Garden Update - August 16!

Last year we had a man come and throw grass clippings on the garden area from about July til October. My pumpkins appreciated it last year - especially the ones close enough to the grass to let their roots get that nitrogen and water they could absorb from it.

August, 2018 - you can see piles of grass clippings (dried out)

He really brought me a lot last year. Piles of it.

My garden area is actually across the street from our house. This is what I see when I head over there to turn on the water or move the sprinkler.

I have to cross this somewhat major road in order to get over there. That gorgeous oak tree - when I first started planting a garden over there - was small enough to cut down, but I liked how it looked - it was a nice shape. Obviously due to the extra watering I do over there, this tree has grown and grown over the last 15+ years. It’s a pretty tree. Obviously a tree like this isn’t a gardener’s friend, but I like how it looks, so we am leaving it. I just have to plant the pumpkins and corn away from the shade it casts.

Earlier this year my husband tilled the grass in as much as he could. Some of it wouldn’t till in well - it was so thick.

I went ahead and planted my pumpkin plants given to me by my friend and the corn seed in a combination of sand/grass clippings/compost.

Well, THIS year my corn is higher than it has EVER been and the pumpkin plants have completely filled all the rest of the space.

I can’t really walk around the ground among the plants well enough to get a bunch of good pictures or even a count of the pumpkins I have coming. The plants have completely run amuck. They are WILD! I risk walking on pumpkin vines every time I go over to move the water.

That grass really completely changed my soil. The compost has made a world of difference.

I do know that I counted at least 12 pumpkins a while ago - but I am sure I have many more than that. That would only be 1 pumpkin per plant. - assuming all 12 plants lived - of which I am not sure. In one section alone where I can walk, I counted 8 good sized pumpkins. They are green so it is hard to see them and count them without walking around moving plants.

The last couple of updates I compared and contrasted the pumpkins and corn. This time everything is everywhere! I can’t even share with you the individual pumpkin plants as I did before. They are all grown together.

The pumpkins are starting to grow into the corn area. The corn is taller than I’ve ever had before.

These plants growing on the outside of the fence make me smile. Just like kids love to test the boundaries - well, pumpkins just consider a fence nothing. Obviously they don’t mind. They just grow right through it.

I am going to have to watch and make sure that the pumpkin plants don’t start growing in the road in the next couple of weeks!

This week we still are having 80 degree days. As long as I can keep water on these things, they love this heat!

This fence is your typical chain link fence. -about 5’ high.

You can see pumpkins in the background of the corn tassels.

We’ll see what the rest of the season holds for us - but so far, it’s looking good!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store!

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