Boy times seems to fly.  It has been 17 days since I posted an update on my garden and it is doing great! If you would like to see a layout of my garden please go to this link.

Hay Bales:  I really like growing in bales so far.  There are a few things that are not doing super such as my carrots.  I read several blogs and watched several videos on hay bale gardening and some said root crops don’t do well in hay bales but some that said they were fine.  Since this is my first time gardening in hay bales I figured I would try everything that I would normally grow.  Of course it is HOT here in eastern central Florida so that could be part of the issue too.  The beets seem to be doing great so far though.

Carrots

Candy Stripe Beets

The corn I am growing is the best I have grown so far.  I have tried in the ground and grow buckets with no good results.  It is tasseling (is this a word) now so can’t wait to see if I get anything.  Corn is another crop that most say will not do good in hay bales because of the shallow root system.  I planted mine against my fence so it could be tied and is doing good.  I did have a caterpillar problem and not squished them but not sure if I caught them in time.

Tomatoes!! The tomatoes are thriving.  Again I planted them against my fence so they could be tied up.  I also placed bird netting along the fence so I can keep the birds out.

Roma Tomatoes

Roma tomatoes

Green beans and cucumbers are doing OK.  Two other crops that really should have been planted earlier as it is so hot out but, I am getting enough to feed my family of 2 and canning beans.  I do have a sheet of screen over the cucumbers along with some shade cloth and it is helping keep the heat down.

3 types of green beans

The pumpkins seem to be liking the hay bales along with the watermelon and cantaloupes.  The peppers, basil and zucchini are still small.

Big Max Pumpkin

Watermelon

Watermelon and Melon

Grow Buckets: I have tomatoes and carrots in the buckets and have located them behind my green beans and cukes for shade.  They are doing great.  Unfortunately I can’t grow enough carrots for juicing every day.

Grow buckets

Raised Beds: I have to laugh at myself as I planted 4 “volunteers” I pulled from a pile I have been throwing plant waste in.  At first I thought they might be pumpkin or watermelon and then I thought they were the lemon cucumbers.  Today while I was checking my garden to my surprise I discovered they are melons.

Volunteer Melon

The sweet potatoes, well, they always do good.  They are as bad as the weeds.  This is the 2nd crop I have gotten from this bed.  These crops are from babies I didn’t find when digging the last batch.

Purple sweet potatoes

The Malabar Spinach is doing wonderful but I may pull all but one.  I have heard they can be invasive. When I am out I always pull a few leaves and eat.

Malabar Spinach

The strawberries are still producing and runners are finally beginning.  The carrot tops I planted will keep in and many of my friends in carrots for a while, lol.  I also have a nice celery plant that grew from seed via a celery base I planted a while back.

Strawberries

Carrot tops seeding

Celery and carrot tops

Back Yard Orchard: I don’t have a lot going on in this area yet but the 2 apple trees I planted and cut are really starting to sprout.  I am having issues with the Fuji producing new sprouts from the roots.  I am not sure what to do about this and will have to do some research unless anyone has an idea for me!

Apple Trees

Misc: My gladioli are beginning to bloom and one of my pineapples is producing a second baby.  I have never seen that before.  I have tons of lemon grass seedlings, if anyone in my area wants some please let me know.

Glads

New baby coming up

Raspberries? They have a life of their own, really!

Raspberries

Last but not least I am trying my hand at growing potatoes in pots with hay.  As the vines grow I keep adding hay.

Potatoes