2023 garden season

[ScottyD'sdad]

Large garden, would be too expensive, and in the way for tractor cultivation.

Ed

[Don McCombs]

Ate the first garden sweet corn of the season last night.

[ScottyD'sdad]

We shared one ear last week, the coons got the rest.

Ed

[Peter Person]

Haven’t picked any corn yet, but it’s close. Based on the planting date, it should have been ready on 8/10, but we’ve had a lot of cloudy days and rain.
Poor zucchini and cucumber production too.
Even had Brown Patch fungus in the lawn.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Caught a beautiful skunk in the trap I set for coons. (Live trap). I released him, since I like skunks, for their grub control. He was beautiful. White collar, split into 2 white stripes high on his nack. Along the spine and down low, it was solid black. Didn't catch any raccoons so far!
Ed

[Peter Person]

So far we’ve picked about 10 dozen ears, relatively small, not very sweet, and on the dry side.
We used this variety from Agway;
https://www.seedway.com/product/butter-sugar-sweet-corn-treated-seed/

This dishpan has 4 dozen ears in it.

We know one of our problems is sunlight. From around 9:00am to 1:00pm the white pines cast shade. We get early sun and afternoon/evening sun.

We had a lot of rain beginnings in late June through early August. July alone was around 16”.

No issues with deer, racoons, or worms.

[Don McCombs]

Do you apply a high nitrogen fertilizer at least twice during the early growing season? I recommend you do a soil sample in late fall, after the garden is cleaned up for the winter. http://www.cag.uconn.edu/plsc/soiltest/sampling.php This will provide you with recommendations for lime and fertilizer.

[Peter Person]

Don,
After rototilling the area twice in the spring, we had the soil tested. PH was in the 7.5 range, not surprising since this was the chicken pen for 20 years. We applied a liberal dose of ammonium sulfate in the rows prior to planting.
Used a 10-10-10 fertilizer at planting and then several times during July and early August.
Once we clear the area, we’ll get the soil tested this fall.

[Don McCombs]

Sounds like you are doing it right. No need to test the soil every year. 2-3 years is fine.

[Peter Person]

We will try a different seed next year, probably a Supersweet SH2 variety vs the SU Normal Sugar that we grew this year.
Very disappointed in the moisture content and lack of sweetness.
There is a farm about 15 minutes up the road from us that is one of the suppliers for Big Y Supermarkets. We have had corn from them this year that was really good. We can buy a 5 dozen bag for $30, so that is what we will be freezing this year.

Not much we can do about the lack of sunlight where we planted this year. We are hoping the private road association finally takes down the white pines. That will make a huge difference in sunlight.

[Don McCombs]

Our favorites are Bodacious and Incredible.

[Eugene]

Apples. 20 plus year old apple tree produced around 100 gallons of cooking apples. Don't really have an accurate count. A lot on the ground and folks were picking apples when we were not at home. Neighbors were picking and hauling off apples in five gallon buckets; 15 gallons to one neighbor, 15 gallons to a dental tech., 5 gallons to the medical clinic, 5 gallons to daughter, 15 gallons to another neighbor, and maybe 30 or more gallons to a neighbor's son in-law.

[ajhbike]

Down here on the Shoreline it has been good. Lots of beans, tomatoes, greens, cukes, squash and peppers. Rain every 3rd day and not very hot...in fact this week be one of the warmest without rain. Second wave of tomatoes about to hit. We get a year like this every 10 years.

Ed, I set a live trap for racoons and caught a skunk. Carefully let it out after covering the trap with a sheet and we both escaped unscathed. Reset the trap and caught the same skunk the next night. It must have a card short of a full deck.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Just looking for a free meal!
Ed

[Don McCombs]

What are you using for bait?