Garden Stakes and Wire Baskets

The plants have now grown for a couple weeks since first planting on the last week of May. I have watered them regularly, alternating with water from the rain barrel and house water.

Water from the rain barrel is limited by the amount of rain fall and the size of the collection system. My small sytem only provides about a barrel of water per week if it rains. During drier periods, I have to supplement watering my garden plants with house water.

The vegetable plant roots are well established and the plant stalks now need stakes for support and wire baskets for spreading branches. I have a supply of stakes and wire baskets that I reuse each year and have placed them on the garden fence as seen in the photos. The wire baskets are placed over each tomato plant and a wood stake is added to the side for additional support. See link for additional photos ...... http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/GardenStakes61408

The garden needs to be weeded every few weeks. I use a hoe with a five foot handle to and scrap the weed seedlings off the top soil. Deeper rooted weeds need to be pulled out.

Although there is a garden fence, some small animals (chipmonks, rabbits, birds) have gotten into the garden and nibble away at tender leaves. One way to protect vulnerable plants is to place neeting over them. However, the bunny rabbits were quicker this year add ate all my lettuce plants down to the ground as well as the strawberries that were just ready to turn red. Next year I will have to be a little quicker with the net.