Growth this week

Peaches are growing. I thinned them because you're not supposed to let the tree produce its first transplanted year. There were 77 little peaches on the tree but now about 20. I know it's better for the tree's root system to spend its energy on growing roots not fruit, but the kids would cry if we didn't get something off the tree this year.

The wheat sprouted in the planter box.

Two kids are sharing this box. One wanted pumpkins and the other chose green beans. We put them out this week but the temps have been a little cool for them. We'll see if they make it.

Broccoli/Kale, Cabbage, Lettuce/Spinach, Turnips, more Spinach

Lettuce, Peas, Romaine/Radishes, Collards/Swiss Chard, back to Broccoli/ Kale

Parsnips (can't seem to get those to germinate well), Carrots (survived transplanting to thin-spread out the row), back to lettuce and peas again.

And the last green things in the covered bed, Chioggia Beets. They grow like a bullseye with fuchsia and white rings. The eggplant has not germinated yet and the asparagus is still not coming up yet.

I am trying to increase our planting area with 5 gallon buckets. Two years ago I tried to make my own topsy turvy tomato planter, where you have a bag of soil and put the plant in the bottom and hang the bag up. I used a regular bag of soil and reinforced the holes with tape and hung it up with wire. It worked pretty well until the kids plucked off the green tomatoes and the hail storm broke the plant. Last year I tried the same idea with a rigid planter that looked like a two tiered planter with columns holding up the top one. That worked really well and I found out that peppers will grow well upside down too. Until children come along to pick the little green ones. Or you forget to water it. So this year I thought I'd try plastic buckets. But I'll have to be careful where I hang them because they are kind of heavy.