Stockton outpost

Just thought I'd give an update on the Stockton outpost of the SLAC community garden...

I've been harvesting lettuce for several weeks now. It's great being able to just run out to the garden for lettuce whenever we need it -- latest example was for last night's tacos!

My tomatoes (Sun Gold) have been ripening over the last week. We used some in the tacos last night as well. The plants got attacked by aphids a few weeks ago, though, so they don't seem to be as big as they could be, but at least they're producing some tomatoes. I sprayed the plants with a solution of water and dishwashing soap and that seemed to help get rid of the aphids. Not quite organic, but not as toxic as the stuff they sell at Lowe's!

I harvested my first zucchini this morning and a big handful of green beans. Cucumbers look like they should be ready in a week or so!

Not a bad harvest for our first garden!

How are things going at the SLAC garden?

Green beans and Sun Gold tomato plants

Cucumbers, zucchini and lettuce

Caught a very large rat in the live-trap today. The trap was set up in Rob's plot where his lettuce got mowed down. The rat was let go about a 1/4 mile away & trap reset.

There were five types of Zuke seeds planted in plot LC. ~ 4 seeds per type. Now have at least one sprout for each type! Probably way too much zucchini, but maybe just pick them very small.

Plamen's tomato plants are already getting big. He is growing a couple large type like box-car willie; but the odds of getting this to ripen are low. If they do, he will have perfect tomatoes for BLT's!

Plamen buried a wire mesh all the way around his two plots to keep gophers out. This is a lot of work! Later, he will put up a thin plastic mesh to keep squirrels out.

He has twenty different types of tomatoes! He has just made several rows of raised beds. Whenever I am out there on Sunday, he & his wife seem to always be there.

Cindy weeding the lettuce. Some of this will need replanting - not all rows came up or are missing. Slugs? There is a lot of chick weed - always a lot of chick weed!

Rob is cleaning the walk-way while giving me a hard time. Half the walk way is mine, so he is right!

I planted seeds of five different types of Zucchini in LC. Planted four of the same per staked area. We still have space to plant more items in LC. Maybe more mature plants, acorn squash, butternut? On Sunday, I'll hit Yamigami & look for some interesting stuff.

In E1, I planted tri-color pole beans. The beans were soaked in water for a few hours - this will accelerate the beans into sprouting. Erik still needs to buy corn for his plot.

Cindy planted three more eggplants in the 3x5 box. A round type vs the many Japanese type that were already planted. She also mulched the hot peppers & weeded a couple beds.

We receive four pepper plants from Hans. A salsa, carrot, and two other types. Didn't have time to plant them, so I took them home. I still need to prep a row by the bail of straw.

Me. Planting an unknown seedling. Squash, Zuke or Cuke? Lost in translation with my MIL. I got 3/4 of plot LC in shape for planting today. Apurva had worked it a bit too & added much coffee grounds that we accumulated from Starbucks'. Apurva, why call this plot LC? (comments....)

Sweet peppers in A1. They were just mulched. Front row is yellow pepper. Next row in Pimento de padron, next, either Hungarian wax or Banana. These last type will look nearly the same.

A1 with straw mulch in pathway.