Gardening Notes

• Richard planted Onion Seeds this spring. He also planted sets and plants which are now mature. Planting Onion Seeds for the 1st time has been a real find. They offer us Green Onions now in the hot season and a possible "second crop" to harvest in the Fall. They are considerably cheaper than sets or plants. We will want to do more of this next year.
• Melanie notes that Fleabeetles are a big problem with Eggplants. They turn the plants to "lace". Last year, she tried row covers but the plants didn't seem to get enough light. She also tried Garden Guard, but killed the plants because she used too much. (That wasn't what she intended.) All the while, she was reading all she could find. Her discoveries led her to find that those vigorous little Fleabeetles do not like wet conditions and ground cover. They seem to thrive in hot, dry conditions which describes our garden in certain spots and at certain times to a "T". This year, she tried to fool the Fleabeetles by interplanting the Eggplants with Marigolds. This may have worked to some degree but not to the extent she desired. In order for Companion Planting to work, she concludes that Companion Plants need to be set up and growing to begin with. You need to have a mature plant to protect the seedlings. Until then, she has been planting them in pots in the front or in Grandmother's Flower Garden, where there is mulch and fewer fleabeetles. She is kind of "sneaking them in". She checks the Eggplants daily. While this may be a little over the top for some, she talks to them and touches their leaves every day. The Eggplants are doing very well so far. This is a new experiment. She has had some blooms, but is not sure of fruit set yet.
• Glinda loves Sunflowers. She likes all varieties and all kinds. Sunflowers love drier circumstances than we have had this year. Their tall stout habit does not seem to be supported by an extensive array of roots where an abundance of rain turns the soil to pudding. While some Sunflowers in the Garden are certainly still standing and look great, others have fallen or tilted. On Sunny Days, they then turn their heads to the Sun for an interesting twisted look (which is not the ambiance she desires). Their sturdy stalks then need stout support. Maybe, they just need to be taken out. Those that are planted too close are particularly susceptible. Although they are all in a line, they seem to be hanging onto their Friends to keep from going down, or fighting to see who can get the most Sun.

Dear Friends, what have observed of these things?