Well, my peppers are apparently delicious. Most of the buds have been eaten clean off - I suspect the lizards who were assisting earlier in bug mitigation. That or the squirrels. Or the birds. Or the jolly green giant. Could be anyone, really.
Not a lot I can do about it at this point. The weather is going to get into the 50s tonight, so I'm going to move all of the plants to the ground and throw a freezer blanket over them tonight. Little noobs in the middle, larger caged plants on the outside.
I've figured out my raised bed plan; start with one and work my way up. I toyed with a bunch of options but am going for cinder block - eventually faced with decorative brick if needed (one option was all decorative brick but beyond my technical abilities and time limitation).
I'll do it 3.5 concrete blocks by 5 - in an overlapping arrangement three blocks high @ 48 per bed. Start with one and work my way on, 30 square feet of garden space at a time. The second one will be for corn, peas, and something leafy, a squash probably - I can make that one lower at 2 bricks high for the first year or so.
I can put those rescued bamboo poles at the corners and the midway point - then wire chicken wire or something a bit bigger-holed around as hinged access points. Though until I know what's eating things, not much point. If it's squirrels or birds, I can do it. If it's lizards, I'm pretty screwed. I'm sure its birds or squirrels, though. Must get bird food and scatter it away from the plants ...
So all my peppers but for three fruits are gone (two banana, one jalapeno). Tomatoes are doing well enough, just succession planted a few more. Everyone else is meh, they fruit or not, I started way too late again, even with pre-started plants.
Tonight I'll move and frost blanked the plants, see if I can pot up the last two tomatoes and peppers or just shove them somewhere in the warmth pile.
I'll bring the starter plants I did from seed in the house, and then hope for the best.
Need to start more lettuce sooon, and kale, and either not let the children help (boo) or just not bury it so deeply.
The carrots haven't been disturbed by my underground friends (seem to have moved to the back yard) so they can stay on the front porch. Need to start a third bucket.
If I can get the bed done in a couple of weeks, I can start putting bushes and other debris in the bottom, then start putting food waste and left over mulch from under the bushes in there. The bamboos are mostly 6ft long (as is the interior of the bed is) so I can probably just kind of tarp it as I build it up with organic waste. Then pile the container garden in there until Jan 31 when I can start xplanting things in there for good.
If Jan 31 is my last frost date, I need to start my new plants from seed in two weeks or so. I got some tall seed starter domes from Park Seed but they seem kind of meh. I might give them to the kids and just build out my seedling boxes (been reading biointensive gardening) myself and start them there.
I hope to get my garlic softneck starts this week (found them!) and pull up the side yard where they'll plant. Must low fence the area to keep the lawn guy away. Also need to do some potato wells with the old bricks from an older project.
Hazelnut bushes should show up soon. Probably two on the fence line and one in the side yard... I think I'll take out a side yard bush and put it there. Then the blueberries next once I build out the bed (I'll be able to lose the garden turtle I've got half done compost in and the bench I have bricks in).
Got a frost tent for the miracle berries in the front yard. Those are doing well, new growth. The tent looks like an igloo, so I'll sketch some "bricks" on there and pretend it's a holiday decoration. Will also (bought a pressure cleaner) redo a border out front with decorative bricks, and start sprouting sweet potatoes to plant out there. No more mulch if I just let the sweet potatoes grow and flower all over. If I plant one every six weeks we'll start having potatoes out our ears in a few months continuously.
Citrus trees are doing well; probably won't prune the branch from the graft root, lol. Meyer is slower than dwarf Clementine but no worries. I'll keep them on the front porch and move them indoors at night when we dip in the 50s.
Holiday shopping is over. Need to write up the rest of the garden calendar for the kids and mail it off. The rest of the witner is sooo booked.
Got the property taxes paid (ouch) and looking forward to the holiday break and crazyness. Always fun, and I'll get to meet my new nephew to boot. Need to book someone to repair the sprinkler box (replace) and the gutter guy.
Luckily with the lack of rain my rain barrels are almost empty so I can move them to the side of the yard - need to get a diverter, too. I kind of want to move the one that's on the side of the house, but I'm not sure where to. It is positioned pretty well under a corner where water runs off significantly. Maybe if I just fix the hose - it seems as if it's got a bit of a drip. I'm also madly in love with my new ("ugly") barrel with a brass spigot - but I can just put a twist nozzle on the end of the hose
I know I've got one around here somewhere. Will also put a couple of pavers leaning against it to prettify the cinderblock it's resting on.
immediately acquire: cinder blocks, chicken wire (below the bed), mulch (around the beds) cardboard (free), tree and brush discards (free), diverter (look at prices and comparison shop).
eventually acquire: wheelbarrow (can use 18 gal buckets and furniture mover for now), third rain barrel, more bricks for more beds.
I can get some dirt when I did up the bushes to add to the beds ....
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