Experimenting

Since we can't get any decent rain, I'm calling this year an experiment; so far, it's been a good one, I'd say.  Not perfect, though.

 This is a cutting off a very blighted tomato plant.  I noticed it growing on the ground, heaped some dirt over the limb and kept it watered; after about three weeks, I peeked under the dirt and saw tiny white roots on the branch, so I cut it off, brought it to a roomy spot, and planted it.  When I see a blighty leaf or branch on it, I take it off and throw it over the fence.  There are a couple of small tomatoes on it, but I just consider it an experiment.  I'm sure it would have fared better had I removed the tiny tomatoes, but it's doing OK.  I think I should have started the experiment a little earlier.

These make up  my new strawberry bed; they are plants I moved from the old patch, which is mostly gone.  They seem healthy  enough, but only two of them are sending out runners to make more plants so far.  I told them this morning they had better look at those two and realize they need to get busy.

I tell them to watch Lulu here, and see how prolific she is.

I just planted these radishes a week or so ago.  The green bean plants on the left are my third planting of beans.  The corn beyond the radishes is my fourth planting.  There's a third one just now getting it's tassels showing.  So far the sweet corn has been doing great, although the corn-on-the-cobs aren't as big as usual.

This is a lonely pepper plant.  I use the soaker hose on plants that are in a row, but for the single plants I put here and there, I just water by hand.  I try to make a dam around them so I can give them plenty of water and it will sink down to the roots where it's needed.

I have learned to live with blighty tomatoes.  So far, we still have more tomatoes than we can eat.

These three plants aren't quite as bad.

In that little wet spot is today's experiment; it's another tomato branch I planted.  As you can see,  the okra on the left never fails to do well.  I walk along that row every other day and cut the too-large pods off.

I began this entry Saturday and forgot about it.  Now I'll finish on a high note.  

We went to another family reunion Sunday; while we were away, something wonderful happened:  Starting Sunday morning about the time we left for north Missouri, it rained here, and it followed us all the way to the our destination in Bethany.  When we got home, we found we had 3 1/2 inches of rain!  That's the most rain we've had all year.  It rained a little harder than I'd have liked, but it didn't do too much damage.  Today, off and on, I've been pulling weeds and loving that job.  Finally there's enough moisture to let me pull them up, roots and all.

Color me thankful.