June 5, 2012 journal

The annuals that I started in March have been planted in and around our property, and several varieties have flowered already.  The small annual garden shown above has four varieties of zinnia, two of cosmos, two of dahlia, three of marigold, two of calendula, two of daisy and a few gazannias. 

All of the plants were started from seed, and initially grown hydroponically, before being transplanted to soil.  The cost of the seeds was minimal, as was the effort involved, however, this project was well worth the effort, as there is a substantial savings when compared to purchasing plants.

We  have had several days of cool, damp, rainy weather, and the humidity level in the greenhouse has been so high that there was condensation hanging on the inside of the roof.  On the third day,  I noticed a few small patches of powdery mildew beginning to form on a few of the cucumber leaves. Cucumbers are especially prone to mildew under damp conditions, so I was not surprised at this development.

As I prefer to use a natural solution whenever possible; I crushed five large garlic cloves and placed them in a gallon of water.  After letting the concoction sit for an hour or so, I sprayed the tops and bottoms of the cucumber leaves with the mixture.  As an added precaution, I also removed any leaves with the slightest sign of mildew. 

Thankfully, there have been no further signs of mildew, but I plan on continuing to spray until the weather improves and the humidity drops to a more normal level.