Garden Notes - May 30, 2009

I started expanding this garden in early April from five to nine beds. I did not use a tiller. Instead, I carefully removed the sod which was used in two other areas of the yard left bare from tree/stump removal the year before.

This year, I am using non-hybrid seeds, also known as heirloom seeds, in lieu of commercial seeds. The advantage is that you can save seeds from the previous year's crop for planting. The commercial seeds are good for only one year, and seeds that are produced will not grow plants at all, or if they do, they are likely to be poor producers.

I started some seeds indoors-- Tomatoes, beets, cucumbers and escarole. I learned the hard way that tomato seedlings should not be introduced to direct sunlight abruptly. I also learned that starting beets and escarole indoors is a waste of time and effort. The tomatoes are now in the ground, but stunted. Next year I will stick to tomatoes and cucumber starts indoors only, and I will certainly "harden" the tomatoes gradually.

Seed planting into the ground-- Peas, beets and summer squash on about May 12, followed by bush beans on the 18th or so. The beans are beginning to show as of this post.

At this point I am simply placing grass clippings around plants that are large enough. The pea trellis is next on my list. The tomato cages will come into play when the plants get about 3 or 4 inches high.

First Turkey in a While

I shot this "Jake" on the morning of 5/4/09. For those of you not familiar with turkey terminology, a Jake is a young Tom Turkey. A Tom Turkey is the desired prize, but a Jake is fair game. Hunters who have time on their hands might allow a Jake to pass by and wait longer for a Tom to come along. With my situation working two jobs, and hunting after two hours of sleep, I will simply take the Jake if that's what I see first. There were plenty of Toms gobbling in the woods, but they refused to come out into the field when called on this hunting day and the day before.

This Jake was traveling with another and approached from my 9-o'clock position. With full cammo on and nothing but a tree at your back, you must not move as the birds have you in view from about 25 yards. As they put their heads down to peck occasionally, you can budge ever so slightly to sight your gun. Each peck is a split second to budge. After playing that game as they moved past my decoy towards my 12-o'clock position, one of them simply walked into my line of fire. I shot and he went down.

I hadn't bagged a turkey since 2004 because I was taking online classes, and then two times later because my gun misfired. I finally got it fixed last fall.