Jun 3, 2011

Garden Update / May 2011

Boxes of chilies, off the plane and ready for planting
Another gardening year begins in NM, or more accurately, began last month.  The big issue this year will be the drought (so far no rain since last November) and the browsing in the garden and orchard as they search for food.  My sister checked the garden this week and said some of the lavender plant have been ripped out and the veggie beds have evidence of "tampering".  The footprints were from javalina, and I know they move around a lot looking for water when the creek stops running. Things are going to be tough until I get the fence up in back and the wall up in front.  Sigh.

One old bed and one new, before planting
The garden is in and growing well.  We have 5 varieties of chile this year, along with some beans and squash.  Last fall, the javalina ate all my pumpkins and in their rummaging tossed a few popcorn cobs around.  My sister said some of the corn is volunteering this year and I'm happy about that.  Last year was the first time I ever planted strawberry popcorn, and it was hands down, the best popcorn I ever tasted.

This year I made two new vegetable beds and they, along with last year's bed, were augmented with manure from Sally, the horse next door.  Because I have limited fencing, only two of the beds were planted.  Still, that's a lot of beans and chili!

Grape cutting with cobble mulch & deer protection
The fruit trees are ok, but the dry winter was tough on them.  I turn the irrigation off in Nov, so they had no water through mid April, when I turned on the system again. It looks like I may have lost a few, but it's too early to tell for sure.  My sister reports that some of the trees are sprouting now, but she can't tell if it's from above or below the graft union. If those trees are gone, I think I'll plant some blackberries in their places.  Amazingly, the one tree (a peach, Rio Oso Gem) that has given me the most trouble from the beginning (poor growth, resists training, ect) is doing really well; silly tree. The grapes from my mother's house are quite happy and very cute.