June Garden Update

I wanted to give another update on the garden here at Happy Acres. I now have everything planted in the summer vegetable garden, and most everything has been mulched as well. Last week I got the pole beans planted, and they are now mulched and beginning to sprout. I mulched with corrugated cardboard on the front side and recycled cardboard boxes on the back side between the trellis and the outside fence.

bed planted with pole beans

pole beans after mulching

beans sprouting

I also got the sweet potatoes planted on Thursday. I’ve had great success using the no-dig, no-till method the last couple of years, and this is the way I grow all my crops except for the sweet potatoes. Before planting the sweet potatoes though I tilled up an area about two feet wide and a few inches deep. Then I used a garden hoe to form a ridge of soil that is 8 to 10 inches high and about as wide, so the edible roots can form there. I’ve experimented with several different spacings over the years, and I now try and set the plants somewhere between 15 and 16 inches apart in the row. I managed to get 29 plants in a bed that was about 40 feet long.

sweet potato plant

After planting I mulched with corrugated cardboard on either side of the bed and spread shredded paper down the middle part around the plants. I had good luck with this method last year, and the paper and cardboard will help keep down weeds while conserving soil moisture. Eventually both will break down and add organic material to the soil.

sweet potato bed

I also managed to get the vining winter squashes planted this past week. I started these plants indoors about a month ago, and they had developed healthy root systems and several true leaves had formed. I worked in compost and a bit of organic fertilizer before planting, and they should get off to a quick start.

Centercut squash seedlings

Meanwhile, the bush squashes are blooming and setting on fruit. I hand pollinated these first ones, since the bees haven’t yet found the blossoms. Before long they will be all over them and take over the pollination job for me. This year I set out two acorn types (Starry Night and Goldilocks), two yellow squashes (Tempest and Butterfingers) and five zucchinis (Clarimore, Green Machine, Noche, Mexicana and Zefren). They should keep us well supplied for fresh eating and I will freeze the rest for use later.

summer squash plants

first zucchini setting on

I also set out three overwintered peppers last week, and that completes the pepper planting for the year. I grow these overwintered ones in pots the first year, and keep them alive in the basement over the winter until time to set them out the next spring. The two year old plants start producing early and are super productive. I overwintered three of my favorite hot peppers last year: Aji Rico, Aji Delight and Sugar Rush Peach (in the photo).

overwintered pepper plant

The pepper seedlings I set out on 5/21 have taken off and are making good growth. I have seen a few blooms on the larger plants, and so far I haven’t lost any of them.

pepper plant

The tomatoes are also about ready to start blooming. They have really taken off after planting, no doubt helped by the recent rains and a shot of nitrogen they got from the blood meal I spread on the bed before planting. I will side dress with more organic fertilizer in a couple of weeks since they are fairly heavy feeders, and give them a drink of fish emulsion/seaweed fertilizer.

tomato plant

I hope you have enjoyed this update on the spring plantings here in early June. I’ll be back soon with more happenings from Happy Acres.