My Garden Update for May 2010

Wow, how quick a month can go by. That’s especially true this time of year when things are growing and the sun is shining. (Just the opposite of the wintertime when the days seem to drag on forever).  The rains this month have been plentiful at over six and a half inches and the combination of warm days and cool nights have just been perfect for my lettuce crops! I’ve had fresh salads all spring with only a few trips to the market for iceberg lettuce that has been costing $1.50 a head! Likewise my radish sowings have been prolific as was a parsley plant left over from the previous season. So, I am very thankful.

Now, in the waning days of the month, I have a good number of other plants coming on. Most notably were the Great Northern Beans I wrote about in earlier blogs. These now have little bean pods on them and I’m not sure if I am supposed to eat them at this stage or let them mature into the dry variety I am familiar with. Hmm, think I’ll pick a few and find out for myself.

I also have a really nice crop of carrots coming up at this time (picture about right). They have been a ‘surprise’ crop ever since last year when I found that they are quite happy to stay in the ground until I need them. And so, I had a source of the most wonderful veggie all fall and on into winter. They truly are a sow and forget crop.

My onions have now begun to bulb up and while they never get all that big, they sure are a welcome addition to my kitchen as I use onions in salads, sandwiches and soups all year long. I think I have about fifty plants right now which may not sound like much, but that will be more than enough to satisfy my needs for the summer and even into part of the fall.

The tomato plants of which I have planted two varieties (Brandywine and Better Boy) are just now getting to be about a foot tall. The Brandywines were purchased as starts while the Better Boys were grown from seed. Like wise I have a good selection of mild and hot green peppers including Long Red Cayenne and California Wonder peppers. The starts are all doing nicely while those grown by me from seed are pretty small at this stage. I’ve found, however, that by the time August and September arrive they have generally caught up. Now the only thing I have to worry about (other than insects) will be the deer who also love to munch on the peppers and tomatoes. To that end, I have planted some of each in different locations in an effort to fool them. Time will tell.

Making Your Salad Dollar Stretch

A recent visit to the local grocery store in my town of Forsyth, Missouri convinced me more than ever that many of us should consider planting a small garden. Lettuce was well over a dollar a head, celery was pushing two dollars and you don’t even want to here about the cost of bell peppers! Yet, I’ve found a way to make these items really stretch.

I will admit that I am a salad junkie! Have been for as long as I can remember and it’s not unusual for me to have a salad with most every meal. But, since economic times have gone down hill and what with the job market all but non-existent, I’ve really had to watch my spending patterns. Trying to save is most felt when I shop for food these days. Not so long ago, a can of corn was under fifty cents. Now you can easily spend over a dollar. Vegetables were downright cheap, back then, and I can remember friends asking me why I even bothered to garden. I would always come back with the fact that my produce was at least pesticide free. Now, in 2010, I don’t have to use that excuse any longer.

So, how do I save money? If you look closely at the picture for this blog you will see that I have a pretty happy salad going here. There’s lettuce, romaine, parsley, celery, radishes, green onion and even a little bit of ham mixed with leftover peas going on in this dish. Because about half the ingredients came from my garden, the cost of this great diet meal is under a quarter! (At my last visit to a restaurant a small dinner salad was $4.99). Also, by creatively using leftovers from other meals, I am making use of ever bit of purchased food while enjoying the benefits of fresh produce from the garden. Now that’s a great way to save.

Onion update

White onion sets that were purchased and planted in my raised bed #1 on March the 6^th and which started to grow by the 15^th are now really beginning to grow! I’ve been harvesting a few now an then as additives to salads but still have more than enough in the middle of May to bring to full term this summer.

Of particular note have been the cool temperatures and wet conditions that have been more the rule than not this last month or so. I remember from an article I read somewhere that onions like wet conditions for optimal growth. I’ve also experienced very few flower stalks which is a good sign that the plants are happy with their growing conditions. Note that is you do get a stalk on a plant, try and remove it promptly or simply pull and use the plant. Otherwise, bulb production will be reduced.

The thing I really like about growing onions is the fact that sets purchased in the spring are pretty darn cheap and after planting all you have to make sure is that they get enough water and other than that, they are a breeze to grow. They can be used all during the growing cycle in salads and the finished bulbs are just the right size for slicing into hamburgers!

Onions are happiest in soils that are loose, fertile and well drained. They also do best when the pH is between 6.2 and 6.8. Neither of these conditions exist in my beds! I have a high clay content soil with modest amount of humus that has been supplied from my compost pile each spring. None the less, I’ve had pretty decent results over the past few years. True, my bulbs are not the largest (see my video ‘Onions are Easy to Grow’) but they sure have come in handy during the fall and early winter months. I store them in my basement where the cool conditions help preserve them fairly well.

May 10 Spring Storm Forecast

One look outside today (Monday, May 10, 2010) would confirm it’s spring as some more wacky weather is forecast for much of southwestern Missouri later on.

I had plans to get out and do a little hiking but have revised my plans in the face of temperatures that have stayed in the lower fifties with gusty winds and a general icky weather pattern that could develop into severe weather later this afternoon or tonight. As the graphic from the weather service indicates, the worst of the problems will more than likely impact the far west counties of Missouri and extreme southeast Kansas. Those folks might even see a squall line with long tracking tornadoes as part of the package. Over here in Forsyth Missouri, I am guessing that the frontal passage of the cold front in the early evening will be less dramatic with only straight line winds, hail and heavy rainfall possible.

Average Temperatures for the First Qtr 2010

Here in Forsyth Missouri I have tabulated the daily highs and lows for the first quarter and have present them here for review. Look out! Al Gore may have a case to be made. It has been a little warmer than average for the last couple of months! I never would have guessed this. I would have said we had a really cold winter (it was average) and would have said the spring was on the cold and rainy side (wrong on both counts)!

Rainfall for the First Quarter of 2010

As a gardener, I often get asked if this season is on track in terms of rainfall. Many of my friends know that weather observing is a hobby with me. That doesn’t mean I know much about the weather, but I do keep pretty accurate records for my location here in Forsyth Missouri.

So, what about the rainfall? Have we had more than or less than average? Well, the answer is….we’ve been about average for the first quarter of the year. As you can see in the graph at right, I’ve included the average rainfall rates for Springfield (SGF) which is to my north and West Plains (WP) which is to the east. I recorded 12.8 inches of rainfall here versus an average for the two locations of 13.3 inches for the months of January through April. That puts us at about a half inch behind. By my way of thinking that makes us pretty close to where we should be for this time of year.Also, Bull Shoals is not flooded for a change.

Calvin and Hobbs

River Run Park in Forsyth Missouri 2010

After a couple of seasons when River Run Park was closed due to flooding, it’s now back in operation and doing business down here in southwestern Missouri. On a beautiful day in early May, I packed my lunch and went to the park for an informal picnic. As I sat by the rivers edge, I noted workmen who were busy replacing large metal canopies that had been lost in the previous flood. I was very pleased to see that even though these are still shaky times economically, the Core of Engineers are still maintaining this gem of a recreational area.

There is an interactive map available on the internet for anyone interested in coming down for a stay at one of the many campsites that are available here. The park can handle anything from large RV’s down to simple tents with fees that run about $18 per night. Most of the sites are improved with access to water and electricity. Other amenities include: a boat launch ramp, dump station, flush toilet, playground, bike and trail access and showers. Additional information can be obtained by calling (417) 546-3646.