!

Vgkg- That’s a monster!

Richard - first one pounder of the year? Looks delicious.

Love the birds, Margi. And your broccoli looks great.

Vgkg - That is one huge cabbage!

We only went down to 47 last night. Heading outside to check on things soon.

Today's garden highlights

Yeah it was a big cabbage, maybe a bit too big, VgQn made a huge slaw with the fresh carrots but had to freeze a bunch of it as cooked cabbage. Got 3 more like it out there.

Len - You greens look great! Peas, too.

Think that over the past three days we have had a total of 1.8" of rain here. It was very much needed and there will be more later this week.

Was able to plant my watermelon seedlings, Honeynut butternut squash seedlings, another rhubarb plant, more basil, and various veggie seeds today.

My neighbor used a decibel meter to measure the loudness of the cicadas from our front porch and it was 76!!

We got a few tomatoes and a couple Costato Romanesco zucchini set out. I don't think the zucchinis will make it. The plants were about 2 feet tall and the roots were apparently so deep in the hot frame that much of the feeder roots are gone. The plants could probably sell for $29.95 if you could get them to recover after transplanting to a big pot.

Need to reseed the 2 varieties of zuchinni and the cukes I seeded as I see one of each made it.

Cindy - I considered giving you a like but 76 DB is a bit loud.

Where has this year gone?

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6130401/veggie-tales-june-2021