These glass covers (mini greehouses) have been set up to give us a jump on planting sweet potatoes. The idea is to warm the soil so we can plant sooner.

High Temperature:
Actual: 16°C sun and cloud Wind W30km/h P.O.P.50%
Average: 12°C
Record: 30°C in 2002

Low Temperature:
Actual: 1°C cloudy Wind WNW30km/h P.O.P.40%
Average: 1°C
Record: -6°C in 1980

I went up this morning at 9am with my daughter to do some weeding and cleaning up. I continued my work on Block A trying to get a jump on the weeds. I will be weeding for a couple of weeks I'm sure.


















Mandy went into Block C and I had her tying the peas and weeding in between the rows. She also weeded the walkway beside it. She did a very neat job. This was her first time up here and she really enjoyed the tranquility. We left at 12:00pm.

Day +22 mainly sunny Wind S11km/h P.O.P.0%
Night +13 clear Wind N6km/h P.O.P.0%

Compost bins between Block A and C.







The beginning of Block E. Straw was spread over this area of grass last year.






A view of Block A.







Day -7 partly sunny Wind SSW8km/h P.O.P.0%
Night -16 clear Wind W16km/h P.O.P.0%

Alex and his friend Tavaughn came up with me to help out. They pulled weeds in block A from 5 rows. Les and Dick were in block D tying tomatoes and Moeen was in block C weeding, trimming and watering a few rows. Alan was up with the dogs, using the trimmer he trimmed around the compost bins and block A and B.

Day +20 sun and cloud Winds S11km/h P.O.P.0%
Night +10 Mostly cloudy Winds N6km/h P.O.P.20%

I was up again today pulling the monstrous array of weeds that have started taking over just about every corner of the gardens. All this rain and few bodies to keep up with the ever demanding chore is giving the advantage to the weeds. Spent 3 1/2 hours pulling them and now Block B is beginning to look like growing beds again. Alan, was also up clearing weeds in Block C.

Day +19 sun and cloud with showers 1.8mm Winds W16km/h P.O.P.70%
Night+12 mainly clear Winds WSW19km/h P.O.P.0%

Spent 2 hours weeding and checking in on the gardens around the building as well as the corner bed. Dug up and donated several Lilac shrubs to nursery bed(planted in my bed)
Several things have been going on. Block D has more rows dug, tomatoe cages have been resurrected and are ready for planting, several beds in Block C have had bulbs and plants added.
Day +11 partly sunny Winds NNW25km/h P.O.P.0%
Night 0 partly cloudy Winds NNW16km/h P.O.P.20%

Have not heard from our leader since classes ended. I do know some work is being done at the gardens. Beds in front of sign have been fluffed awaiting plantings, tomatoe rows have been straightened, potatoe hills have been turned, and rows have been added to Block D.

Day +15 mostly sunny Winds W16km/h P.O.P.10%
Night +2 mainly clear Winds WSW22km/h P.O.P.0%

We had a few people show up this morning. Phyllis and I cleared weeds and I trimmed the edges of the Wedding Garden. We went to the nursery garden and dropped off garden compost. I continued working in the nursery garden, tidied up some of the pots and things floating about.

Dick cleaned up alot of the floating stuff and cleared the floating branches of tomatoes that couldn't be tied up. I pulled weeds from the tomato patch and picked tomatoes.

Christine and her daughter showed up and we all picked tomatoes. The three of us picked 205 lbs of tomatoes. (175 lbs of large tomatoes and 30 lbs of cherry) Alan was laying mulch paths between rows in Block B.

Day +17 chance of showers UV4 Winds W5km/h P.O.P.40%
N +6 chance of showers Winds W20km/h P.O.P.70%

Update from Alan
Tony’s cucumbers are producing like crazy and so far we’ve delivered 39 fruit weighing on average a pound a piece. The cherry tomatoes are starting to produce a significant picking every few days and the first large tomatoes were included in this week’s deliveries. Total deliveries to date 57kg - 943 to go. (In December we can decide if our ‘one ton’ goal was 2240 lbs, 2000lbs or 1000 Kilos!)

