August 2013: Garden Update + Hugelkultur

It's AUGUST!!  AUGUST! This summer is really going by fast!  I've been trying to get all my fall crops in before Sept.  I sowed mustard seeds and lettuce seeds but of course, it's become a buffet for my slug population.  Thankfully, some have survived and sprouted but I ended up having to sow more seeds, which sadly were eaten within a day.  So, I decided to start mustard seeds indoors using wet paper towels!!

This is the komatsuna.  They germinated in a day and this pic is from today, DAY 2.  I'll be able to set these guys out tomorrow morning.  The Korean mustard is being started using the moist paper towel method, too.  Apparently, carrot seeds can also be germinated this way if germination is an issue.  I've never had a problem with carrots but it's good to know!

Out in our front yard, we have a stump that we had been using as a bird feeder.  Well, now it's become a mini hugelkultur!!

That might be corn and some sort of wheat/grass growing in the middle of this stump.  With all of the rain we've been getting and the stump slowly rotting away, the environment was perfect for the seeds left in the stump to germinate.  I'm a little obsessed with hugelkultur beds right now.  Basically using rotting wood and sticks to form a base for a garden bed and then adding copious amounts of manure or compost that would provide long term nutrients to plants.  It's supposed to be very sustainable and efficient!! LOVE this idea!

Here are some other things happening in the garden this month...
  

My first Upper Ground Sweet Potato squash of the season.

Psycho squash plants taking over the yard.  Soon, I'll have to beat them back so they don't invade my neighbor's yard.  I decided next year to not grow zucchinis and focus on growing Korean squash.  Apparently, according to my mother, the squash can be eaten young as a summer squash and then later matured to be a winter pumpkin.  My goal is also to collect the seeds next year since I can't seem to find a genus and species for this particular squash.  All of the Korean squashes I've seen online have been the avocado squash or bulam that look nothing like this squash...

The melons have been o.k. this year.  With all of the rain, most of the muskmelons have been splitting like crazy and not ripening.  The Desert King watermelons haven't done as well, either.  Not very productive (I only got 5 this year and one rotted), they haven't been as sweet.  Still pretty tasty but not as sweet as I had hoped.  Orangeglo by far has been my favorite so far.  I ordered more watermelon seeds.... I have a problem, don't judge me.... and I'm planning to try two ice box varieties (10 lbs or less) next year. 

I FINALLY cleared out the bed with the Korean squash to plant my fall collards, dinosaur kale and napa cabbages.  To make more room, I chopped down some perilla plants and took out my Thai basils; I will freeze the basil in ice cube trays to keep for the fall/winter.

 I'm hoping the Korean squash will continue to produce even though the main stems were chopped down.  Each area along the vine with two giant squash leaves growing have rooted into the ground so I'm guessing that the plants will survive.  Cross your fingers!