Now that summer is here, I will update you on our gardening efforts. We are so thankful we don’t have potato bugs. We had a good year for potatoes last year so we decided to plant more this year. Last year, we had a huge problem with slugs. They made lace out of the cabbage leaves, it was so bad that we didn’t eat them, but gave them to the chickens. So far this spring and summer, the cabbages look good. We purchased a roll of copper net and laid it on the ground around the cabbage plants. So far, so good! The cabbages are on the right, next are two rows of onions, peppers and carrots are not up yet, and the potatoes are on the left. The greenhouse had to be reinforced with extra cover on the front during the winter because we have plenty of snow and some strong winds.
The garlic is looking good and will be ready to harvest soon. If you look at the spring blog post, you can compare the garlic from April to June. Also, you can see the method that we are using this year to keep the grass out. The strawberries are beginning to get ripe. Notice the electric net to keep the deer out of the strawberries but garlic doesn’t need a net; the deer don’t like garlic.
The blueberries and grapes are loaded.
The corn patch is next to the trees, and it was just planted last week. It is on the other side of the electric fence, so I’m sure the deer will have a feast, but maybe they will leave us a little corn to eat. The lavender is getting green after being covered with snow for several months. The green peas look promising with an extra electric fence around them.
The fruit trees are loaded with fruit. Now the job is to keep out the raccoons. The orchard has an electric fence, but the raccoons find a way in. They climb up the tree and break the limbs. The best way to keep the fruit safe is to set traps for the raccoons, the deer usually respect the electric fence and stay out. I will send more updates soon as the herbs, blackberries, raspberries, and elderberries progress.