Day +22 sun and cloud UV7 Winds N10km/h P.O.P.0%
Night +10 a few clouds Winds NW10km/h P.O.P.0%

Dick found time to tie up and de-sucker all the tomatoes and another batch of corn, beans and squash seeds have been planted in the 3 sisters garden.

Day +20 sunny with cloudy periods UV8 Winds NW20km/h P.O.P.30%
Night +9 clear Winds NW15km/h P.O.P.0%

In the nursery garden, a second 30' long support structure has been built and all but half-a-dozen of the tomatoes have been planted.

Tony donated some cucumber seedlings and they were planted on one of the sloping sides. It will be interesting to see if those fruit will dangle conveniently for easy picking. The final few tomato plants should be planted in the next few days. A good deal of time has gone into earthing up the potatoes.
The first Colorado beetles and their eggs have now appeared on the plants so beetle picking is going to start being a major occupation. (Why is it that the people most vociferous about not using insecticides are the ones least likely to volunteer for this job!)

Day +19 sunny UV9 Winds SE10km/h P.O.P.0%
Night +11 clear Winds NE5km/h P.O.P.0%

This is the first year we have grown radishes and they seem to love the raised beds. The first crop has all been distributed and the second flush is now ready. In the 3 sisters plot, the second planting of corn is just showing through and so are the scarlet runner beans. In block B, the bush beans and the chard are up but there is not yet any sign of the ‘breadseed’ poppies. With luck we’ll get the third planting of corn in and all the remaining squash and other cucurbits planted over the next few days.

Day +21 sunny UV8 Winds E10km/h P.O.P.30%
Night +13 clear Winds E10km/h P.O.P.0%

Today was a whole lot better weather wise than yesterday.
It felt a little windier than the 10km/h predicted but that was alright. Arrived at 8:10 and stayed until 12:15. Alan went up yesterday afternoon and covered some of the tender vegetables in case we had the frost they were predicting. So, Alan and I uncovered everything this morning. After that the three sisters garden needed some
tending and we got to work. We planted 3 rows of beans (4 seeds per spot), 3 rows of corn (10 seeds per spot). Dick arrived and helped create a couple of rows in Block D

Day +12 mix of sun and cloud UV7 Winds NW10km/h P.O.P.10%
Night +1 cloudy periods Winds SE10km/h P.O.P.20%

Lean too for tomatos.
We have wire fencing
added along the sides






This is another frame
for tomato's we are
testing at the gardens.





Went to the gardens, very windy and cold this morning. Took some photos of various parts of the nursery as well as the plantings at the signs. Talked to Alan told him the situation up here and he suggested picking some radishes before I leave. I picked 10 and they are very good. They haven't gotten to the biting spice stage yet. As I was preparing to leave it started to rain pelting quite heavily at times. He said he would try to get up the afternoon and cover some of the
crops. Calling for frost.

Day +12 a few showers UV3 Winds NW25km/h P.O.P.30%
Night +3 Cloudy Winds NW10km/h P.O.P.10%

Before planting we must remove weeds and turn the soil.


This bed is ready for whatever.

Some of the crops growing in Block C.
This year we have honeydew melon, cantaloupe
and pumpkin.

2006 Course assessments will probably take until January as Alan trys to work in various suggestions.
Since Sept 20 all the potatoes have been dug and work to convert these beds to nursery beds has started. There was frost last night so tomatoe vines are likely done and we will have many green tomatoes to be picked. A deal was struck to swap unripe fruit for flats of green onions to be planted in spring. There will be plenty if anyone wants some. The melon vines are done but we have pumpkin and squash and the fruit is all the better for one good frost before harvest.
We have delivered over 800lbs of produce to Knights Table. Squash and pumpkin will make for some nice soup. There is still plenty to be done before winter.

The straw has been piled onto the grassy area we will be preparing for our next Block. In the spring we will plant this out to the three sisters.