Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Growing despite the cold and rain

Vegetable gardens are really exciting for me. I just can't wait to eat all the produce.
This year I planted a demonstration garden the King County South treatment plant in Renton. We are using biosolids compost (GroCo) to fertilize the beds, and the ornamental beds are getting irrigated with reclaimed water. How cool is that?

Potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes are getting huge!

Herbs are looking lush and healthy

Cucumber seedling. The trellis is ready for the cucumber to start climbing. Trellising cucumbers is a great way to grow them in less space. Also, keeping the developing fruit off the ground help the cucs to grow straight.

My first eggplant bud of the season. I can't wait for it to bloom... eggplant flowers are so pretty.

Some of my tomato plants are already setting fruit! Amazing given the fact that our weather has been so weird (and cold). I like to grow my tomatoes as a single vine. I find that the plants tend to be healthier, and the fruit tastes better when I grow them like this, as opposed to using cages. I use nylon footsies to tie the single vine to a bamboo stake because they are both strong and gentle. I also trim back any leaves that are making contact with the soil surface, as an effort to reduce fungal infections.

2 comments:

  1. how cool is that? very cool.

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  2. That's amazing. Just goes to show how nature cannot be stopped by cold, rain, or poor weather.

    Jaclyn from Boston video production company

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